Let’s face it, whenever you hear somebody talking about making a “career change” it usually involves going back to school or making another large investment in time and money. But what if you could change careers and do something that, while it won’t make you filthy rich, will provide you with a very good income and a solid, dependable new career?
Well, in today’s blog we’ve put together 5 growth industries where you can make a double-digit income without the need to spend a fortune (relatively speaking) developing new skills. One caveat is that these new careers require you to already have a bachelor’s degree (except two) and one of them requires a little bit more schooling but not a lot.
Career Option 1: Bricklayer
The homebuilding industry is one of the biggest in the country and there’s almost always an area of the country where builders are in short supply. Bricklayers and brick masons in particular are needed everywhere and it’s predicted that the need for them will grow by 40% in the next 10 years. In 2011 the median income for bricklayer was just over $45,000 a year. It’s heavy work, no doubt, but in an industry that almost always has a need for good, new people. One good thing is that, after a while, you’ll be in the best shape of your life.
Career Option 2: Dental hygienist
Although you’ll need a specialized associate’s degree to become a dental hygienist, you won’t need 12 years in college, an investment that can be huge. Demand for dental hygienist will grow by 38% in the next 10 years and the median pay is just over $46,000 a year, not bad for working in a nice dentist’s office all day long. One thing’s for sure, there will never be a shortage of work.
Career Option 3: Pharmacy technician
Healthcare related industries are going to grow like crazy in the next 10 to 20 years because of the fact that our population is rapidly getting older. In order to become a pharmacy technician you need only a high school diploma and the median income is just shy of $30,000 a year. Even better, it’s an industry that’s supposed to grow by 32% in the next 10 years.
Career Option 4: Taper
The demand for drywall specialists, including tapers, is going to grow by nearly 30% in the next 10 years. If you enjoy working with your hands and have a high school diploma, you can earn almost $40,000 a year (median) and learn a skill that will allow you to even start your own business in the future. It might not be an elite job but you’d be surprised how many college graduates don’t make $40,000 a year.
Career Option 5: Occupational therapist
For this new career you’ll need to have a bachelor’s degree in some type of healthcare related field. If you’re looking for one of the stronger growth areas in the healthcare industry, occupational therapy is a great bet. It’s expected to increase by almost 35% in the next 10 years and has a median income just over $72,000 a year. Yes, you’ll need a Master’s degree in order to become an occupational therapist but if you’ve already put the time and effort into getting your healthcare bachelor’s degree, it’s not a big stretch. (Pun intended.)
If you’re thinking about making a career change but haven’t made a final decision on what it will be, these five options are certainly available. If you’d like to make a change in the next one or two years, do yourself a favor and research growth industries on a regular basis to stay on top of what’s available as well as what you’ll need to do to prepare for that change.