If you feel financially helpless, you can improve your situation without making an extreme vocational change.
Some of these conventional careers require less schooling than if you decided to enter a field unrelated to your prior experience.
1. Bank Teller
Why Become a Bank Teller?
You could live comfortably on the $27, 893-$44,740 per year that a bank teller could make, especially if single.
If married or with one child, this still could provide you substantial income for your household as of 2021.
It’s also an excellent career opportunity that only requires about six months of training after high school graduation.
If you have good credit and pass a background check, you might even get hired immediately and could work on your certification while already employed.
That depends on the standards of the institution for which you apply.
| Bank Teller Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $47,830 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $23.00 |
| Education | 0-6 Months |
| Outlook | -8.3% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Bank Teller
2. Air Traffic Controller
Why Become an Air Traffic Controller?
It’s a viable career choice for you if you always wanted to become a pilot but circumstances prohibit you from flying.
In addition, it offers you a step toward your dream of flying planes.
This job offers exceptional pay at more than $120,000 per year.
That’s about what a doctor makes for only about half the amount of schooling required.
There’s a slight outlook increase for this career at approximately 3.6 percent, so that’s promising for this high-paying position.
| Air Traffic Controller Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $127,920 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $61.50 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 3.6% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become an Air Traffic Controller
3. Receptionist
Why Become a Receptionist?
You can make money just by talking to people.
It’s an excellent entry-level occupation for you if you intend on pursuing any type of office or administrative career.
It will be a stepping stone to become an office manager, or you could even end up on an executive team someday after starting out as a receptionist.
Some reports say that this requires more than four years of education.
However, you can find phone answering jobs where you would make about $15 per hour.
These positions typically come with health benefits and paid time off.
If you gain this experience, it could open you up to higher-paying jobs in the future.
| Receptionist Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $32,910 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $15.82 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 9.1% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Receptionist
4. Emergency Dispatcher
Why Become an Emergency Dispatcher?
Perhaps you want to help people and intend to pursue a medical career.
Although it’s unfortunate to have emergencies that cause injury or death, this position would probably provide more excitement than an average phone answering job.
Besides, you can start after only about one year of schooling and make about $44,00 a year, depending on your prior experience.
| Emergency Dispatcher Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $47,030 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $22.61 |
| Education | 0-1 Year |
| Outlook | 6% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become an Emergency Dispatcher
5. Court Reporter
Why Become a Court Reporter?
For the amount of training at only one or two years, earning more than $62,000 per year seems worth it.
Besides, predictions indicate that the need for people employed in this occupation will increase by about 3-6 percent within the next 10 years.
Becoming a court reporter would suit you if you have a passion for the law.
It also might provide you with an easy transition from an otherwise boring secretary (administrative assistant) job.
| Court Reporter Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $65,240 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $31.36 |
| Education | 1-2 Years |
| Outlook | 3.6% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Court Reporter
6. Purchasing Agent
Why Become a Purchasing Agent?
It would require at least three years of schooling.
However, this career path would fit you if you already work in the wholesale or manufacturing industries.
Perhaps if you’ve ever worked on a production line and moved your way up, this could become the next logical career step.
It also would provide you new opportunities if in the retail industry, but you’d be working on the back end with supply chain management and inventory instead of upfront with customers.
When employed as a purchasing agent, you might feel a sense of power knowing you would have some control over what people would see on store shelves.
Your influence could improve the world by offering better quality food, household goods, and merchandise.
You’d earn about $69,000 or more per year in this position.
| Purchasing Agent Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $72,540 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $34.88 |
| Education | 3-4 Years |
| Outlook | -6% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Purchasing Agent
7. Credit Analyst
Why Become a Credit Analyst?
It’s an opportunity that would make sense to you if you already work in the financial field because it wouldn’t require a drastic career transition.
You can use your bank teller, financial advisor, investment banking, or accountant experience to land a job as a credit analyst.
Helping people who want to become as creditworthy as you will probably thank you for your service to them if you chose this field.
The yearly salary could top more than $84,000 if you have the right education and experience.
| Credit Analyst Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $88,030 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $42.32 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 8.3% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Credit Analyst
8. Travel Agent
Why Become a Travel Agent?
This path could open you up to new exploration opportunities you otherwise could not afford.
It’s a competitive field, however.
The outlook ranges in the negative numbers as of 2021, but you’d have a better chance if employed in the hospitality or travel industry.
You might want to gain some volunteer or paid experience working in different locations, such as national parks or on cruises.
Starting out as a seasonal employee would help you gain the experience you need to be successful in this field.
However, you don’t even have to travel to become a travel agent.
You could also sell vacation packages online from home.
This line of work only requires up to about two years of schooling after high school.
The income might not range as high as other conventional occupations, but you can earn a decent living at more than $40,000 per year.
| Travel Agent Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $46,580 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $22.39 |
| Education | 1-2 Years |
| Outlook | -11.6% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Travel Agent
9. Financial Planner
Why Become a Financial Planner?
If you have strong math skills and excellent credit history, you’d be a perfect fit for this position.
You could become an inspiration for people who feel hopeless about their situations.
People skills also is a plus in this line of work because you’ll have to learn how to have compassion while gently nudging people to stay on budget.
Average pay per year totals more than $45,000, but you can earn more than $95,000 per year in this position.
What’s more, this field has an exceptionally high need outlook increase predicted at about 27 percent.
You could specialize in the type of financing you want to help people with too.
For instance, you might assist people in how to invest in stocks, mutual funds, or other products, or help people improve their credits for us in buying a house and starting a business.
| Financial Planner Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $46,580 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $22.39 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 27% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Financial Planner
10. Web Designer
Why Become a Web Designer?
Becoming a web designer allows artistic people to earn a practical living.
Expect to make more than $82,000 per year after completing about four years of post-secondary training.
However, you don’t have to wait until you have graduated college to secure experience.
You can start out as a freelance designer and build a portfolio.
A college education, however, will give you the skills you need to complete advanced coding jobs.
It’s probably one of the positions that help you earn the most amount of money while working at home.
The need continues to prevail, and the increased outlook for this career path totals about 13 percent.
| Web Designer Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $46,580 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $22.39 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 13% |
Read the full career guide: How to Become a Web Designer
