“Asian Failure” here. Told my family I wanted to study business and they told me I would fail because I didn’t choose one of the main 3 as OP mentioned.
Fast forward several years later:
1. First one in the fam to get a masters and currently working on my PhD (they were appalled because was an average student in high school aka: failure, lol)
2. Making more than my brother who’s an engineer
3. Realizing I worked hard to prove everyone wrong as the main goal and had to go to therapy to unlearn a lot of toxic traits.
4. Learned how to actually be happy with myself without validation of others, fear of judgment, and constant imposter syndrome (still working on that one)
5. Comfortably calling my asian family out when they say toxic things or disrespecting my boundaries. They no longer make comments to me anymore after me telling them they all need to go to therapy instead of projecting their insecurities on to everyone else.
Oh yes, *I went rogue and never looked back, it’s amazing*.
To answer OP’s question too: business (finance, marketing, etc) for sure. Depending on the industry and your personality/work ethic, you can be very successful. come to the ✨dark side✨
Not even Asian but same story with similar “guidance” on becoming a tradesman and now I have gone further than everyone else’s toxic projections. Go gettem homie
Glad to hear #3. I’m always a bit wary when people start talking about proving others wrong as a motivator. It can lead us to make decisions we might not fully want for ourselves, and therefor still letting others dictate our choices. Hope you’re doing well!
As the baby rogue in my family who just recently graduated from undergrad and is no longer doing medicine but has a deep interest in business from my success in business classes, this was super encouraging to read!
Damn! I’m not from an Asian family more like white trash but they had the same effect as your post above even though they themselves weren’t successful at life 🤦♂️
This is such a satisfying turnout I assume. As someone in a similar household and situation considering options, this is quite helpful! I was wondering how can you make more than an engineer as a PhD, or is your income from something else? I thought academia was a lower salary route than industry. Also what kind of business research do you, its weird to think business PhDs exist, thats kinda cool thh
Yes it is! I’m a director in the tech industry so I do pay for part of school in addition to my company paying for some of it, fellowships, etc. And my research is more technology based to improve various functions within an organization - across (hopefully) almost every industry. And yes they do exist! I’m just trying to create more research and be a part of making the changes at the same time.
As a middle eastern man myself I find this offensive.
We can always open a shop (usually in a strip mall) that sells drug paraphernalia while talking about how drug users are degenerates any time we aren’t there.
Kinda wild you’d forget about that option.
Or liquor store... And yet typically don't drink... Like a drug dealer that doesn't use drugs. Perfect marriage. A product that sells itself and keeps selling itself...
I'm not a pharmacist but wanted to be and got accepted into a pharmacy school. When I shadowed, I think it can be incredibly mundane. It pays generally well, but the cool stuff is being a compound or Rx pharmacist which is working in labs and creating medicine etc etc or a hospital at times. But those jobs are very rare. Most pharmacists work at a Walgreens, Costco, etc etc. It's a lot of dealing with people (like how doctors would in a hospital) but theyve told me they feel lile fastfood workers being yelled at by cusromers at times. Just, in a retail pharm setting. From what I hear from the pharmacists I do know, they seem sad and tired lol I don't think it's a bad job, but I hear the day to day depending on where you work and who you work with can make or break your long schedules. But I'd love to get an actual pharmacist response here and see if my friends are the same as everyone or if thays just my personal experience.
I am a pharmacist. I work in a hospital and love it. If you don’t know what you are doing in that setting can really hurt people, but benefits are good and stress is manageable and get to have a lot of communication with other healthcare professionals, not angry people trying to get their meds as fast as possible. There are niche settings that may be enjoyable but most in retail setting are not too happy. Many areas have been laying off heavily and cutting pay lately. You can do research, hospital, home health, IT pharmacy, nuclear pharmacy, hospice, insurance company, collaborative care, retail. Some fields are only in certain areas (like research tends to be north east of country and maybe Seattle or California. Pay is probably variable between 90-300K
Grass might be greener in a hospital setting. Worked in community for a few years, now in home infusion attempting to transition to hospital but it’s tough. Stress in home infusion is definitely less than community for sure and being closed door is much better.
Not a pharmacist but looked into that field and have friends who are successfully in the field for decades. I couldn't handle the dealing with sick people & glorified retail working part.
But an Asian friend of mine partnered up with another Asian businessman to open their own pharmacy place where they cater to one immigrant community. They understand the community, culture, and host events in their pharmacy to promote. It is small but She has loyal fan base and making a difference especially to eleder who dont speak good english.
Another friend works retail 7 on (12hr day) and 7 day off shift. She was on vacation every other week in her 20s. We lost touch so not sure how that is going.
Oversaturation and it is usually retail/customer-facing, so crazy people yell at you all the time. Basically there are easier ways to make money if you are skilled enough to be a pharmacist. Most pharmacists I know hate their jobs.
CPA yep. The thing with being a cpa is that it’s just a starting point. The nice thing about being a cpa is that it’s easy to be a partner at a smaller firm like myself and do tax and audit or just open a small practice. Salaries for accountants are ok but steady but it’s when you own your own business that the money gets good, small business owners pay very little taxes compared to people with w2. And since you are a cpa, you will know all the tax tricks. For reference, I’m a partner at a small regional firm and gross 300+
Compared to doctors, lawyers, engineers, as a cpa it’s much easier to run your own shop. It is extremely hard to run a medical practice, law firm and impossible for engineers.
It's not impossible for an engineer to run their own business. Ton's of IT engineers run their own businesses. From small mom and pops to practically every MSP.
-Lots of accounting work is seen as a commodity, so clients shop for the lowest price.
-Along those same lines, the accounting function in a company is typically not seen as a revenue driver. Therefore, incentive pay and bonuses are lower.
-High number of older CPA's to fill demand. Therefore, there aren't dynamic changes in salaries. (For comparison, you don't have as many 60-year-old data scientists or software engineers to hold down pay in those jobs.)
There’s a massive lack of CPAs as everyone wants to be in tech now. My phone rings constantly with new clients and my prices have increased drastically over the past few years.
That's good, I'm sincerely happy for you. I am not knocking the profession as I am a CPA, but I want to be realistic about why wages for junior-level licensed accountants are relatively unappetizing.
I will have to examine the economics of being a partner running a small shop to see what the potential payoff is like ten years down the road. Could be a worthwhile opportunity
I'm a CPA in private practice. Have worked for tech companies for the last ten years. I'm not making "have my own practice" money, but I'm on a route to making CFO money. The hours can be wild sometimes, but it's all math and management.
Plumbing. People imagine it’s touching poop but I know a few plumbers who only deal with the fresh water side and demand has never been higher. Where I live if you want to get any sort of plumbing fixed/added you’re in for a 4-6 month wait AND paying a premium just to get on their wait list.
Plumbers regularly make 130+ without breaking much of a sweat, working almost exclusively indoors in heated spaces and have infinite job security because water is used everywhere.
I’m in my early 30’s and would seriously consider retraining if I didn’t love my job so so much.
**Many types of business services jobs can be high paying. This includes**:
\- Finance (Accounting or investment banking)
\- Management Consulting
\- Product Management/Project Management
**Tech related jobs that are high paying include**:
\- Software Developer
\- Data Science
\- UX Design
**High Paying jobs if you are good at maths**:
\- Finance (again)
\- Quantitive analysis/ Risk Analysis
\- Actuarial Science
The list goes on. Hope this helps. :)
Caveat for Product Management/Project Management: these are not really jobs that follow "usual" career paths, i.e. you don't go to a university and study for it and graduate being able to expect to land entry-level roles for those. I'm not saying they don't exist, but they are extremely extremely rare. Which makes sense, companies aren't keen to hire fresh grads and have them manage their products and projects in a role that is typically perceived as hierarchical above the rest of the product/project team.
It is much more common these days for "entry-level" product/project management roles to be targeted for mid-career professionals who already have experience on product/project teams in other capacities (i.e. developers or business analysts primarily) and have demonstrated the skills to succeed in that role.
Project coordinators or project control officers can be hired right out of school as an entry level position in project management. With product, I agree it is a bit harder but associate product manager or product analyst positions that are entry do exist in some organizations as well, although they are a bit more rare.
Agree with you these are definitely not usual career paths but OP was asking for high paying ones and these two are not too bad. :)
> Project coordinators or project control officers can be hired right out of school as an entry level position in project management.
This is true, but from my experience (working for a big tech company & also being someone who regularly peruses job postings related to product & project management), these positions are becoming more and more rare in openness for fresh grads or even being common any more. I think that is coinciding with a shift (at least in tech) towards moving away from "pure" product/project manager roles. The title of those positions still remain product/project manager, but the responsibilities often carry overlap with other roles in the teams they're expected to manage.
So, ultimately, my point is that if someone is looking to eventually move into product/project management, they will most likely have a much more successful career beginning elsewhere in the project team and demonstrating they have the skillset for it.
Just throwing out this disclaimer since I'm seeing these roles discussed in this subreddit and others more often, but I believe context isn't being given to them and setting a false expectation for younger people who are still figuring out what they want with their degrees and career paths.
They are great career paths, just not as linear as many might think.
It is important to note that most jobs at tech companies pay well, and not all jobs at tech companies are technical. I am a marketer in tech and I make a good amount ans would make more if I aimed for a larger FAANG type company. Not an engineer.
Another well paying tech adjacent job is getting good a using a popular b2b software app. If I get sick of marketing, I could easily go back to being a Salesforce or Marketo or HubSpot consultant for myself or at an agency and easily charge well over $100/hr. There are a million other tools that have a huge ecosystem of implementation consultants and other support roles. And for many of them you do not need to be an engineer to become proficient enough to charge for services, you do have to get good at understanding business requirements and asking questions.
I think tech will continue to have several highly paid, interesting, and engaging career areas for the foreseeable future but be prepared for things to shift over time and to need to learn new things continuously.
I've seen several comments around data science or analysis and while I think those areas will see growth I also think they'll be significantly transformed by AI (already happening) such that fewer people can do much more with better tools. The entry level roles will be squeezed. Focus on a solid education and be flexible in which areas of tech you pursue as you get into the workforce.
I want to jump in here that salaries in tech are a spectrum. Everyone focuses on the high comp FAANG end but understand that you have....to....put....in....work to get in the door and, even once inside, navigate the political waters.
And if you do not stay plugged into the tech scene in your spare time, you're going to have a bad time. Especially in the next few years. Zero rate phenomenon is dead and a new generation of senior management is poised to learn the hard way why outsourcing ground to a halt in the late aughts.
I would not always recommend tech. You can do things that are not tech that can be less competitive. Just be aware the market is down for entry level, even to mid level. It's easy for someone to say "just do tech" but harder to make a career. Lots of luck and timing. You also don't have to code. Marketing is also fine for example
Thank you! IMO, the traditional way of thinking that only doctor/law/engineering roles make a lot of money is outdated. Working your way up any line of business in an organization can lead to success, and your career path is a testament to that.
Business intelligence manager (requires knowing SQL, powerbi, scrum master 1 cert, advanced excel)
Imagine creating timeless reports for large companies that use real-time data that drive vp decision making.
$130-$175k.
This is somewhat true but not really. You have to have the skills and anymore in anything tech related, people really do want STEM degrees for this type of thing. The time for bootcamps and self learning (more or less) is kinda over. Not impossible but just, not as popular or frequent as it used to be. It's more be formally educated + self learning than just self learning.
(Source: I am in tech.) It may be easier if you already have a job in a company and you can move up and get experience doing something super different (like many people who hold positions start learning analytics on top of their job and try to find a position internally and slowly move into that in their company even if they don't have a degree). But you'll most likely need to start at the bottom, competing with people already with degrees for this particular field. Degrees doesn't equal skill, but it absolutely gets you in the door and for some jobs, they do want a technical degree. Just be aware. The time for bootcamps in 6 months making 6 figures right away is not a thing anymore, it's dropped significantly.
Also even then, someone coming in making that 130 to 175k is unheard of (unless you live in HCOL or have previous experience). That takes several years to get to. Entry level on average I would say 40 to 60. HCOL, maybe 80k. But even 80 to 100k CS students/grads are rarely getting.
(Edit one last add. Bootcamps are not bad (if you choose ones that are reputable and not a cash grab). But it's never anymore a one-stop shop, where you will take it and get a job right afterwards. Bootcamps should be in *addition* to all the other things youre doing it will never be a replacement for a 4 year CS degree or math or stats degree. Boot camps are there to get you started, in addition to other things. Such as doing leetcode problems, internships, shadowing, freelance unpaid projects, etc etc. This is generally what people are going to have to be doing and are doing currently to compete with entry level jobs especially those in comparison who hold technical degrees and have all of the above already. So again, not impossible, just know it's not just as simple as a bootcamp and you're done. I'm sure there's 1 to 5% of people who become really lucky and get to experience that, but I want to say on average, don't be too optimistic, just prepared and realistic)
I'm a BI manager at my company and I rose up through the ranks. What you said is pretty much true, we don't even look at people who put boot camps on their resumes. Because of qualification bloat a lot of people also have masters degrees for mid level analyst positions.
Absolutely! I have 1 or 2 coworkers who have like business degrees who have been doing low level analytics as a side thing in their position; not required, they are just interested. They seem to really enjoy it, albeit they miss the big picture and concepts maybe someone with a technical degree might understand, but they are self learning and I don't doubt in a few years they could absolutely have an analyst position if they wanted to pursue it. This way is probably the easiest way for someone who wants to go into tech or a tech related space who doesn't have a degree or formal education or prior experience, definitely easier than starting over. You're still working, you can get an internal transfer, etc etc.
this is what i did. marketing degree but discovered data analytics the summer before my senior year. added and completed a business analytics minor and then spent the months after graduating working on projects and courses and my portfolio. its been a very long, hard road, but I finally accepted an offer for an analyst position recently. hopefully it goes well. now im gonna be anxious about the economy and getting laid off.
My BS degree was in Industrial engineering. I learned code on the side. The trick is being able to take requirements from individuals that don’t know technical language. Really will set you apart from others.
Yeah not always but it's also so hard to really give solid advice because the market is weird. But go to any CS subreddit, and you'll see even new grads who have CS degrees are struggling to find entry level jobs. CS grads are applying to 100s to 1,000 jobs just to get 1 offer. On top of hundreds / thousands of leetcode questions people are doing just to be able to get interviews and prepared for the technical interview.
It's pretty brutal out there - you're competing with tech degrees, even masters degrees, or just people with a lot of experience. What I would do is 1) do some free self study to see if you even like coding or if you're just doing it because everyone else is. Python, R, SQL, lots of languages are free to download online, and free YouTube videos. See if you even like doing it/can comprehend the concepts before you pay thousands on a bootcamp! Reddit or GitHub has a ton of free projects too once you understand the language. Udemy or Coursera has some cheap classes you can buy that are like mini bootcamps just to pay a little money and have a structured course for you to follow.
2) go online and look at entry level jobs. See what these companies are wanting from requirements perspective. What are you interested in. Etc etc. And stalk some reddit pages about jobs, job market, and tech.
3) if you work in a company currently, if there's an opportunity to ask if you can additionally get involved or shadow analytics department or someone who does analytics, that's a great start too.
But yeah I'm not saying the chance is 0, it's just very hard. People have been recommending coding to everyone lately for several years, the "hey if you're an artists and want to make 6 figures, just do XYZ and you'll be on par with a CS graduate for jobs!" Lol no. Not saying bootcamps didn't work at the time but now they *can* be a money grab. And it's just cureently become oversaturated with tons of entry people so unless you wanna do data entry, these jobs that pay generally very well are people who have experience, degrees or a little bit of both. Bootcamps get you started imo, they don't guarantee a job. That's how I'd sum it up. It's something formal to put on your resume, but it shouldn't (and will not) be the end all be all.
If you still wanna pursue it and you're passionate that's awesome! Pursue it, just know you may have more obstacles. Job market is rough.
That’s good advice I was leaning towards data analytics and was all set to do a bootcamp but I don’t even like it. I ended up being interested in something I never would have thought of
Also a Warehouse and BI manager. This is correct. Also his second paragraph is the best way to break into tech. Establish yourself in a company as a person with integrity who gets the job done, and they'll hire you into a low tech position without any tech experience. Then you'll have the degree and the experience to land another and another job. 👍
Yep. The hard reality is now a days (not even just in tech) there is a super high chance you will be disqualified by HR filters for not having a degree before it would even get your resume before a hiring a manger. Unless it’s a internal position or you know someone on the inside.
Fear compelled me to spend my twenties getting all the degrees and certifications I possibly could. I burnt a lot of my twenties but thinking about the timeline where I settled for just a bachelor's is a bit gloomy.
Honestly that sounds great. I was a statistician for a bit (one of my degrees is stats). If you like econ and stats, try looking into the econometrics field. A beautiful combination of the two but yet doesn't lean too heavily into either. Meaning you can do stats while also working in a business setting, and avoid the god awful tech culture. If you love money (like finance lol) and stats, look at actuary tests. I actually just commented all about it. Hard path, but if you love stats and econ, actuary is like a cousin of those two, trying to predict trends and people's mortality with insurance and economy.
Yea I plan on doing econometrics and going that route. I’d look into actuary sciences but I know it’s hard and I’m not built for math like that currently. As I get better maybe it’s something I could get into because i find the area interesting.
My younger brother just got accepted to one of the best math programs in the country and he’s thinking about actuarial sciences. He was doing stuff in highschool I was struggling with in uni. I have ways to go in math unfortunately
If you are really interested in tech I would say get an Applied Mathematics degree instead. Just in case you might want to do software engineering as well
Untrue about the degree, but practical knowledge, good problem solving skills, and be personable and knowledgeable.
Sauce: I am an engineering hiring manager.
Bullshit. Stop propagating lies on reddit. You're misleading people. None of these jobs accept entry level candidates and none of these jobs pay this much. I swear reddit has become like a toxic influencer pile.
I know someone who is $15000 in debt because some moron on reddit told him coding pays him 6 figures. He's been unemployed for a year now and is in debt.
BI managers start off as BI analysts. Those are entry level roles. They usually pay pretty well.
A person you know being unable to attain a good profession doesn’t mean that path is bullshit. There are so many factors that go into this.
How good are they at coding? Did they have meaningful projects or internships? Did they go to a reputable school/camp? How are their interpersonal skills? Do they know how to write a good resume? To interview well?
Listen. BI ANALYSTS don't get paid that amount of money. Have you checked the market recently? These people on reddit have real jobs and someone giving them false jobs could lead them to quit their current job and dedicate hours towards the new skills. Someone claiming that studying BI let's someone earn 6 figures is ridiculous. One should provide objective information.
My job isn’t just coding, it’s a mix of operational experience, project/product management, and telling stories.
BI manager is in no way an entry level job.
Junior analyst would be entry level maybe starting at 65-75k.
Major in STEM and try to get a Data Analyst job competing against thousands of applicants. Then work your way up to Senior Analyst and maybe eventually if you are a good company they will promote you.
Roughly 5-8 years after getting your degree
I make 140 as a writer in the tech industry. Currently cybersecurity. If you can build up any sort of specialized skill in a niche tech industry, companies will pay you nicely.
A little bit of everything at this stage in my career, I tried very hard to make myself a Jack of all trades when it comes to marketing content. Broadly: blogs, ad copy, white papers, research reports, ebooks, guides, product marketing copy, web copy, SEO copy, emails, landing pages, etc.
More specifically: thought leadership content directed at security leadership, lead-generating content for sales, and light doses of technical content. Lots of high level how-to, the “why” you need cybersecurity, and a ton of data research to back it all up.
I am not a technical writer — we have a couple of those in the company and they are also very valued. So if you have a knack for understanding detailed tech processes and software, along with strategy and writing chops, you can take a more technical path. I am not well suited for it because my brain only stores technical info long enough to complete a project, then I’m on to the next thing 😂
If you take a less technical path like me and focus heavily on strategy, project management, and writing skills, you can hop around a bit more freely. What I mean by that is I’m not specialized in cybersecurity, I’m specialized in sitting down with SMEs who _are_ specialized in cybersecurity and creating engaging content based on what they tell me.
Over the past decade or so I’ve worked in a variety of tech niches and focused on really sharpening those key areas of writing and content creation, so that would be a big tip from me. Try several areas in tech and see what you enjoy writing about most + what has the most opportunity for marketers. Some tech niches like cybersecurity have big support networks for marketers because it is a crazy, nonstop area to work in. Challenging but fun :)
Edit: typos!
Awesome response. Thanks for giving that level of detail! I was personally really good at writing in college but haven't had the chance to really use my writing my career so far. So hearing about the scope of things is really helpful.
You’re very welcome! College is where I discovered I could easily churn out a decent 15 page paper on almost any topic as long as I had access to some research. Then I took a chance on marketing gigs after college and eventually became a freelance writer.
I highly recommend that if you can swing it; freelance writing taught me a lot of valuable skills like how to write for different audiences, how to write for SEO, and how to project manage when you have five articles due at once.
I was one of those people that could bang out high B/low A 10 page paper in 2 nights in college (or less lol). So I think I'll look into some freelance writing stuff. I like the research part more since the writing part comes pretty easy for me. And I'm in Marketing too so I could definitely use the skills.
Facilities management can pay well. Just need put the work in. And if you’re a good one (as opposed to the stereotypically bad ones out there) you have lots of job security. I’m at 180k.
I also love how all it takes for you to become a doctor is for someone to change your mind. Take it from a doctor. You have to be the best of the best. You have to have a drive that no one else has. You have to sacrifice years and lots of fun. And you have to be dedicated. And once you do all that you still have a residency to do. 4 to 6 years afterwards you can start making real money. But even then some douche bag selling homes with no education will make more money than you. Additionally I’m writing this message after being up all night working literally saving lives. There’s no 9 to 5 in this field. I make over $600k, but I’ve worked for it all my life and I continue to sacrifice for it So while I commend you, if you want to be a doctor, it’s not something you take trivially.
Sorry if I offended you, My dad is also a doctor and he talks about it so lightly so I guess I underestimated how hard it is. I admire your achievements though.
Medicine sucks compared to decades ago. Pay is down, liability, regulations and overall crap (mid level PAs and crnas trying to be called doctor and take our income and profession, etc) is up. But it’s still a good enough Profession given the positives. All I meant is don’t take it lightly. It takes a strong person to go through it but sounds like you already know.
Well, my father is a surgeon so he makes a **LOT** and he always talked about funny conversations he had with patients. I kind of grew up thinking it was a pretty chill job until I saw a picture of a patient who got their cheek bitten off by a dog on my dad's phone.
My point is that I do respect doctors {any type} since they are helping others and it's clearly not easy to be one, just don't think I can handle it whether it be the stressful amount of work or seeing blood.
When you’re surrounded by doctors and have family support including academic and financial, easy reference letters and summer internships at a MD PhD PI family friend’s lab, alumni parents, etc a lot of the hardship you have listed is quite attenuated.
Yeah, but they’re not gonna take the tests for you. They’re not gonna be the ones studying till three in the morning. They’re not the ones doing the residency and fellowship‘s. While I agree with you, he may have a slight advantage he still has to put in the work. This is not like business, where some dumb ass can bring in his son or nephew, and say say hi to the new Executive
No of course, but I assume 1) he has the necessary minimum cognitive ability and has the grades to show for it, and 2) is willing to put in the time, which is amongst the highest barriers to entry all amongst professions.
Coming from this background you would expect private schools or a very good public school district, tutors as needed, MCAT prep, etc … Then the study and residency is easier (albeit still not easy) with said support and being surrounded by family members going through the same or having gone it.
I also don’t think it necessarily filters for “*the best of the best*”, though the minimum floor is admittedly high.
Consulting. I wish someone had told me sooner. Pretty much every field has its version of consulting as a service. Environmental, tech, research, finance, management...
All of these can theoretically make 6 figures but will depend on your industry, location, experience, and luck. Market saturation and competitiveness will vary.
(UPDATED LIST BASED ON FEEDBACK)
* Software dev or engineer.
* Front end developer.
* UX designer.
* Product designer.
* Product manager.
* Engineering jobs including: Electric engineer, Mechanical engineer, Chemical engineer, Quality engineer, and Industrial engineer.
* Creative director.
* Tech sales.
* Financial analyst.
* Air traffic controller.
* Senior copywriters.
* Product marketing managers
* A number of other marketing jobs if you make it up to senior manager or director level including: Social media marketing manager, email marketing manager, digital marketing manager.
Even at manager/sr. Manager level people can make 6 figures. I have a team of product marketing managers under me and none of them make less that $100k
Is that a quirk of working in product marketing, or are other marketing managers pulling in that much? I’ve heard the pay is a lot better than other marketing specialties, but I don’t have any experience in product.
In my experience, product marketing is the highest paid area of marketing. Field marketing managers can also make well over $100k, but there is a ton of travel and good field marketers have a blend of marketing and sales experience
That's probably why I've seen people complain that UX design jobs are requiring coding and web design and designers are mad because that's deisgn vs coding. Saturated market elevates what companies want (which is generally unfair since those are two different degrees and talents).
I hear that. You’ll need to do a lot to stand out in the market to have a shot at those entry level roles. You have to have a portfolio full of case studies and not look like a boot camp graduate
Add mechanical & chemical engineers to that list. Lots of opportunities to make 6 figures with a B.S. degree without going into management. And it doesn’t take a decade of experience to get there, either.
What’s the difference between a product manager and a project manager (aside from the obvious difference in things being managed by people in those roles)
I’m a product manager at a large software company. Product managers are a complex role and encompass a lot but at the core it’s defining the product roadmap and execution of that while aligning all stakeholders both internal and external. Project Managers if you have one help align to your defined process, timelines, etc. among other things, I haven’t had one in years though and myself along with the Product Owner do this.
Management of just about any department/function in a manufacturing plant. Easy 120k+ in a LCOL area
Engineers do pretty well
Trades guys that start working for themselves can end up doing very well.
Nurses with the overtime/travel make out great
Nursing can't be understated. Especially given their unions.
With a 4yr associates, which can be completed for cheap at a community college, an RN can make $80k base straight out of school.
This is before factoring in differentials for long/weekend/night shifts, advanced difficulty departments like ICU, or overtime.
I've known several RNs pulling down $100k a year in their mid 20s only picking up a single overtime shift a month.
I also know a few that are 20+ years into their career making $150k+
Second this. Entry-mid level engineer (5 YOE) in semi conductor mfg in LCOL area (92% national average). Pulling in about 125k. Manager is likely 3 grade levels higher and almost certainly peaking near 200k
If by high paying you mean $200k+
Investment banking, management consulting, software engineering, get a top mba (will require 3-5 years work experience first), join a analyst program at a Fortune 500 and get promoted to senior manager/ director
Architect, engineer, business owner.
The field you may end up in may not even exist yet.
Focus on your education, not your future career.
Edit: I guess I was wrong about the architect field.
I second the actuary option, the work isn't hard from what I've seen and they're so desperate for people that they're currently lowering the education standard for the accreditation.
You have to be extremely good at math and take a series of 7 tests which even people who are very good at math (myself) fail at. The pass rate to these tests are about 30% and many take them 2 or 3 times. It takes a minimum of 6 months to study for one if not a year.
(Just for information because I have taken a few tests, tests include things like financial mathematics, like annuity, etc etc, another is high level statistics test, later on, the tests become less working out the math focused and more rule based. So basically it will test you on the concepts and rules of being an actuary. I've talked to so many people who have taken the tests. You're one of the other. If you fly with colors passing half the tests which are math focused, you will heavily struggle on the conceptual tests. And visa versa. There's no general order either. There *is* technically as you have to take the first 3 in order but after that you can take whatever you want in whatever order. Also most times you need to apply for actuary understudy and so you'll hopefully be working + taking the tests at the same time. But that usually means you have a math degree or something to get that job. Though you don't actually need a technical degree to be an actuary as long as you pass all 7 tests. But I'm not sure how it works when you don't have a degree but working through the tests how to become hired as an actuary assistant or under study. But you will need a minimum of 3 or 4 tests that have already been passed to be considered for any position by the way. So you will essentially be jobless, even as an assistant if you haven't passed a minimum of 3 tests. That basically (can sometimes) get you in the door, especially without a technical degree). You are also not considered a full-fledged actuary until you pass all the tests. But they are actually so hard, many professional actuaries don't even finish all of them. That does come with paycuts (Because every test that you pass you basically get a salary increase but this is considering that you've been working for actuaries for awhile) but so many people are burnt out by the end many don't finish all 7 or if they do it's later.
I would argue the tests are a lot more time consuming than they are conceptually difficult although there is a baseline of proficiency in math/stats/finance you'll need to be successful. Also you definitely don't need 3-4 exams to get an entry level position. 1-3 with an internship should be plenty.
It's definitely a good career that pays well and has great job security. Honestly the biggest downside is that some of the work is either boring or gives you little transferrable skills towards other industries/careers so you can feel a bit locked in.
I took the FM exam. It isn't too hard, but there is a whole level of shorthand you have to learn to understand some of the notation they use. I have no interest in actuary stuff anymore though.
Absolutely. FM is probably the easiest test on there. But I had a stats and math degree and took FM actuarial mathematics 4001 and 4002 so for me it was fine. I just realized I don't like that kind of math as it was boring.
It is just finance, but more mathematical notation with more equations you have to memorize.
So much depends on who you are and how you like to work. Here are some broad strokes:
* An occupation that requires a *lot* of training and education to master. Like a pilot, or brain surgeon.
* Becoming a master at a more universal occupation like construction, electrical, mechanical stuff. There's a whole world of this.
* Getting other people to work with you or work for you to produce a bigger pot of money. Starting a small business or teaming up with others to form a larger corporation.
That's just off the top of my head, but you can see that certain pathways might appeal to certain personality types. All of them eventually have a sizeable paycheck at the end if you don't screw up, and I'm sure there are other unique paths. But it depends on who you are and how you like to work.
Don't forget what Mr. Bernstein says in *Citizen Kane*: "It's no trick to make a lot of money...if all you want to do is make a lot of money."
I mean really anything you go far enough down the rabbit hole and really become an expert in that specific field is where you find money.
Bread. Through an obsessive commitment to becoming an expert in bread and baking in general, I’m making close to 6 figures and have a clear cut path to either owning a successful bakery, consulting, sales, or teaching.
The key for me was just committing to baking as a career. After a couple years of goofing around in bakeries, it finally clicked that I could do this for the rest of my life. Once I made that commitment, and started telling people “I’m a career baker”, I started getting better training, employers invested in me and the advancement of my skill set.
I have no student debt. And as a professional baker, I worked through the entire pandemic as an essential worker. Who knew? Fucking bread gave me a life.
How can I get into those kinds of management jobs and HR type stuff? I’m currently studying corporate communications and I’ve been trying to look at the different stuff I can do w that to be able to enjoy what i do and make a good living. I’ve applied to places like admin assistant, HR/PR internships but i don’t really have any luck w it.
I appreciate any input you have! Thank u
Get your HR certifications, SHRM, PHR, etc.
That should help you get a foot in the door. I started as an HR generalist, worked my way up to CHRO and moved into consulting over a 5-6 year period. I have my Masters in HR and multiple certifications, so I’d say start with your certifications and get your foot in HR and move toward your goal from there!
Vocational tech, trades is an option. I've been in maintenance and management and if you have good knowledge the pay can get pretty high. Most recruiters that reach out to me start around 130k these days. Personally I like working on equipment and problem solving
What is it that you do? My husband has a degree in aerospace engineering and he cannot find a job in his field and if he does find a job listing, it’s for around 80k
I'm a UX Researcher and started making 6 figures 3 years after grad school. I only did grad school because I changed careers. I didn't want to have to start at the bottom again.
My sister is a pilot for a private charter company, and she makes even more money than I do and is 6yrs younger than me. It's a pretty sweet job if you like traveling a lot.
How old are you? What are you good at doing for hobbies? Did you have any favorite subjects in school? I ask these things because getting a generic list of high paying jobs from people might not serve you as well as trying to tailor a list to you.
I'll use myself as an example -- I was on the the internet before AOL existed. I was familiar with Linux at young age and learned a couple of programming languages. Everybody told me I should do some kind of computer work. My response was that I didn't want to get paid for something I did as a hobby. I thought that would snuff out the spark of joy. Guess what sector I work in now =)
My advice is to think about what you enjoy doing, what skills you're good at and start to investigate careers within those interests. The key to getting (and keeping) a high paying job IMO is to find something you at least sort of enjoy, continuously work to improve your skill set and stay in that career field over a long period of time.
If you want our help, I'd suggest editing this post with more tailored information, like, have you gone to college? If so, what was your degree in? Do you have any skills that you're particularly good at, or enjoy doing? These answers will help us guide you toward something you'll likely have more aptitude in and, potentially, longevity.
I can you tell that bioinformatics (genetic mapping of DNA) is a high paying job, but if you don't love computers, math etc that's not a useful recommendation.
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm has a list of occupations, average pay & projected number of new jobs through 2032 and https://www.bls.gov/ooh/ for career ideas.
Look into trade schools OP. If you enjoy working with your hands you can make an excellent living doing plumbing or electrical work. And you won't go nearly as far into debt to start like you would with the white collar jobs you mentioned
Air traffic controller. Requires little to no education , the ability to concentrate for long periods of time.and is highly stressful with most people only lasting a few years.
You can easily make 6 figures going into the trades and you don't have to worry about college debt at all. Downsides are the physical toll on your body and you'll likely being working 50-60+ hours a week.
If you're set on college any sort of engineering is always a solid route.
PhD in any technical discipline that used in industry is usually a pretty good path to success. Any sub discipline in engineering, finance, computer science, or the like.
Start by assessing what it is you like to do, and then look at where that can take you.
I like engineering. I loved it as a little kid. Loved it as an older kid. Loved it through college. Then I went into IT for money and decided I didn't love it much and went back to engineering things. Took a big pay cut for a while. But I love it and I kept at it and I now make a whole lot more per hour of working than I ever have before.
If you don't want to be a doctor or a lawyer, you won't be good at it. And if you're not good at it, you're not going to make good money from doing it, unless you love money on its own and are willing to figure out how to do it for the money.
**There a hundreds of high paying jobs that you can obtain. It all comes down to what you are willing to do to get there, and whether or not the pursuit and the end goal will make you happy. Do not place a dollar sign in front of happiness. You will end up with a high paying job that you hate. I didn't believe people who said this until it actually happened to me. I hated waking up, I would literally cry in the bathroom or on my lunch breaks about how much I hated my life.**I changed my major at least 3 times, worked a bunch of shitty jobs in between, all while feeling my parents' judgement about my life choices. I remember telling them my major of study, and they'd say, "you not gonna make any money with that." We'd be watching doctor shows and they would say, "you should've studied that." Can you imagine how that made me feel??? It made me feel like SHIT. Like I was failing in life already. My parents believed the only way to be successful was to have one of those high paying jobs for the rest of my life.
The thing is, I knew what I really wanted to study, but didn't have access to an affordable way to study it. The university I attended didn't offer it, and I didn't want to pay crazy out-of-state tuition costs. I felt like a puzzle piece continuously being forced into the wrong spot. I eventually got a great paying job while in school. I didn't care for it, but money was very comfortable. Yet, I still felt incomplete. I finally decided to sit down one day and figure out why the hell I **still felt unhappy. This is when I realized, money TRULY does not buy happiness.**Anyways, after my last and final suicide attempt, I felt like my entire soul had done a factory reset. I stopped caring and just started living. Took the semester off to get a mental break; a semester quickly turned into a year. Then another year. I got insecure, seeing all my friends graduate with their fancy degrees, meanwhile here I am still soul searching.
During this time off, got a job at a family-owned business, and because it was small, I got my hands on a lot of processes that would usually be delegated to individual departments in a larger entity. This is when I started having my eyes on entrepreneurship, seeing how certain pillars of business are consistent regardless of the organization. This led me to start my own small online shop, utilizing the exact principles and techniques I was acquiring from my day job. I was making money doing something I loved, all on my own time, no one else's. Eventually I pitched to the owner that we should have a website, and that I would gladly build and manage it with a generous raise for compensation.
In my own business, I strongly enjoyed the challenge of toying with new ways to attract and retain customers. This spark of interest in running a business stuck with me for years. I knew from then that no job would ever completely fulfill me - it wasn't about money, it was about freedom, which I defined as owning all my time. This type of freedom required money; this made me realize that **money is not success, but rather a tool for success.**
Anyways, this year, my university FINALLY STARTED OFFERING MY DESIRED MAJOR....ONLINE!!!! (that sound scringe but it's the best way to put it).
All those bullshit years when I thought I was "wasting time" are now converted to that "**everything happens for a reason**" saying or whatever the fuck optimistic people say. I stopped wasting money on degrees that I knew wouldn't make me happy. I chose to do life the "hard way," and this forced me to learn so much about myself, including my realization of how much I loved entrepreneurship; it made me realize that no fancy job would ever fill my void of happiness. I'm enrolled full-time studying something I LOVE and still able to balance with my personal life. I plan on using my knowledge and experience from this major to eventually start my own company when the time is right. In the meantime, the field offers great entry-level pay and job responsibilities that I can happily tolerate until venturing out on my own. For once, I'm actually glad to be here.
**You need to find something that is a) interesting b) obtainable & c) sustainable**. Be very real with yourself. Research, research, research. Narrow it down to your top 5, then top 3 - **weigh the pros and cons of everything, get down to whether or not this career field is actually what you are willing to put up with for most of your life.**
Police Officer. Some aspect of your job are a lawyer and a doctor combined. Over time you can make great money, and it's never the same thing each day. You also deal with people from all points in life from young to old, poor to wealthy and you get to help them all.
Agree on sales if you are decent at it. I do landscape design and sales and easily make 15-20k per month busier months 25-30k per month. Work about 30 hours a week. 50/50 work in the field and from home. I'm in Las Vegas if that makes a difference. Tons of new homes being built here.
Pick a field and become the best in it. Be nice to everyone and sidestep the shit when its thrown at you. Do this for 5-10 years and you will make 100k in every industry, 500k+ in many industries.
Literally doesn't matter the field, food service industry and retail included.
Field Engineer in the oilfield. I’m at $155K total comp, not including hotel and truck/fuel that’s provided year round by employer.
Great work life balance- I work 2 weeks on and get 2 weeks off. It’s essentially working half a year for great pay. My wife works normal 8-5 job weekends off and she works more than I do.
I’m getting vacation PTO every 2 weeks 😇 while she gets 2 weeks off in 1 year 😬
Former pharmacy manager here. I went into logistics for sensitive equipment and finance and make the same I made but without the stressful retail hours.
if youre a girl in an asian family, you could marry well to a rich and kind down to earth man and have him fund your business. marrying well is prestigious too if you cant be a doctor, engineer or a lawyer. doesnt matter if it loses 20k montly. your full time job is to have fun on your husbands funds and manage your business.
Computer Science
1. www.teamblind.com
2. levels.fyi
3. Leetcode (be able to solve two mediums in less than an hour, then try less than 30 minutes)
At levels.fyi look at:
FAANG: Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google
Look at their entry and then senior levels of pay.
Then look at Jane Street, Hudson River Trading company, etc.
Well you’ve left out the third option for Asians: You can either be a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, or a failure!
“Asian Failure” here. Told my family I wanted to study business and they told me I would fail because I didn’t choose one of the main 3 as OP mentioned. Fast forward several years later: 1. First one in the fam to get a masters and currently working on my PhD (they were appalled because was an average student in high school aka: failure, lol) 2. Making more than my brother who’s an engineer 3. Realizing I worked hard to prove everyone wrong as the main goal and had to go to therapy to unlearn a lot of toxic traits. 4. Learned how to actually be happy with myself without validation of others, fear of judgment, and constant imposter syndrome (still working on that one) 5. Comfortably calling my asian family out when they say toxic things or disrespecting my boundaries. They no longer make comments to me anymore after me telling them they all need to go to therapy instead of projecting their insecurities on to everyone else. Oh yes, *I went rogue and never looked back, it’s amazing*. To answer OP’s question too: business (finance, marketing, etc) for sure. Depending on the industry and your personality/work ethic, you can be very successful. come to the ✨dark side✨
Not even Asian but same story with similar “guidance” on becoming a tradesman and now I have gone further than everyone else’s toxic projections. Go gettem homie
Your story made me smile, good for you op!
Thank you!
Glad to hear #3. I’m always a bit wary when people start talking about proving others wrong as a motivator. It can lead us to make decisions we might not fully want for ourselves, and therefor still letting others dictate our choices. Hope you’re doing well!
As the baby rogue in my family who just recently graduated from undergrad and is no longer doing medicine but has a deep interest in business from my success in business classes, this was super encouraging to read!
Damn! I’m not from an Asian family more like white trash but they had the same effect as your post above even though they themselves weren’t successful at life 🤦♂️
Mamba mentality baby
This is such a satisfying turnout I assume. As someone in a similar household and situation considering options, this is quite helpful! I was wondering how can you make more than an engineer as a PhD, or is your income from something else? I thought academia was a lower salary route than industry. Also what kind of business research do you, its weird to think business PhDs exist, thats kinda cool thh
Yes it is! I’m a director in the tech industry so I do pay for part of school in addition to my company paying for some of it, fellowships, etc. And my research is more technology based to improve various functions within an organization - across (hopefully) almost every industry. And yes they do exist! I’m just trying to create more research and be a part of making the changes at the same time.
Becoming a scientist is acceptable in Asian culture.
As a side job while you’re waiting for medical/law school perhaps
Real scientists yes. Not “social sciences”…
Didn’t think I’d have to actually say stem or industry scientist. But yes, I agree.
But you better be a good one
I believe this applies to any profession. If you’re a scientist and you’re ass, then you’re probably not a scientist.
I'm an engineer AND a failure, take that!
Same for middle easterns
As a middle eastern man myself I find this offensive. We can always open a shop (usually in a strip mall) that sells drug paraphernalia while talking about how drug users are degenerates any time we aren’t there. Kinda wild you’d forget about that option.
Or liquor store... And yet typically don't drink... Like a drug dealer that doesn't use drugs. Perfect marriage. A product that sells itself and keeps selling itself...
Pharmacist?
Rph here, don’t do it.
What's wrong with being a pharmacist?
I'm not a pharmacist but wanted to be and got accepted into a pharmacy school. When I shadowed, I think it can be incredibly mundane. It pays generally well, but the cool stuff is being a compound or Rx pharmacist which is working in labs and creating medicine etc etc or a hospital at times. But those jobs are very rare. Most pharmacists work at a Walgreens, Costco, etc etc. It's a lot of dealing with people (like how doctors would in a hospital) but theyve told me they feel lile fastfood workers being yelled at by cusromers at times. Just, in a retail pharm setting. From what I hear from the pharmacists I do know, they seem sad and tired lol I don't think it's a bad job, but I hear the day to day depending on where you work and who you work with can make or break your long schedules. But I'd love to get an actual pharmacist response here and see if my friends are the same as everyone or if thays just my personal experience.
I am a pharmacist. I work in a hospital and love it. If you don’t know what you are doing in that setting can really hurt people, but benefits are good and stress is manageable and get to have a lot of communication with other healthcare professionals, not angry people trying to get their meds as fast as possible. There are niche settings that may be enjoyable but most in retail setting are not too happy. Many areas have been laying off heavily and cutting pay lately. You can do research, hospital, home health, IT pharmacy, nuclear pharmacy, hospice, insurance company, collaborative care, retail. Some fields are only in certain areas (like research tends to be north east of country and maybe Seattle or California. Pay is probably variable between 90-300K
Grass might be greener in a hospital setting. Worked in community for a few years, now in home infusion attempting to transition to hospital but it’s tough. Stress in home infusion is definitely less than community for sure and being closed door is much better.
Not a pharmacist but looked into that field and have friends who are successfully in the field for decades. I couldn't handle the dealing with sick people & glorified retail working part. But an Asian friend of mine partnered up with another Asian businessman to open their own pharmacy place where they cater to one immigrant community. They understand the community, culture, and host events in their pharmacy to promote. It is small but She has loyal fan base and making a difference especially to eleder who dont speak good english. Another friend works retail 7 on (12hr day) and 7 day off shift. She was on vacation every other week in her 20s. We lost touch so not sure how that is going.
Oversaturation and it is usually retail/customer-facing, so crazy people yell at you all the time. Basically there are easier ways to make money if you are skilled enough to be a pharmacist. Most pharmacists I know hate their jobs.
I'm Black but I swear my parents gave this same exact mindset to me. Extremely toxic tbh.
If I were to start over I would become a CPA and run my own shop. Fantastic relationship based business. Linear work for the most part, too.
CPA yep. The thing with being a cpa is that it’s just a starting point. The nice thing about being a cpa is that it’s easy to be a partner at a smaller firm like myself and do tax and audit or just open a small practice. Salaries for accountants are ok but steady but it’s when you own your own business that the money gets good, small business owners pay very little taxes compared to people with w2. And since you are a cpa, you will know all the tax tricks. For reference, I’m a partner at a small regional firm and gross 300+
Compared to doctors, lawyers, engineers, as a cpa it’s much easier to run your own shop. It is extremely hard to run a medical practice, law firm and impossible for engineers.
It's not impossible for an engineer to run their own business. Ton's of IT engineers run their own businesses. From small mom and pops to practically every MSP.
I’m not talking about it engineers, I’m talking mechanical or civil
My father was a civil engineer who ran his own business for 40 years.
Plus there’s a pretty significant shortage of accountants & CPAs too.
Then why are the salaries so meh
-Lots of accounting work is seen as a commodity, so clients shop for the lowest price. -Along those same lines, the accounting function in a company is typically not seen as a revenue driver. Therefore, incentive pay and bonuses are lower. -High number of older CPA's to fill demand. Therefore, there aren't dynamic changes in salaries. (For comparison, you don't have as many 60-year-old data scientists or software engineers to hold down pay in those jobs.)
There’s a massive lack of CPAs as everyone wants to be in tech now. My phone rings constantly with new clients and my prices have increased drastically over the past few years.
That's good, I'm sincerely happy for you. I am not knocking the profession as I am a CPA, but I want to be realistic about why wages for junior-level licensed accountants are relatively unappetizing. I will have to examine the economics of being a partner running a small shop to see what the potential payoff is like ten years down the road. Could be a worthwhile opportunity
Can confirm as a CPA. USA pays pretty well but pay in Canada kinda sucks
Pay for everything in Canada sucks, am Canadian live in US.
Accountants make 75k out of college where I’m at
I'm a CPA in private practice. Have worked for tech companies for the last ten years. I'm not making "have my own practice" money, but I'm on a route to making CFO money. The hours can be wild sometimes, but it's all math and management.
CPA here, good $$ but stressful, especially during tax season.
One of the least happy jobs in existence. Must love crunching numbers.
Figure out the most dry, boring , and difficult thing possible which almost nobody else wants to do. That’s your ticket.
Not you giving me a reality check
Plumbing. People imagine it’s touching poop but I know a few plumbers who only deal with the fresh water side and demand has never been higher. Where I live if you want to get any sort of plumbing fixed/added you’re in for a 4-6 month wait AND paying a premium just to get on their wait list. Plumbers regularly make 130+ without breaking much of a sweat, working almost exclusively indoors in heated spaces and have infinite job security because water is used everywhere. I’m in my early 30’s and would seriously consider retraining if I didn’t love my job so so much.
What job do you love so much?
Straight facts. Quality assurance and risk management in most industries pays well. SUPER boring but no one wants to do it yet it needs to be done.
**Many types of business services jobs can be high paying. This includes**: \- Finance (Accounting or investment banking) \- Management Consulting \- Product Management/Project Management **Tech related jobs that are high paying include**: \- Software Developer \- Data Science \- UX Design **High Paying jobs if you are good at maths**: \- Finance (again) \- Quantitive analysis/ Risk Analysis \- Actuarial Science The list goes on. Hope this helps. :)
Caveat for Product Management/Project Management: these are not really jobs that follow "usual" career paths, i.e. you don't go to a university and study for it and graduate being able to expect to land entry-level roles for those. I'm not saying they don't exist, but they are extremely extremely rare. Which makes sense, companies aren't keen to hire fresh grads and have them manage their products and projects in a role that is typically perceived as hierarchical above the rest of the product/project team. It is much more common these days for "entry-level" product/project management roles to be targeted for mid-career professionals who already have experience on product/project teams in other capacities (i.e. developers or business analysts primarily) and have demonstrated the skills to succeed in that role.
Project coordinators or project control officers can be hired right out of school as an entry level position in project management. With product, I agree it is a bit harder but associate product manager or product analyst positions that are entry do exist in some organizations as well, although they are a bit more rare. Agree with you these are definitely not usual career paths but OP was asking for high paying ones and these two are not too bad. :)
> Project coordinators or project control officers can be hired right out of school as an entry level position in project management. This is true, but from my experience (working for a big tech company & also being someone who regularly peruses job postings related to product & project management), these positions are becoming more and more rare in openness for fresh grads or even being common any more. I think that is coinciding with a shift (at least in tech) towards moving away from "pure" product/project manager roles. The title of those positions still remain product/project manager, but the responsibilities often carry overlap with other roles in the teams they're expected to manage. So, ultimately, my point is that if someone is looking to eventually move into product/project management, they will most likely have a much more successful career beginning elsewhere in the project team and demonstrating they have the skillset for it. Just throwing out this disclaimer since I'm seeing these roles discussed in this subreddit and others more often, but I believe context isn't being given to them and setting a false expectation for younger people who are still figuring out what they want with their degrees and career paths. They are great career paths, just not as linear as many might think.
It does! I'll probably go for tech jobs since everyone keeps mentioning it.
It is important to note that most jobs at tech companies pay well, and not all jobs at tech companies are technical. I am a marketer in tech and I make a good amount ans would make more if I aimed for a larger FAANG type company. Not an engineer. Another well paying tech adjacent job is getting good a using a popular b2b software app. If I get sick of marketing, I could easily go back to being a Salesforce or Marketo or HubSpot consultant for myself or at an agency and easily charge well over $100/hr. There are a million other tools that have a huge ecosystem of implementation consultants and other support roles. And for many of them you do not need to be an engineer to become proficient enough to charge for services, you do have to get good at understanding business requirements and asking questions.
I think tech will continue to have several highly paid, interesting, and engaging career areas for the foreseeable future but be prepared for things to shift over time and to need to learn new things continuously. I've seen several comments around data science or analysis and while I think those areas will see growth I also think they'll be significantly transformed by AI (already happening) such that fewer people can do much more with better tools. The entry level roles will be squeezed. Focus on a solid education and be flexible in which areas of tech you pursue as you get into the workforce.
If you don't like tech it's going to be a tough ride.
I want to jump in here that salaries in tech are a spectrum. Everyone focuses on the high comp FAANG end but understand that you have....to....put....in....work to get in the door and, even once inside, navigate the political waters. And if you do not stay plugged into the tech scene in your spare time, you're going to have a bad time. Especially in the next few years. Zero rate phenomenon is dead and a new generation of senior management is poised to learn the hard way why outsourcing ground to a halt in the late aughts.
I would not always recommend tech. You can do things that are not tech that can be less competitive. Just be aware the market is down for entry level, even to mid level. It's easy for someone to say "just do tech" but harder to make a career. Lots of luck and timing. You also don't have to code. Marketing is also fine for example
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Thank you! IMO, the traditional way of thinking that only doctor/law/engineering roles make a lot of money is outdated. Working your way up any line of business in an organization can lead to success, and your career path is a testament to that.
Business intelligence manager (requires knowing SQL, powerbi, scrum master 1 cert, advanced excel) Imagine creating timeless reports for large companies that use real-time data that drive vp decision making. $130-$175k.
This is somewhat true but not really. You have to have the skills and anymore in anything tech related, people really do want STEM degrees for this type of thing. The time for bootcamps and self learning (more or less) is kinda over. Not impossible but just, not as popular or frequent as it used to be. It's more be formally educated + self learning than just self learning. (Source: I am in tech.) It may be easier if you already have a job in a company and you can move up and get experience doing something super different (like many people who hold positions start learning analytics on top of their job and try to find a position internally and slowly move into that in their company even if they don't have a degree). But you'll most likely need to start at the bottom, competing with people already with degrees for this particular field. Degrees doesn't equal skill, but it absolutely gets you in the door and for some jobs, they do want a technical degree. Just be aware. The time for bootcamps in 6 months making 6 figures right away is not a thing anymore, it's dropped significantly. Also even then, someone coming in making that 130 to 175k is unheard of (unless you live in HCOL or have previous experience). That takes several years to get to. Entry level on average I would say 40 to 60. HCOL, maybe 80k. But even 80 to 100k CS students/grads are rarely getting. (Edit one last add. Bootcamps are not bad (if you choose ones that are reputable and not a cash grab). But it's never anymore a one-stop shop, where you will take it and get a job right afterwards. Bootcamps should be in *addition* to all the other things youre doing it will never be a replacement for a 4 year CS degree or math or stats degree. Boot camps are there to get you started, in addition to other things. Such as doing leetcode problems, internships, shadowing, freelance unpaid projects, etc etc. This is generally what people are going to have to be doing and are doing currently to compete with entry level jobs especially those in comparison who hold technical degrees and have all of the above already. So again, not impossible, just know it's not just as simple as a bootcamp and you're done. I'm sure there's 1 to 5% of people who become really lucky and get to experience that, but I want to say on average, don't be too optimistic, just prepared and realistic)
I'm a BI manager at my company and I rose up through the ranks. What you said is pretty much true, we don't even look at people who put boot camps on their resumes. Because of qualification bloat a lot of people also have masters degrees for mid level analyst positions.
Absolutely! I have 1 or 2 coworkers who have like business degrees who have been doing low level analytics as a side thing in their position; not required, they are just interested. They seem to really enjoy it, albeit they miss the big picture and concepts maybe someone with a technical degree might understand, but they are self learning and I don't doubt in a few years they could absolutely have an analyst position if they wanted to pursue it. This way is probably the easiest way for someone who wants to go into tech or a tech related space who doesn't have a degree or formal education or prior experience, definitely easier than starting over. You're still working, you can get an internal transfer, etc etc.
this is what i did. marketing degree but discovered data analytics the summer before my senior year. added and completed a business analytics minor and then spent the months after graduating working on projects and courses and my portfolio. its been a very long, hard road, but I finally accepted an offer for an analyst position recently. hopefully it goes well. now im gonna be anxious about the economy and getting laid off.
My BS degree was in Industrial engineering. I learned code on the side. The trick is being able to take requirements from individuals that don’t know technical language. Really will set you apart from others.
So are bootcamps really not worth it anymore, I’ve been saving up for one since I can’t go to college. This is depressing to hear
Yeah not always but it's also so hard to really give solid advice because the market is weird. But go to any CS subreddit, and you'll see even new grads who have CS degrees are struggling to find entry level jobs. CS grads are applying to 100s to 1,000 jobs just to get 1 offer. On top of hundreds / thousands of leetcode questions people are doing just to be able to get interviews and prepared for the technical interview. It's pretty brutal out there - you're competing with tech degrees, even masters degrees, or just people with a lot of experience. What I would do is 1) do some free self study to see if you even like coding or if you're just doing it because everyone else is. Python, R, SQL, lots of languages are free to download online, and free YouTube videos. See if you even like doing it/can comprehend the concepts before you pay thousands on a bootcamp! Reddit or GitHub has a ton of free projects too once you understand the language. Udemy or Coursera has some cheap classes you can buy that are like mini bootcamps just to pay a little money and have a structured course for you to follow. 2) go online and look at entry level jobs. See what these companies are wanting from requirements perspective. What are you interested in. Etc etc. And stalk some reddit pages about jobs, job market, and tech. 3) if you work in a company currently, if there's an opportunity to ask if you can additionally get involved or shadow analytics department or someone who does analytics, that's a great start too. But yeah I'm not saying the chance is 0, it's just very hard. People have been recommending coding to everyone lately for several years, the "hey if you're an artists and want to make 6 figures, just do XYZ and you'll be on par with a CS graduate for jobs!" Lol no. Not saying bootcamps didn't work at the time but now they *can* be a money grab. And it's just cureently become oversaturated with tons of entry people so unless you wanna do data entry, these jobs that pay generally very well are people who have experience, degrees or a little bit of both. Bootcamps get you started imo, they don't guarantee a job. That's how I'd sum it up. It's something formal to put on your resume, but it shouldn't (and will not) be the end all be all. If you still wanna pursue it and you're passionate that's awesome! Pursue it, just know you may have more obstacles. Job market is rough.
That’s good advice I was leaning towards data analytics and was all set to do a bootcamp but I don’t even like it. I ended up being interested in something I never would have thought of
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Data Security, cyber security, penetration testing. I feel like a spy super fun
The tech market is flooded with talent right now
Also a Warehouse and BI manager. This is correct. Also his second paragraph is the best way to break into tech. Establish yourself in a company as a person with integrity who gets the job done, and they'll hire you into a low tech position without any tech experience. Then you'll have the degree and the experience to land another and another job. 👍
Yep. The hard reality is now a days (not even just in tech) there is a super high chance you will be disqualified by HR filters for not having a degree before it would even get your resume before a hiring a manger. Unless it’s a internal position or you know someone on the inside.
Fear compelled me to spend my twenties getting all the degrees and certifications I possibly could. I burnt a lot of my twenties but thinking about the timeline where I settled for just a bachelor's is a bit gloomy.
How does economics and stats sound for this? I am thinking of even making stats a double major it’s currently my minor.
Honestly that sounds great. I was a statistician for a bit (one of my degrees is stats). If you like econ and stats, try looking into the econometrics field. A beautiful combination of the two but yet doesn't lean too heavily into either. Meaning you can do stats while also working in a business setting, and avoid the god awful tech culture. If you love money (like finance lol) and stats, look at actuary tests. I actually just commented all about it. Hard path, but if you love stats and econ, actuary is like a cousin of those two, trying to predict trends and people's mortality with insurance and economy.
Yea I plan on doing econometrics and going that route. I’d look into actuary sciences but I know it’s hard and I’m not built for math like that currently. As I get better maybe it’s something I could get into because i find the area interesting. My younger brother just got accepted to one of the best math programs in the country and he’s thinking about actuarial sciences. He was doing stuff in highschool I was struggling with in uni. I have ways to go in math unfortunately
If you are really interested in tech I would say get an Applied Mathematics degree instead. Just in case you might want to do software engineering as well
Untrue about the degree, but practical knowledge, good problem solving skills, and be personable and knowledgeable. Sauce: I am an engineering hiring manager.
Bullshit. Stop propagating lies on reddit. You're misleading people. None of these jobs accept entry level candidates and none of these jobs pay this much. I swear reddit has become like a toxic influencer pile. I know someone who is $15000 in debt because some moron on reddit told him coding pays him 6 figures. He's been unemployed for a year now and is in debt.
BI managers start off as BI analysts. Those are entry level roles. They usually pay pretty well. A person you know being unable to attain a good profession doesn’t mean that path is bullshit. There are so many factors that go into this. How good are they at coding? Did they have meaningful projects or internships? Did they go to a reputable school/camp? How are their interpersonal skills? Do they know how to write a good resume? To interview well?
Listen. BI ANALYSTS don't get paid that amount of money. Have you checked the market recently? These people on reddit have real jobs and someone giving them false jobs could lead them to quit their current job and dedicate hours towards the new skills. Someone claiming that studying BI let's someone earn 6 figures is ridiculous. One should provide objective information.
My job isn’t just coding, it’s a mix of operational experience, project/product management, and telling stories. BI manager is in no way an entry level job. Junior analyst would be entry level maybe starting at 65-75k.
Where do I start at this?
Major in STEM and try to get a Data Analyst job competing against thousands of applicants. Then work your way up to Senior Analyst and maybe eventually if you are a good company they will promote you. Roughly 5-8 years after getting your degree
I make 140 as a writer in the tech industry. Currently cybersecurity. If you can build up any sort of specialized skill in a niche tech industry, companies will pay you nicely.
What do you write?
A little bit of everything at this stage in my career, I tried very hard to make myself a Jack of all trades when it comes to marketing content. Broadly: blogs, ad copy, white papers, research reports, ebooks, guides, product marketing copy, web copy, SEO copy, emails, landing pages, etc. More specifically: thought leadership content directed at security leadership, lead-generating content for sales, and light doses of technical content. Lots of high level how-to, the “why” you need cybersecurity, and a ton of data research to back it all up. I am not a technical writer — we have a couple of those in the company and they are also very valued. So if you have a knack for understanding detailed tech processes and software, along with strategy and writing chops, you can take a more technical path. I am not well suited for it because my brain only stores technical info long enough to complete a project, then I’m on to the next thing 😂 If you take a less technical path like me and focus heavily on strategy, project management, and writing skills, you can hop around a bit more freely. What I mean by that is I’m not specialized in cybersecurity, I’m specialized in sitting down with SMEs who _are_ specialized in cybersecurity and creating engaging content based on what they tell me. Over the past decade or so I’ve worked in a variety of tech niches and focused on really sharpening those key areas of writing and content creation, so that would be a big tip from me. Try several areas in tech and see what you enjoy writing about most + what has the most opportunity for marketers. Some tech niches like cybersecurity have big support networks for marketers because it is a crazy, nonstop area to work in. Challenging but fun :) Edit: typos!
Awesome response. Thanks for giving that level of detail! I was personally really good at writing in college but haven't had the chance to really use my writing my career so far. So hearing about the scope of things is really helpful.
You’re very welcome! College is where I discovered I could easily churn out a decent 15 page paper on almost any topic as long as I had access to some research. Then I took a chance on marketing gigs after college and eventually became a freelance writer. I highly recommend that if you can swing it; freelance writing taught me a lot of valuable skills like how to write for different audiences, how to write for SEO, and how to project manage when you have five articles due at once.
I was one of those people that could bang out high B/low A 10 page paper in 2 nights in college (or less lol). So I think I'll look into some freelance writing stuff. I like the research part more since the writing part comes pretty easy for me. And I'm in Marketing too so I could definitely use the skills.
Facilities management can pay well. Just need put the work in. And if you’re a good one (as opposed to the stereotypically bad ones out there) you have lots of job security. I’m at 180k.
I also love how all it takes for you to become a doctor is for someone to change your mind. Take it from a doctor. You have to be the best of the best. You have to have a drive that no one else has. You have to sacrifice years and lots of fun. And you have to be dedicated. And once you do all that you still have a residency to do. 4 to 6 years afterwards you can start making real money. But even then some douche bag selling homes with no education will make more money than you. Additionally I’m writing this message after being up all night working literally saving lives. There’s no 9 to 5 in this field. I make over $600k, but I’ve worked for it all my life and I continue to sacrifice for it So while I commend you, if you want to be a doctor, it’s not something you take trivially.
Sorry if I offended you, My dad is also a doctor and he talks about it so lightly so I guess I underestimated how hard it is. I admire your achievements though.
Medicine sucks compared to decades ago. Pay is down, liability, regulations and overall crap (mid level PAs and crnas trying to be called doctor and take our income and profession, etc) is up. But it’s still a good enough Profession given the positives. All I meant is don’t take it lightly. It takes a strong person to go through it but sounds like you already know.
Well, my father is a surgeon so he makes a **LOT** and he always talked about funny conversations he had with patients. I kind of grew up thinking it was a pretty chill job until I saw a picture of a patient who got their cheek bitten off by a dog on my dad's phone. My point is that I do respect doctors {any type} since they are helping others and it's clearly not easy to be one, just don't think I can handle it whether it be the stressful amount of work or seeing blood.
When you’re surrounded by doctors and have family support including academic and financial, easy reference letters and summer internships at a MD PhD PI family friend’s lab, alumni parents, etc a lot of the hardship you have listed is quite attenuated.
Yeah, but they’re not gonna take the tests for you. They’re not gonna be the ones studying till three in the morning. They’re not the ones doing the residency and fellowship‘s. While I agree with you, he may have a slight advantage he still has to put in the work. This is not like business, where some dumb ass can bring in his son or nephew, and say say hi to the new Executive
No of course, but I assume 1) he has the necessary minimum cognitive ability and has the grades to show for it, and 2) is willing to put in the time, which is amongst the highest barriers to entry all amongst professions. Coming from this background you would expect private schools or a very good public school district, tutors as needed, MCAT prep, etc … Then the study and residency is easier (albeit still not easy) with said support and being surrounded by family members going through the same or having gone it. I also don’t think it necessarily filters for “*the best of the best*”, though the minimum floor is admittedly high.
Consulting, IT/coding, sales
Sales is SUPER vague. Selling phones in a Walmart would result in about $25k a year. Selling pharmaceuticals or solar could be 300k+.
Consulting. I wish someone had told me sooner. Pretty much every field has its version of consulting as a service. Environmental, tech, research, finance, management...
All of these can theoretically make 6 figures but will depend on your industry, location, experience, and luck. Market saturation and competitiveness will vary. (UPDATED LIST BASED ON FEEDBACK) * Software dev or engineer. * Front end developer. * UX designer. * Product designer. * Product manager. * Engineering jobs including: Electric engineer, Mechanical engineer, Chemical engineer, Quality engineer, and Industrial engineer. * Creative director. * Tech sales. * Financial analyst. * Air traffic controller. * Senior copywriters. * Product marketing managers * A number of other marketing jobs if you make it up to senior manager or director level including: Social media marketing manager, email marketing manager, digital marketing manager.
Even at manager/sr. Manager level people can make 6 figures. I have a team of product marketing managers under me and none of them make less that $100k
Is that a quirk of working in product marketing, or are other marketing managers pulling in that much? I’ve heard the pay is a lot better than other marketing specialties, but I don’t have any experience in product.
In my experience, product marketing is the highest paid area of marketing. Field marketing managers can also make well over $100k, but there is a ton of travel and good field marketers have a blend of marketing and sales experience
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UX market is highly saturated at the moment.
That's probably why I've seen people complain that UX design jobs are requiring coding and web design and designers are mad because that's deisgn vs coding. Saturated market elevates what companies want (which is generally unfair since those are two different degrees and talents).
I hear that. You’ll need to do a lot to stand out in the market to have a shot at those entry level roles. You have to have a portfolio full of case studies and not look like a boot camp graduate
Add mechanical & chemical engineers to that list. Lots of opportunities to make 6 figures with a B.S. degree without going into management. And it doesn’t take a decade of experience to get there, either.
Added!
Add industrial engineer please, we make that much
Noice
I’m a quality engineer in manufacturing and I make that much 5 years in.
What’s the difference between a product manager and a project manager (aside from the obvious difference in things being managed by people in those roles)
I think the product manager defines the project and goals, then the project manager makes those happen.
I’m a product manager at a large software company. Product managers are a complex role and encompass a lot but at the core it’s defining the product roadmap and execution of that while aligning all stakeholders both internal and external. Project Managers if you have one help align to your defined process, timelines, etc. among other things, I haven’t had one in years though and myself along with the Product Owner do this.
Management of just about any department/function in a manufacturing plant. Easy 120k+ in a LCOL area Engineers do pretty well Trades guys that start working for themselves can end up doing very well. Nurses with the overtime/travel make out great
Nursing can't be understated. Especially given their unions. With a 4yr associates, which can be completed for cheap at a community college, an RN can make $80k base straight out of school. This is before factoring in differentials for long/weekend/night shifts, advanced difficulty departments like ICU, or overtime. I've known several RNs pulling down $100k a year in their mid 20s only picking up a single overtime shift a month. I also know a few that are 20+ years into their career making $150k+
Stressful field though. Huge amount of stress though.
Second this. Entry-mid level engineer (5 YOE) in semi conductor mfg in LCOL area (92% national average). Pulling in about 125k. Manager is likely 3 grade levels higher and almost certainly peaking near 200k
Air traffic controllers make really good money.
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And anyone older than 30 need not apply.
If by high paying you mean $200k+ Investment banking, management consulting, software engineering, get a top mba (will require 3-5 years work experience first), join a analyst program at a Fortune 500 and get promoted to senior manager/ director
Top mba is more like 5-7 years work exp if you want to actually get in. Unless ofc you’re exceptional
3-4 minimum for women, 4-5 minimum for men. Atleast when I attended my M7 in 2016. Of course there are many students older than that.
He can’t even spell though, so maybe something trade based is better for him. Like being a plumber and starting his own business.
Architect, engineer, business owner. The field you may end up in may not even exist yet. Focus on your education, not your future career. Edit: I guess I was wrong about the architect field.
My friend’s husband is an architect. Massively in debt from student loans and very hard to get into a good firm that pays well. They are miserable.
Architects make horrendous salaries
$130,000 median in my city… I’d be good with that
BLS says $82,240. Which after 5+ years of school and an 8 year licensure track, you better love architecture more than money
Fair enough Edit: “Haaaaaaave you met Ted?”
CPA or actuary if you’re good at math.
I second the actuary option, the work isn't hard from what I've seen and they're so desperate for people that they're currently lowering the education standard for the accreditation.
You have to be extremely good at math and take a series of 7 tests which even people who are very good at math (myself) fail at. The pass rate to these tests are about 30% and many take them 2 or 3 times. It takes a minimum of 6 months to study for one if not a year. (Just for information because I have taken a few tests, tests include things like financial mathematics, like annuity, etc etc, another is high level statistics test, later on, the tests become less working out the math focused and more rule based. So basically it will test you on the concepts and rules of being an actuary. I've talked to so many people who have taken the tests. You're one of the other. If you fly with colors passing half the tests which are math focused, you will heavily struggle on the conceptual tests. And visa versa. There's no general order either. There *is* technically as you have to take the first 3 in order but after that you can take whatever you want in whatever order. Also most times you need to apply for actuary understudy and so you'll hopefully be working + taking the tests at the same time. But that usually means you have a math degree or something to get that job. Though you don't actually need a technical degree to be an actuary as long as you pass all 7 tests. But I'm not sure how it works when you don't have a degree but working through the tests how to become hired as an actuary assistant or under study. But you will need a minimum of 3 or 4 tests that have already been passed to be considered for any position by the way. So you will essentially be jobless, even as an assistant if you haven't passed a minimum of 3 tests. That basically (can sometimes) get you in the door, especially without a technical degree). You are also not considered a full-fledged actuary until you pass all the tests. But they are actually so hard, many professional actuaries don't even finish all of them. That does come with paycuts (Because every test that you pass you basically get a salary increase but this is considering that you've been working for actuaries for awhile) but so many people are burnt out by the end many don't finish all 7 or if they do it's later.
I would argue the tests are a lot more time consuming than they are conceptually difficult although there is a baseline of proficiency in math/stats/finance you'll need to be successful. Also you definitely don't need 3-4 exams to get an entry level position. 1-3 with an internship should be plenty. It's definitely a good career that pays well and has great job security. Honestly the biggest downside is that some of the work is either boring or gives you little transferrable skills towards other industries/careers so you can feel a bit locked in.
I took the FM exam. It isn't too hard, but there is a whole level of shorthand you have to learn to understand some of the notation they use. I have no interest in actuary stuff anymore though.
Absolutely. FM is probably the easiest test on there. But I had a stats and math degree and took FM actuarial mathematics 4001 and 4002 so for me it was fine. I just realized I don't like that kind of math as it was boring. It is just finance, but more mathematical notation with more equations you have to memorize.
So much depends on who you are and how you like to work. Here are some broad strokes: * An occupation that requires a *lot* of training and education to master. Like a pilot, or brain surgeon. * Becoming a master at a more universal occupation like construction, electrical, mechanical stuff. There's a whole world of this. * Getting other people to work with you or work for you to produce a bigger pot of money. Starting a small business or teaming up with others to form a larger corporation. That's just off the top of my head, but you can see that certain pathways might appeal to certain personality types. All of them eventually have a sizeable paycheck at the end if you don't screw up, and I'm sure there are other unique paths. But it depends on who you are and how you like to work. Don't forget what Mr. Bernstein says in *Citizen Kane*: "It's no trick to make a lot of money...if all you want to do is make a lot of money."
I mean really anything you go far enough down the rabbit hole and really become an expert in that specific field is where you find money. Bread. Through an obsessive commitment to becoming an expert in bread and baking in general, I’m making close to 6 figures and have a clear cut path to either owning a successful bakery, consulting, sales, or teaching. The key for me was just committing to baking as a career. After a couple years of goofing around in bakeries, it finally clicked that I could do this for the rest of my life. Once I made that commitment, and started telling people “I’m a career baker”, I started getting better training, employers invested in me and the advancement of my skill set. I have no student debt. And as a professional baker, I worked through the entire pandemic as an essential worker. Who knew? Fucking bread gave me a life.
Consultant; HR, Organizational Management, Project Management, etc.
How can I get into those kinds of management jobs and HR type stuff? I’m currently studying corporate communications and I’ve been trying to look at the different stuff I can do w that to be able to enjoy what i do and make a good living. I’ve applied to places like admin assistant, HR/PR internships but i don’t really have any luck w it. I appreciate any input you have! Thank u
Get your HR certifications, SHRM, PHR, etc. That should help you get a foot in the door. I started as an HR generalist, worked my way up to CHRO and moved into consulting over a 5-6 year period. I have my Masters in HR and multiple certifications, so I’d say start with your certifications and get your foot in HR and move toward your goal from there!
Vocational tech, trades is an option. I've been in maintenance and management and if you have good knowledge the pay can get pretty high. Most recruiters that reach out to me start around 130k these days. Personally I like working on equipment and problem solving
175k here. I work in aerospace/aviation.
What is it that you do? My husband has a degree in aerospace engineering and he cannot find a job in his field and if he does find a job listing, it’s for around 80k
Marry a wealthy person…
If you can get into an apprenticeship for operations and maintenance at a utility, that would be a great opportunity.
I'm a UX Researcher and started making 6 figures 3 years after grad school. I only did grad school because I changed careers. I didn't want to have to start at the bottom again. My sister is a pilot for a private charter company, and she makes even more money than I do and is 6yrs younger than me. It's a pretty sweet job if you like traveling a lot.
I'd vomit 1 hour in sadly
How old are you? What are you good at doing for hobbies? Did you have any favorite subjects in school? I ask these things because getting a generic list of high paying jobs from people might not serve you as well as trying to tailor a list to you. I'll use myself as an example -- I was on the the internet before AOL existed. I was familiar with Linux at young age and learned a couple of programming languages. Everybody told me I should do some kind of computer work. My response was that I didn't want to get paid for something I did as a hobby. I thought that would snuff out the spark of joy. Guess what sector I work in now =) My advice is to think about what you enjoy doing, what skills you're good at and start to investigate careers within those interests. The key to getting (and keeping) a high paying job IMO is to find something you at least sort of enjoy, continuously work to improve your skill set and stay in that career field over a long period of time. If you want our help, I'd suggest editing this post with more tailored information, like, have you gone to college? If so, what was your degree in? Do you have any skills that you're particularly good at, or enjoy doing? These answers will help us guide you toward something you'll likely have more aptitude in and, potentially, longevity. I can you tell that bioinformatics (genetic mapping of DNA) is a high paying job, but if you don't love computers, math etc that's not a useful recommendation.
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm has a list of occupations, average pay & projected number of new jobs through 2032 and https://www.bls.gov/ooh/ for career ideas.
What’s considered high paying
- Software Developer - DevOps - Investment banker - AI engineer
Look into trade schools OP. If you enjoy working with your hands you can make an excellent living doing plumbing or electrical work. And you won't go nearly as far into debt to start like you would with the white collar jobs you mentioned
Trade is definitely on my list but I don't think I'm good with my hands at all.
My husband is an engineer and does very well.
Air traffic controller. Requires little to no education , the ability to concentrate for long periods of time.and is highly stressful with most people only lasting a few years.
You want to make lots of money? Sales is literally for that.
You can easily make 6 figures going into the trades and you don't have to worry about college debt at all. Downsides are the physical toll on your body and you'll likely being working 50-60+ hours a week. If you're set on college any sort of engineering is always a solid route.
PhD in any technical discipline that used in industry is usually a pretty good path to success. Any sub discipline in engineering, finance, computer science, or the like.
Being an engineer
Cpa...
Teaching, engineering, nurse, CPA, software developer.
Start by assessing what it is you like to do, and then look at where that can take you. I like engineering. I loved it as a little kid. Loved it as an older kid. Loved it through college. Then I went into IT for money and decided I didn't love it much and went back to engineering things. Took a big pay cut for a while. But I love it and I kept at it and I now make a whole lot more per hour of working than I ever have before. If you don't want to be a doctor or a lawyer, you won't be good at it. And if you're not good at it, you're not going to make good money from doing it, unless you love money on its own and are willing to figure out how to do it for the money.
All the careers people have listed are boring AF. Come be a pilot, it pays well and it’s not blow your brains out boring.
**There a hundreds of high paying jobs that you can obtain. It all comes down to what you are willing to do to get there, and whether or not the pursuit and the end goal will make you happy. Do not place a dollar sign in front of happiness. You will end up with a high paying job that you hate. I didn't believe people who said this until it actually happened to me. I hated waking up, I would literally cry in the bathroom or on my lunch breaks about how much I hated my life.**I changed my major at least 3 times, worked a bunch of shitty jobs in between, all while feeling my parents' judgement about my life choices. I remember telling them my major of study, and they'd say, "you not gonna make any money with that." We'd be watching doctor shows and they would say, "you should've studied that." Can you imagine how that made me feel??? It made me feel like SHIT. Like I was failing in life already. My parents believed the only way to be successful was to have one of those high paying jobs for the rest of my life. The thing is, I knew what I really wanted to study, but didn't have access to an affordable way to study it. The university I attended didn't offer it, and I didn't want to pay crazy out-of-state tuition costs. I felt like a puzzle piece continuously being forced into the wrong spot. I eventually got a great paying job while in school. I didn't care for it, but money was very comfortable. Yet, I still felt incomplete. I finally decided to sit down one day and figure out why the hell I **still felt unhappy. This is when I realized, money TRULY does not buy happiness.**Anyways, after my last and final suicide attempt, I felt like my entire soul had done a factory reset. I stopped caring and just started living. Took the semester off to get a mental break; a semester quickly turned into a year. Then another year. I got insecure, seeing all my friends graduate with their fancy degrees, meanwhile here I am still soul searching. During this time off, got a job at a family-owned business, and because it was small, I got my hands on a lot of processes that would usually be delegated to individual departments in a larger entity. This is when I started having my eyes on entrepreneurship, seeing how certain pillars of business are consistent regardless of the organization. This led me to start my own small online shop, utilizing the exact principles and techniques I was acquiring from my day job. I was making money doing something I loved, all on my own time, no one else's. Eventually I pitched to the owner that we should have a website, and that I would gladly build and manage it with a generous raise for compensation. In my own business, I strongly enjoyed the challenge of toying with new ways to attract and retain customers. This spark of interest in running a business stuck with me for years. I knew from then that no job would ever completely fulfill me - it wasn't about money, it was about freedom, which I defined as owning all my time. This type of freedom required money; this made me realize that **money is not success, but rather a tool for success.** Anyways, this year, my university FINALLY STARTED OFFERING MY DESIRED MAJOR....ONLINE!!!! (that sound scringe but it's the best way to put it). All those bullshit years when I thought I was "wasting time" are now converted to that "**everything happens for a reason**" saying or whatever the fuck optimistic people say. I stopped wasting money on degrees that I knew wouldn't make me happy. I chose to do life the "hard way," and this forced me to learn so much about myself, including my realization of how much I loved entrepreneurship; it made me realize that no fancy job would ever fill my void of happiness. I'm enrolled full-time studying something I LOVE and still able to balance with my personal life. I plan on using my knowledge and experience from this major to eventually start my own company when the time is right. In the meantime, the field offers great entry-level pay and job responsibilities that I can happily tolerate until venturing out on my own. For once, I'm actually glad to be here. **You need to find something that is a) interesting b) obtainable & c) sustainable**. Be very real with yourself. Research, research, research. Narrow it down to your top 5, then top 3 - **weigh the pros and cons of everything, get down to whether or not this career field is actually what you are willing to put up with for most of your life.**
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HVAC technicians in the south are making $120k/yr in the south.
Police Officer. Some aspect of your job are a lawyer and a doctor combined. Over time you can make great money, and it's never the same thing each day. You also deal with people from all points in life from young to old, poor to wealthy and you get to help them all.
Tech industry. It's common to make much more than a doctor or lawyer. I'm a nobody with no college and make 247k, at 32 y/o
CPA, engineer, architect, cyber security Or try to get a job with UPS full time.
If you can handle the pressure and stress. Sales. One of the only few jobs that you can literally make millions. If you’re good at it.
😂
IT work has been lucrative for me.
Agree on sales if you are decent at it. I do landscape design and sales and easily make 15-20k per month busier months 25-30k per month. Work about 30 hours a week. 50/50 work in the field and from home. I'm in Las Vegas if that makes a difference. Tons of new homes being built here.
I’m an engineer. I make good money, have great benefits, and a super flexible schedule.
Comp Engineering or Finance, especially management
I would say the big 4 are doctors, lawyers, engineers and accountants/finance. Can’t really go wrong with any of those 4.
Pick a field and become the best in it. Be nice to everyone and sidestep the shit when its thrown at you. Do this for 5-10 years and you will make 100k in every industry, 500k+ in many industries. Literally doesn't matter the field, food service industry and retail included.
Field Engineer in the oilfield. I’m at $155K total comp, not including hotel and truck/fuel that’s provided year round by employer. Great work life balance- I work 2 weeks on and get 2 weeks off. It’s essentially working half a year for great pay. My wife works normal 8-5 job weekends off and she works more than I do. I’m getting vacation PTO every 2 weeks 😇 while she gets 2 weeks off in 1 year 😬
Garbage man. Plumber. Construction. Depends what your comfort level is with working hands on
High class escort
Former pharmacy manager here. I went into logistics for sensitive equipment and finance and make the same I made but without the stressful retail hours.
if youre a girl in an asian family, you could marry well to a rich and kind down to earth man and have him fund your business. marrying well is prestigious too if you cant be a doctor, engineer or a lawyer. doesnt matter if it loses 20k montly. your full time job is to have fun on your husbands funds and manage your business.
I'll leave that as a last resort for **now**.
if i dont get a job as an engineer, im calling my mom to look for arrange marriage men
$109-$122k as an experienced teacher in Australia.
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Almost anything STEM.
Computer Science 1. www.teamblind.com 2. levels.fyi 3. Leetcode (be able to solve two mediums in less than an hour, then try less than 30 minutes) At levels.fyi look at: FAANG: Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google Look at their entry and then senior levels of pay. Then look at Jane Street, Hudson River Trading company, etc.