When you’re looking to change careers, getting started in a new field is intimidating. You don’t have the same experience as others who have been working in the industries you’re interested in, and you may not have the financial means to go back to college.
Fortunately, there are some careers that are high-paying and not too difficult to shift into if you’ve been looking to change up your game at work. Here are five jobs that are high-paying and great for career changers looking to spice up their wages and job security.
Dental or Orthodontist Assistant
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, the job outlook for dental assistants and orthodontic assistants is projected to increase substantially compared to other careers. By 2028, employment projections are expected to jump by 11% with a demand for 38,700 dental assistants. Considering some 4 million Americans wear braces and every American needs dental care, these job projections aren’t likely to decline anytime soon.
A shift toward the dental industry is great for career changers who are willing to go back to school. You need a high school diploma, GED, or CPR certification to enter a dental assisting training program. From there, you can either get a two-year associate’s degree program in orthodontics assisting or complete a one-year dental assisting certificate.
Data scientist
Data science is a high-paying job that offers a national salary average of up to $118,000 and a minimum salary average of $76,000. Data science is an interdisciplinary field, which makes it ideal for career changers. Data science uses math and science, computer science and IT, and business knowledge to extract insights and knowledge from structured and unstructured data.
According to Harvard Business Review, data scientists perform data analytics and online experiments to help their employers achieve sustainable growth for the company. About 94% of business enterprises rely on cloud services to streamline their business. Data scientists also help businesses understand their customers better to help the business make better decisions. For instance, research shows that our attention span for digital tasks is only 40 seconds. Data scientists can help to build machine learning pipelines to improve a business’s infrastructure and testing for a better user experience.
HVAC technician
If you’re looking for a high-paying job that isn’t due to lose out to automation anytime soon, consider becoming an HVAC technician. As long as there are extremes in weather and temperature, there will always be a need for heating and cooling. It’s important to note that while an HVAC technician pays well with an average salary of $65,200, it does require a little more education. You’ll need to complete a training program pursue apprenticeships to obtain experience, get a state license, get certified, and complete an additional degree program.
Metal fabricator
Metal fabrication is the creation of metal structures using assembling, bending, and cutting processes. Metal fabrication is important because it turns raw materials into the parts we need to create machines and infrastructure. If you’re interested in blue-collar, construction jobs, metal fabrication is a great career to turn to. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the metal fabrication industry is projected to add approximately 12,000 jobs over the next 10 years. Metal fabricators can receive on-the-job training for entry-level positions, too, with opportunities for advancement into specialized work.
Social media manager
If working digitally is more your style, consider becoming a social media manager. Social media is a relatively new industry, but it’s an essential part of digital marketing and the success of a modern business. Social media managers use Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media sites to tell compelling stories and build brand identity using social media strategies to engage online audiences. Social media managers can make good money, earning salaries in major markets up to six figures. However, to break into the industry, you’ll need to step up your social media game and make sure your personal social accounts are on point.