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What HR workers make in 18 major industries

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Pyn uses Bureau of Labor Statistics data to rank the median annual salaries for human resources workers across 18 major U.S. industries.  
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Chances are that at some point in your career, you’ve interacted with someone in human resources. When a company needs to hire the perfect person for the job, handle an employee’s questions about pay, develop onboarding training for new hires, implement an employee well-being program, or consult on benefits packages, they typically look to their human resources professionals. HR professionals are responsible for a range of tasks that are essential for communicating between the company’s administration and employees.

There are about 805,000 human resources worker jobs across the United States. It’s one of the most common roles for people with a bachelor’s degree in business. There are also differences between human resources managers, specialists, and assistants, whose many responsibilities can include recruitment and employee personnel matters. Some HR professionals may also decide not to work in-house at one company and instead work as a consultant or for external recruiting firms.

Human resources workers earn an average of nearly $62,500 annually in the U.S. But there is a wide range of pay in this field, and one of the factors that may determine how much an HR worker is paid relates to their geographic location and their company’s industry.

Pyn used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to rank the median annual salaries for human resources workers across 18 major U.S. industries. The analysis also provides a breakdown of median compensation for three of the subcategories of HR workers: managers, specialists, and assistants. Due to standard errors in the data, there may be some variation in actual rankings.

Click through for a look at what HR workers make in 18 major industries.

Man in suit is conducting a job interview

Elle Aon // Shutterstock

#18. Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting

– Median salary for human resources workers: $48,690
— Human resources managers: $101,640
— Human resources specialists: $49,410
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $38,220

Working in human resources in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sectors encompasses a wide variety of jobs. HR workers who are looking to fill jobs in forestry, for example, will likely be looking to hire people based in part on their physical capacity to perform labor.

Agriculture, on the other hand, also includes office and executive jobs in agribusiness, and human resources professionals working on such tasks will have to hire for completely different competencies, such as project management. Working in outdoor environments also comes with a unique set of challenges for safety and onboard training, so HR workers with experience in these special fields are likely in higher demand.

Employer reading a resume during job interview

Lee Charlie // Shutterstock

#17. Administration, support, and waste management

– Median salary for human resources workers: $48,970
— Human resources managers: $99,080
— Human resources specialists: $48,970
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $38,190

Administration, support, and waste management support includes a vast array of jobs that help other businesses and organizations function, such as sanitation workers and temporary support roles to clean up after concerts and other large events. As such, those who work in the human resources field often need the professional range to address the concerns of employers ranging from commercial offices to residential real estate buildings, as well as health and safety training requirements for workers.

Manager interviewing young man in office boardroom

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#16. Retail

– Median salary for human resources workers: $49,410
— Human resources managers: $102,490
— Human resources specialists: $49,410
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $37,250

Specialists in retail HR work within an ever-evolving ecosystem of retail staffers. Certain times of year that typically have more shoppers mean that HR professionals will have to be particularly adept at anticipating their companies’ seasonal needs. Stores typically need more retail assistance during the autumn and winter holidays of Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, so those working in retail HR will need to be able to calibrate hiring accordingly and be well-versed in policy and personnel matters specific to part-time workers.

High angle of female manager handing contract to young woman in job interview

SeventyFour // Shutterstock

#15. Arts, entertainment, and recreation

– Median salary for human resources workers: $52,770
— Human resources managers: $99,510
— Human resources specialists: $52,500
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $38,210

Jobs in the arts, entertainment, and recreation can span everything from working artists to managers and docents at museums and theaters. Those who work hiring artists and performers will likely need to know about how to recruit and analyze job experience based on candidates’ previous roles, on-set and theatrical experiences, and depth of knowledge in a style of art or performance.

In addition to office and administrative workers, HR professionals in these fields would also need to be familiar with specialized workplace environments in recreational or entertainment fields that may require different types of safety training and hours of operation.

High Angle View of a businessperson shaking hand with a candidate

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#14. Accommodation and food services

– Median salary for human resources workers: $57,040
— Human resources managers: $99,540
— Human resources specialists: $56,820
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $36,910

The accommodation and food services industry typically encompasses everything from hotels and resorts to sit-down restaurants and outdoor cafes. HR workers in the sector will need to be aware of how demand in these sectors fluctuates through the year and in different regions of the country. For example, they will likely need to be able to provide more of their services in the summer months in vacation towns and be prepared to meet travel demand in popular winter holiday locations.

Female receptionist talking by phone in clinic

Pixel-Shot // Shutterstock

#13. Health care and social assistance

– Median salary for human resources workers: $58,120
— Human resources managers: $99,870
— Human resources specialists: $57,720
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $40,230

Health care and senior care are rapidly growing sectors in the United States. The top-growing professions within the sector include nurses and nurse’s aides who assist the elderly. With the rise in burnout and stress among frontline medical workers, HR professionals in this industry often need an understanding of the complexity of working with patients, which can be a high-stress environment where safety protocols and proper training are essential. HR professionals also need to be aware of mental health and family support services for medical professionals, and may be called upon to build staff well-being and diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Smiling man sitting at desk shaking hands with a job applicant

mavo // Shutterstock

#12. Educational services

– Median salary for human resources workers: $61,850
— Human resources managers: $119,620
— Human resources specialists: $61,660
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $47,520

Educational services jobs include those who are looking to be professors and teachers. Academic careers are often extremely competitive, with academic institutions seriously considering the caliber of faculty they are hiring. HR professionals in this industry may also be the bridge between administrators and faculty and teachers’ unions, ensuring that benefits administration, required training, employee handbooks, and policies and procedures are in compliance. 

Two businesswomen speaking at a table

fizkes // Shutterstock

#11. Construction

– Median salary for human resources workers: $62,310
— Human resources managers: $102,900
— Human resources specialists: $62,320
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $42,650

Many construction jobs are physically demanding, and as such will require those working in HR to be on top of policies for workplace safety, training, and processing injury or accident cases. Human resources professionals who recruit for construction jobs will have to look for those who encompass a wide variety of skill sets. As with most jobs, they will have to find people who are properly trained, skilled, and dependable enough to accomplish the tasks required in construction work. 

Two businesswomen looking at a tablet while walking down a hall

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

#10. Real estate and rental/leasing

– Median salary for human resources workers: $64,120
— Human resources managers: $125,430
— Human resources specialists: $64,120
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $47,180

 

Those working in real estate, rental, and leasing occupations are typically involved in helping others find the perfect home or apartment to buy or rent. HR professionals in this field help a real estate agency or office with internal operations, ranging from legal compliance to tracking commissions and payroll processes. Staff recruiters in these fields need to have good judgment as they screen potential applicants, and it may help to know the market for potential homes. 

Close up of hands during an interview

Jirapong Manustrong // Shutterstock

#9. Wholesale trade

– Median salary for human resources workers: $67,340
— Human resources managers: $128,060
— Human resources specialists: $67,130
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $46,910

People in the wholesale trade industry are typically those who work in occupations like wholesale merchandise. HR recruiters who hire for the industry will need to make sure that they find candidates who have a good sense of how global events may impact shipping and supply chains. In recent years the pandemic and related labor shortages have slowed shipping down, which has also impacted wholesaling. HR professionals placing people in wholesale trade will want to make sure they are hiring candidates with a solid understanding of the trends in logistics and global trade.

Three people working together in warehouse office

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

#8. Manufacturing

– Median salary for human resources workers: $73,040
— Human resources managers: $125,080
— Human resources specialists: $72,370
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $44,260

The manufacturing sector is made up of those who are engaged in the physical, mechanical, or chemical production of autos, electronics, and other finished products. A wide variety of occupations count as manufacturing, from those who work primarily with their hands in factories to engineers who work mainly with chemicals and need specialized degrees and training. As employees work in an environment with equipment and machinery, HR workers need to ensure that company policies around workplace safety, employee health, and new hire training are always up to date, among other duties.

Manager outside of a office shaking hands with a man

mavo // Shutterstock

#7. Federal, state, and local government

– Median salary for human resources workers: $75,170
— Human resources managers: $102,520
— Human resources specialists: $74,840
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $47,600

Those who work in the federal, state, and local government sectors do everything from managing parks and recreation departments to managing caseloads in the federal judiciary. The federal government typically has preset pay bands for employees, so salaries are less subject to market fluctuations and performance than those in other industries. Though HR managers will not need to focus on compensation issues as they would in the private sector, they still have to ensure that policies meet federal standards, especially around ensuring equal opportunity hiring.

Young people waiting for job interview indoors

Pixel-Shot // Shutterstock

#5. Management of companies and enterprises (tie)

– Median salary for human resources workers: $76,040
— Human resources managers: $130,340
— Human resources specialists: $75,650
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $46,640

With typically higher salaries than others in their organizations, HR professionals in the business sector often oversee the complex internal operations of companies across many kinds of industries, sales, and services. Whether working at a small business with less than 100 people or a multinational corporation with thousands, HR managers must work closely with executive leadership to develop strategic planning for hiring, assist with organizational structure and manager training, implement employment benefits programs, develop diversity and inclusion policies, and also field any personnel or compliance issues that may arise. Recruiting C-suite and executive roles is one of the most specialized in the HR field, as well as the highest paying for outside recruiters.

Man interviewing another man in an office

Branislav Nenin // Shutterstock

#5. Mining (tie)

– Median salary for human resources workers: $76,040
— Human resources managers: $126,650
— Human resources specialists: $76,040
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $48,470

Mining has historically been a dangerous industry for workers who’ve had to run operations deep underground, or—when it comes to global job placement for mining engineers—in remote conditions or the extreme weather of Arctic or tropical environments. With such high-risk work sites, HR professionals need to ensure that they have safety and job site training policies up to industry standards, and may need to be well-versed in workers’ benefits and benefits policy requirements across different countries or states.

Young woman taking notes while on the phone

Prostock-studio // Shutterstock

#4. Finance and insurance

– Median salary for human resources workers: $76,700
— Human resources managers: $131,710
— Human resources specialists: $76,450
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $46,960

Finance and insurance are typically two highly compensated industries, so companies need to work with their HR professional to ensure they offer competitive benefits, well-being programs, and compensation to attract workers. As with many industries that work with financial services, HR professionals also need to be well-versed in compliance issues and ensuring that employee handbooks and workplace training ensure that employees are aware of ethics, best practices, and legal requirements in their work. Human resources departments are also the link between staffers and administrators when it comes to mediating any personnel matters, as well as implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and benefits administration.

Top view of HR managers interviewing job applicant

fizkes // Shutterstock

#3. Professional, scientific, and technical services

– Median salary for human resources workers: $76,920
— Human resources managers: $133,980
— Human resources specialists: $76,920
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $46,910

The professional, scientific, and technical services industry encompasses everything from scientists who work for labs, to pharmacologists who synthesize new drugs. HR professionals may also need to be aware of special training requirements, particularly in health and safety regulations, for employees who will be in lab settings and working with chemicals or highly sensitive equipment. For those who are tasked with hiring the ideal candidates to fulfill highly skilled roles may need specialized technical or scientific knowledge themselves, and may be compensated accordingly well.

Two women at a table with one signing papers

fizkes // Shutterstock

#2. Utilities

– Median salary for human resources workers: $81,050
— Human resources managers: $132,270
— Human resources specialists: $80,510
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $61,100

Those who work in utilities play a part in the provision of everything from natural gas to electric power to steam supply. These positions are often highly lucrative and require many years of training and study. The overall high salaries of those engaged in the field may be responsible in part for the higher salaries commanded by HR workers in the energy and utilities field.

Close up of a woman reviewing CVs

DC Studio // Shutterstock

#1. Information

– Median salary for human resources workers: $82,240
— Human resources managers: $163,360
— Human resources specialists: $81,660
— Human resources assistants (except payroll/timekeeping): $47,330

People in the information industry capture value from knowledge and data. This has become a particularly lucrative and popular sector in the internet age, with companies looking to use data to drive sales and accomplish other business goals. This means that companies may be willing to pay more to HR workers who can help them develop office benefits, well-being, and compensation programs to help retain highly sought-after tech workers. In this competitive field, negotiating salaries, successfully recruiting in-demand workers, and retaining employees will all be essential skills.

 

This story originally appeared on Pyn and was produced and
distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

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How businesses can protect themselves from the rising threat of deepfakes

Dive into the world of deepfakes and explore the risks, strategies and insights to fortify your organization’s defences

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In Billy Joel’s latest video for the just-released song Turn the Lights Back On, it features him in several deepfakes, singing the tune as himself, but decades younger. The technology has advanced to the extent that it’s difficult to distinguish between that of a fake 30-year-old Joel, and the real 75-year-old today.

This is where tech is being used for good. But when it’s used with bad intent, it can spell disaster. In mid-February, a report showed a clerk at a Hong Kong multinational who was hoodwinked by a deepfake impersonating senior executives in a video, resulting in a $35 million theft.

Deepfake technology, a form of artificial intelligence (AI), is capable of creating highly realistic fake videos, images, or audio recordings. In just a few years, these digital manipulations have become so sophisticated that they can convincingly depict people saying or doing things that they never actually did. In little time, the tech will become readily available to the layperson, who’ll require few programming skills.

Legislators are taking note

In the US, the Federal Trade Commission proposed a ban on those who impersonate others using deepfakes — the greatest concern being how it can be used to fool consumers. The Feb. 16 ban further noted that an increasing number of complaints have been filed from “impersonation-based fraud.”

A Financial Post article outlined that Ontario’s information and privacy commissioner, Patricia Kosseim, says she feels “a sense of urgency” to act on artificial intelligence as the technology improves. “Malicious actors have found ways to synthetically mimic executive’s voices down to their exact tone and accent, duping employees into thinking their boss is asking them to transfer funds to a perpetrator’s account,” the report said. Ontario’s Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence Framework, for which she consults, aims to set guides on the public sector use of AI.

In a recent Microsoft blog, the company stated their plan is to work with the tech industry and government to foster a safer digital ecosystem and tackle the challenges posed by AI abuse collectively. The company also said it’s already taking preventative steps, such as “ongoing red team analysis, preemptive classifiers, the blocking of abusive prompts, automated testing, and rapid bans of users who abuse the system” as well as using watermarks and metadata.

That prevention will also include enhancing public understanding of the risks associated with deepfakes and how to distinguish between legitimate and manipulated content.

Cybercriminals are also using deepfakes to apply for remote jobs. The scam starts by posting fake job listings to collect information from the candidates, then uses deepfake video technology during remote interviews to steal data or unleash ransomware. More than 16,000 people reported that they were victims of this scam to the FBI in 2020. In the US, this kind of fraud has resulted in a loss of more than $3 billion USD. Where possible, they recommend job interviews should be in person to avoid these threats.

Catching fakes in the workplace

There are detector programs, but they’re not flawless. 

When engineers at the Canadian company Dessa first tested a deepfake detector that was built using Google’s synthetic videos, they found it failed more than 40% of the time. The Seattle Times noted that the problem in question was eventually fixed, and it comes down to the fact that “a detector is only as good as the data used to train it.” But, because the tech is advancing so rapidly, detection will require constant reinvention.

There are other detection services, often tracing blood flow in the face, or errant eye movements, but these might lose steam once the hackers figure out what sends up red flags.

“As deepfake technology becomes more widespread and accessible, it will become increasingly difficult to trust the authenticity of digital content,” noted Javed Khan, owner of Ontario-based marketing firm EMpression. He said a focus of the business is to monitor upcoming trends in tech and share the ideas in a simple way to entrepreneurs and small business owners.

To preempt deepfake problems in the workplace, he recommended regular training sessions for employees. A good starting point, he said, would be to test them on MIT’s eight ways the layperson can try to discern a deepfake on their own, ranging from unusual blinking, smooth skin, and lighting.

Businesses should proactively communicate through newsletters, social media posts, industry forums, and workshops, about the risks associated with deepfake manipulation, he told DX Journal, to “stay updated on emerging threats and best practices.”

To keep ahead of any possible attacks, he said companies should establish protocols for “responding swiftly” to potential deepfake attacks, including issuing public statements or corrective actions.

How can a deepfake attack impact business?

The potential to malign a company’s reputation with a single deepfake should not be underestimated.

“Deepfakes could be racist. It could be sexist. It doesn’t matter — by the time it gets known that it’s fake, the damage could be already done. And this is the problem,” said Alan Smithson, co-founder of Mississauga-based MetaVRse and investor at Your Director AI.

“Building a brand is hard, and then it can be destroyed in a second,” Smithson told DX Journal. “The technology is getting so good, so cheap, so fast, that the power of this is in everybody’s hands now.”

One of the possible solutions is for businesses to have a code word when communicating over video as a way to determine who’s real and who’s not. But Smithson cautioned that the word shouldn’t be shared around cell phones or computers because “we don’t know what devices are listening to us.”

He said governments and companies will need to employ blockchain or watermarks to identify fraudulent messages. “Otherwise, this is gonna get crazy,” he added, noting that Sora — the new AI text to video program — is “mind-blowingly good” and in another two years could be “indistinguishable from anything we create as humans.”

“Maybe the governments will step in and punish them harshly enough that it will just be so unreasonable to use these technologies for bad,” he continued. And yet, he lamented that many foreign actors in enemy countries would not be deterred by one country’s law. It’s one downside he said will always be a sticking point.

It would appear that for now, two defence mechanisms are the saving grace to the growing threat posed by deepfakes: legal and regulatory responses, and continuous vigilance and adaptation to mitigate risks. The question remains, however, whether safety will keep up with the speed of innovation.

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Small banks emerge as the top source for small business financing

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Findbusinesses4sale used the Fed's Small Business Credit Survey data to compare approval rates among small business financing options.
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When it comes to borrowing money, small businesses are most likely to apply at large banks. But they often find success with their counterparts in the finance world: small banks.

Small banks—or those with less than $10 billion in total assets—comprise most of the banks in the U.S., much like small businesses account for nearly all U.S. businesses. More than 80% of small businesses that applied for financing at small banks were at least partially approved in 2022, according to data from the Fed’s most recent survey of small business employers. However, only 30% of small businesses applied at small banks when they sought financing.

About 2 in 5 small business employers applied for some traditional financing in 2022. Most needed the money to meet operating expenses, while a little over half sought cash to expand their operations.

Findbusinesses4sale used the Fed’s Small Business Credit Survey data to compare approval rates among small business financing sources, taking a closer look at their differences. Approval rates are based on applications for loans, credit, and cash advances at the various institution types. The Fed report was released in March 2023 based on a 2022 survey of nearly 8,000 small businesses with employees.


A bar chart shows the share of small business applicants at least partially approved for loan requests, separated by the type of source applied to.

Findbusinesses4sale

Small banks surpass online lenders, finance companies in approval rates for small business applicants

Also known as community banks, small banks are well-equipped to lend to small businesses because of their intimate knowledge of local economies. Small businesses are often young, with short histories, small operations, little collateral, and unproven financial success. These factors can make it difficult for founders to qualify for credit and loans—they’re simply a riskier investment for a funder to take on.

Small banks’ decision-makers live within the same areas where they grant loans, and they have insight into how certain businesses could fare within their neighborhoods. That makes it easier for them to analyze the risk of lending to small businesses and, in turn, decide whether to approve their applications. At least 3 in 5 (61%) applicants considered to be a medium or high credit risk were approved for financing at small banks; at large banks, not even half (45%) of these riskier applicants were approved.

By operating across smaller locales, community bank operators also have the opportunity to forge stronger relationships with business founders. The Fed survey shows that about 2 in 3 small businesses that applied for financing with these banks did so because of an existing relationship. Many of these relationships were forged in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, when community banks came through for small businesses with relief funds, including more intensive support in understanding and completing complex applications.

Small firms applying to other sources, such as online lenders and finance companies, are most often motivated by making quick decisions and perceiving that they have a higher chance of being approved. That was the case five years ago, but approval rates for both sources lagged behind small banks in 2022. Indeed, approval rates at both have fallen significantly since 2019, while approvals at small banks have grown.

Both online lenders and finance companies still approve slightly higher shares of applicants with medium to high credit risks compared to small banks, but only by a few percentage points. At the same time, many more borrowers reported dissatisfaction and challenges working with these lenders, including high interest rates and unfavorable repayment terms.

On the other hand, the vast majority of borrowers from small banks were happy with their experience—much more than those who borrowed from any other type of lender.

Story editing by Ashleigh Graf. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Ania Antecka.

This story originally appeared on Findbusinesses4sale and was produced and
distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

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The new reality of how VR can change how we work

It’s not just for gaming — from saving lives to training remote staff, here’s how virtual reality is changing the game for businesses

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Until a few weeks ago, you might have thought that “virtual reality” and its cousin “augmented reality” were fads that had come and gone. At the peak of the last frenzy around the technology, the company formerly known as Facebook changed its name to Meta in 2021, as a sign of how determined founder Mark Zuckerberg was to create a VR “metaverse,” complete with cartoon avatars (who for some reason had no legs — they’ve got legs now, but there are some restrictions on how they work).

Meta has since spent more than $36 billion on metaverse research and development, but so far has relatively little to show for it. Meta has sold about 20 million of its Quest VR headsets so far, but according to some reports, not many people are spending a lot of time in the metaverse. And a lack of legs for your avatar probably isn’t the main reason. No doubt many were wondering: What are we supposed to be doing in here?

The evolution of virtual reality

Things changed fairly dramatically in June, however, when Apple demoed its Vision Pro headset, and then in early February when they were finally available for sale. At $3,499 US, the device is definitely not for the average consumer, but using it has changed the way some think about virtual reality, or the “metaverse,” or whatever we choose to call it.

Some of the enhancements that Apple has come up with for the VR headset experience have convinced Vision Pro true believers that we are either at or close to the same kind of inflection point that we saw after the release of the original iPhone in 2007.Others, however, aren’t so sure we are there yet.

The metaverse sounds like a place where you bump into giant dinosaur avatars or play virtual tennis, but ‘spatial computing’ puts the focus on using a VR headset to enhance what users already do on their computers. Some users generate multiple virtual screens that hang in the air in front of them, allowing them to walk around their homes or offices and always have their virtual desktop in front of them.

VR fans are excited about the prospect of watching a movie on what looks like a 100-foot-wide TV screen hanging in the air in front of them, or playing a video game. But what about work-related uses of a headset like the Vision Pro? 

Innovating health care with VR technology

One of the most obvious applications is in medicine, where doctors are already using remote viewing software to perform checkups or even operations. At Cambridge University, game designers and cancer researchers have teamed up to make it easier to see cancer cells and distinguish between different kinds.

Heads-up displays and other similar kinds of technology are already in use in aerospace engineering and other fields, because they allow workers to see a wiring diagram or schematic while working to repair it. VR headsets could make such tasks even easier, by making those diagrams or schematics even larger, and superimposing them on the real thing. The same kind of process could work for digital scans of a patient during an operation.

Using virtual reality, patients and doctors could also do remote consultations more easily, allowing patients to describe visually what is happening with them, and giving health professionals the ability to offer tips and direct recommendations in a visual way. 

This would not only help with providing care to people who live in remote areas, but could also help when there is a language barrier between doctor and patient. 

Impacting industry worldwide

One technology consulting firm writes that using a Vision Pro or other VR headset to streamline assembly and quality control in maintenance tasks. Overlaying diagrams, 3D models, and other digital information onto an object in real time could enable “more efficient and error-free assembly processes,” by providing visual cues, step-by-step guidance, and real-time feedback. 

In addition to these kinds of uses, virtual reality could also be used for remote onboarding for new staff in a variety of different roles, by allowing them to move around and practice training tasks in a virtual environment.

Some technology watchers believe that the retail industry could be transformed by virtual reality as well. Millions of consumers have become used to buying online, but some categories such as clothing and furniture have lagged, in part because it is difficult to tell what a piece of clothing might look like once you are wearing it, or what that chair will look like in your home. But VR promises the kind of immersive experience where that becomes possible.

While many consumers may see this technology only as an avenue for gaming and entertainment, it’s already being leveraged by businesses in manufacturing, health care and workforce development. Even in 2020, 91 per cent of businesses surveyed by TechRepublic either used or planned to adopt VR or AR technology — and as these technological advances continue, adoption is likely to keep ramping up.

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