Common Jobs of Puerto Ricans in the US

If you’re planning to move to the US, you’re probably wondering what sectors would readily embrace Puerto Ricans. The good news is that PRs are almost in every industry. But, here’s a list of the most common jobs that await you when you finally make the big move.

Healthcare workers

Nurses: The country needs additional 1.1 million nurses to fill up the nursing vacancies and to avoid further shortage. The American Nurses Association claims that the demand for nurses is actually higher than all other professions. At present, Puerto Rico is one of the primary sources of nurses as the hospitals and health care facilities face shortages because of aging population, high turnover, and fewer nursing graduates.

Puerto Rican nurses have great employment opportunities in the country; take Florida, for example where- nurse could earn an average of $64,890 annually. The pay could be higher or a little bit lower depending on the city, type of facility, education, skills and other factors.

Medical doctor: Florida’s Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine assist medical doctors from Puerto Rico who want to work in Florida, through a speedy verification process.

Various agencies work together to ensure that these doctors have genuine licenses, and that they have finished the required specializations and trainings in their specialty areas. The Federation of State Medical Boards shall verify whether the applicants from Puerto Rico have met the requirements set by the State for medical doctors.

The Graduate Medical Education in cooperation with the American Board of Medical Specialties shall also verify whether the postgraduate training and medical education of these doctors are genuine and up to Florida’s standards. If you’re a doctor, you can apply for verification at the Federation Credentials Verification Service. They will contact the National Practitioner Data Bank to check whether you have a valid Medical license. The board shall also refer to the American Medical Association profile has been used to verify your postgraduate trainings.

Caregivers: A lot of baby boomers would need care either in a nursing home or right in their own homes. But, as the country heads towards a serious shortage of caregivers, many job opportunities are awaiting Puerto Ricans who want to join the long-term care workforce. The average pay is $10.12 per hour. Many facilities are also willing to provide competitive pay and benefits to the caring and compassionate members of their care giving team.

Being a care giver is also a satisfying job knowing that you are enhancing the lives of aging population in your community. As family caregivers find their ways into the labor market, the demand for paid care would most likely increase.

Hospitality workers

The continued economic growth heightened the demands for leisure/hospitality workers, not only in Florida but around the country as well. Puerto Ricans work as concierge, event planners and chef. Others work as housekeepers, porters, waiters/waitresses and front-office or administrative support. These jobs often require them to interact directly with customers or to a lot of work behind the scenes. They often work in hotels, restaurants, theme parks, casinos, or other venues with food or entertainment.

Construction, repair and maintenance workers

There is a nationwide labor shortage due to the booming construction across the states. As builders scramble for laborers Puerto Ricans are given sufficient job opportunities, to take up work that offers $15 per hour or more. Tampa Bay alone has a 1.1 billion construction project that needs qualified laborers to do the job. Not to mention all other states that are enjoying the benefits of good economy and are into building homes, and commercial spaces.

Puerto Ricans are working as construction workers, pipe layers, maintenance person, and other roles for $15 to $30 or sometimes, higher.

Many PRs who stayed in the country for good work in various industries such as education, law enforcement, business services, Information technology, and manufacturing. Others are into finance, retail, and accounting and legal industries.