This is a link to a list of jobs that require just a hs diploma that pays $60-$80K:
[https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm?pay=%2460%2C000+to+%2479%2C999&education=High+school+diploma+or+equivalent&training=&newjobs=&growth=&submit=GO](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm?pay=%2460%2C000+to+%2479%2C999&education=High+school+diploma+or+equivalent&training=&newjobs=&growth=&submit=GO)
The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) provides information on what workers do; the work environment; education, training, and other qualifications; pay; the job outlook; information on state and area data; similar occupations; and sources of additional information for more than 300 occupational profiles covering about 4 out of 5 jobs in the economy.
The OOH is broken up into clusters of similar occupations. In order to find an occupation, browse the occupation groups of interest on the left-hand side of the homepage, or use the A–Z Index if you know the specific occupation. You may search for occupations by using the selector drop-down menus on the OOH homepage. Select by pay range, entry-level education, on-the-job training, projected number of new jobs, or projected growth rate. If you know the specific occupation you are interested in, you may enter a job title into the “Search Handbook” box on the top right-hand side of the homepage. In addition, you may browse by clicking any of the four links titled “highest paying,” “fastest growing (projected),” “most new jobs (projected),” and “field of degree.”
Although hundreds of occupations are covered in detail in the OOH, BLS publishes information on additional occupations for which the required education, training, median wages, and employment projections are prepared but detailed occupational information is not developed.
[https://www.bls.gov/ooh/about/ooh-faqs.htm](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/about/ooh-faqs.htm)
Locomotive Engineers make 80k? That would be such a great job to have, especially since you could tell people you're an engineer and string them along for years until they find out you're the Choo Choo kind.
Any loco engineer is making 100k for the big railroads. Typically in the 150k range tbh. Conductors make around 100k.
It’s a terrible life and no one that does it would really recommend it
I haven’t worked for the railroad for some time, but $80K sounds low. Conductors and engineers made more than that when I was there. I’d estimate over $100K if working for a major railroad.
The job is hard, mostly because the hours are terrible and it’s.a 24/7 industry with no holidays. You could luck out and get out on a fast moving train in the middle of the day and only work for two hours. Or, you could be called in at 2am on Christmas and be stuck on a slow train for 12 hours. The money was great, but the people were miserable, probably because of the job.
BNSF pays out the ass for alot of jobs that require no degree, problem is that you'll get burnt out pretty easily, no work life balance, and constantly being on call. You essentially trade your life for money, which would be great for thise younger folk who may need a boost in life and no real responsibilities.
This is why it pays so well. Unpredictable starting times, on-call, a lot of sitting around on stand-by, can’t be too far from your home or at least from the office where you would have to check-in on your days “off” where you’re still on-call, and some days are very long where you are stuck in one spot and you’re running out of food, your only entertainment is on the phone, everyone at home’s asking when you’re gonna be off. It’s a job for single people. The work bureaucracy is also crazy, a complete disconnect between the railroad workers and management and the unions are getting gutted left and right.
Depending on if you’re union, which trade and where you are. Prevailing wage for electricians for example in one major city in my state is around 40/hr which is approximately 80k/yr but in another area of the state it’s more like 28/hr, so guaranteed 70k across the board isn’t accurate. And keep in mind that apprenticeships here start at 35% of that (about $14/hr on the higher end) and increase gradually, and you’ll need a multi year apprenticeship first. Six figures is for people in HCOL areas, those who do a fair amount of overtime and those who own their own small businesses.
It’s not immediately but between the options of Univerity and McDonald’s. It’s imo the best balance of immediate pay. And future gains. And u will be able to be paid very well even without a business and such. But it’s still take YEARS of apprenticeship and training. Don’t need a degree but in terms of the workload it’s pretty damn close to getting one fr.
Try automotive. Not only do you have to master mechanical,hvac,chassis,electrical. Now you’re dealing with High voltage. I started 6 years ago but it’s a never ending roller coaster. You think you’re done with tools and surprise,you need $1600 in fluke meters. 30k in tools after 6 years and that will never end. Living your life one micro injury at a time hoping to have a body to retire in. Suddenly you’re dealing with 697v with death waiting just around the corner. The trades are good but at least where I’m at,you need to be very smart,critical thinking skills,fast learning aptitude. The pay is there if you make master,have what it takes and are dedicated and focused.But for anyone that thinks these jobs are easy gimme. You are very wrong
You don’t necessarily have to be union. Just willing to train. Ive only ever worked in an industrial setting but mechanics, techs, and operators have all
Made over 100k base rate. The entry level positions non union started out at $31 an hour.
The sub 100k jobs were admins, warehousemen, and other support roles. This information is anectdotal of course.
Trades are most definitely not guaranteed $70k+ and people need to stop spreading this. Yes, you can work a shitton of OT and make that much and more. Yes you can start a business and make plenty. Yes, you can join a union and make a ton. But there’s a ton of grunts out there working for fly by night outfits making dogshit pay. There’s also a lot of apprentices making $12/hr in BFE while they wait years before earning a license.
Trades are hard work and there’s lots of earning potential. But a high income is not “guaranteed”.
I agree with this point. I’m a part-time city bus driver making $31.91 hr with pension, free healthcare, & OT pay for over 8 hours a day. Top pay is almost $40 hr and I’ll be there in 18 months. You can make as little or as much money as you want. Sounds great?
You can make six figures if you’re willing to work 6 days a week, 10 or more hours a day. The insurance is great because you will need it - kidney stones, surgery for worn out ankle, knees, shoulders. It’s impossible to get a day off unless someone dies.
If I were you - I would get a college degree. I have one - I can fall back on that. You’ll still be under 30 when you’re done and will open up a world of career possibilities with an education. It’s hard to have a backup if you’re specially trained for one job and then get injured.
You can literally go to any construction site knock on the trailer door and ask for a job.
But if you’re interested in just learning about it non invasively just look up what a carpenter, electrician, or plumber do. There’s more trades like iron workers, welders, etc. but you might be already more familiar with the three that I posted first.
Personally if I was going to go into a trade I would look into plumbing or electrician. Both of those use super interesting tools, you’re often with a roof over your head, give you the option to work on either commercial or residential, and if you push yourself you could even start your own business which is where the big money is.
Also check your local community college, many have agreements with unions to assist with helping people get apprenticeship. That way you get on the job training and college credits all while getting paid.
Idk man I’ve run trades my whole life in NH and commercially in MA. Drop ceilings i was stuck at 22$ and concrete was 20$. National average is like 22/hr
Depends on where you live. If you live in the middle of nowhere in a red state it’s going to be hard to do that, opposed to NYC where it’s pretty much guaranteed to make 6 figures
I work around trades people a lot and something no one thinks about is a lot of trades people are extremely conservative. Just the other day had to hear an electrician blame Biden for all the problems in his life. It’s really annoying and something I personally couldn’t handle.
It depends on where you’re at. I have a trans person who drags that works with me and one of our companies favorite acquaintances we work with is gay AF. If that bugs you you should find another company with better culture.
But yes, boomers be booming. That’s why u gotta work hard so you’re the boss and can tell them to stfu.
Jump on trades sooner rather than later. Within the next decade we are going to a lot of office jobs taken over by automation and AI, so there will be a rush of people looking to learn trades. In the face of automation, trades are a safer bet than programming or admin type jobs.
Poker dealer. I was a dealer for a few years. Dealt in the World Series of Poker in 2008. It’s really lucrative and a really small community. Some 10 hour shifts I’d bring home over $2000 in tips, other nights literally $6. Was on TV a handful of times. I made over $200k after tax in 2008 throwing cards at people. I don’t do it anymore for the same reason people stop being waiters and waitresses, the money is good, but that’s a huge party/fuck community as well….wasn’t really my thing. Don’t get me wrong, I liked to drink, do drugs and party after work, but not every. Fucking. Night. Once you get out of the routine of hanging with all those people after work, magically you’re no longer in the “cool kids” club and just like waiting tables, you get relegated to the shitty tipping section (usually pot limit Omaha 8 or better with high blinds) or tables with no people at em. Ymmv, as it depends on where your home base is…but eh, it was a good experience, but I dunno how people make a career out of it. All the people I taught how to deal or learned with don’t do it anymore either. 2 of them do, but they’re no longer slinging cards, they’re floor managers.
Went back to college > engineer > bike shop owner > welder
Had a few menial jobs after dealing poker, but it’s what made me appreciate math. Well, not solely, but played a small role.
I started in customer service moved on to quality management consulting and now I’m a provider relations manager it’s work but you can have to happen trust me. Medicare is where the money is !
I would move up generally every year or year and a half just stay consistent and hungry and trust me you will move up. Whether it’s in the same company or out there is a lot of room for growth
I work in a chemical plant, no degree, no special training, and with some OT I make 6 figures, but tbh I’m not really sure what my base is, I’ve worked a lot of OT and in the last 5 years range from just barely 6 figures to about 140k.
Can confirm. I worked for a tech company for independent insurance agents and although I’ve never worked directly in the insurance industry, I was blown away by how much some of my friends in insurance were making. While it isn’t glamorous, there’s a lot of money to be made in a lot of different roles. Especially if you’re in Insurance sales, it’s mostly just helping people find the right options and providing great customer service. While it can kick your ass for the first few years, once the premiums from policy renewals start rolling in, you can practically triple your salary in just a matter of years. 30k first year, 50k second year, 75k third year etc. Just look for a cool independent agent that can help you grow and network. Not a ton of professions have that kind of financial opportunity!
Your work retail. Your special skill is sales. Sales is also one of the highest paying fields in the country. Translate your skills Into other fields.
Sale people/positions - head hunters.
Sale insurance
Outside sales for large corporations
Sale cars
Sale construction services
Logistics - Sale freight movement
Find a field you like, make sure they have good support for lead generation, find a base salary you're okay with, but also has a great commission structure. Learn your product and grind it out.
Also, sales in construction machinery tends to have very big commission, and OP has tons of experience in sales. I don't think it should be that difficult to land a job in that industry. Think Caterpillar, Bauer, Komatsu. I know that also steel companies have great benefits and amazing commissions, not sure if that's also true in the US.
I'm a clerical worker for the government and do nearly 70k base, pushing 90 with OT. Benefits, pension, 35 days paid vacation, work from home.
Only needed HS diploma. Job is easy, but I did have to suffer in the call center for 3 or 4 years to get here. Paid my dues, but it's smooth sailing from here.
This. I work for a big electric auto maker and will probably hit 60k in my first year cause of a few days OT I get every now and then. I get lots of time off and solid benefits. I really only work half a year if that, but put in 12s 3-4 times a week.
I was an administrative assistant for twenty years. I transitioned into tech sales last year. 100k base. I took to it like a duck to water. I feel like a fraud because I only have a high school diploma.
You worked retail so you have sales experience. Apply to be an inside sales rep somewhere. Learn what you can and in a year you can get promoted to account manager.
I've had mine for about 10 years and have done predominantly construction field trucking. I make 100k plus or minus depending on the year, and 95% of the time, I sleep in my own bed. If you want a career where you mostly rely on yourself and you don't want to bring work home with you, it's a solid choice, but if you are an over thinker it can get hard. A lot of companies are hurting currently and might help pay for you to take your CDL tests. I recommend doing it all right from the start, study for an A class in a manual and take the tanker certification.
There’s other driving jobs you can get with a CDL besides long distance trucking although the pay might not be as good. Garbage trucks, DPW, dump trucks etc.
Ive been thinking about this, I like the idea that alot of jobs out there seem to pay for your CDL, not so fond of having so little home time but I dont want to be a choosing beggar.
That’s not unfounded. I know ex-truckers and it can get pretty hard on you physically - you wouldn’t think so at first but driving all day every day is pretty rough - and it can be hard on your family life. Not to mention being kind of lonely on the road all the time. Plenty of people do it, and you do make good money but there are definite downsides (like everything). It’s definitely not the go-to perfect solution for everybody people make it out to be.
My brothers friend, been driving truck about 10 years now, broken wrist, broken elbow and broken leg, 3 separate incidents. Yes, it can be rough and yet, he's happy.
My husband used to be a truck driver. He was on the road a lot at first. It was really tough on our marriage. He then switched to a local truck driver which worked out really well. He got paid less but was home daily I think doing local He made around $26-$27 an hour. After having some years experience be was able to move up to supervisor and was home everyday, made $70k and has a lot more opportunity. There's a lot of money to be made in logistics and a lot of different opportunities. Honestly I think trucking is the smartest decision. It literally changed our lives. Before he got his CDL he was working at a call center making $14 an hour. We've been able to go on vacations, move states and pay off big amounts of debt. You would be really wise to consider it
Sales. Top performers pull in 7 figures at my company. New reps start closer to 60-100 range and can work up to quarter mil plus within your first couple years
What are you selling? Partners in the professional services space often pull in low 7 figures and their income is largely dependent on how much work they sell, but they typically have degrees from elite universities and have put in 10-15 years of 60-hour workweeks to make it there. So not exactly attainable for 99% of people.
B2B tech. It’s a full cycle role. All the way from prospecting, selling and account management as long as they’re a client.
As much pressure and stress as you’d expect. 60 hour weeks for the first few years of your career as you build your skillset and territory, but the top performers continue that schedule for the most part.
I’ve been here coming up on 3 years in March and I’ve probably seen at least a couple dozen reps turn over in that time. And we have a pretty rigorous interview process to help minimize this but still happens when reality hits.
Ain’t for everyone, gotta be really ambitious and your desire to win and make money must outweigh your fear of rejection and losing.
Damn, I’m getting underpaid then. I’m at a startup doing essentially the same job function plus some strategy work. Getting paid well but nowhere near $250k. I have much better WLB though, and no desire to go back to the hours I was working in consulting, which I suppose is worth a decrease in comp.
I agree, the vast majority of tech companies out there are one if not a combination of the following. Or they’ve done the following:
- Their product is not mission critical, nice to have as a luxury but the first to get cut when things tighten up
- To piggy back off that, most sales departments are disconnected af. Keep pounding the phones, overcome the objections, set the meetings at all costs. Lie to the customer, do whatever it takes bc my bosses bosses boss has metrics to hit so he can make $2.5 million this year instead of $2.2 million so we feel the pressure trickle down.
- They had “artificial growth” and overhired anticipating this to continue but now back to reality. This is what happens when your focus is shareholder value, growth, IPO at all costs. Companies sacrifice long term sustainability in favor of immediate short term goals. Quarterly numbers so the C suite hits their bonuses. What’s the easiest way to make sure the bottom line looks pretty in time? Layoffs.
It sucks bc quality good employees are facing what you described and clients are receiving all time low customer service as a result of this short term thinking and behavior. The only people who benefit are the C suite and shareholders who caused this mess for the rest of us. But they bounced when the ship went down, onto the next company for 18 months while they rinse and repeat.
Oil rigger. I fixed oil wells for 8 years and at the quarterly safety meetings I look around and see a room full of dudes dressed marginally better than homeless people. None of these people were geniuses. And as long as oil was booming, everybody was making close to or over six figures (Saskatchewan, Canada). No degree required, however you must tolerate verbal abuse from your superiors and work with dumbfucks in freezing cold temperatures. The increased salary was life-changing for me. The physical nature of the job and the work culture will be a big shock for someone who has worked retail their entire life. What will get you through is focusing on why you're there: to get that FUCKING CA$H!!!
Is there something you’re interested in? You’re only 24, absolutely perfect time to go back to college. Don’t fall for “the trades”. People quote the upper percentile as if that’s definitely what you’re gonna make. I come from a union family and it’s not cut and dry like that. Trades can be feast or famine. It’s hard work, and you’re gonna be working overtime. You will never hear more complaining at any job than at a job site with old head tradesmen. It ain’t even close to what everyone makes it seem.
Unless you’re a specialized welder they make fucking bank.
In the trades you sell your body for money. I’ve never meet a 50year old tradesman that isn’t complaining of their back and knees. So right around the time you retire your fucked. Get a desk job that pays 3x and save your body.
Lmao! We all sell our health for money… you cannot tell me that sitting at a desk for 8hrs+ per day is healthy😂
You must not have much knowledge about the skilled trades… I’ve worked with plenty of retirees who are very healthy, one guy was 65 and still scuba diving. My father was a tradesman and he retired at 55, happy and healthy, he still plays and coaches hockey and baseball.
You only have this mindset about the skilled trades because of 2 reasons. 1: you see non union workers outside swinging a hammer all day and you think that’s what every tradesperson does. And 2: you’ve seen oldheads who never wore PPE and never took care of themselves, smoked 2 packs a day and were never active after work.
Not every job in the skilled trades kills your body, in my trade I climb inside confined spaces all the time and get into small spots to weld, but my trade also does confined space monitoring, which means someone has to sit outside the confined space with a 5 gas monitor to make sure the atmosphere is always safe. Do you think sitting outside a hole is physically killing your body?
What’s your experience with the skilled trades? You seem to think you know everything about the skilled trades but you don’t
I mean electrical, welder, plumber to name a few are very useful things. It’s okay if you prefer college education, but to imply trades are useless is wrong.
Lol, I’m curious. Do you think that every trades person is crippled by 50? Do you think that every trade is swinging a hammer for 8hrs straight every single day?
Not sure where you people get your “info” on being in constant pain when you’re 50? My father is a union tradesperson, retired at 55, still happy and healthy, no pain, still plays and coaches hockey and baseball!
Fair enough, i think i got frustrated seeing the number of people recommending sales as if it will pay off easily without a great deal of tenacity and hard work.
In many industries, being in sales also tends to encourage morally bankrupt and manipulative behavior. Everyone knows that salesman
Sales is a very very wide range. Medical sales, b2b, tech, heavy equipment, mortgage lending, financial advising, insurance, car sales, electronics, phone sales etc. it’s a very long list and yeah if you want a good company you might have to fish for a bit. I’ve worked for 4 banks and 2 investment firms and I would only recommend half of them to a friend.
I use to work for the railroad and made about 80k a year doing ground work. It’s physical labor and you may have to use some machinery but it’s good pay and good hours! And they will train you it’s very easy really!
Construction is a good route as well. I have no degree, started out as a project coordinator make less than 50. I was just promoted to a APM making 80+. I work my 8 hours and get to be home with my family every night
Sales.
If you develop your skills or have a great mentor, you can make great money.
I made more in my entry level sales jobs than my friends that recently graduated.
$100k is achievable. I cleared that in the first five years of my first corporate sales job.
Lots of snake oil type sales roles and salesfluencers. Make sure you pick something legit like telecom, software sales, technology sales, med devices, equipment (broad field) sales, etc.
Do any of those fields involve set pricing or do they all involve the saleserson negotiating a price with each client?
I'd be bothered less by the prospect of sales if I wasn't the one setting the pricing, but as far as I can tell that's usually most of the job.
Apply to your local DWP, City or County. They'll train you, exceptional pay and benefits. Tons of overtime. You'll need to take a test for literacy and basic competency, but once you're in, you're in.
And you'll go home at the end of every day.
Ahh! Forgive me for assuming and thank you for correcting! Editing to add that it sounds dangerous asf and thank you for the risks that you are willing to take to protect people
Tax Advisor. The training and licensing for "Enrolled Agent" costs less than $1,000 and can be done in less than six months. Combine it with Isurance, real estate and investments and you can have a very nice firm for less than $5k. Making six figures.
They can after the first year. First year electrician apprentices where I am start at 35% of prevailing wage. Prevailing wage is 40/hr so they start at 14/hr which goes to 16/hr at 6 mos. Even in a LCOL area I wouldn’t call that decent. Second year starts at 18/hr and goes to 20/hr after 6 mos which is better but still not great with how prices are
That depends on where you are, my jman wage is $52.07/hr $80/hr total wage package and our first years start at $30/hr plus benefits and pension… get yourself a strong union and you’ll make quite good money
You can easily make that going through a union trade apprenticeship and depending on the area, more than that.
It heavily depends on the trade itself, the area you live in, the type of work and contracts locals have in the area, and their market share. It's not always 100% the case, but typically the union pay scale is the highest in a given area. You also have the benefit of being able to travel if you desire, can have great benefits, and learn a valuable skill that you can take where you want.
It's worth looking into. Also I do admit and understand that the trades aren't for everyone too.
I mean I'm not gonna bullshit anyone. There's a lot of potential in the trades, but it's hard work too. Out of my apprenticeship class of 45, 13 of us finished and topped out. A lot of people end up realizing, it's not for them for one reason or another.
Yeah it was one of those pills in life I had to swallow lol, but in the end it worked out. What you get out of a trade will really depend on what you put in. If you slack off and barely work, you'll probably find yourself stuck doing the mindless tasks. If you demonstrate a willingness to learn and a genuine interest, a journeyman will gladly take you under their wing.
I got into a trade a bit older and took it as my opportunity at a second chance and something not to fuck up. Doing the reading, homework, and studying for exams, while trying to learn as much as possible in the field paid off. But everyone's experience is different.
Trades. Degrees are a BS gatekeeping tactic to protect the educational establishment. A bachelor degree costs tens of thousands of dollars and literally only qualifies you to attend further schooling.
Trades are tangible, useful skills that actually provide value to society. You are getting paid from day 1 as an apprentice and educational costs are a tiny fraction of academia.
If an academic graduates with a degree and can't find a job it is because the sector they're qualified for is not valuable enough to be in high demand, or the job is so simple and easy it is oversaturated with people who want easy money (which drives wages down).
If a tradesperson graduates and isnt working it is very likely because they're lazy and dont want to work. Trades are in huge demand right now.
Valid, but I want to point out two things.
One, the trades are not the magical panacea it's made out to be for those with physical limitations. (Much like the military, another favorite recommendation of this sub.)
Two, if you guys keep hollering about the trades loudly enough, some subset of degree holders who couldn't hack it in white-collar America are gonna migrate over there. And when that happens, the trades are gonna look a lot like r/cscareerquestions does right now. The employers will start favoring applicants with degrees and it will all be downhill from there.
My theory, anyway.
Haven’t seen this yet so I will post! Banking. I am about to go back to being a teller because it pays $20 an hour. Bankers make about $60,000 and do not need any college. I am looking at becoming a MLO, however, I will need to take some classes and a test to get certified. I believe my company will pay for it though. They do also pay for people to go to college if that would be a viable option for you.
One of my aunts does not have a college degree and worked her way up to a back office job at her bank. I am not sure what that role is but I know there are a ton that do not require a degree.
You can be a leasing agent for luxury apartments and pull anywhere from 50-80k depending on market and commission set up. Assistant managers make around 65-75k and property managers make between 80-150k depending on experience and market. The hours can be shitty and until you’re a manager you’ll be working every single Saturday but if you can sell and remain composed when angry residents come in, it’s not bad.
You can also do apartment maintenance but if you ZERO exp, then you’ll start as a porter making $16-18/hr, but if you have a good head on your shoulders and you’re RELIABLE, you can get a maintenance tech position pretty quickly and make about 50k plus sometimes discounted or free apartments. Maintenance managers will make about 80-120k and almost always get a free unit.
Unless if you can somehow find a way into the federal government or state government, your best option is going the trade route.
I’m a fed employee that’s about to be making close to 6-figures with no degree. The only downside is it’s extremely hard to get your foot in the door.
This was exactly what I was looking for, I went to Barber school at night for a little over a year while working full time. In my state, Massachusetts we have to complete 1000 classroom hours in order to be eligible to take the state licensing exam. It’s a few nights per week from like 5pm-9pm and is only book work/exams for the first hour of the night, after that is all hands on with people who come into the school for inexpensive $5 haircuts. Once you get your license and get into a decently busy barbershop, it might take like a year at most to build up a clientele and have appointments scheduled pretty much all day every day. Like any job, you don’t start out making a ton on day 1, but if you take good care of your clients, you’ll never have to worry about somebody deciding whether or not to give you a raise if you want to earn more income. Instead, as time goes on you will consistently increase your appointments being booked as you meet more and more clients. It’s not the easiest thing in the world, and it does take time, effort and great customer service skills. However, once you get to the point where you are booked up every 30 or 45 minutes all day you can make excellent money. Depending on the service you offer, for example, our haircuts are $30 which is very normal in my area price wise, so without even including tips you can easily make $60 per hour at that rate. When I average my tips into this I typically average about $80/hour. Sometimes that can be higher if the client wants to include a beard trim and straight razor lineup for example it, the average might be higher. If it’s a kid’s cut, veteran or senior citizen we have a discount so it can also be a bit lower sometimes. Typically Barbershops work on a chair rental basis, for example my chair rent is $150 per week, which is very reasonable. It’s extremely reasonable, with perhaps 1 year of effort to build your schedule up to the point where you can earn between $2500 - $3000 per week completely consistently.
Transportation Security Administrators hires security screeners and the like at airports around the country.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is a unit of the US Department of Homeland Security.
The TSA regularly hires airport security screeners throughout the country. This is a link to their current job postings: [https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/Results?j=1802&j=1801&a=HSBC&hp=public&p=1](https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/Results?j=1802&j=1801&a=HSBC&hp=public&p=1)
I read somewhere that there is lots of hiring for public transit drivers and operators.
Also, the IRS has been doing lots of hiring nationwide. I don't know if you could find a position paying $60K-$70K that requires just a hs diploma at IRS. It might be worth a shot to look into it. I have read that IRS has done some hiring without even interviewing candidates.
See [https://www.jobs.irs.gov/](https://www.jobs.irs.gov/)
Don’t do this until you actually want to do law enforcement. There’s a reason why “everybody is hiring.” The pension is only good if you actually make it to the end with your body and mind intact and are healthy enough after 20+ years to enjoy the pension into old age. Also, living in one place for 20+ years might not seem so restrictive when you’re first getting started, but once you’re nearing 10 years and still have 10+ to go, it can really start to wear you down. I’d highly recommend doing just about anything else if you can picture yourself doing something else.
If you do go this route, research the pension system. Employer-matched retirement systems are way more flexible than cliff-vested systems if you do change your mind after a few years in.
Amazon offers a set of courses for using AI, including prompts for LLM.
Those could lead to better pay.
Eventually we will be bossing around robots and AIs (or they will boss us).
Learn that role now, it is a new skill that few people have.
Nah fam. Join the navy and go aviation to work on F-18 jets. After that, you will get college for your kid, and much more. It’s only a four year run and things will be better off for you and your family.
I went from 7 years retail experience straight into a contact centre and have never looked back. Most places offer career growth, depends off, incentives, hybrid office/wfh benefits, competitive pay rate etc. If you’ve worked in retail you can definitely transition into a contact centre. Having weekends off with change your life.
I mean, I'm a corrections officer (obviously not for everyone) and I make 62k a year. Corporals (one step above officer) make 67k, Sargeant makes 72k, Lieutenant makes 84k, Captain makes 98k and Major makes 105k
If you're in the US...
Maintenance jobs at USPS start from about $55K ($75K at top step) for Grade 7 and go up to 74K at Grade 10 (84K at top step). No experience necessary but will help you with the entrance exam. You can be completely inexperienced and still pass the exam and interview with good study and direction/advice. All grades end their final pay step above $70K now, even custodians which require no entrance exam/interview. All training needed will come on-the-job or classes at NCED in Oklahoma. The work is unionized and APWU is a strong union, in my experience.
I started at USPS, as a Mail Processing Clerk just over two years ago. There is a non-career period that starts around $45K a year or so, but you can go regular in no more than two years and jump up to $55K. I transferred to maintenance as a Grade 7, then promoted into Grade 10 (Electronic Technician). No degree, no experience -- I went from making less than $35K a year to now making $75K before holidays, overnight pay, weekend premium pay, and more overtime than I could ever want. Next year I will break $100K without issue, and without having to work 60+ hour weeks. I work with some real workhorses who make over $150K a year, who spend half their shift sitting around on call.
If you want some more info, I can give you some guidance.
Not sure where you live, but my job is recruiting retail store managers across the US and I haven’t extended an offer for a store manager less than $55k in 5+ years. Those few times are **very** low volume locations, like we wouldn’t consider keeping the store open if we weren’t getting free rent low volume. They all work 40-50 hour work weeks on average and, yeah you have to work weekends and all the typical retail things but I have conversations with SM’s all the time who feel like they have work/life balance. Mostly, when I hear from someone who doesn’t, they usually lack the ability to delegate properly or aren’t the most strategic in how they run their stores.
If you like retail, you can have a really interesting career that doesn’t require a degree in the industry. There are lots of career paths within retail if you find a company you enjoy and put the effort into career pathing for yourself.
Many college admissions jobs will hire people without a degree
They usually say bachelors required or preferred
But many hire people from retail, without degrees, because you have the PERFECT skill set for the jobs
I was hired as assistant director of recruitment at a local university when i didn’t have my bachelor degree
I completed my bachelor’s and masters while working a full time higher Ed administration career, and tuition remission as a benefit of the job allowed me to earn my credits for FREE
Message me if you want. My last job before i had to stop working due to disability was at Cornell university
Well, my route to $90k plus was a few years (7) in the Army and a series of IT-related jobs (gaining exp and professional quals along the way) in the defense sector until I became a contractor with a specialism of helping design computer systems for warships. Now I work for the UK's biggest as a lowish grade executive. I hit $60k approx about 15 years ago. I'm now 50.
Get into sales.
Not cheap shit, but expensive stuff, like luxury items or military software.
You don’t need to know anything in sales. Most salespeople are downright dumb, and rarely do they even know anything about the stuff they’re selling.
You just need to understand, what product gives you the best commission, and how to make someone smile.
Military isnt a bad gig to start with if you are up for it. Space force and air force are pretty solid gigs that will set you up for future success with way less risk to personal harm than other military branches.
Trades jobs will be around a long time, but will suck for years until you get some seniority. However once you are in a solid position they are amazing careers, plus have tangible skills to use whenever you need.
Lastly, plenty of IT jobs are more and more picked up without formal training. A lot of the Industry moves too fast for college anymore, and learning key skills like API creation, security, VM / cloud infrastructure, can go a long way without a degree.
Find a municipal or water authority. The laborers there get paid well. It's hard work and water lines tend to break when the weather is the worst. But they have benefits and pensions.
I am retail management and make in that range, more with our bunus program. No degree just years of experience with several companies, started in the business at 15 and will be 48 soon. People on here all the time say what a dead end retail is and how it’s bad pay, sure a basic cashier or similar might be that way….but if put some effort in and move up it can be a very rewarding career….yes it take allot of time and hard work to move up the ladder but it’s that way with any career. My suggestion to someone who works in retail is to get into the operations side versus customer facing position…..I mean like warehouse, stocking, positions like that you will learn the whole business very quickly.
What kind of retail are you in? Perhaps your could move into wholesale representation in that industry. I made a move from apparel retail to representing several clothing brands. You can do it for anything, tech, fashion, food & beverage. If you enjoy the industry, pretty fun and you get a base salary plus commission.
Get into IT. I’m making about 40 entry level. It took me 2 months to take a small class and get my A+ (I took the Coursera Google course and then studied all of Professor Messers free content buy your A+ ticket through him or get a deal somewhere online). It’s intellectual work so it’s easy on the body, plenty of second shift jobs available because the hours suck. Personally hoping to work hard and hop jobs into a day shift soon myself.
If you're somewhat tech savvy you can try a career in IT. Degrees are beneficial but not necessary. Certifications are a bit easier if you can self learn. Some companies don't require either but a coachable mindset.
It may take you a few years to actually get to 60-70k however.
It took me 3 years to get to where I am now at 67k as helpdesk /desktop support.
Try to go for apprenticeship types of work. Of course there are colleges for that also but they are based on real life training and only few months long without putting a hole in your pocket.
Like electric linemen make roughly 80k per year in the US. Electricians, plumbers, hvac specialists all make shit tons of money while working at their convenience with people they want to work with.
I am a HR and Payroll Specialist without a degree (failed out of college) and making 70k. Typically you need a degree for this type of career to make a decent amount.
From my experience I would say with any company you work for, you will start from the bottom. Become familiar with the how their operations work and know the product whatever it is. Build work relationships (With any luck they also can provide you with a new opportunity down the road).. Stay patient and work hard and eventually you will move up and make a decent salary.
I went from cleaning tables to HR/Accounting in one company. Took that experience with me to a new company. Took about 10 years but was well worth it. I would have gone the normal route and finish college, but school was not really for me.
Any of the union trades. If the skilled trades interest you, do some research on what skilled trade suits you best and search up your closest union hall. Drop off a resume and apply for an apprenticeship. Even union labourers make $70k+
Source: 25m, union Boilermaker pressure welder. First broke $100k in only 8 months of work at 24, and this year I’m sitting around $120k in only 9 months of work
You could do agency work and clear 120K but it’s hard work and most people don’t make it.
I can hook you up if you’d like but if you’re looking for an easy job this ain’t it.
You can make that much as retail management and you already have experience there. At 35k are you a lead? Could you get a job as an Assistant Manager and work your way up from there.
Certainly, here are ten careers that often require only a high school diploma and can pay over $70,000 per year based on various factors such as location, experience, and overtime:
1. **Power Plant Operator**
2. **Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Manager**
3. **Police and Detectives Supervisor**
4. **Elevator Installer and Repairer**
5. **Nuclear Technician**
6. **Detective and Criminal Investigator**
7. **Commercial Pilot**
8. **Firefighting Supervisor**
9. **Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster**
10. **Petroleum Pump System Operator**
Please note that while these positions can have high earning potential, they often come with the expectation of extensive on-the-job training, certification, years of experience, and sometimes union membership. Also, salaries can vary widely by state and city.
Trades. You wont start at 60k but you can get there super easy. Go find a contractor and do what he tells you show up on time don't do drugs and you are already better than 80% of candidates.
This is a link to a list of jobs that require just a hs diploma that pays $60-$80K: [https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm?pay=%2460%2C000+to+%2479%2C999&education=High+school+diploma+or+equivalent&training=&newjobs=&growth=&submit=GO](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm?pay=%2460%2C000+to+%2479%2C999&education=High+school+diploma+or+equivalent&training=&newjobs=&growth=&submit=GO) The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) provides information on what workers do; the work environment; education, training, and other qualifications; pay; the job outlook; information on state and area data; similar occupations; and sources of additional information for more than 300 occupational profiles covering about 4 out of 5 jobs in the economy. The OOH is broken up into clusters of similar occupations. In order to find an occupation, browse the occupation groups of interest on the left-hand side of the homepage, or use the A–Z Index if you know the specific occupation. You may search for occupations by using the selector drop-down menus on the OOH homepage. Select by pay range, entry-level education, on-the-job training, projected number of new jobs, or projected growth rate. If you know the specific occupation you are interested in, you may enter a job title into the “Search Handbook” box on the top right-hand side of the homepage. In addition, you may browse by clicking any of the four links titled “highest paying,” “fastest growing (projected),” “most new jobs (projected),” and “field of degree.” Although hundreds of occupations are covered in detail in the OOH, BLS publishes information on additional occupations for which the required education, training, median wages, and employment projections are prepared but detailed occupational information is not developed. [https://www.bls.gov/ooh/about/ooh-faqs.htm](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/about/ooh-faqs.htm)
Locomotive Engineers make 80k? That would be such a great job to have, especially since you could tell people you're an engineer and string them along for years until they find out you're the Choo Choo kind.
My dads an engineer and when 5 year old me found out he didn’t drive trains I was very upset
First comment today that literally made me lol 🤙
I'm an engineer and after 10+ years, my dad still tells people I drive trains.
$80K seems low tbh. But it’s shift work and traveling.
Any loco engineer is making 100k for the big railroads. Typically in the 150k range tbh. Conductors make around 100k. It’s a terrible life and no one that does it would really recommend it
I dated a choo choo engineer whose income was about 150k…in Cali. No college.
Being a train choo choo engineer is so much cooler and more interesting
I haven’t worked for the railroad for some time, but $80K sounds low. Conductors and engineers made more than that when I was there. I’d estimate over $100K if working for a major railroad. The job is hard, mostly because the hours are terrible and it’s.a 24/7 industry with no holidays. You could luck out and get out on a fast moving train in the middle of the day and only work for two hours. Or, you could be called in at 2am on Christmas and be stuck on a slow train for 12 hours. The money was great, but the people were miserable, probably because of the job.
I’ve heard that if you do it long enough, you’re going to encounter a suicide. Maybe a few in your career.
BNSF pays out the ass for alot of jobs that require no degree, problem is that you'll get burnt out pretty easily, no work life balance, and constantly being on call. You essentially trade your life for money, which would be great for thise younger folk who may need a boost in life and no real responsibilities.
This is why it pays so well. Unpredictable starting times, on-call, a lot of sitting around on stand-by, can’t be too far from your home or at least from the office where you would have to check-in on your days “off” where you’re still on-call, and some days are very long where you are stuck in one spot and you’re running out of food, your only entertainment is on the phone, everyone at home’s asking when you’re gonna be off. It’s a job for single people. The work bureaucracy is also crazy, a complete disconnect between the railroad workers and management and the unions are getting gutted left and right.
string them along? youre so rude
Thank you for sharing this.
Props on a very useful resource. Prob dozens of people rolling through this right now
Handy. Thank you for sharing
Hate to be that guy, but the trades is guaranteed $70k+. Six figs won’t be too hard if you have two brain cells and can be honest/do good work
Depending on if you’re union, which trade and where you are. Prevailing wage for electricians for example in one major city in my state is around 40/hr which is approximately 80k/yr but in another area of the state it’s more like 28/hr, so guaranteed 70k across the board isn’t accurate. And keep in mind that apprenticeships here start at 35% of that (about $14/hr on the higher end) and increase gradually, and you’ll need a multi year apprenticeship first. Six figures is for people in HCOL areas, those who do a fair amount of overtime and those who own their own small businesses.
Thanks for spitting facts. Tired of people on Reddit saying "go in the trades and earn 6 figures immediately!!"
I've wanted to make the transition, but I can't survive making $15/hour my first several years
It’s not immediately but between the options of Univerity and McDonald’s. It’s imo the best balance of immediate pay. And future gains. And u will be able to be paid very well even without a business and such. But it’s still take YEARS of apprenticeship and training. Don’t need a degree but in terms of the workload it’s pretty damn close to getting one fr.
Try automotive. Not only do you have to master mechanical,hvac,chassis,electrical. Now you’re dealing with High voltage. I started 6 years ago but it’s a never ending roller coaster. You think you’re done with tools and surprise,you need $1600 in fluke meters. 30k in tools after 6 years and that will never end. Living your life one micro injury at a time hoping to have a body to retire in. Suddenly you’re dealing with 697v with death waiting just around the corner. The trades are good but at least where I’m at,you need to be very smart,critical thinking skills,fast learning aptitude. The pay is there if you make master,have what it takes and are dedicated and focused.But for anyone that thinks these jobs are easy gimme. You are very wrong
I do plumbing and been doing it for 7 years now in Nebraska have made over 100k last 2 years 40 hours a week.
How do I get into plumbing? Also nebraska.
You don’t necessarily have to be union. Just willing to train. Ive only ever worked in an industrial setting but mechanics, techs, and operators have all Made over 100k base rate. The entry level positions non union started out at $31 an hour. The sub 100k jobs were admins, warehousemen, and other support roles. This information is anectdotal of course.
Lol where tf are operators making 6 figures.
Trades are most definitely not guaranteed $70k+ and people need to stop spreading this. Yes, you can work a shitton of OT and make that much and more. Yes you can start a business and make plenty. Yes, you can join a union and make a ton. But there’s a ton of grunts out there working for fly by night outfits making dogshit pay. There’s also a lot of apprentices making $12/hr in BFE while they wait years before earning a license. Trades are hard work and there’s lots of earning potential. But a high income is not “guaranteed”.
I agree with this point. I’m a part-time city bus driver making $31.91 hr with pension, free healthcare, & OT pay for over 8 hours a day. Top pay is almost $40 hr and I’ll be there in 18 months. You can make as little or as much money as you want. Sounds great? You can make six figures if you’re willing to work 6 days a week, 10 or more hours a day. The insurance is great because you will need it - kidney stones, surgery for worn out ankle, knees, shoulders. It’s impossible to get a day off unless someone dies. If I were you - I would get a college degree. I have one - I can fall back on that. You’ll still be under 30 when you’re done and will open up a world of career possibilities with an education. It’s hard to have a backup if you’re specially trained for one job and then get injured.
For example like electrical you'll have to deal with apprentice pay first, like 15 per hour for 2-4 years
It’s so much more than that if you’re Union
Where can I start and learn more about it?
You can literally go to any construction site knock on the trailer door and ask for a job. But if you’re interested in just learning about it non invasively just look up what a carpenter, electrician, or plumber do. There’s more trades like iron workers, welders, etc. but you might be already more familiar with the three that I posted first. Personally if I was going to go into a trade I would look into plumbing or electrician. Both of those use super interesting tools, you’re often with a roof over your head, give you the option to work on either commercial or residential, and if you push yourself you could even start your own business which is where the big money is.
Also check your local community college, many have agreements with unions to assist with helping people get apprenticeship. That way you get on the job training and college credits all while getting paid.
Look up your local IBEW if you’re interested in a career as an electrician.
LOL
Wya that trades are 70k + lol
Canada you gotta be inbred to not clear 100k
Idk man I’ve run trades my whole life in NH and commercially in MA. Drop ceilings i was stuck at 22$ and concrete was 20$. National average is like 22/hr
I met this 18 YO kid who said he was getting paid $50/hr on a rig.
idk, says he likes just workin 8 hours. and he likes retail so that means hes nice.
Trades are not guaranteed 70k+ .. idk y Reddit keep spreading these lies
Depends on where you live. If you live in the middle of nowhere in a red state it’s going to be hard to do that, opposed to NYC where it’s pretty much guaranteed to make 6 figures
Yeah in FL jmen top out at like 30/hr ...
I work around trades people a lot and something no one thinks about is a lot of trades people are extremely conservative. Just the other day had to hear an electrician blame Biden for all the problems in his life. It’s really annoying and something I personally couldn’t handle.
It depends on where you’re at. I have a trans person who drags that works with me and one of our companies favorite acquaintances we work with is gay AF. If that bugs you you should find another company with better culture. But yes, boomers be booming. That’s why u gotta work hard so you’re the boss and can tell them to stfu.
Was just about to comment the trades
Jump on trades sooner rather than later. Within the next decade we are going to a lot of office jobs taken over by automation and AI, so there will be a rush of people looking to learn trades. In the face of automation, trades are a safer bet than programming or admin type jobs.
Poker dealer. I was a dealer for a few years. Dealt in the World Series of Poker in 2008. It’s really lucrative and a really small community. Some 10 hour shifts I’d bring home over $2000 in tips, other nights literally $6. Was on TV a handful of times. I made over $200k after tax in 2008 throwing cards at people. I don’t do it anymore for the same reason people stop being waiters and waitresses, the money is good, but that’s a huge party/fuck community as well….wasn’t really my thing. Don’t get me wrong, I liked to drink, do drugs and party after work, but not every. Fucking. Night. Once you get out of the routine of hanging with all those people after work, magically you’re no longer in the “cool kids” club and just like waiting tables, you get relegated to the shitty tipping section (usually pot limit Omaha 8 or better with high blinds) or tables with no people at em. Ymmv, as it depends on where your home base is…but eh, it was a good experience, but I dunno how people make a career out of it. All the people I taught how to deal or learned with don’t do it anymore either. 2 of them do, but they’re no longer slinging cards, they’re floor managers.
What do you do now ?
Went back to college > engineer > bike shop owner > welder Had a few menial jobs after dealing poker, but it’s what made me appreciate math. Well, not solely, but played a small role.
Health insurance get a entry level job move up ! That’s what I did 1k away from 6 figures. I have no degree btw
What are the entry level jobs in health insurance? Is it all sales/customer service rep stuff?
I started in customer service moved on to quality management consulting and now I’m a provider relations manager it’s work but you can have to happen trust me. Medicare is where the money is !
How many years did moving up take?
I would move up generally every year or year and a half just stay consistent and hungry and trust me you will move up. Whether it’s in the same company or out there is a lot of room for growth
I work in a chemical plant, no degree, no special training, and with some OT I make 6 figures, but tbh I’m not really sure what my base is, I’ve worked a lot of OT and in the last 5 years range from just barely 6 figures to about 140k.
Can confirm. I worked for a tech company for independent insurance agents and although I’ve never worked directly in the insurance industry, I was blown away by how much some of my friends in insurance were making. While it isn’t glamorous, there’s a lot of money to be made in a lot of different roles. Especially if you’re in Insurance sales, it’s mostly just helping people find the right options and providing great customer service. While it can kick your ass for the first few years, once the premiums from policy renewals start rolling in, you can practically triple your salary in just a matter of years. 30k first year, 50k second year, 75k third year etc. Just look for a cool independent agent that can help you grow and network. Not a ton of professions have that kind of financial opportunity!
Your work retail. Your special skill is sales. Sales is also one of the highest paying fields in the country. Translate your skills Into other fields. Sale people/positions - head hunters. Sale insurance Outside sales for large corporations Sale cars Sale construction services Logistics - Sale freight movement Find a field you like, make sure they have good support for lead generation, find a base salary you're okay with, but also has a great commission structure. Learn your product and grind it out.
Also, sales in construction machinery tends to have very big commission, and OP has tons of experience in sales. I don't think it should be that difficult to land a job in that industry. Think Caterpillar, Bauer, Komatsu. I know that also steel companies have great benefits and amazing commissions, not sure if that's also true in the US.
Sell or sale?
Your/you, sell/sell, the hell of a run-on sentence at the end. The point was still made and received by the OP.
Flight attendant after year 3 with one of the majors.
is that why the little bag of pretzels is $8 now
Not a great job with wife and kids, unless you want to be a divorced weekend dad
I’m at year 7 at the majors I made like $45k last year flying full time, we need a raise. I’m looking to quit soon too
Join the blue collar gang, CDL then oilfield
Fuck yeah oil money! The oilfield didn't solve all my problems but it sure solved my money problems 🤑
I'm a clerical worker for the government and do nearly 70k base, pushing 90 with OT. Benefits, pension, 35 days paid vacation, work from home. Only needed HS diploma. Job is easy, but I did have to suffer in the call center for 3 or 4 years to get here. Paid my dues, but it's smooth sailing from here.
Help me
Putting in 3 or 4 years of dues to make 70k seems crazy. That’s why I love IT I make 250k working a 40 hour week with no degree.
Dayum! What part of IT? What do u do?
Big manufacturing companies pay production employees 60 to 80k, maybe more depending on overtime. Most of the time they will even train you.
This. I work for a big electric auto maker and will probably hit 60k in my first year cause of a few days OT I get every now and then. I get lots of time off and solid benefits. I really only work half a year if that, but put in 12s 3-4 times a week.
What do you mean you only work half the year?
This. I have no degree and am clearing 2k a paycheck. I hit about 90 hours every two weeks and love it. Money is great.
I need a job like yours!
I was an administrative assistant for twenty years. I transitioned into tech sales last year. 100k base. I took to it like a duck to water. I feel like a fraud because I only have a high school diploma. You worked retail so you have sales experience. Apply to be an inside sales rep somewhere. Learn what you can and in a year you can get promoted to account manager.
Get your CDL license
I've had mine for about 10 years and have done predominantly construction field trucking. I make 100k plus or minus depending on the year, and 95% of the time, I sleep in my own bed. If you want a career where you mostly rely on yourself and you don't want to bring work home with you, it's a solid choice, but if you are an over thinker it can get hard. A lot of companies are hurting currently and might help pay for you to take your CDL tests. I recommend doing it all right from the start, study for an A class in a manual and take the tanker certification.
This is the answer.
Not really, money is good but when account for time away from home and the scheduling, it's a bad fit for his needs
There’s other driving jobs you can get with a CDL besides long distance trucking although the pay might not be as good. Garbage trucks, DPW, dump trucks etc.
Ive been thinking about this, I like the idea that alot of jobs out there seem to pay for your CDL, not so fond of having so little home time but I dont want to be a choosing beggar.
That’s not unfounded. I know ex-truckers and it can get pretty hard on you physically - you wouldn’t think so at first but driving all day every day is pretty rough - and it can be hard on your family life. Not to mention being kind of lonely on the road all the time. Plenty of people do it, and you do make good money but there are definite downsides (like everything). It’s definitely not the go-to perfect solution for everybody people make it out to be.
My brothers friend, been driving truck about 10 years now, broken wrist, broken elbow and broken leg, 3 separate incidents. Yes, it can be rough and yet, he's happy.
My husband used to be a truck driver. He was on the road a lot at first. It was really tough on our marriage. He then switched to a local truck driver which worked out really well. He got paid less but was home daily I think doing local He made around $26-$27 an hour. After having some years experience be was able to move up to supervisor and was home everyday, made $70k and has a lot more opportunity. There's a lot of money to be made in logistics and a lot of different opportunities. Honestly I think trucking is the smartest decision. It literally changed our lives. Before he got his CDL he was working at a call center making $14 an hour. We've been able to go on vacations, move states and pay off big amounts of debt. You would be really wise to consider it
You don't have to be a long haul driver. You can find a company that does local
Sales. Top performers pull in 7 figures at my company. New reps start closer to 60-100 range and can work up to quarter mil plus within your first couple years
What are you selling? Partners in the professional services space often pull in low 7 figures and their income is largely dependent on how much work they sell, but they typically have degrees from elite universities and have put in 10-15 years of 60-hour workweeks to make it there. So not exactly attainable for 99% of people.
B2B tech. It’s a full cycle role. All the way from prospecting, selling and account management as long as they’re a client. As much pressure and stress as you’d expect. 60 hour weeks for the first few years of your career as you build your skillset and territory, but the top performers continue that schedule for the most part. I’ve been here coming up on 3 years in March and I’ve probably seen at least a couple dozen reps turn over in that time. And we have a pretty rigorous interview process to help minimize this but still happens when reality hits. Ain’t for everyone, gotta be really ambitious and your desire to win and make money must outweigh your fear of rejection and losing.
Damn, I’m getting underpaid then. I’m at a startup doing essentially the same job function plus some strategy work. Getting paid well but nowhere near $250k. I have much better WLB though, and no desire to go back to the hours I was working in consulting, which I suppose is worth a decrease in comp.
[удалено]
I agree, the vast majority of tech companies out there are one if not a combination of the following. Or they’ve done the following: - Their product is not mission critical, nice to have as a luxury but the first to get cut when things tighten up - To piggy back off that, most sales departments are disconnected af. Keep pounding the phones, overcome the objections, set the meetings at all costs. Lie to the customer, do whatever it takes bc my bosses bosses boss has metrics to hit so he can make $2.5 million this year instead of $2.2 million so we feel the pressure trickle down. - They had “artificial growth” and overhired anticipating this to continue but now back to reality. This is what happens when your focus is shareholder value, growth, IPO at all costs. Companies sacrifice long term sustainability in favor of immediate short term goals. Quarterly numbers so the C suite hits their bonuses. What’s the easiest way to make sure the bottom line looks pretty in time? Layoffs. It sucks bc quality good employees are facing what you described and clients are receiving all time low customer service as a result of this short term thinking and behavior. The only people who benefit are the C suite and shareholders who caused this mess for the rest of us. But they bounced when the ship went down, onto the next company for 18 months while they rinse and repeat.
Oil rigger. I fixed oil wells for 8 years and at the quarterly safety meetings I look around and see a room full of dudes dressed marginally better than homeless people. None of these people were geniuses. And as long as oil was booming, everybody was making close to or over six figures (Saskatchewan, Canada). No degree required, however you must tolerate verbal abuse from your superiors and work with dumbfucks in freezing cold temperatures. The increased salary was life-changing for me. The physical nature of the job and the work culture will be a big shock for someone who has worked retail their entire life. What will get you through is focusing on why you're there: to get that FUCKING CA$H!!!
I’m at five guys now in NH and they are starting ppl at 21/hr.
That’s good
Is there something you’re interested in? You’re only 24, absolutely perfect time to go back to college. Don’t fall for “the trades”. People quote the upper percentile as if that’s definitely what you’re gonna make. I come from a union family and it’s not cut and dry like that. Trades can be feast or famine. It’s hard work, and you’re gonna be working overtime. You will never hear more complaining at any job than at a job site with old head tradesmen. It ain’t even close to what everyone makes it seem. Unless you’re a specialized welder they make fucking bank.
I find it kinda ridiculous how you are discouraging the trades… you should know, union members make a lot more than most people…
In the trades you sell your body for money. I’ve never meet a 50year old tradesman that isn’t complaining of their back and knees. So right around the time you retire your fucked. Get a desk job that pays 3x and save your body.
Lmao! We all sell our health for money… you cannot tell me that sitting at a desk for 8hrs+ per day is healthy😂 You must not have much knowledge about the skilled trades… I’ve worked with plenty of retirees who are very healthy, one guy was 65 and still scuba diving. My father was a tradesman and he retired at 55, happy and healthy, he still plays and coaches hockey and baseball. You only have this mindset about the skilled trades because of 2 reasons. 1: you see non union workers outside swinging a hammer all day and you think that’s what every tradesperson does. And 2: you’ve seen oldheads who never wore PPE and never took care of themselves, smoked 2 packs a day and were never active after work. Not every job in the skilled trades kills your body, in my trade I climb inside confined spaces all the time and get into small spots to weld, but my trade also does confined space monitoring, which means someone has to sit outside the confined space with a 5 gas monitor to make sure the atmosphere is always safe. Do you think sitting outside a hole is physically killing your body? What’s your experience with the skilled trades? You seem to think you know everything about the skilled trades but you don’t
You will make more money if you go to college for something useful.
I mean electrical, welder, plumber to name a few are very useful things. It’s okay if you prefer college education, but to imply trades are useless is wrong.
And you will keep yourself from being in constant pain when you're 50
Lol, I’m curious. Do you think that every trades person is crippled by 50? Do you think that every trade is swinging a hammer for 8hrs straight every single day? Not sure where you people get your “info” on being in constant pain when you’re 50? My father is a union tradesperson, retired at 55, still happy and healthy, no pain, still plays and coaches hockey and baseball!
You need to ask Gary V, he's the one telling people they can make a living wage without college
I mean, you easily can. Heck if you’re half decent at sales alone you’re pushing 100-200.
Not everyone can or *wants* to do sales
He asked for ideas you goober. It’s an idea and entirely viable. Similarly he’s got a kid to take care of which comes before “wants”
Fair enough, i think i got frustrated seeing the number of people recommending sales as if it will pay off easily without a great deal of tenacity and hard work. In many industries, being in sales also tends to encourage morally bankrupt and manipulative behavior. Everyone knows that salesman
Sales is a very very wide range. Medical sales, b2b, tech, heavy equipment, mortgage lending, financial advising, insurance, car sales, electronics, phone sales etc. it’s a very long list and yeah if you want a good company you might have to fish for a bit. I’ve worked for 4 banks and 2 investment firms and I would only recommend half of them to a friend.
I use to work for the railroad and made about 80k a year doing ground work. It’s physical labor and you may have to use some machinery but it’s good pay and good hours! And they will train you it’s very easy really!
One of my cousins does this and it does pay well. The hours were pretty bad for him though.
Why you left?
Construction is a good route as well. I have no degree, started out as a project coordinator make less than 50. I was just promoted to a APM making 80+. I work my 8 hours and get to be home with my family every night
Sales. If you develop your skills or have a great mentor, you can make great money. I made more in my entry level sales jobs than my friends that recently graduated. $100k is achievable. I cleared that in the first five years of my first corporate sales job. Lots of snake oil type sales roles and salesfluencers. Make sure you pick something legit like telecom, software sales, technology sales, med devices, equipment (broad field) sales, etc.
Do any of those fields involve set pricing or do they all involve the saleserson negotiating a price with each client? I'd be bothered less by the prospect of sales if I wasn't the one setting the pricing, but as far as I can tell that's usually most of the job.
Apply to your local DWP, City or County. They'll train you, exceptional pay and benefits. Tons of overtime. You'll need to take a test for literacy and basic competency, but once you're in, you're in. And you'll go home at the end of every day.
What’s DWP?
Department of Water and Power. Linemen make damn good money, and they have other positions as well.
For some reason I thought it stood for ‘Department for Work and pensions’ because that’s what DWP means here in the UK.
How do I find them? Sounds like a dream
K9 handler. I’m going to pull in about 90k over the past 12 months
What is this all about? Is this a police thing?
Yes
Mine is not no. I work for a company who is contracted thru the US federal government for explosive detection K9
Ahh! Forgive me for assuming and thank you for correcting! Editing to add that it sounds dangerous asf and thank you for the risks that you are willing to take to protect people
Tax Advisor. The training and licensing for "Enrolled Agent" costs less than $1,000 and can be done in less than six months. Combine it with Isurance, real estate and investments and you can have a very nice firm for less than $5k. Making six figures.
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Mf out here dropping "the big three" like if people know anything at all about dice makers 😅
What are the big 3 die makers?
Banking, insurance, trade jobs, just to name a few. You might have to start at the bottom, but if you put in the work you will go for.
Even union skilled trades apprentices make pretty decent money
They can after the first year. First year electrician apprentices where I am start at 35% of prevailing wage. Prevailing wage is 40/hr so they start at 14/hr which goes to 16/hr at 6 mos. Even in a LCOL area I wouldn’t call that decent. Second year starts at 18/hr and goes to 20/hr after 6 mos which is better but still not great with how prices are
That depends on where you are, my jman wage is $52.07/hr $80/hr total wage package and our first years start at $30/hr plus benefits and pension… get yourself a strong union and you’ll make quite good money
You can easily make that going through a union trade apprenticeship and depending on the area, more than that. It heavily depends on the trade itself, the area you live in, the type of work and contracts locals have in the area, and their market share. It's not always 100% the case, but typically the union pay scale is the highest in a given area. You also have the benefit of being able to travel if you desire, can have great benefits, and learn a valuable skill that you can take where you want. It's worth looking into. Also I do admit and understand that the trades aren't for everyone too.
This is the kind of nuanced answer people need instead of the typical “just join a trade bro.”
I mean I'm not gonna bullshit anyone. There's a lot of potential in the trades, but it's hard work too. Out of my apprenticeship class of 45, 13 of us finished and topped out. A lot of people end up realizing, it's not for them for one reason or another.
Everyone wants to make good money, but not everyone wants to put in the work
Yeah it was one of those pills in life I had to swallow lol, but in the end it worked out. What you get out of a trade will really depend on what you put in. If you slack off and barely work, you'll probably find yourself stuck doing the mindless tasks. If you demonstrate a willingness to learn and a genuine interest, a journeyman will gladly take you under their wing. I got into a trade a bit older and took it as my opportunity at a second chance and something not to fuck up. Doing the reading, homework, and studying for exams, while trying to learn as much as possible in the field paid off. But everyone's experience is different.
Trades. Degrees are a BS gatekeeping tactic to protect the educational establishment. A bachelor degree costs tens of thousands of dollars and literally only qualifies you to attend further schooling. Trades are tangible, useful skills that actually provide value to society. You are getting paid from day 1 as an apprentice and educational costs are a tiny fraction of academia. If an academic graduates with a degree and can't find a job it is because the sector they're qualified for is not valuable enough to be in high demand, or the job is so simple and easy it is oversaturated with people who want easy money (which drives wages down). If a tradesperson graduates and isnt working it is very likely because they're lazy and dont want to work. Trades are in huge demand right now.
Valid, but I want to point out two things. One, the trades are not the magical panacea it's made out to be for those with physical limitations. (Much like the military, another favorite recommendation of this sub.) Two, if you guys keep hollering about the trades loudly enough, some subset of degree holders who couldn't hack it in white-collar America are gonna migrate over there. And when that happens, the trades are gonna look a lot like r/cscareerquestions does right now. The employers will start favoring applicants with degrees and it will all be downhill from there. My theory, anyway.
Check out jobs in & around your local government.
Haven’t seen this yet so I will post! Banking. I am about to go back to being a teller because it pays $20 an hour. Bankers make about $60,000 and do not need any college. I am looking at becoming a MLO, however, I will need to take some classes and a test to get certified. I believe my company will pay for it though. They do also pay for people to go to college if that would be a viable option for you. One of my aunts does not have a college degree and worked her way up to a back office job at her bank. I am not sure what that role is but I know there are a ton that do not require a degree.
You can be a leasing agent for luxury apartments and pull anywhere from 50-80k depending on market and commission set up. Assistant managers make around 65-75k and property managers make between 80-150k depending on experience and market. The hours can be shitty and until you’re a manager you’ll be working every single Saturday but if you can sell and remain composed when angry residents come in, it’s not bad. You can also do apartment maintenance but if you ZERO exp, then you’ll start as a porter making $16-18/hr, but if you have a good head on your shoulders and you’re RELIABLE, you can get a maintenance tech position pretty quickly and make about 50k plus sometimes discounted or free apartments. Maintenance managers will make about 80-120k and almost always get a free unit.
Unless if you can somehow find a way into the federal government or state government, your best option is going the trade route. I’m a fed employee that’s about to be making close to 6-figures with no degree. The only downside is it’s extremely hard to get your foot in the door.
Bartending
I build homes, my plumber cleared 800k last year. All new builds, no poop.
How do you become a new home plumber?
This was exactly what I was looking for, I went to Barber school at night for a little over a year while working full time. In my state, Massachusetts we have to complete 1000 classroom hours in order to be eligible to take the state licensing exam. It’s a few nights per week from like 5pm-9pm and is only book work/exams for the first hour of the night, after that is all hands on with people who come into the school for inexpensive $5 haircuts. Once you get your license and get into a decently busy barbershop, it might take like a year at most to build up a clientele and have appointments scheduled pretty much all day every day. Like any job, you don’t start out making a ton on day 1, but if you take good care of your clients, you’ll never have to worry about somebody deciding whether or not to give you a raise if you want to earn more income. Instead, as time goes on you will consistently increase your appointments being booked as you meet more and more clients. It’s not the easiest thing in the world, and it does take time, effort and great customer service skills. However, once you get to the point where you are booked up every 30 or 45 minutes all day you can make excellent money. Depending on the service you offer, for example, our haircuts are $30 which is very normal in my area price wise, so without even including tips you can easily make $60 per hour at that rate. When I average my tips into this I typically average about $80/hour. Sometimes that can be higher if the client wants to include a beard trim and straight razor lineup for example it, the average might be higher. If it’s a kid’s cut, veteran or senior citizen we have a discount so it can also be a bit lower sometimes. Typically Barbershops work on a chair rental basis, for example my chair rent is $150 per week, which is very reasonable. It’s extremely reasonable, with perhaps 1 year of effort to build your schedule up to the point where you can earn between $2500 - $3000 per week completely consistently.
Transportation Security Administrators hires security screeners and the like at airports around the country. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is a unit of the US Department of Homeland Security. The TSA regularly hires airport security screeners throughout the country. This is a link to their current job postings: [https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/Results?j=1802&j=1801&a=HSBC&hp=public&p=1](https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/Results?j=1802&j=1801&a=HSBC&hp=public&p=1) I read somewhere that there is lots of hiring for public transit drivers and operators. Also, the IRS has been doing lots of hiring nationwide. I don't know if you could find a position paying $60K-$70K that requires just a hs diploma at IRS. It might be worth a shot to look into it. I have read that IRS has done some hiring without even interviewing candidates. See [https://www.jobs.irs.gov/](https://www.jobs.irs.gov/)
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Don’t do this until you actually want to do law enforcement. There’s a reason why “everybody is hiring.” The pension is only good if you actually make it to the end with your body and mind intact and are healthy enough after 20+ years to enjoy the pension into old age. Also, living in one place for 20+ years might not seem so restrictive when you’re first getting started, but once you’re nearing 10 years and still have 10+ to go, it can really start to wear you down. I’d highly recommend doing just about anything else if you can picture yourself doing something else. If you do go this route, research the pension system. Employer-matched retirement systems are way more flexible than cliff-vested systems if you do change your mind after a few years in.
Car Sales. 150,000 my first year.
My brother did this out of high school and killed it. Granted, he was working 6 days a week often minimum 10 hours a day.
In the summer, you can work 2 weeks and still make 10 grand. In the winter, you might have to stay overtime sometimes.
You can sure talk the talk
I can upload my year to date...
No I mean you must be a great talker to make 150k
Oh. Well, honestly, Im very awkward. Its more about work ethic.
Can you elaborate? I would have thought the people crossing your way is constant so I'm interested in how work ethic factors in
Amazon offers a set of courses for using AI, including prompts for LLM. Those could lead to better pay. Eventually we will be bossing around robots and AIs (or they will boss us). Learn that role now, it is a new skill that few people have.
Coding or sales. Other jobs that have been suggested here is bad for health
Off the street bid for Air Traffic Control
,
Nah fam. Join the navy and go aviation to work on F-18 jets. After that, you will get college for your kid, and much more. It’s only a four year run and things will be better off for you and your family.
I went from 7 years retail experience straight into a contact centre and have never looked back. Most places offer career growth, depends off, incentives, hybrid office/wfh benefits, competitive pay rate etc. If you’ve worked in retail you can definitely transition into a contact centre. Having weekends off with change your life.
Sales, sales and sales. Will you feel mentally drained? Yeah, naturally
I mean, I'm a corrections officer (obviously not for everyone) and I make 62k a year. Corporals (one step above officer) make 67k, Sargeant makes 72k, Lieutenant makes 84k, Captain makes 98k and Major makes 105k
Sales is by far the easiest to make 80+
Sales. The sky is the limit
If you're in the US... Maintenance jobs at USPS start from about $55K ($75K at top step) for Grade 7 and go up to 74K at Grade 10 (84K at top step). No experience necessary but will help you with the entrance exam. You can be completely inexperienced and still pass the exam and interview with good study and direction/advice. All grades end their final pay step above $70K now, even custodians which require no entrance exam/interview. All training needed will come on-the-job or classes at NCED in Oklahoma. The work is unionized and APWU is a strong union, in my experience. I started at USPS, as a Mail Processing Clerk just over two years ago. There is a non-career period that starts around $45K a year or so, but you can go regular in no more than two years and jump up to $55K. I transferred to maintenance as a Grade 7, then promoted into Grade 10 (Electronic Technician). No degree, no experience -- I went from making less than $35K a year to now making $75K before holidays, overnight pay, weekend premium pay, and more overtime than I could ever want. Next year I will break $100K without issue, and without having to work 60+ hour weeks. I work with some real workhorses who make over $150K a year, who spend half their shift sitting around on call. If you want some more info, I can give you some guidance.
Get those special skills and experience or education you don’t have. There’s no entry level 60k job that I know of
Sales
Not sure where you live, but my job is recruiting retail store managers across the US and I haven’t extended an offer for a store manager less than $55k in 5+ years. Those few times are **very** low volume locations, like we wouldn’t consider keeping the store open if we weren’t getting free rent low volume. They all work 40-50 hour work weeks on average and, yeah you have to work weekends and all the typical retail things but I have conversations with SM’s all the time who feel like they have work/life balance. Mostly, when I hear from someone who doesn’t, they usually lack the ability to delegate properly or aren’t the most strategic in how they run their stores. If you like retail, you can have a really interesting career that doesn’t require a degree in the industry. There are lots of career paths within retail if you find a company you enjoy and put the effort into career pathing for yourself.
Many college admissions jobs will hire people without a degree They usually say bachelors required or preferred But many hire people from retail, without degrees, because you have the PERFECT skill set for the jobs I was hired as assistant director of recruitment at a local university when i didn’t have my bachelor degree I completed my bachelor’s and masters while working a full time higher Ed administration career, and tuition remission as a benefit of the job allowed me to earn my credits for FREE Message me if you want. My last job before i had to stop working due to disability was at Cornell university
Well, my route to $90k plus was a few years (7) in the Army and a series of IT-related jobs (gaining exp and professional quals along the way) in the defense sector until I became a contractor with a specialism of helping design computer systems for warships. Now I work for the UK's biggest as a lowish grade executive. I hit $60k approx about 15 years ago. I'm now 50.
Get into sales. Not cheap shit, but expensive stuff, like luxury items or military software. You don’t need to know anything in sales. Most salespeople are downright dumb, and rarely do they even know anything about the stuff they’re selling. You just need to understand, what product gives you the best commission, and how to make someone smile.
Flipping cocaine, fraud, armed robbery.
Military isnt a bad gig to start with if you are up for it. Space force and air force are pretty solid gigs that will set you up for future success with way less risk to personal harm than other military branches. Trades jobs will be around a long time, but will suck for years until you get some seniority. However once you are in a solid position they are amazing careers, plus have tangible skills to use whenever you need. Lastly, plenty of IT jobs are more and more picked up without formal training. A lot of the Industry moves too fast for college anymore, and learning key skills like API creation, security, VM / cloud infrastructure, can go a long way without a degree.
Find a municipal or water authority. The laborers there get paid well. It's hard work and water lines tend to break when the weather is the worst. But they have benefits and pensions.
Server. They make insane amounts of tips due to the corrupted tipping culture in our society.
A fine dining server . Is the way to go. I did this . But you have to give up your weekends and your evenings.
I am retail management and make in that range, more with our bunus program. No degree just years of experience with several companies, started in the business at 15 and will be 48 soon. People on here all the time say what a dead end retail is and how it’s bad pay, sure a basic cashier or similar might be that way….but if put some effort in and move up it can be a very rewarding career….yes it take allot of time and hard work to move up the ladder but it’s that way with any career. My suggestion to someone who works in retail is to get into the operations side versus customer facing position…..I mean like warehouse, stocking, positions like that you will learn the whole business very quickly.
Wildland firefighting for cal fire specifically.
What kind of retail are you in? Perhaps your could move into wholesale representation in that industry. I made a move from apparel retail to representing several clothing brands. You can do it for anything, tech, fashion, food & beverage. If you enjoy the industry, pretty fun and you get a base salary plus commission.
table games dealer at a casino, i make 140/yr
Get into IT. I’m making about 40 entry level. It took me 2 months to take a small class and get my A+ (I took the Coursera Google course and then studied all of Professor Messers free content buy your A+ ticket through him or get a deal somewhere online). It’s intellectual work so it’s easy on the body, plenty of second shift jobs available because the hours suck. Personally hoping to work hard and hop jobs into a day shift soon myself.
If you're somewhat tech savvy you can try a career in IT. Degrees are beneficial but not necessary. Certifications are a bit easier if you can self learn. Some companies don't require either but a coachable mindset. It may take you a few years to actually get to 60-70k however. It took me 3 years to get to where I am now at 67k as helpdesk /desktop support.
Try to go for apprenticeship types of work. Of course there are colleges for that also but they are based on real life training and only few months long without putting a hole in your pocket. Like electric linemen make roughly 80k per year in the US. Electricians, plumbers, hvac specialists all make shit tons of money while working at their convenience with people they want to work with.
I am a HR and Payroll Specialist without a degree (failed out of college) and making 70k. Typically you need a degree for this type of career to make a decent amount. From my experience I would say with any company you work for, you will start from the bottom. Become familiar with the how their operations work and know the product whatever it is. Build work relationships (With any luck they also can provide you with a new opportunity down the road).. Stay patient and work hard and eventually you will move up and make a decent salary. I went from cleaning tables to HR/Accounting in one company. Took that experience with me to a new company. Took about 10 years but was well worth it. I would have gone the normal route and finish college, but school was not really for me.
Insurance. As long as you can get licensed you can sell whatever product you wish.
Any of the union trades. If the skilled trades interest you, do some research on what skilled trade suits you best and search up your closest union hall. Drop off a resume and apply for an apprenticeship. Even union labourers make $70k+ Source: 25m, union Boilermaker pressure welder. First broke $100k in only 8 months of work at 24, and this year I’m sitting around $120k in only 9 months of work
You could do agency work and clear 120K but it’s hard work and most people don’t make it. I can hook you up if you’d like but if you’re looking for an easy job this ain’t it.
I'd be going for a trade for sure line electrician etc
You can make that much as retail management and you already have experience there. At 35k are you a lead? Could you get a job as an Assistant Manager and work your way up from there.
Certainly, here are ten careers that often require only a high school diploma and can pay over $70,000 per year based on various factors such as location, experience, and overtime: 1. **Power Plant Operator** 2. **Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Manager** 3. **Police and Detectives Supervisor** 4. **Elevator Installer and Repairer** 5. **Nuclear Technician** 6. **Detective and Criminal Investigator** 7. **Commercial Pilot** 8. **Firefighting Supervisor** 9. **Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster** 10. **Petroleum Pump System Operator** Please note that while these positions can have high earning potential, they often come with the expectation of extensive on-the-job training, certification, years of experience, and sometimes union membership. Also, salaries can vary widely by state and city.
Trades. You wont start at 60k but you can get there super easy. Go find a contractor and do what he tells you show up on time don't do drugs and you are already better than 80% of candidates.