When you’re fresh out of college and headed into your first job, money is often top of mind. While money alone shouldn’t be the only thing that drives you to choose a career, it doesn’t hurt to know which careers have high starting salaries.
Did you know that some careers pay more than doctors and lawyers? I had no idea either. If you’re looking to get a good paying job after college you might want to read on.
With a degree in a technical field, you can start out at an entry-level position and grow. For example, a computer technician can start out earning $40,000 per year; eight to ten years later, they can earn as much as $5,000 to $10,000 per month. And that’s not including overtime.
Careers with high starting salaries
The Wall Street Journal provided a list of the 25 Hot Jobs That Don’t Require a Degree. Take a look at the list to see which occupations are predicted to have high employment from 2014-24.
The field of computer programming is in high demand and projected to grow by 15% through 2020. IT positions usually need someone with a specific degree like a MBA or BBA, but not all computer programmers hold degrees. Most companies offer training programs for those that are smart enough. Of course having a degree doesn’t guarantee you’ll be successful, but landing a position with a big company can lead to a six-figure salary from day one.
I don’t know about you but I’ve been having a hard time finding someplace with job openings so I can get back to living the good life. It seems everywhere I go all I do is get hounded for a resume and countless rounds of interview questions.
Starting salaries are very important to young workers who need to support themselves or supplement their current earnings. As you can see from the list above, you don’t have to go into high finance to make a lot of money when you first start out. Other professional fields, such as technology, also offer lucrative starting salaries for graduates in most cases. Whatever path you choose, make sure that you’re ready to put in the hard work and long hours that these careers require. Becoming highly successful means working hard at every stage of your life, not just when you start out on your career path.
So what are these high paying careers? Surprisingly, they are not all in the legal, medical or accounting fields. More than a few can be found in the often maligned field of teaching, while others are available to graduates in computer or scientific orientations. The variety is likely due to the fact that many graduates do not enter the work force directly out of college but rather work for a few years or even enroll in graduate school before entering the job market. This reduced competition means that starting salaries are relatively high as entry level employees compete with fewer applicants. While still not maximizing their earning power, these “mid-career” employees have a valuable education under their belts and may be more attractive to prospective employers who need to fill at least some entry level jobs with experienced individuals.
We have already discussed salaries in graphic and web design. But, if you think that’s all there is to know, then you are sorely mistaken.
The best way to ensure success in your career is to understand what the market demand is for your skill and find an employer who values and supports that. By excelling in your job, you will start building your professional network and reputation. As you gain experience, you’ll be able to ask for more responsibility, work more independently, and increase your salary. At the end of the day, landing a dream job depends on how well you demonstrate expertise in your field and present yourself professionally.
There are a few important tips to keep in mind:
I hope this breakdown has proven useful to you, at a minimum. But even if it hasn’t, I sincerely believe in the premise of this article. Designers – and people in general – with these skills will come out on top.
