You can find a high paying job without earning a college degree. Apple founder Steve Jobs didn’t have one. Neither does Microsoft founder Bill Gates, or entertainment mogul David Geffen. None of these self-made billionaires needed a college degree. While you may not achieve their status, you can prepare for a great job in less than four years.
More and more, it’s accepted that a college degree isn’t required to earn good money and have a successful career. Eight out of ten of the fastest-growing occupations don’t require a bachelor’s degree, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you’re switching to a new career, wouldn’t you rather spend a shorter time at vocational training or getting an associate degree than going into debt for a four-year diploma?
Here are the 25 top-paying jobs and their average salaries, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Indeed.com.
Place your cursor over each image to see top paying job title, salary and ranking!
Remember that location will heavily influence the salary earned for any job. Metropolitan areas are likely to pay more than smaller towns.
“The thing to keep in mind is that there are something like 50 million jobs out there that don’t require a bachelor’s degree and pay upwards of $40,000 a year,” says Harlow Unger, author of But What If I Don’t Want to Go to College? A Guide to Success Through Alternative Education. Unger reminds readers that according to the U.S. Department of Labor, nearly two-thirds of all projected job openings require only on-the-job training.
Even though this information is tantalizing, it’s not wise to just leap into one of these jobs. Find out which one you will enjoy most and which you have the aptitudes for. I recommend using the COPS3 System from www.TestEts to find out which one of these jobs will make you most happy. This test is inexpensive, yet a thorough assessment of career decision factors.
If you’re looking for a new career in the new year, you should start with some research. For example, the first thing people usually hope for in a new career is that they will be hired. Going into a fast-growing field, therefore, should be on a checklist. But not all of the fastest growing jobs are also high paying. If you want to maximize the likelihood of being hired in a well-paid job, this is the top 10
Experience firework growth in your new career!
list for you!
This list is a combination of the fastest growing jobs which are also the highest paid jobs from the Employment Projections Program at the US Department of Labor. All of these jobs have median (average) incomes above $50,000. All of these occupations require a Bachelor’s Degree or more with the exception of the 7th and 10th, which require an associate’s degree and technical school training respectively. They are listed in order from highest to lowest paying.
How do I find the Right Career for 2018?
You don’t have to repeat your old mistakes in your new career. Here’s a list of just a few things you can do right now to start the path to the perfect new career for you:
Ability Tests draw your attention to your innate aptitudes that determine your happiness and success in a career
Values Tests help clarify what you want out of a job so you can find the job that meets your desires
Finally, for FREE career coaching, fill out the form at the bottom of the page and ask about coaching services
Highest Paying, Fastest Growing Jobs
#1. Veterinarians
Duties: Primarily care for pets, livestock and zoo animals by treating their medical and health issues.
By 2020, approximately 22,000 jobs will be added to the field for total of 83,000 jobs.
Percentage Change: 36% growth
Median Wage: $82,000
#2 Biomedical Engineers
Duties: Design innovative solutions to biomedical problems for the purpose of improving patient health or care.
Numbers by 2020: just under 10,000 jobs added for total of approximately 25,000
Percentage Change: 62% growth
Median Wage: just under $82,000
#3 Medical Scientists
Duties: conduct clinical trials or other research methods for the purpose of finding solutions that improve human health.
Numbers by 2020: approximately 36,000 jobs added for total of 137,000 jobs
Percentage Change: about 36% growth
Median Wage: almost $77,000
#4 Physical Therapists
Duties: help rehab or chronic patients improve the movement of their limbs and muscles or facilitate the management of their pain
Numbers by 2020: just over 77,000 jobs added for total of 200,000 jobs
Percentage Change: 40% growth
Median Wage: just over $76,000
#5 Dental Hygienists
Duties: provide preventative dental care including cleaning teeth, and information on good oral health to patients.
Numbers by 2020: over 68,000 jobs added for a total of more than 250,000 jobs
Percentage Change: 38% growth
Median Wage: $68,000
#6 Audiologists
Duties: diagnose and treat the hearing and balance problems of patients
Numbers by 2020: almost 5,000 jobs added for a total of about 13,000 jobs
Percentage Change: 37% growth
Median Wage: $67,000
#7 Sonographers
Duties: use special sound wave imaging equipment to diagnose medical conditions in patients
Numbers by 2020: just over 23,000 jobs added for a total of 77,000 jobs
Percentage Change: 45% growth
Median Wage: $65,000
#8 Marketing Researchers
Duties: analyze demographic and market conditions in special areas to determine the potential sales of product or service
Numbers by 2020: almost 117,000 jobs to be added for a total of about 400,000 jobs
Percentage Change: 41% growth
Median Wage: $61,000
#9 Cost Estimators
Duties: estimate required time, money, resources, and labor based on their data analyses for manufacturing products or construction projects or even particular services.
Numbers by 2020: about 67,000 jobs added for total of 253,000 jobs
Percentage Change: just more than 35% growth
Median Wage: almost $58,000
#10 Occupational Therapy Assistants
Duties: assist occupational therapists in improving the skills of patients with disabilities or physical limitations due to injury or illness needed for daily life and working at a job
Numbers by 2020: just over 12,000 jobs added for a total of 41,000 jobs
Percentage Change: 43% growth
Median Wage: $51,000
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