How many times have you looked at a friend, family member or acquaintance and thought about how lucky they are to have the career they have? The reality is that, while some luck may have helped spur them on toward a successful career, they may have just chosen a fitting career path that’s in high demand.
While it’s true that certain careers require special education and training before you can start, there are many in-demand careers with great salaries that employers are struggling to fill with qualified candidates. Some you may even be able to walk into without investing in a new degree.
Here, we’ll take a look at five possible career paths that can lead you to the success you dream about. If you see one that fits your skills, don’t hesitate. Start applying.
1. Project Management
As a professional Project Manager, your job will be to lead company projects from inception to execution. With a median base salary of over $75,000 per year, you’ll be well-rewarded for your efforts.
Some common project management tasks include:
- Setting timelines
- Managing budgets
- Delegating daily tasks
- Serving as a liaison between teams
For this position, a college degree is not always required. However, many Project Managers have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in business. The highest paid also attain Project Management Professional certifications as well.
2. Physician’s Assistant
If you’re interested in the medical field and in helping other people, but aren’t interested in attending med school, working as a Physician’s Assistant might be a great option.
With a median base salary of over $93,000 per year, you’ll be thrilled with each paycheck you bring home.
A Physician’s Assistant performs many of the same tasks that a doctor does, including:
- Writing prescriptions
- Examining and diagnosing patients
- Performing procedures (under the supervision of physicians)
Unlike doctors, however, as a Physician’s Assistant, you’ll only be required to attend a two-year graduate program to be licensed.
3. Software Engineer
No list of successful career paths would be complete without mentioning Software Engineers. With a median base salary of over $103,000 per year, there’s a good reason for that.
Never before in human history have things like computers, smartphones and the internet been so important in people’s daily lives. Because of this, thousands of companies need loads of talented people to develop the most cutting-edge technologies available on the market.
Highly skilled Software Engineers can be hard for companies to find. This career will only continue to grow as time goes on, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting a 24% job growth by 2026.
4. Marketing Manager
Marketing Managers play a role that’s part science and part art. They’re able to leverage both analytical and creative skills in a way that successfully promotes a business’s products and services.
The median base salary for Marketing Managers exceeds $81,000 per year. This will definitely keep your bills paid, with money to spare.
No two positions in the field of marketing management are exactly the same. But given the overwhelming abundance of fields that need professional marketers, you’re sure to find one that suits your skills.
You’ll find the need for marketing managers in the fields of social media, digital advertising, email marketing and inbound marketing, just to name a few.
5. Court Reporter
As a Court Reporter, you create exact word-for-word transcriptions during legal proceedings such as depositions or trials. The majority of Court Reporters work in legislatures or courtrooms, although some are able to do their job from home or a central office by watching live broadcasts of proceedings.
The median annual salary of a Court Reporter is around $58,000. That’s not a bad wage for doing nothing but transcribing what’s being said.
Most technical colleges or community colleges offer post-secondary certificate programs for people who want to become Court Reports. After that, you’ll get several weeks of on-the-job training before attaining a state license or certification from a professional association.
For trained Court Reporters, Seattle is a great location. The growth rate of Court Reporters is expected to grow by nearly 10% over the next five years. Court Reporters with training and experience in helping the deaf and hard of hearing, such as real-time captioning experience, will be the most in-demand.
Success Is at Your Fingertips
Don’t feel like you need to stay stuck in a dead-end job. There are many career opportunities available to you that can lead you to a new level of success. These five options are a great place to begin.
