Considered the nation’s most reliable source for career information, the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) provides comprehensive and up-to-date information on hundreds of occupations. For more than 50 years, the Handbook has proven to be the most reliable source of career guidance.

The 2012-2013 edition of OOH reflects the Bureau's 2010-20 employment projections which were released on February 1, 2012. This edition includes several new features making it more attractive and easier for you to find what you need:

• A summary section for each occupational profile that provides a quick look at key facts for the profile, such as 2010 median pay, entry-level education, and job outlook to 2020
• Charts comparing median pay and projected percent change in employment for each profile to all occupations
• Multiple photos for each profile

The 341 occupational profiles cover 536 detailed occupations, or 84.8 percent of total employment. For each occupation, the Handbook highlights key characteristics, such as work environment, job prospects, and education requirements. This edition contains individual profiles for many occupations that were either covered in groups, covered in abbreviated profiles, or not covered in detail in the prior edition.

In addition, the Bernan edition of the Handbook includes two new appendixes as well as a glossary of terms. Appendix A provides a quick look at all the occupations while Appendix B includes 2011 employment and wages estimates—the most recent data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics!

Highlights include:

• Individual profiles for the science and engineering occupations, which were previously covered in groups
• More profiles for computer-related occupations, including individual profiles for database administrators; information security analysts, web developers, and computer network architects; and network and computer systems administrators
• New individual profiles for occupations that manufacture and repair healthcare-related appliances and equipment
• Full profiles for four occupations that were previously covered in abbreviated profiles: epidemiologists; fire inspectors and investigators; police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers; and tellers
• Full profiles for occupations not covered in detail in the prior edition, including financial examiners, legislators, logisticians, and social and community service managers

The information in the OOH has proven invaluable to counselors, students, parents, teachers, jobseekers, career changers, education and training officials, and researchers.