It can sometimes be a little depressing as you rifle through job ads as you realize that in order to get the job you want, you’ll have to spend an extra three or four years in school.
But do you have to take this route?
It turns out that there are jobs out there which have great pay and can help you pay off your college debts earlier than expected.
Some entry-level positions can provide you with all the skills you need to progress quickly and start earning a substantial income. So what opportunities are out there?
Registered Nurse
Nurses have to go through years of rigorous training. But once they graduate, there are plenty of opportunities out there for them to succeed. What’s more, because of the rapidly aging population, people with verified nursing skills are in high demand. Care homes, hospices, people living by themselves, and residential treatment centers all want nurses with people skills to help look after and care for the elderly.
Nurse pay can rise dramatically during the first few months of work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average nurse gets paid between $22.82 and $40.85 per hour. Entry-level positions tend to pay around $47,000 a year, whereas nurses with advanced experience and training can be paid up to $90,000.
Commercial Truck Driver
Commercial truck drivers have a lot of responsibility. It’s their job to transport hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of goods while keeping themselves and other road users safe. As a result, they have to undergo training to be allowed to drive. The good news, however, is that training can be completed in relatively short order - a matter of months, rather than years.
Becoming a truck driver is a great idea for grads who are struggling to find well-paid work. Who has the best paid truck driver training? Good question. There are many courses up and down the country. You can check the DMV website for a record of approved schools in your state. Training can be completed in as little as two weeks, although most courses last a bit longer than that.
Salaries in the sector start at $20,000, but the average truckie gets around $42,400 per year, with top paid drivers earning more than $60,000.
Massage Therapist
Because massage therapists are involved in the manipulation of people’s muscles, they have more responsibility than most people realize. They have to make sure that their techniques do not injure their clients; otherwise they could be liable for damages.
Massage therapists also have to be experts in their field, offering clients information on how to reduce tension, achieve greater levels of relaxation, and work with other medical professionals to provide exceptional service.
States license massage therapists once they have taken a course. The average course lasts about 500 hours and can be done in less than a year. After completing the course, therapists can expect to earn around $40,000 per year, with the top-paid professionals earning more than $77,400, making it a great option for people leaving college with degrees in physiology and exercise science.
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