Guide to the Service Industry: 2024

If you enjoy people and derive satisfaction from performing service for others, you might be suited for a career in the service industry. It’s also an excellent opportunity to develop valuable skills you can carry with you throughout your career, including collaboration and teamwork, empathy, and how to deliver results in a fast-paced environment. 

Explore whether you might enjoy a service-oriented career by getting a clear definition of the service industry and exploring some examples of service-related jobs. Then, find answers to more of your questions about working in the service industry, like the fields that make up the industry and the skills that benefit service-oriented workers.  

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What is the service industry? 

The service industry plays an essential role in the economy because all economic activity involves either goods or services. Goods consist of manufactured products like home appliances or products derived from raw materials like gasoline or garden crops. Services involve actions or processes people pay for because they desire them, need them, or a combination thereof. 

Services differ from goods in three crucial ways. You can't touch them, you can't store them, and you can't transport them like you can goods. Individuals, businesses, and governments all provide services that make up the service industry. Some examples include:

• Childcare

• City bus services

• Garbage pickup

• Haircuts and styling

• Personal coaching

• Television repair

• Therapeutic massage

6 examples of service industry jobs

With so many diverse jobs available, the service industry offers varied career options. Depending on your job, you may work for an employer or for yourself. 

Explore six examples of service-oriented jobs. Note that a median salary represents the midpoint for earners in a profession. Fifty percent of the earners in the given role earn less than the median figure, and 50 percent earn more.

1. Accountant

Median annual US salary: $79,880 [1]

Job outlook (2022 to 2032): 4 percent [1]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree; certification optional

Accountants create and maintain financial records, prepare financial reports, and consult with clients about financial matters. As an accountant, you might choose to work for yourself, either by opening a firm or by providing freelance services. Alternatively, you might work for a private or public employer. 

Read more: 8 Types of Accounting: Careers, Degrees, and Salaries

2. Civil engineer

Median annual US salary: $95,890 [2]

Job outlook (2022 to 2032): 5 percent [2]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree; states typically require licensure

A civil engineer plans and designs public and private structures like airports, bridges, dams, and tunnels. In this role, you can work for a private firm or work for your city, state, or federal government. 

Read more: What Does a Civil Engineer Do? (+ How to Become One)

3. Elementary school teacher

Median annual US salary: $63,670 [3]

Job outlook (2022 to 2032): 1 percent [3]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree at a minimum; state-issued licensure or certification

Elementary school teachers prepare children for middle school by teaching them various subjects like math, reading, and science. They also supervise children at recess and communicate with their parents regarding educational progress and in-school behavior. 

Read more: What Degree Do You Need To Be a Teacher?

4. Event planner

Median annual US salary: $56,920  [4]

Job outlook (2022 to 2032): 8 percent [4]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree; relevant experience may help job candidates 

Event planners arrange the setup, cleanup, and vendors for various events, from work conferences to weddings. Event vendors might include supply companies, caterers, photographers, limousine services, or hotel shuttles. As an event planner, you have options regarding where you work, including working for a specific employer or starting your own business. 

5. Interior designer

Median annual US salary: $62,510 [5]

Job outlook (2022 to 2032): 4 percent [5]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree

Interior designers consult with clients to beautify rooms in their homes or businesses. As an interior designer, you might sketch a design layout, plan a budget, purchase materials, and arrange furniture and other design elements.   

6. Market research analyst

Median annual US salary: $74,680 [6]

Job outlook (2022 to 2032): 13 percent [6]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree; some employers require a master’s

Market research analysts help promote products or services by gathering and studying market data. To collect data, research analysts assess competitor websites, social media, and industry news and use questionnaires, surveys, polls, and focus groups. In this position, you can work for any company conducting market research. 

Get started on Coursera

The service industry offers a broad range of opportunities, making finding a role that aligns with your passions easy. Learning more about the service industry can help you decide if you might enjoy a service-oriented job. To attain valuable job skills, consider boosting your resume with online courses. 

For example, the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate on Coursera helps build or enhance critical skills valued in many service industry jobs. In this eight-course series, you'll cover basic concepts and principles of data analytics and learn how to think more analytically. You'll learn how to use data to solve problems, make decisions, and learn about more advanced topics like data cleaning and organization and data analytics programming. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)