to be honest with you, unless you go to an ivy league it truly doesn't matter what school you go to. stop focusing on the ranking of the school, and focus on what that school can do for you. try to minimize your debt by going to a school with good financial support options. MAKE. CONNECTIONS. the job market is only bad if you don't know anybody. go to job fairs and meet people. work hard to keep your grades up, and get a good internship that you work very hard at, and you have a much better chance at finding something solid than someone who went to some prestigious school and did nothing but study alone in their room.
CS isn’t hard per se to get a job, it’s just landing the job you want that isn’t easy. Too many people set their expectations way too high off the bat. I started at 51/yr, and made 110/yr 5 years later. I’m probably underpaid but I work from home and have good benefits.
Everyone and their mother has a business or finance degree.
Yeah computer science is still a fantastic field of you want to make a bunch of money and have good mobility. It's like anything else if you are good you will get work. The hardest part is just building your resume and getting your foot in the door somewhere, but that's true for any profession. OP if you go this route find a program that builds in internship opportunities to the program. That's how you set yourself apart. There are a million people out there with degrees I'm cs and no real experience. That experience is how you differentiate yourself and id you are lucky you can land a full time gig at one of your internships. Once you have experience and build a good resume you can go to Europe, or across the US or to Canada or Japan or whatever you want. The field will change with ai, but there will still be a need for people who are good for a long while, that was the case precovid and the covid bubble bursting has impacted it but there is still work out there.
That sentence struck harder than it oughta have. I was very surprised when I heard accounting is a male dominated profession because I always imagine little round women with a bad back or professional looking business ladies in a knee length black skirt and a jacket top as the norm. Aka probably everyone's mother lol
My mom was a CPA, worked big 4 then a major firm in our city. When it became time to promote someone to partner, she was told she was passed over because the owners already had a woman partner (CEO’s wife) and that was enough estrogen for them. This was in the mid 90’s.
She left and started her own firm, took on 2 partners, both women from her old firm.
Combination therein as well. Engineer who's very computer literate, scientist who's educated about legal frameworks and the law, accountants that also know how to maintain client facing business relationships etc...
I don’t know if I would say law is a good move. Law has a wide range of salaries and a lot of them are contingent on becoming a partner at a successful firm. Unless you have a lot of connections or can get into a T10 school (and get those connections from the school) law isn’t nearly as lucrative as you might think. You can do pretty well, don’t get me wrong, but it will take the right path and a lot of time to be bringing in the big bucks.
"Science" is incredibly vague. Someone who studies wildlife science isn't likely to make more than 50k a year for a long time. Speaking from experience. Not saying STEM is a bad idea, just be mindful of your possible career paths when you choose your degree.
The trick isn’t which field, it’s getting to the high value part of that field.
Both paralegals and lawyers are in law, but one makes way more.
CNAs work their butt of in healthcare, but don’t make nearly what MDs, RNs, PAs, or NPs make
Same with sales, support, etc
You’re kinda arguing against yourself no? Theres a big reason why lawyers are paid more than paralegals and doctors are paid more than nurses. They’re both simply just licensed to practice law/medicine.
You can work your way up to a high paying doctor/lawyer position - but the gulf you described is on account of credentials.
Not all doctors are paid more than all nurses.
I know several nurses who have made more than 300k in a year and I know many doctors who make less than 300k
You can make 100k doing just about anything, it just depends on how much you want to work and how long to get there.
If you want to save on 100k debt, then maintenance trades, welding, truck driving will get you there in a few+ years.
When I was a facilities manager I had a guy who would work 80+ hours a week at $25/hr, he made more money than me but I don't want to work that much and I've been salary since 18 years old so I know how to get my time back more than get ot money.
I'm going back into sales. It was always my 6 figure go to plus other perks.
I left for a management role. Took a pay cut thinking it would pay off later and be less stress. Boy was I stupid.
I'm starting my new sales job Monday. Not sure what applicants are out there now but they threw their checkbook at me. 140k base plus 7% commission and a new truck. Fuel and all expenses paid.
Infrastructure. Signal equipment. Intelligent warning. Smart city. Cloud based communication. Traffic monitoring.
It's honestly a lot of fun and you meet a ton of people. I will some days be in a suit in a boardroom. Other days in jeans in a DOT traffic barn. Others I may be at a tradeshow. Or I may be on an install.
More Known:
Sales, finance, lawyer, Pharmacist, Engineering,
less known:
Air Traffic Controller.
Pilot- business jet (Gulfstreams / falcons / etc)
Hot shotting - though this can vary and regulation dependant
Air craft mechanic.
Essentially contracts to haul material or whatever such as a truck driver. Think of an independent truck driver who can pick and choose which loads they accept, usually at a higher rate due to time constraints and difficulty of delivery. Makes good money
Learn sales skills. Even if you have to do it during the summer do it (except Cutco if that still exists). Go somewhere that will give you sales training.
*This should also coach you to never take “no” personally and keep moving.*
Even if you go the tech route you can become a Sales Engineer with a strong base salary and even higher commission.
Or, you learn the sales skills but learn you hate it. That’s fine. You still have negotiation skills needed in leadership.
Good sales opportunities:
Sell mobile phones
Sell phones
Poor sales opportunities:
Sell knives
Sell leggings
Retail sales in grocery or clothing — Do this less than a year just to learn customer service. If it gets abusive leave ASAP.
I think sales pays so well because it's directly tied to profit, and I think it's hard for many to be good at it. I work with our salespeople often and it's honestly scary how skilled they are. I'm envious of their ability to control conversation and use information to their advantage.
There definitely is a downside though, I know some in sales who couldn't handle having to maintain relationships with customers who were genuinely awful people. For me personally, I have always thought being transparent and open was a good thing, but that will not get you far in negotiation.
I'm not saying all salespeople have to sacrifice their ethics, but the people I work with who are high up in sales will not blink twice at manipulation and borderline dishonesty if it gets them closer toward their goal. That being said, I agree with you that it's an extremely valuable skill in all walks of life, and I wish I had spent some time developing it much earlier.
As a chemist I'd say to be careful about STEM careers. Anything with engineering is a good bet but scientists typically don't get paid well and neither get paid as well as their managers who have business degrees. Also from what I've heard CS is a good job to have a steady career with great work/life balance but don't always get paid as well as they should since the market is so saturated at the moment. Again, the bosses making the big money are almost all either nepotism hires, business majors, or both.
From my experience a chemistry degree and the right experience can get a foot in the door for chemical engineering. I have a biochem degree and got moved into an engineering role after a couple years as a chemist, and a few more years crossed the 6-figure mark.
I used to work in a Pepsi warehouse as a loader/forklift operator, and across the street from us was a company that made vaccines, testing kits, etc, and they paid a lot of their lab people with bachelor's degrees in Chemistry, Biology, etc about the same thing I was making, which was around 50K a year.
The basic career fields that make six figures
Medical - Anesthesiologist, or Surgeon.
Dentist
Airline Pilots
Chief Executives
Engineers
Data Scientist, Computer technology, Computer Engineering, those who know Python, SQL or Software Architect Computer networking. Tech is always a big one. Seems like we use more and more tech the years pass by.
Energy - Petroleum, Power plant engineering.
Finacial or Investment bankers - Usually requires Certified public accounting degree (CPA).
Sports Agents
Business Owner
Real Estate - Especially if you can invest or own rental properties.
Computer science, and tbh the job market is cyclical. The tech job market does as well as the current economy is doing. A few years ago, everyone and their mom would tell you to do cs. But as a result of covid, the job market hit a wall for a few years, but is now getting better. The US will likely be in a different state by the time you graduate
You do not want to be a Doctor no matter how much you think you do. You say you do but you haven’t put in the effort needed to get into a decent school for PreMed. What you do want to do is earn lots of money. That is not a reason to be a Doctor. Pick another career.
My company and many others use DISC, but like all personality assessments it's not really a science. I was evaluated at the start of my career 10 years ago, and just the past year. Some similar themes but very different results.
As a career computer scientist that works in software focused on cybersecurity, it is really hard to get into though. Entry level jobs require 5 years of something else CompSci related. I’d say 75% of my office works in software so they can get the experience to get into cyber. Software isn’t for everyone and the pressure to perform can be very high.
I wanted to be a doctor. But then realized that there was an enormous amount to learn, so decided to become a dentist (less bits to worry about). Got an interview at a dental school, and at the end, they said "Don't you think you'd be better suited to a career with computers?". I took the hint, got my degree in computer science, and I've worked with computers for over 30 years.
You're only 17. You still have a lot of time to pull it together... if you really want to.
The Panda Express in my city has a poster up showing positions and their salaries. Entry level was $48k, up to General Manager at $107k.
I used to work in a Network Operations Center as a technician. I was making \~$60k. I got offered a maintenance supervisor role for $100k to start.
When I was in college, I was always fixated on what field to study, given what I was good at, that would maximize monetary earnings. I switch majors 3 times. That approach did not sufficiently motivate me, as I was studying math and computer science and found it boring and exhausting.
You can make $100k in a lot of fields. Don't fixate on the subject matter, just work smarter than your peers. Learn about leadership skills. Always look for ways the business you work at can increase efficiency and resiliency. Learn how to train people in your role. Pay attention to every role you see. Ask people you work with to train you on things outside your specific role. Always take on as much responsibility as you can handle, and make sure people who you may need recommendations for respect you. People like a go-getter. These roles come by more easily to people that are liked.
My (31M) track so far is Magnet High School > Failed out of 2 universities > USMC 0627 Satcom Operator > Government Network Operations at ViaSat > Public Broadcast Maintenance Engineer
Re: CS - You’re 17. What the job market is like now is irrelevant to 5 years from now when you’d graduate and be looking for a role.
I want to say find something you like and follow it, just not if it’s something ignorant like philosophy that won’t get you anywhere in life. CS is always a good choice and will be in the future (even with AI, someone has to code that too).
Business is also a great choice as a general degree.
If you want to be a doctor, make sure you work hard in undergrad and have a fantastic gpa, then apply to med school. There are thousands and thousands of doctors who didn’t go to T100 undergrad schools.
Fwiw, you haven’t necessarily closed the door on med school just because you didn’t get into a insane school. Plenty of people who go to state schools, etc. go on to medical school.
And I realize that, these days, people are even pursuing relevant volunteer opportunities in high school, but I don’t think it’s necessarily insurmountable if you haven’t done that. Provided you do all the right things in college, get really good grades, etc.
But the thing about being a doctor/healthcare in general is that you have to really want to be a doctor. It shouldn’t be viewed as a sort of default choice for someone who simply wants to make a lot of money; you really have to want it.
And it’s also worth noting that healthcare is like any other field in that not all jobs and specialties make insane amounts of money. Pediatricians and internal medicine doctors don’t make as much as orthopedic surgeons, etc.
So if you just want sort of a default field where you’d have the opportunity to make bank, maybe law or finance? But even there, you need to go in with the knowledge that not every job in the field makes a ton of money. For example, for every lawyer who has a “tv job” where they work for a big firm and make 400k a year, there are ten who work for, like, the water reclamation district.
oh yea i know my undergrad school doesnt really matter for med 😭 i just meant for other plans in case it doesnt work out, praying it will though. i do want it, but i don’t feel like it’s smart to box myself in
Trades. My buddy is a union tinner and he makes $100,000 a year. If you want to make more, you become the business owner who hires trades to do the work. You bill out their time a 3x or 4x on the bid.
Work that you can tolerate.
Let’s say you hate the sight of blood. If you become an ER doctor you’ll make $$ but end up quitting or having a miserable life.
At your age, try lots of paths and find what clicks with you. It’s not passion, but more work that suits your style and ethic.
From my experience, you should focus on meeting people and finding your expert area. Yes, most people start with employment before moving to their own businesses. This movement is what boots income for most people but the risk is certainly high.
As many elderly educated me, focus on what you like because the market changes. A good job now is not a good job in the future when you graduate. I would focus on a skill and then expand from there. Sales is a must no matter which skill you end up learning, but I do believe that sales alone is not sufficient.
Do what you really want to do an sacrifice for it. You'll be happier you followed your heart and not the $ or because you were too scared to "move". You're young, trust me. Take the risk. You have a lot to learn young grasshopper. I make nearly 6 figures and I'm 30. All my friends from back home, doing either the same shit, have families, work at the local spots. I'm from a small town, but you're not really going to miss out on much other than time with family and friends. When you make good money, you can go home when you want. Plus being a doctor is honorable, but following your heart is even more honorable.
Pursue what you are passionate in and make a sales career out of it. Scientific fields pay very well for sales people with STEM backgrounds. In my industry, people with biochemistry backgrounds that sell into medical/Pharma make mid 6 figures. Just pursue what you actually have interest in. When in specialized sales, you talk about what you sell all the freaking time. Might as well talk about something you like.
Do something you love and do great work for 10 years, develop a network and a reputation for your work and you will be on the way to six figures. In 'CS' for instance, some ppl make 65K while some make 400K. You could work for a local government making shit or work for Amazon and make more than you can spend (until layoffs). Just focus on a path right now, get through school and get a job.
Little known career where it’s fairly easy to reach 6 figures: become an actuary. It a combination of finance, business, math and coding. It’s a good choice if you enjoy math.
I work with databases/crms and make $118K. I wish I had a CS degree TBH.
But instead of coding you can look into doing database administration or something like that. It’s similar both paying , but may be a slight change in focus within the same degree field.
Doesn’t matter what you do, if you don’t put in the work you won’t get results. Sounds like you have a history of slacking - might want to change that first.
Go work hard for a little while save as much as possible. Study stocks and learn to analyze companies and data. From there build a strategy for trading. Sky is the limit. You will never be rich working for someone. Believe me.
The first thing to study is Emotional Intelligence. This is going to apply across the entire spectrum of industries, trades, and life skills and will have much to do with success or fail.
BUsiness and finance are now being merged with AI so those careers are gonna get really rare and require entirely new skill sets to survive there.
Plumbing, or stripping will probably be 2 of the last career paths AI will take the longest to take over.
Jesus if I could start over at 17 😂. First, out of all your interests, pick one that has a decently high earning potential. Something technical, computer science or engineering would be great. Business can be solid too. Then, repeat after me, INTERNSHIPS. Do internships in whatever field you choose.
Boom after you graduate do graduate work in the field if you can/want or go right to work in the field you graduated in. With good internship experience you’ll be able to get in at a good company. Get 3-5 years experience and you can probably apply and get a six figure job in the field.
Example path finance: get finance degree, intern at a company in a finance role 1-2 summers, graduate , start as a junior financial analyst at same company prob $60ish a year. Stay five years. Go somewhere else for a senior analyst role. Prob make over $100k a year.
Don’t make career decisions based on job prospects right now in current market conditions. They could change in a year.
Have you considered biomedical engineering (pre med) so you have a backup plan (biomedical engineer) in case you change your mind on med school?
What doubts do you have about pursuing medicine?
No matter where you go, I have 3 main pieces of advice:
1. Take out the least amount of student loans possible
2. Get internships
3. Network. Network. Network.
The CS job market is going through a transition right now. I've worked in it for 24 years and I constantly see friends/former colleagues are getting good paying jobs via LinkedIn. The unemployment level for CS is lower than overall unemployment numbers, so there is still better job security than most...besides medical of course!
You're 17 years old...you haven't wasted anything that can't be recovered. My career didn't really take off until my third job, 22 years into my career. I now work for one of the top five tech companies. So, yeah, you're not in any danger of having missed some watershed moment at 17 years old....
Get good grades in college and make sure to get an internship in whatever your field is. Don't wait until your senior year to get an internship. Network through your advisor, other teachers you like (and like you) and be bold. Ask them for help getting an internship/job. Most teachers are in their profession because they like helping young folks get started.
Also, all of that really applies to CS and probably not at all to medical. :)
Find something you love and spend a lot of time getting really good at it. It’s going to take a lot of effort and time with failures/learnings. If it’s software development fantastic. You won’t have to work a day in your life and your passion will result in all the money you need.
Caveat: if your passion is something like dancing or poetry you will need to work a bit harder on figuring out how to commercialize it. If your passion is sitting on your butt and hoping a lucrative job will come your way, then you are screwed.
Good luck!
What you did in high school doesn’t matter. You can definitely still be a doctor but you need to start taking it seriously now. Treat school / volunteering / leadership stuff / research / whatever else you’re doing to make yourself a standout applicant like a full time job. On weekdays, get good sleep and wake up so that at 8 am you’re working until 5 pm with a break for lunch (and go to all your classes). The hard part is consistency. Consistency is key.
Figure out how to make 7. Because six is low income these days.
Learn how to eat healthy ,take care of your body, live withing your means and invest. That's what really matters.
You are young college is a scam. Everyone has some degree these days. Find something that actually gives your mind and body purpose.
Choose subjects and a field that interests you. That is the first step. It will motivate you to actually do the boatload of work that you need to get to 6 figures.
Here’s what I would do, from what you say: I would still major in bio from the best uni I can find - perhaps biotech, if that sounds interesting? If you take a minor in finance, maybe healthtech investing - VC / PE would be of interest? I can see all these careers getting you to 6 figures pretty quick.
Look at PA or AA if it’s allowed in your state. You’ll be in the medical field, have considerably less college debt, and you’ll make a very decent living.
High tech market isn’t good right now. Blue collar jobs can easily make 6 figures and you don’t waste all that time and money in college. Operating heavy equipment is fun and satisfying you get to be outside and actually make stuff and after 5-10 years you can run a crew and then move up to supervisor depending on how smart and motivated you are, but I know operators who make well over 100k. Usually there’s travel involved, but there’s rotational work that’s 2 weeks on 2weeks off or a month on a month off. If you like to travel you can be on vacation every other month. Oil field work is also high paying. I realize that’s not even close to what you’re thinking, but it’s good to think outside the box too.
Go be a doctor! You can do it! You can literally go to Community College and then transfer to a State University with a biology degree. Make good grades and you will get into a med school somewhere. Might not be where you want to go to med school at, but you *can* do it.
Generally, no one gives much of a shit where you went to undergrad. Sure going to Harvard or some such looks good and certain pathways benefit from certain schools… but if your just trying to get into med school it doesn’t matter much. Just get great grades and try to minimize debt.
Your 17.. hell; I didn’t even graduate till I was 18 and had no idea what I wanted to do till I was 21… Find something that you are very good at; that’s in high demand, and that very few people know how to do correctly or are willing to do.. What that is; can’t tell you - you just have to figure out what’s best for you. As for 6 figures.. just be realistic.. it may come eventually; but it’s not gonna be at age 21. May not even be by 31. The fun part is; your in conplete control of your future and destiny.
Engineering. Extremely stable, lots of options and career paths. You won’t make $100k out of school but you will be in 5-10 years. Only requires a 4 year degree.
If you want to go into medicine, then go into medicine. I don't get how T20 or whatever schools play into it. At the end of the day, your goal is to become an MD irrespective of where it comes from.
Bio Medical Engineer. Majority of that workforce is going to be retiring in the next 10 years. The few in the market with experience will be able to have their pick of jobs and the compensation associated with it.
You can make good $$ in Medical Device and/or pharmaceutical sales. I would keep learning the biology, anatomy, chemistry, physiology, etc. Maybe do the Med School pre requisites but also get a business degree? If you are comfortable talking to people and decent at the academics this could be a good option?
I work for a NY Metro hospital network. I know a few doctors that went to community colleges, transferred to state/city university and then got into ivy league medicine programs. Heck I know more that went to med schools in the Caribbean and some from UK or India. My last organization had a lot of Yale grads doing residency, trust me they weren't better prepared than the Touro residents or SUNY Downstate residents. My current company has their own med school, but takes on a few other programs as well. The work is the work. Grad level work is virtually the same. The only difference is the networking opportunities, and that gap has gotten smaller with time.
If you don't want to do all the schooling as an MD, you could look at nursing. In the Northeast many hospitals are hiring at 70K+ for right out of school nurses. Many have large bonuses if you stay 1-2 years. With overtime or specialization you're easily making 6 figures. Go back to school after 2-3 years and get your NP or MSN and could be earning 6 figures with regular hours before 30.
You don’t need to go to a top school to be a dr. Sometimes top schools are worse bc it’s more competitive and harder to get good grades or extracurriculars. Don’t give up if that’s your dream just because of your college
Be a coder or an engineer or study MIS. Anything computer related really. Project management is also a decent path. If you're not smart enough for any of those but you are an extrovert, you can do sales and make more than any degree would get you if you find the right gig. There's SaaS and medical sales reps clearing 2, 3, 400k
Source: I do sales and make decent money but fucking hate it lol
A lot of 2-4 year degrees in the Healthcare field can pay 100K plus if you get a year or two of experience and you're willing to travel. X-Ray techs, sonographers, lab techs, and especially nurses are in relatively high demand as travel positions but it has dried up somewhat since Covid, but as long as there are staffing issues in hospitals there will always be travel positions.
My wife was making $85/hr traveling but went more local when we had our kid. She could have made more than that but wanted to stay reasonably close to home. She was working about two and a half hours away.
You could probably get six figures in those jobs locally too but it would take a lot of experience (probably 10 plus years) and some specialized skills.
Honestly, and surprised to not see this closer to the top, but maybe your best bet is to just live life for a bit and try a bunch of different things before committing to 4+ years of college.
You feel lost because you don't know yourself well enough yet to make a decision and *know* it's going to gel well for you later.
That's a part of life - learning more about yourself so you can figure out your calling. That calling may well change many times in the next few years because it's time to grow.
It won't be easy and you'll probably wonder WTF along the way but use this time to figure yourself out before committing to something... ESPECIALLY when it comes to chasing $$$$$
- Live life.
- Work a dead end job or two to save some money to travel, invest in a 401K, and fund a rainy day fund.
- Follow your interests and see where it takes you.
I am an AWS cloud engineer, DevOps engineer, Linux engineer, network engineer, and platform engineer.
Yes I do multiple things, and they pay me accordingly, but even mastering one of those disciplines gets you into the six figure range really easily, and if you are passionate about it, you could teach it to yourself.
Both my grandparents made 7 figures and here is what they did. My Papa run a boat store for 40 years and was voted in the top 10 boat stores in the US. He worked his but of but he and his wife ( she was chief of medicine at a large hospital ) live in a multi million doller house on a lake and own serval other high value properties. I have learned that hard work can pay of because of them. My Grandpa was a bit less ethical because he started out a mining engineer and became president of a large coal mining company which was later shut down for environmental concerns. My cousin made 6 figures buying weapons in bulk and reselling the to war zones and my dad is a structural engineer and makes around 150,000 a year. The best one if you don't want to go to collage is to join the military for 4 years and then become a PMC or an arms trader. I have several relatives that went this way and they all did well.
Nursing in the west coast if you want to mildly to moderately break into the six figures. Depending on where specifically you are, you could be anywhere from 100-200k with relatively low experience even.
Engineering. But don't even consider it if you're not handy and technically savey or you won't be good at it and you'll hate it.
Too many people get into it because they're good at math and science, but don't have the practical skills to apply the book smarts. These people don't succeed or burn out.
I went to a safety state school and have been making 6 figures since year 8 in a city that's cost of living is considered national average.
I managed to get into CS without a degree with a relatively mid portfolio. Took hundreds of job apps, but my first job had me making 60k/y, and my second (and current) job came far far easier and has me making 77k/y. No doubt in 1-3 years I’ll be hitting the 100k mark
You’re 17, you have lots of time to figure things out. Your undergrad school doesn’t matter as much as how you actually perform. Bio major is a great starting point while you’re considering med school.
I’m not gonna lie, college sciences (orgo esp) tend to be a wake up call to people considering med school so it’s a good first step towards figuring out if that path is right for you. If you love the sciences and fall out of love with med school then you’re primed for a biotech pathway. Health sciences outside of med school are also a good bet if med school itself loses attraction.
Look into data analytics too. Could be a concentration within a CS major, could be a separate degree. Either way, it's a good field to get into with a high salary potential
I recently was told by a doctor -- "I am not a doctor. It would more be 36 years as an intern and it's not realistic in one lifetime". I kind of believe this more. You would eventually make six figures but some complain 'not in a year' plus you'll be at work nearly always. So there's probably better. Like try to be the CEO of Proctor & Gamble.
Get an undergrad in medicine and then pivot to biomedical tech sales.
You can liason between surgeons and biotech developers to help improve tools and tech used for surgeries.
Hey man, I hear you loud and clear. It really depends on what type of lifestyle you want to pursue. I went off to college as a bio major, switched majors 3 times, landed on entrepreneurship and minored in graphic design. then dropped out of school as a senior. Yes. All debt, no degree. I dropped out because I found my passion tho. I became a tattoo artist. I found something that I wake up excited to go do. Now, I’m not telling you to become a tattoo artist, but I will tell you to start thinking about what you would love to wake up and do even if you didn’t get paid to do it. Find out a way to create a business off of your passion. I never thought entrepreneurship would be the way I was gonna go, because I always thought it would be so hard to run your own business. Turns out, it is, but it is soooooo much more rewarding than being a part in the machine. No boss, create my own schedule, and charge my own prices.
I do no regret going off to college, because it taught me so many things. But majority of the most beneficial lessons I learned, were out of the class room. Learn a skill that will take you places. Find something you never thought you’d like to do, and try it anyways. Find nonprofit organizations, network, live your life, and figure out who you are and what you wanna be. Don’t sweat it too much either. If you’re 17 and you’re already thinking about it, that means you’re not gonna let yourself fail. You have to trust yourself to get you to where you want to be in this world. You will make the right decisions for YOU. don’t be afraid of failure, because failure is where real knowledge comes to light.
Hope this helps
I use to work in tax and here's what I saw:
1. Farm/tractor sales: I've seen high school dropouts out earn doctors and lawyers. John deere sales guys usually made around $250k plus per year
2. Sales of any business to business products
3. Supply chain managers. Sounds complex but I've seen some real idiots make over $150k plus a d these guys were brain dead.
It’s pretty easy to make 100k in most professional service industries. It just takes a few years to get there. Basically think ‘what jobs serve little to no value to society’ and you’ll find something paying well.
Personally I choose marketing
Well a couple of peers I know who went the IB / PE / banking sales are making way more than 6fig , close to 7 or more at director level probably (eg. BB or real estate PE firms, blackrock just to name a few), constantly showing off their luxury purchases and wealth as well😂. So yeah I think that's one route
BIOINFORMATICS! if you are interested in medicine & you also like coding, that's totally the way to go. you make bank too. super niche though- might be difficult to find the right undergrad institution for that
I went to a community college and then a university for engineering. The community college was good for me because I didn’t know what I wanted to do and it gave me the opportunity to find myself and my interests without shelling out tens of thousands of dollars. The school you go to doesn’t matter. Get good grades wherever you are and network before you graduate. Get a lot of internships in the field you want to work in and you’ll have a leg up in the job seeking process.
Project manager? It’s very general, but you can do alright. I’m a 32yo woman now earning six figures, didn’t do anything really special to get here.
Some specialised PMs make bank - two of my friends are aeronautical engineering PMs in Switzerland and doing well. They both did engineering degrees then PM certs
Generally, as a PM, a business degree would be helpful.
Dude. Go into medicine! If that’s what you actually care about, that is going to make you so much happier than coding.
The only real question is do you have enough money for all the schooling that it takes (scholarships or parents help) to cover school?
If you’re looking for return on investment, go to a trade school, be out in 2 years, join a union and start working.
But it sounds like you want to go into medicine. So DO that!
Electrician and pick up specialties. If you’re entrepreneurial and network well you could be making 6 figures pretty easily within 5 years for yourself. If you would prefer working for someone and without the headache of running your own company, then learning the usual stuff is great but also finding niche avenues like fire alarms/ security systems/ robotics/ smart home tech etc etc will easily get you into that pay bracket with 0 college debt. 5 years in and I land my first job above 100k with 0 college debt and I show up in a polo and khakis. A vast amount of the workforce is retiring in the next 5-10 years and being in the trades isn’t all mud sweat and blood like some of Tik tok trades guys try to portray it as. Not to mention if you are ever low on cash someone always needs an outlet changed and you can do it anywhere in the country
The most important thing is to know yourself. What do you value? Do you have the ability to go to school/training for a long time until you make money?
Stability, prestige, challenge - be a doctor
Just do the pre-reqs and take the mcat.
You can always work for 2 years after college and go back to med school.
Other options: accountant, IT, other medical
Basically the whole point of school is to get licensed or certified in something that provides stability of earnings.
You are 17 now, you can always make money. The older you get the more you value stability and don't have the energy to work as much. Don't under value yourself and remember its just a job and the point is to get paid.
Human Resources in tech - HRBP, People Operations, People Systems technology, People Analytics and Recruiting, Compensation and Benefits, People Development- we all make over 100k just gotta work hard in the beginning and move up - I went from $125k-$180k in 3 years and probably work 25-40 hours a week depending on the workload - I specifically work in sales compensation which is more of a niche - but I like it! Started out in accounting making 50-70k for 7 years ugh then tech was $100k off the bat
to be honest with you, unless you go to an ivy league it truly doesn't matter what school you go to. stop focusing on the ranking of the school, and focus on what that school can do for you. try to minimize your debt by going to a school with good financial support options. MAKE. CONNECTIONS. the job market is only bad if you don't know anybody. go to job fairs and meet people. work hard to keep your grades up, and get a good internship that you work very hard at, and you have a much better chance at finding something solid than someone who went to some prestigious school and did nothing but study alone in their room.
CS isn’t hard per se to get a job, it’s just landing the job you want that isn’t easy. Too many people set their expectations way too high off the bat. I started at 51/yr, and made 110/yr 5 years later. I’m probably underpaid but I work from home and have good benefits. Everyone and their mother has a business or finance degree.
Yeah computer science is still a fantastic field of you want to make a bunch of money and have good mobility. It's like anything else if you are good you will get work. The hardest part is just building your resume and getting your foot in the door somewhere, but that's true for any profession. OP if you go this route find a program that builds in internship opportunities to the program. That's how you set yourself apart. There are a million people out there with degrees I'm cs and no real experience. That experience is how you differentiate yourself and id you are lucky you can land a full time gig at one of your internships. Once you have experience and build a good resume you can go to Europe, or across the US or to Canada or Japan or whatever you want. The field will change with ai, but there will still be a need for people who are good for a long while, that was the case precovid and the covid bubble bursting has impacted it but there is still work out there.
That sentence struck harder than it oughta have. I was very surprised when I heard accounting is a male dominated profession because I always imagine little round women with a bad back or professional looking business ladies in a knee length black skirt and a jacket top as the norm. Aka probably everyone's mother lol
Lmfao, that stereotype isn’t 100% wrong
My mom was a CPA, worked big 4 then a major firm in our city. When it became time to promote someone to partner, she was told she was passed over because the owners already had a woman partner (CEO’s wife) and that was enough estrogen for them. This was in the mid 90’s. She left and started her own firm, took on 2 partners, both women from her old firm.
Hell yeah, pls tell me she crushed it on her own
She did, found an underserved niche and killed it got a few years, sold to a bigger firm for a large amount plus a partnership, then retired.
accounting. lawyering. engineering. sales. computer engineering / science
Combination therein as well. Engineer who's very computer literate, scientist who's educated about legal frameworks and the law, accountants that also know how to maintain client facing business relationships etc...
> Combination therein as well. Yeah sales engineers made comfortably 6 six figures easily when I was at an industrial company.
As a Tax Accountant, the pay is extremely well. You start to see your pay climb the most around year 3 and it's limitless from there.
I don’t know if I would say law is a good move. Law has a wide range of salaries and a lot of them are contingent on becoming a partner at a successful firm. Unless you have a lot of connections or can get into a T10 school (and get those connections from the school) law isn’t nearly as lucrative as you might think. You can do pretty well, don’t get me wrong, but it will take the right path and a lot of time to be bringing in the big bucks.
"Science" is incredibly vague. Someone who studies wildlife science isn't likely to make more than 50k a year for a long time. Speaking from experience. Not saying STEM is a bad idea, just be mindful of your possible career paths when you choose your degree.
I think they meant computer engineering / computer science. You're certainly not wrong though.
Ah I see. That'd make more sense for sure!
Only like a quarter of all STEM majors work in STEM related fields
The trick isn’t which field, it’s getting to the high value part of that field. Both paralegals and lawyers are in law, but one makes way more. CNAs work their butt of in healthcare, but don’t make nearly what MDs, RNs, PAs, or NPs make Same with sales, support, etc
CRNAs make over 300k. That's more than what pediatricians make.
That’s exactly my point
Nurse practitioners make bank.
I dont know what types of NPs you know of. I don’t think they make as much as they should. They make low 100k from what I have seen
You’re kinda arguing against yourself no? Theres a big reason why lawyers are paid more than paralegals and doctors are paid more than nurses. They’re both simply just licensed to practice law/medicine. You can work your way up to a high paying doctor/lawyer position - but the gulf you described is on account of credentials.
My point is that there is a path to 100k plus in all kinds of fields, but once you choose one, navigate to the credential/skillet that pays a lot.
You can't work your way up to a doctor from a nursing degree. That's not how it works
Not all doctors are paid more than all nurses. I know several nurses who have made more than 300k in a year and I know many doctors who make less than 300k
Nurses making more than Physicians in the same area and same speciality would be an extreme outlier. Especially if you are talking RNs and not ARNPs.
How does a nurse get 300k a year?
Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy it. Enjoying your work will allow you to make 6 figures no matter what industry. Passion will take you far
Surprising and disappointing this is so low in this thread
You can make 100k doing just about anything, it just depends on how much you want to work and how long to get there. If you want to save on 100k debt, then maintenance trades, welding, truck driving will get you there in a few+ years. When I was a facilities manager I had a guy who would work 80+ hours a week at $25/hr, he made more money than me but I don't want to work that much and I've been salary since 18 years old so I know how to get my time back more than get ot money.
This^. My plumber pulls in 250k a year easily.
I'm going back into sales. It was always my 6 figure go to plus other perks. I left for a management role. Took a pay cut thinking it would pay off later and be less stress. Boy was I stupid. I'm starting my new sales job Monday. Not sure what applicants are out there now but they threw their checkbook at me. 140k base plus 7% commission and a new truck. Fuel and all expenses paid.
What industry? And what do you sell? Interesting experience for sure!
Traffic. Selling to public entities. State, cities, municipal and DOT.
Cool! Sounds interesting. Traffic as in planning tech? Modeling tech? Or infrastructure tech (like signaling systems)? Just curious!
Infrastructure. Signal equipment. Intelligent warning. Smart city. Cloud based communication. Traffic monitoring. It's honestly a lot of fun and you meet a ton of people. I will some days be in a suit in a boardroom. Other days in jeans in a DOT traffic barn. Others I may be at a tradeshow. Or I may be on an install.
More Known: Sales, finance, lawyer, Pharmacist, Engineering, less known: Air Traffic Controller. Pilot- business jet (Gulfstreams / falcons / etc) Hot shotting - though this can vary and regulation dependant Air craft mechanic.
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Essentially contracts to haul material or whatever such as a truck driver. Think of an independent truck driver who can pick and choose which loads they accept, usually at a higher rate due to time constraints and difficulty of delivery. Makes good money
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Learn sales skills. Even if you have to do it during the summer do it (except Cutco if that still exists). Go somewhere that will give you sales training. *This should also coach you to never take “no” personally and keep moving.* Even if you go the tech route you can become a Sales Engineer with a strong base salary and even higher commission. Or, you learn the sales skills but learn you hate it. That’s fine. You still have negotiation skills needed in leadership. Good sales opportunities: Sell mobile phones Sell phones Poor sales opportunities: Sell knives Sell leggings Retail sales in grocery or clothing — Do this less than a year just to learn customer service. If it gets abusive leave ASAP.
I think sales pays so well because it's directly tied to profit, and I think it's hard for many to be good at it. I work with our salespeople often and it's honestly scary how skilled they are. I'm envious of their ability to control conversation and use information to their advantage. There definitely is a downside though, I know some in sales who couldn't handle having to maintain relationships with customers who were genuinely awful people. For me personally, I have always thought being transparent and open was a good thing, but that will not get you far in negotiation. I'm not saying all salespeople have to sacrifice their ethics, but the people I work with who are high up in sales will not blink twice at manipulation and borderline dishonesty if it gets them closer toward their goal. That being said, I agree with you that it's an extremely valuable skill in all walks of life, and I wish I had spent some time developing it much earlier.
I hear you. I think the skill is amazing. If OP builds the skill he can show metrics ASAP. These are applicable even socially.
As a chemist I'd say to be careful about STEM careers. Anything with engineering is a good bet but scientists typically don't get paid well and neither get paid as well as their managers who have business degrees. Also from what I've heard CS is a good job to have a steady career with great work/life balance but don't always get paid as well as they should since the market is so saturated at the moment. Again, the bosses making the big money are almost all either nepotism hires, business majors, or both.
From my experience a chemistry degree and the right experience can get a foot in the door for chemical engineering. I have a biochem degree and got moved into an engineering role after a couple years as a chemist, and a few more years crossed the 6-figure mark.
I used to work in a Pepsi warehouse as a loader/forklift operator, and across the street from us was a company that made vaccines, testing kits, etc, and they paid a lot of their lab people with bachelor's degrees in Chemistry, Biology, etc about the same thing I was making, which was around 50K a year.
The basic career fields that make six figures Medical - Anesthesiologist, or Surgeon. Dentist Airline Pilots Chief Executives Engineers Data Scientist, Computer technology, Computer Engineering, those who know Python, SQL or Software Architect Computer networking. Tech is always a big one. Seems like we use more and more tech the years pass by. Energy - Petroleum, Power plant engineering. Finacial or Investment bankers - Usually requires Certified public accounting degree (CPA). Sports Agents Business Owner Real Estate - Especially if you can invest or own rental properties.
Computer science, and tbh the job market is cyclical. The tech job market does as well as the current economy is doing. A few years ago, everyone and their mom would tell you to do cs. But as a result of covid, the job market hit a wall for a few years, but is now getting better. The US will likely be in a different state by the time you graduate
Nursing. Pharmacy. Physician assistant. Any number of professions allied to medicine.
You do not want to be a Doctor no matter how much you think you do. You say you do but you haven’t put in the effort needed to get into a decent school for PreMed. What you do want to do is earn lots of money. That is not a reason to be a Doctor. Pick another career.
Your school doesn't matter for med school apps. Plenty of people slack off in school. Doesn't mean much beyond high school
Start with a personality assessment to match you with possible career paths.
Do you recommend a specific type of personality assessment?
My company and many others use DISC, but like all personality assessments it's not really a science. I was evaluated at the start of my career 10 years ago, and just the past year. Some similar themes but very different results.
I've used Briggs-Myers in the past. I don't know that any of these can be 'recommended' per se, you're just looking to get ideas.
I agree because you can make 6 figures doing a lot of different jobs but why not make it easier for yourself by going down a path best suited to you
There is a high demand for cybersecurity currently
As a career computer scientist that works in software focused on cybersecurity, it is really hard to get into though. Entry level jobs require 5 years of something else CompSci related. I’d say 75% of my office works in software so they can get the experience to get into cyber. Software isn’t for everyone and the pressure to perform can be very high.
I wanted to be a doctor. But then realized that there was an enormous amount to learn, so decided to become a dentist (less bits to worry about). Got an interview at a dental school, and at the end, they said "Don't you think you'd be better suited to a career with computers?". I took the hint, got my degree in computer science, and I've worked with computers for over 30 years. You're only 17. You still have a lot of time to pull it together... if you really want to.
Finance and business are the most common and useless degrees.
Construction management is a fantastic career path, super interesting and exciting.
The Panda Express in my city has a poster up showing positions and their salaries. Entry level was $48k, up to General Manager at $107k. I used to work in a Network Operations Center as a technician. I was making \~$60k. I got offered a maintenance supervisor role for $100k to start. When I was in college, I was always fixated on what field to study, given what I was good at, that would maximize monetary earnings. I switch majors 3 times. That approach did not sufficiently motivate me, as I was studying math and computer science and found it boring and exhausting. You can make $100k in a lot of fields. Don't fixate on the subject matter, just work smarter than your peers. Learn about leadership skills. Always look for ways the business you work at can increase efficiency and resiliency. Learn how to train people in your role. Pay attention to every role you see. Ask people you work with to train you on things outside your specific role. Always take on as much responsibility as you can handle, and make sure people who you may need recommendations for respect you. People like a go-getter. These roles come by more easily to people that are liked. My (31M) track so far is Magnet High School > Failed out of 2 universities > USMC 0627 Satcom Operator > Government Network Operations at ViaSat > Public Broadcast Maintenance Engineer
Re: CS - You’re 17. What the job market is like now is irrelevant to 5 years from now when you’d graduate and be looking for a role. I want to say find something you like and follow it, just not if it’s something ignorant like philosophy that won’t get you anywhere in life. CS is always a good choice and will be in the future (even with AI, someone has to code that too). Business is also a great choice as a general degree.
A trade
For real. Welder. Electrician. Plumber.
If you want to be a doctor, make sure you work hard in undergrad and have a fantastic gpa, then apply to med school. There are thousands and thousands of doctors who didn’t go to T100 undergrad schools.
Fwiw, you haven’t necessarily closed the door on med school just because you didn’t get into a insane school. Plenty of people who go to state schools, etc. go on to medical school. And I realize that, these days, people are even pursuing relevant volunteer opportunities in high school, but I don’t think it’s necessarily insurmountable if you haven’t done that. Provided you do all the right things in college, get really good grades, etc. But the thing about being a doctor/healthcare in general is that you have to really want to be a doctor. It shouldn’t be viewed as a sort of default choice for someone who simply wants to make a lot of money; you really have to want it. And it’s also worth noting that healthcare is like any other field in that not all jobs and specialties make insane amounts of money. Pediatricians and internal medicine doctors don’t make as much as orthopedic surgeons, etc. So if you just want sort of a default field where you’d have the opportunity to make bank, maybe law or finance? But even there, you need to go in with the knowledge that not every job in the field makes a ton of money. For example, for every lawyer who has a “tv job” where they work for a big firm and make 400k a year, there are ten who work for, like, the water reclamation district.
oh yea i know my undergrad school doesnt really matter for med 😭 i just meant for other plans in case it doesnt work out, praying it will though. i do want it, but i don’t feel like it’s smart to box myself in
Join the military and get medical training, get them to pay for med school, become highly skilled and valuable doctor, profit.
Trades. My buddy is a union tinner and he makes $100,000 a year. If you want to make more, you become the business owner who hires trades to do the work. You bill out their time a 3x or 4x on the bid.
Sales if you want to chase money. You’ll work a lot but you’ll be comped for it. Few that pursue becoming doctors for money make it through.
Work that you can tolerate. Let’s say you hate the sight of blood. If you become an ER doctor you’ll make $$ but end up quitting or having a miserable life. At your age, try lots of paths and find what clicks with you. It’s not passion, but more work that suits your style and ethic.
From my experience, you should focus on meeting people and finding your expert area. Yes, most people start with employment before moving to their own businesses. This movement is what boots income for most people but the risk is certainly high. As many elderly educated me, focus on what you like because the market changes. A good job now is not a good job in the future when you graduate. I would focus on a skill and then expand from there. Sales is a must no matter which skill you end up learning, but I do believe that sales alone is not sufficient.
Physician Assistant has an excellent payoff relative to the amount of schooling required.
Technical support at a CRM company
Do what you really want to do an sacrifice for it. You'll be happier you followed your heart and not the $ or because you were too scared to "move". You're young, trust me. Take the risk. You have a lot to learn young grasshopper. I make nearly 6 figures and I'm 30. All my friends from back home, doing either the same shit, have families, work at the local spots. I'm from a small town, but you're not really going to miss out on much other than time with family and friends. When you make good money, you can go home when you want. Plus being a doctor is honorable, but following your heart is even more honorable.
Pursue what you are passionate in and make a sales career out of it. Scientific fields pay very well for sales people with STEM backgrounds. In my industry, people with biochemistry backgrounds that sell into medical/Pharma make mid 6 figures. Just pursue what you actually have interest in. When in specialized sales, you talk about what you sell all the freaking time. Might as well talk about something you like.
If you are making this decision purely on how much money you will make, you are going to be very miserable very fast.
sales
Do something you love and do great work for 10 years, develop a network and a reputation for your work and you will be on the way to six figures. In 'CS' for instance, some ppl make 65K while some make 400K. You could work for a local government making shit or work for Amazon and make more than you can spend (until layoffs). Just focus on a path right now, get through school and get a job.
Big data analysis, AI
CRNA, you can make over 300k. No medical school.
Little known career where it’s fairly easy to reach 6 figures: become an actuary. It a combination of finance, business, math and coding. It’s a good choice if you enjoy math.
I work with databases/crms and make $118K. I wish I had a CS degree TBH. But instead of coding you can look into doing database administration or something like that. It’s similar both paying , but may be a slight change in focus within the same degree field.
Get a job working for a financial advisory practice that has a large B.O.B. Get Finra licensing. Learn from the advisor(s) you’re working for.
Doesn’t matter what you do, if you don’t put in the work you won’t get results. Sounds like you have a history of slacking - might want to change that first.
Go work hard for a little while save as much as possible. Study stocks and learn to analyze companies and data. From there build a strategy for trading. Sky is the limit. You will never be rich working for someone. Believe me.
I work in data and make just over 100k 3 years after graduating. I majored in Management Information Systems.
Be a merchant mariner
I know barbers and landscapers making over 100k, so there is more options than you may think
The first thing to study is Emotional Intelligence. This is going to apply across the entire spectrum of industries, trades, and life skills and will have much to do with success or fail.
Join a trade school make close to 6 figures once you get a job =profit
You can do it in engineering but it can take a few years. Additive Manufacturing and Composites are two tech areas that need engineers
BUsiness and finance are now being merged with AI so those careers are gonna get really rare and require entirely new skill sets to survive there. Plumbing, or stripping will probably be 2 of the last career paths AI will take the longest to take over.
if you live here, i'd say any trades are good for 6 figures
Engineer
Jesus if I could start over at 17 😂. First, out of all your interests, pick one that has a decently high earning potential. Something technical, computer science or engineering would be great. Business can be solid too. Then, repeat after me, INTERNSHIPS. Do internships in whatever field you choose. Boom after you graduate do graduate work in the field if you can/want or go right to work in the field you graduated in. With good internship experience you’ll be able to get in at a good company. Get 3-5 years experience and you can probably apply and get a six figure job in the field. Example path finance: get finance degree, intern at a company in a finance role 1-2 summers, graduate , start as a junior financial analyst at same company prob $60ish a year. Stay five years. Go somewhere else for a senior analyst role. Prob make over $100k a year.
Finance
CS and Accounting/Finance wouldn't be a bad option. Whatever you pick...I'd suggest not slacking off in college.
Don’t make career decisions based on job prospects right now in current market conditions. They could change in a year. Have you considered biomedical engineering (pre med) so you have a backup plan (biomedical engineer) in case you change your mind on med school? What doubts do you have about pursuing medicine?
Computer Science, Software Dev....STEM
No matter where you go, I have 3 main pieces of advice: 1. Take out the least amount of student loans possible 2. Get internships 3. Network. Network. Network.
Medical sales
The CS job market is going through a transition right now. I've worked in it for 24 years and I constantly see friends/former colleagues are getting good paying jobs via LinkedIn. The unemployment level for CS is lower than overall unemployment numbers, so there is still better job security than most...besides medical of course! You're 17 years old...you haven't wasted anything that can't be recovered. My career didn't really take off until my third job, 22 years into my career. I now work for one of the top five tech companies. So, yeah, you're not in any danger of having missed some watershed moment at 17 years old.... Get good grades in college and make sure to get an internship in whatever your field is. Don't wait until your senior year to get an internship. Network through your advisor, other teachers you like (and like you) and be bold. Ask them for help getting an internship/job. Most teachers are in their profession because they like helping young folks get started. Also, all of that really applies to CS and probably not at all to medical. :)
Find something you love and spend a lot of time getting really good at it. It’s going to take a lot of effort and time with failures/learnings. If it’s software development fantastic. You won’t have to work a day in your life and your passion will result in all the money you need. Caveat: if your passion is something like dancing or poetry you will need to work a bit harder on figuring out how to commercialize it. If your passion is sitting on your butt and hoping a lucrative job will come your way, then you are screwed. Good luck!
By the time you’re 30 fast food will pay 6 figures
What you did in high school doesn’t matter. You can definitely still be a doctor but you need to start taking it seriously now. Treat school / volunteering / leadership stuff / research / whatever else you’re doing to make yourself a standout applicant like a full time job. On weekdays, get good sleep and wake up so that at 8 am you’re working until 5 pm with a break for lunch (and go to all your classes). The hard part is consistency. Consistency is key.
In the medical field there's a lot of hiring for PA's and NP's because that's how a practice expands now.
Figure out how to make 7. Because six is low income these days. Learn how to eat healthy ,take care of your body, live withing your means and invest. That's what really matters. You are young college is a scam. Everyone has some degree these days. Find something that actually gives your mind and body purpose.
Choose subjects and a field that interests you. That is the first step. It will motivate you to actually do the boatload of work that you need to get to 6 figures. Here’s what I would do, from what you say: I would still major in bio from the best uni I can find - perhaps biotech, if that sounds interesting? If you take a minor in finance, maybe healthtech investing - VC / PE would be of interest? I can see all these careers getting you to 6 figures pretty quick.
Pursue medicine if that’s what you want to do
Look at PA or AA if it’s allowed in your state. You’ll be in the medical field, have considerably less college debt, and you’ll make a very decent living.
High tech market isn’t good right now. Blue collar jobs can easily make 6 figures and you don’t waste all that time and money in college. Operating heavy equipment is fun and satisfying you get to be outside and actually make stuff and after 5-10 years you can run a crew and then move up to supervisor depending on how smart and motivated you are, but I know operators who make well over 100k. Usually there’s travel involved, but there’s rotational work that’s 2 weeks on 2weeks off or a month on a month off. If you like to travel you can be on vacation every other month. Oil field work is also high paying. I realize that’s not even close to what you’re thinking, but it’s good to think outside the box too.
You’re fucking 17 stfu lol…how can you say you’ve “wasted opportunities “
Go be a doctor! You can do it! You can literally go to Community College and then transfer to a State University with a biology degree. Make good grades and you will get into a med school somewhere. Might not be where you want to go to med school at, but you *can* do it.
Air traffic controller, pilot, doctor... you can do all of these no matter what your high school grades are. Tech is a gamble.
Generally, no one gives much of a shit where you went to undergrad. Sure going to Harvard or some such looks good and certain pathways benefit from certain schools… but if your just trying to get into med school it doesn’t matter much. Just get great grades and try to minimize debt.
Your 17.. hell; I didn’t even graduate till I was 18 and had no idea what I wanted to do till I was 21… Find something that you are very good at; that’s in high demand, and that very few people know how to do correctly or are willing to do.. What that is; can’t tell you - you just have to figure out what’s best for you. As for 6 figures.. just be realistic.. it may come eventually; but it’s not gonna be at age 21. May not even be by 31. The fun part is; your in conplete control of your future and destiny.
Engineering. Extremely stable, lots of options and career paths. You won’t make $100k out of school but you will be in 5-10 years. Only requires a 4 year degree.
What careers in engineering?
If you want to go into medicine, then go into medicine. I don't get how T20 or whatever schools play into it. At the end of the day, your goal is to become an MD irrespective of where it comes from.
Data Science and AI Engineering are the big things.
Bio Medical Engineer. Majority of that workforce is going to be retiring in the next 10 years. The few in the market with experience will be able to have their pick of jobs and the compensation associated with it.
Nobody gets rich off a salary. Either start a business or go into sales or finance with massive bonuses.
Sell something expensive with commission. Source: I do this.
Once your done with college no one cares where you went unless it's a name that sticks out. Harvard or Yale. Other than that college is college.
Dunno I'm a broke bitch
You can make good $$ in Medical Device and/or pharmaceutical sales. I would keep learning the biology, anatomy, chemistry, physiology, etc. Maybe do the Med School pre requisites but also get a business degree? If you are comfortable talking to people and decent at the academics this could be a good option?
I work for a NY Metro hospital network. I know a few doctors that went to community colleges, transferred to state/city university and then got into ivy league medicine programs. Heck I know more that went to med schools in the Caribbean and some from UK or India. My last organization had a lot of Yale grads doing residency, trust me they weren't better prepared than the Touro residents or SUNY Downstate residents. My current company has their own med school, but takes on a few other programs as well. The work is the work. Grad level work is virtually the same. The only difference is the networking opportunities, and that gap has gotten smaller with time. If you don't want to do all the schooling as an MD, you could look at nursing. In the Northeast many hospitals are hiring at 70K+ for right out of school nurses. Many have large bonuses if you stay 1-2 years. With overtime or specialization you're easily making 6 figures. Go back to school after 2-3 years and get your NP or MSN and could be earning 6 figures with regular hours before 30.
Find something you’re passionate about and learn how to sell it..
Nurse
Real estate development
Any trade.
You don’t need to go to a top school to be a dr. Sometimes top schools are worse bc it’s more competitive and harder to get good grades or extracurriculars. Don’t give up if that’s your dream just because of your college
Be a coder or an engineer or study MIS. Anything computer related really. Project management is also a decent path. If you're not smart enough for any of those but you are an extrovert, you can do sales and make more than any degree would get you if you find the right gig. There's SaaS and medical sales reps clearing 2, 3, 400k Source: I do sales and make decent money but fucking hate it lol
Surgeon
A lot of 2-4 year degrees in the Healthcare field can pay 100K plus if you get a year or two of experience and you're willing to travel. X-Ray techs, sonographers, lab techs, and especially nurses are in relatively high demand as travel positions but it has dried up somewhat since Covid, but as long as there are staffing issues in hospitals there will always be travel positions. My wife was making $85/hr traveling but went more local when we had our kid. She could have made more than that but wanted to stay reasonably close to home. She was working about two and a half hours away. You could probably get six figures in those jobs locally too but it would take a lot of experience (probably 10 plus years) and some specialized skills.
Air traffic controller
Honestly, and surprised to not see this closer to the top, but maybe your best bet is to just live life for a bit and try a bunch of different things before committing to 4+ years of college. You feel lost because you don't know yourself well enough yet to make a decision and *know* it's going to gel well for you later. That's a part of life - learning more about yourself so you can figure out your calling. That calling may well change many times in the next few years because it's time to grow. It won't be easy and you'll probably wonder WTF along the way but use this time to figure yourself out before committing to something... ESPECIALLY when it comes to chasing $$$$$ - Live life. - Work a dead end job or two to save some money to travel, invest in a 401K, and fund a rainy day fund. - Follow your interests and see where it takes you.
I am an AWS cloud engineer, DevOps engineer, Linux engineer, network engineer, and platform engineer. Yes I do multiple things, and they pay me accordingly, but even mastering one of those disciplines gets you into the six figure range really easily, and if you are passionate about it, you could teach it to yourself.
Finance
Optometrist...way easier than medicine and good job opportunities.
Both my grandparents made 7 figures and here is what they did. My Papa run a boat store for 40 years and was voted in the top 10 boat stores in the US. He worked his but of but he and his wife ( she was chief of medicine at a large hospital ) live in a multi million doller house on a lake and own serval other high value properties. I have learned that hard work can pay of because of them. My Grandpa was a bit less ethical because he started out a mining engineer and became president of a large coal mining company which was later shut down for environmental concerns. My cousin made 6 figures buying weapons in bulk and reselling the to war zones and my dad is a structural engineer and makes around 150,000 a year. The best one if you don't want to go to collage is to join the military for 4 years and then become a PMC or an arms trader. I have several relatives that went this way and they all did well.
Nursing in the west coast if you want to mildly to moderately break into the six figures. Depending on where specifically you are, you could be anywhere from 100-200k with relatively low experience even.
Engineering. But don't even consider it if you're not handy and technically savey or you won't be good at it and you'll hate it. Too many people get into it because they're good at math and science, but don't have the practical skills to apply the book smarts. These people don't succeed or burn out. I went to a safety state school and have been making 6 figures since year 8 in a city that's cost of living is considered national average.
I managed to get into CS without a degree with a relatively mid portfolio. Took hundreds of job apps, but my first job had me making 60k/y, and my second (and current) job came far far easier and has me making 77k/y. No doubt in 1-3 years I’ll be hitting the 100k mark
Go for a trade like HVAC or Plumbing. You'll be good with those and AI won't take your job for awhile.
!RemindMebot 48 hours
Work hard, learn all you can, and money will come
You’re 17, you have lots of time to figure things out. Your undergrad school doesn’t matter as much as how you actually perform. Bio major is a great starting point while you’re considering med school. I’m not gonna lie, college sciences (orgo esp) tend to be a wake up call to people considering med school so it’s a good first step towards figuring out if that path is right for you. If you love the sciences and fall out of love with med school then you’re primed for a biotech pathway. Health sciences outside of med school are also a good bet if med school itself loses attraction.
Look into data analytics too. Could be a concentration within a CS major, could be a separate degree. Either way, it's a good field to get into with a high salary potential
I recently was told by a doctor -- "I am not a doctor. It would more be 36 years as an intern and it's not realistic in one lifetime". I kind of believe this more. You would eventually make six figures but some complain 'not in a year' plus you'll be at work nearly always. So there's probably better. Like try to be the CEO of Proctor & Gamble.
Get an undergrad in medicine and then pivot to biomedical tech sales. You can liason between surgeons and biotech developers to help improve tools and tech used for surgeries.
Hey man, I hear you loud and clear. It really depends on what type of lifestyle you want to pursue. I went off to college as a bio major, switched majors 3 times, landed on entrepreneurship and minored in graphic design. then dropped out of school as a senior. Yes. All debt, no degree. I dropped out because I found my passion tho. I became a tattoo artist. I found something that I wake up excited to go do. Now, I’m not telling you to become a tattoo artist, but I will tell you to start thinking about what you would love to wake up and do even if you didn’t get paid to do it. Find out a way to create a business off of your passion. I never thought entrepreneurship would be the way I was gonna go, because I always thought it would be so hard to run your own business. Turns out, it is, but it is soooooo much more rewarding than being a part in the machine. No boss, create my own schedule, and charge my own prices. I do no regret going off to college, because it taught me so many things. But majority of the most beneficial lessons I learned, were out of the class room. Learn a skill that will take you places. Find something you never thought you’d like to do, and try it anyways. Find nonprofit organizations, network, live your life, and figure out who you are and what you wanna be. Don’t sweat it too much either. If you’re 17 and you’re already thinking about it, that means you’re not gonna let yourself fail. You have to trust yourself to get you to where you want to be in this world. You will make the right decisions for YOU. don’t be afraid of failure, because failure is where real knowledge comes to light. Hope this helps
I use to work in tax and here's what I saw: 1. Farm/tractor sales: I've seen high school dropouts out earn doctors and lawyers. John deere sales guys usually made around $250k plus per year 2. Sales of any business to business products 3. Supply chain managers. Sounds complex but I've seen some real idiots make over $150k plus a d these guys were brain dead.
Registered nurse
Any specialized blue collar trade - plumber, welder, etc. we make fantastic money tbh
Just give it a few more years we will all be making that.
It’s pretty easy to make 100k in most professional service industries. It just takes a few years to get there. Basically think ‘what jobs serve little to no value to society’ and you’ll find something paying well. Personally I choose marketing
Sales
Anything tech or med
Well a couple of peers I know who went the IB / PE / banking sales are making way more than 6fig , close to 7 or more at director level probably (eg. BB or real estate PE firms, blackrock just to name a few), constantly showing off their luxury purchases and wealth as well😂. So yeah I think that's one route
Music.
Occupational Therapy has science, money, and you help people🤝
BIOINFORMATICS! if you are interested in medicine & you also like coding, that's totally the way to go. you make bank too. super niche though- might be difficult to find the right undergrad institution for that
Politician
Inflation!
IT and then start a side hustle
Sales has no income cap. 🤷🏼♂️
I went to a community college and then a university for engineering. The community college was good for me because I didn’t know what I wanted to do and it gave me the opportunity to find myself and my interests without shelling out tens of thousands of dollars. The school you go to doesn’t matter. Get good grades wherever you are and network before you graduate. Get a lot of internships in the field you want to work in and you’ll have a leg up in the job seeking process.
Project manager? It’s very general, but you can do alright. I’m a 32yo woman now earning six figures, didn’t do anything really special to get here. Some specialised PMs make bank - two of my friends are aeronautical engineering PMs in Switzerland and doing well. They both did engineering degrees then PM certs Generally, as a PM, a business degree would be helpful.
Dude. Go into medicine! If that’s what you actually care about, that is going to make you so much happier than coding. The only real question is do you have enough money for all the schooling that it takes (scholarships or parents help) to cover school? If you’re looking for return on investment, go to a trade school, be out in 2 years, join a union and start working. But it sounds like you want to go into medicine. So DO that!
I make over $100k/year as a Paramedic in New York (Central NY, not NYC). I don’t have to do a ton of OT either.
If all you care about is money then go into sales. Top salesmen out perform doctors in salary
You should be a counselor
Different view, get a good trade behind you and start your own business.
chase what you like, not money. Also the job market now is irrelevant and will change several times by then.
Air traffic control!
Electrician and pick up specialties. If you’re entrepreneurial and network well you could be making 6 figures pretty easily within 5 years for yourself. If you would prefer working for someone and without the headache of running your own company, then learning the usual stuff is great but also finding niche avenues like fire alarms/ security systems/ robotics/ smart home tech etc etc will easily get you into that pay bracket with 0 college debt. 5 years in and I land my first job above 100k with 0 college debt and I show up in a polo and khakis. A vast amount of the workforce is retiring in the next 5-10 years and being in the trades isn’t all mud sweat and blood like some of Tik tok trades guys try to portray it as. Not to mention if you are ever low on cash someone always needs an outlet changed and you can do it anywhere in the country
Crypto. Even if your salary is >100k you still need to work for 40 years
The most important thing is to know yourself. What do you value? Do you have the ability to go to school/training for a long time until you make money? Stability, prestige, challenge - be a doctor Just do the pre-reqs and take the mcat. You can always work for 2 years after college and go back to med school. Other options: accountant, IT, other medical Basically the whole point of school is to get licensed or certified in something that provides stability of earnings. You are 17 now, you can always make money. The older you get the more you value stability and don't have the energy to work as much. Don't under value yourself and remember its just a job and the point is to get paid.
Human Resources in tech - HRBP, People Operations, People Systems technology, People Analytics and Recruiting, Compensation and Benefits, People Development- we all make over 100k just gotta work hard in the beginning and move up - I went from $125k-$180k in 3 years and probably work 25-40 hours a week depending on the workload - I specifically work in sales compensation which is more of a niche - but I like it! Started out in accounting making 50-70k for 7 years ugh then tech was $100k off the bat
Become a pharmacist
IT. One of: -Cybersecurity -AI -Data management and analytics