Indiana Immigration in Indiana - Job Opportunities and Career Pathways

Sep 22, 2026

Map to Success: Identifying Job Opportunities and Career Pathways explains immigration in Indiana and how it shapes workforce participation and employment patterns. It outlines key facts about immigrant demographics, labor force shares, and top industries employing immigrants. The report analyzes job shortages using ranked occupations with average annual job openings and median hourly wages, and connects these shortages to typical skill levels, education requirements, and state licensing. It then details career advancement possibilities through food-handler and certified food-protection manager pathways, including requirements and options available to immigrants.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Immigration in Indiana

Job Shortages

Ranked occupations and wages

Potential Career Advancement with License or Certification

Food handler pathway

Certified food protection manager

Useful Resources

Sources

Map to Success: Identifying Job Opportunities and Career Pathways INDIANA Immigration in Indiana Job Shortages Potential Career Advancement Immigration in Indiana The following are facts about the immigrant community in Indiana: • Immigrants comprise roughly 4.9% of the state population and 5.9% of the Indiana labor force • Top industries of immigrant employment: o Manufacturing, 48,997 workers o Accommodation and Food Services, 24,870 workers o Health Care and Social Assistance, 24,578 workers o Educational Services, 23,224 workers o Retail Trade, 21,704 workers • Nearly 19,995 immigrant business owners accounted for 7.7% of all self-employed Indiana residents • 38.3% of immigrants in Indiana are naturalized and another 32% are undocumented • Top foreign-born countries of origin: o Mexico, 31.6% o India, 9.1% o China, 7.9% o Philippines, 3.3% o Myanmar, 2.9% • About 4.8% of native-born Hoosiers are children of an immigrant Job Shortages | Rank | Occupation | Average
Annual Job
Openings
2016-2026 | Median
Hourly
Wage* | Typical
Skill
Level
Required
** | Typical
Entry
Education
Required | State
Licensing
Required | Potential
Career
Advancement
with License
or
Certification | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1. | Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 17,860 | $9.31 | Low | No formal education | No | Yes | | 2. | Retail
Salespersons | 13,460 | $10.14 | Low | No formal
education | No | No | | 3. | Cashiers | 12,770 | $9.13 | Low | No formal
education | No | No | | 4. | Manual Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers | 11,490 | $13.66 | Low | No formal
education | No | Yes | | 5. | Waiters and
Waitresses | 10,460 | $9.11 | Low | No formal
education | No | Yes | | 6. | Team Assemblers | 9,470 | $15.87 | Low | High school
diploma or
equivalent | No | Yes | | 7. | Janitors and
Cleaners | 7,010 | $11.57 | Low | No formal
education | No | Yes | | 8. | General Office
Clerks | 6,680 | $14.78 | Low | High school
diploma or
equivalent | No | Yes | | 9. | Heavy and
Tractor-Trailer
Truck Drivers | 6,540 | $21.43 | Low | Post
secondary
nondegree | No | Yes | | 10. | Customer Service Representatives | 6,520 | $15.77 | Low | High school
diploma or
equivalent | No | No | *Indiana Hourly Minimum Wage is $7.25 (Jul 2018) ** Skill level: Low – High school (HS) diploma or equivalent or less; Middle – More than HS diploma but less than bachelor’s degree; High – Bachelor’s degree or higher Potential Career Advancement with License or Certification Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers Job Description • Perform duties which combine preparing and serving food and nonalcoholic beverages Licensing/Certification Requirements • Food Handler – Indiana law (FHC) Rule 410 IAC 7-22, doesn’t require food employees to obtain a food handler certification. However, some employers may prefer or require it o Certification generally requires: ▪ Training – approximately 2 hours ▪ Exam – not required by law, but some training programs may require it ▪ Fee – approximate cost of an online training program is $7.00 ▪ Renewal – every 3 years For Immigrants • Requirements for immigrants are the same as native-born residents • Online training is also offered in foreign languages: [o ](o 360training.com)[ 360training.com](o 360training.com), Inc.– Spanish [o ](o AboveTraining/StateFoodSafety.com)[ AboveTraining/StateFoodSafety.com](o AboveTraining/StateFoodSafety.com) – Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, SerboCroatian, Tagalog and American Sign Language o Food Handler Solutions LLC – Spanish o Food Safety Educators – Spanish o National Registry of Food Safety Professionals® – Spanish o National Restaurant Association – Spanish and Simplified Chinese Potential Career Advancement: Certified Food Protection Manager

FAQs

What share of Indiana’s population and labor force is made up of immigrants?

Immigrants comprise roughly 4.9% of the state population and 5.9% of the Indiana labor force.

Which industries employ the largest number of immigrants in Indiana?

The top industries are Manufacturing, Accommodation and Food Services, Health Care and Social Assistance, Educational Services, and Retail Trade.

How can someone advance their career in the food industry through licensing or certification?

The document outlines advancement options such as food handler-related pathways and, for further progression, a Certified Food Protection Manager route with described training, exam requirements, fees, renewal cycles, and immigrant access to the same baseline requirements.

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by Lucas Martin