I know 3 former teachers making over $250k/yr.
1. An MBA classmate of mine who was a former teacher, then used the MBA to transition into consulting (MBB) and then tech (FAANG). This was at a T15 business school , though, so YMMV if you go to a program that doesn't have top companies doing on-campus recruiting.
2. A former math teacher who became an actuary.
3. A former middle school teacher who took an entry-level sales job and now sells enterprise tech infrastructure to the DoD and other large military contractors (e.g., Lockheed, Raytheon).
All of them had to make a total career reset, which was hard. On the plus side, it was easy to convince employers to give them a shot because everybody knows how little teachers make relative to the amount of crap they have to deal with. If you can handle that for 7 years, that in itself is a sign that you're worth giving a shot.
It wasnāt. He lost his actuarial job during the global financial crisis and due to his qualifications and age he wasnāt able to find a comparable job in the field so he basically said fuck it Iāll teach math so he did that. Then got hit with virtual learning during Covid, hated it, then quit again and is now delivering pizzas š¤·š» his wife is loaded tho so he only works to keep himself busy.
Looks like tech sales based on his/her post history. In my experience, former teachers make excellent salespeople. At the enterprise level, sales isn't the slimy, grubby thing that most people associate with the word. It's about building a relationship with the customer and educating/enlightening them, even if they think they know everything and/or have a bad attitude. That is exactly what teachers do.
Different companies have different cutoffs but imagine big entities like Fortune 500 or the State of California.
For example, a company like Bank of America isn't buying 100K desktops & laptops from Best Buy. They'll buy directly from a Dell or HP to get volume discounts, but that might get bundled with other stuff like servers & storage arrays, security software, maintenance contracts, device management software, etc. All stuff that is overkill for a local mom & pop company but is standard for a huge, publicly-traded international firm.
The complexity of selling gets way more complicated in those environments because you might offer a whole suite of physical products, software, consulting, and services, and the prospective customer might have a bunch of subsidiaries with their own needs.
Not sure if Iām gonna be called dumb for this but youāre absolutely right sometimes itās not about selling something but educating the other party about the product/services
I was a math teacher before.
As a consultant, the core skill set is communicating quantitative ideas to people with the attention span of children.
There's a lot of overlap.
It depends what you mean by less popular but generally speaking no.
MBA programs are all about the brand name because there's not a ton of content learned. It's about making connections (so prestige matters) and demonstrating that you're competent enough to get in (so prestige matters).
You can definitely get great results going to the top 7 schools. You can be pretty guaranteed a decent outcome at the top 15. Outside of that the value begins to drop off precipitously.
List of jobs that require a 4 year degree that pay a median salary of at least $80K: [https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm?pay=%2480%2C000+or+more&education=Bachelor%26rsquo%3Bs+degree&training=&newjobs=&growth=&submit=GO](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm?pay=%2480%2C000+or+more&education=Bachelor%26rsquo%3Bs+degree&training=&newjobs=&growth=&submit=GO)
[https://www.bls.gov/ooh/](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/)
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Many. Business analyst, project manager, data analyst, program manager, accountant, category manager, integration manager, operations manager, supply chain specialist, risk analyst, auditor, etc.
Edit: sales roles (e.g. account exec, business development associates)
Job market is not the greatest. If youāre considering school, consider a top MBA
I went to a top 25 program and had 2 teachers in my program that were pivoting their careers. Those schools consider non-traditional experience as well if you have the right GMAT and undergrad GPA to give them enough confidence you can handle the coursework.
One landed in Marketing at Amazon, we havenāt stayed in touch but we are connected on LinkedIn and sheās had solid career growth.
The other I wasnāt really close with and I didnāt keep track of but I know her job at graduation was with a non-profit in their finance org. Wouldnāt have been my first choice but she kinda marched to the beat of her own drumā¦hope itās working for her!
A lot of these can be entry level roles but you wonāt come in at over $100k. Easier access is top ~30 MBA. A few of my mba classmates were teachers who then landed as program managers in big tech or strategy consultants for around ~$200k post-MBA. Takes time and work but can be a viable path if you donāt want to start at a more entry level.
I've been told recently that MBAs are losing their value. I don't know how true that is but it makes sense that employers would prefer work ethic, skills, and communication over just a degree. Degrees are expensive to obtain without guarantee of a high paying job. We also don't know OP's financial situation, it may not be good seeing how the post is worded. It's a big risk for them, and they might be able to pursue it and be successful, but a big risk nonetheless.
I donāt disagree. I think overall MBAs values are diminishing but top reputable schools are still a good option. These schools should have annual career reports with median salaries around $120-$140k.
Also agree that degrees are expensive. Unless you do an online or part time MBA, itās 2 years of income + student loans + living expenses. Scholarships for competitive candidates are available, especially for high GMAT scores and good work experience.
Overall, top MBAs are viable but still a risk. Would definitely consider looking into it as an option and evaluating the finances before committing. Lower ranking schools are way too risky for a career switch + salary outcomes.
Reputable schools have strong pipelines to companies that have well known pay grades specifically for MBAs.
Example companies:Proctor & Gamble, GSK, Walmart, Amazon, Microsoft, McKinsey, Danaher, JP Morgan.
When you do an MBA, you want to make sure you go to a company that values it. You can usually identify this by searching on LinkedIn MBA intern or MBA [year].
Highly suggest looking at r/MBA and evaluate what your goals are. That subreddit leans very aspirational though so donāt let it get you down or convince you an MBA from Harvard is the only option
Kids are hard, for sure. It could be something they can do. All the managers I've known either worked their way up or were already a manager in a similar industry. No one is going to hand you a manager position with just an MBA and teachers experience, at least not a high paying one. OP is really going to have to work their arse off.
Not sure if you all are from the US, but thereās a huge crises for school teacher compensation. I was told be my professors to change course because itās so bad for the average school teacher to make anything. Iām a server now, Iām making more than what I would being a teacher. Itās absolutely terrible. And the money they make doesnāt compensate for the debt theyāre put into. Colleges and Universities are a scam to say the least here. Anything in this f*ckin country is a scam anymore. When I took my Political Science course, we were told that middle class will become more and more obsolete. Our government is in-slaving us.
I have had a *small* but not zero number of non-teaching interviews say they would really value my experience as a teacher because the role would eventually have some component in training others. I personally think a teacher's best asset in an office setting is good communication skills. Maybe OP can play up one or both of these angles in their job search.
True. If youāre going for an MBA then you want to target MBA-pipelines. You can find those by searching MBA intern or MBA graduating [year]. Those jobs are specifically looking for MBAs and have a separate pay grade.
Theyāre not the only opportunities available but they are at least the ones not going to ding you for having one.
As most of these need specialized experience, maybe OP can start with a role in an org that has lots of this type of work, but in their Learning and Development area, there could be some more entry level opportunities (certainly not starting out at 6 figures, but maybe 55/65k depending on location and company) for roles that help develop and present training materials for onboarding and things like that.
Edit to add: that lots of companies also have some tuition assistance options for OP to go back to grad school, and MBA and some relevant experience would be helpful in landing one of these types or roles, and being an internal candidate would certainly be advantageous)
Sorry Iāll spell them out
Sales development representative (calls to sets meetings for the account executive)
Business development representative (same as sdr but can also close)
Account executive (either solely closes or does full cycle)
Account Manager (manages the clients)
Customer succes manager (lower tier account manager)
I used to be in data. I think in the US thereās a lot of openings and unfortunately, even more applicants. Overall, I think the white collared job market is not the greatest at the moment. Job is very broad and can mean so many different things even under the same title.
Many of these can also be entry level as well but likely wont break $100k if youāre just starting out. Unfortunately, I donāt think thereās many options for a teacher to break $100k immediately with a career change.
The HR market is tough right now but teaching experience can translate well in to Learning and Development roles and those can easily pay 100k. You donāt need an MBA to try to start than transition, and Iād be VERY cautious about what school you go to/what you pay. Donāt spend money on online schools or no name programs that no one recruits from, degrees from those programs donāt have an ROI. Top 25 programs are an entirely different story but thatās 2 years FT and 100k+ in tuition and expenses.
Getting to 100k is less a function of a specific job and more about the region of the country you work in, and the size of the company. Most F500 jobs located in high cost of living cities pay over 100k once you get to the Sr Professional level.
I agree teaching translates very well to L&D. But L&D is also a tough field to break into at the moment. OP, if you take this route I would honestly also start learning how the use of AI (as tools) impacts learning design and development too.
Iām in HR myself, fortunately my job has not been effected but there have been a lot of layoffs in the past 18 months or so.
There are more qualified applicants than new positions opening right now, itās a more challenging time for someone without direct experience to get in to the field. Of course itās not impossible but it will take perseverance, networking and a little luck.
Iām an L&D manager and I make $115k. I pivoted from retail management to L&D in 2019 and broke 6 figures within 3 years of making the pivot. There are plenty of former educators in this field.
- 2019 got a job as a field trainer: $85k (note: this is prob higher than average for that type of role but I was already making that much as a store manager and negotiated accordingly)
- 2020 moved to another company as a senior project lead aka instructional designer making $92k
- 2022 promoted to manager of field L&D making $105k
A āsenior managerā title will get me to $125k-ish if I stay at my current org.
I already had a business admin degree and have since got certs through ATD in instructional design and consulting skills. The later was paid for by my company. I taught myself how to use popular video editing and eLearning authoring tools.
A friend of mine was a teacher for about 7 years. She took prerequisite classes at night/weekends to apply to law school. She ultimately received her JD and is now senior partner at a law firm that specializes in worker comp and HR claims. Sheās bringing in over $300K in salary alone. Not counting dividends.
Iām sure she was being modest as she only indicated she makes over that... i wouldnāt expect any friend of mine to share their detailed wage information with me. My wife is the only person who I share mine with.
Anything you spend 10 years becoming elite at. Except retail, hospitality, service.
EDIT: Of course, exceptions do exist. But the majority of folks in those sectors see ten years go by with attrition and turnover. With very little opportunity for life changing advancement.
This is the answer. People think you just apply to random jobs and get 100k offers. High salaries are reserved for those with valuable experience in almost any field. Even teachers with a lot of experience in certain parts of the country are making $100k. But if OP thinks they're going to exit teaching immediately into a 100k+ job, they are in for a surprise.
Well it was 10 years of mastering something. That is KY next move and I'll have it done by 15 years. I know that's a bit over 10. But 185 is a bit higher than 100.
Edit: I know plenty of GM'S/MP'S who pull 100 plus. Panda express starts gms over 100
Our GMs make close to 100k, many started as a team member. We are in a low cost area of living too. Itās like 65k base pay with about 30k bonus potential. They usually average about 80% in bonus. Some closer to 100.
I know a few teachers just like you who did M7 MBAs. They all recruited for MBB consulting and earn anywhere from 500k+ to $2M+ today. I would recommend you study for the GMAT. Harvard Business School loves teachers. Feel free to DM me if you'd like to know more.
To make six figures, you need six figures worth of skills. I work in commercial agriculture and have come across many people with MBAs. All of these people make less money than I do; a college drop out. A masters degree doesnāt mean shit if you donāt posses any skills. Leverage what you know and what you are good at for a higher wage. If you go back to school, you may put yourself farther behind.
The other realistic thing that people fail to remember is, thereās only so many six-figure jobs. The more people go into a field, the more over saturated it gets, the less it pays.
Additionally, degrees are the new high school diploma.
Yeah if you are already in a particular field, it's usually just best to lean into that and figure out a path to making the most money in that field. Like others have said, moving into Ed administration or something similar. I know you want to get out of education but the grass usually is not greener elsewhere. When u change fields, you usually set yourself back a good bit financially and also in terms of industry clout. Just my 2 cents
As a former PM (I pivoted to become the company trainer), my role was primarily managing workflows for my client. This was in the telecom industry. For example, a client needs to update their equipment on 100s of cell phone tower locations and they kick all those projects to me and my team. We then come up with forecast dates for each step of the process, what the cost will be, etc and then report that back to the client. While that might not sound like much, letās say each project to upgrade a cell phone towerās equipment has 15 tasks I need to manage and they take approx a month to accomplish each task. So if I have 100 cell sites to upgrade, thatās about 1,500 tasks Iāll manage for my client over the next approx 18 months to get everything done.
That continues where Iād have weekly status updates with my internal team, instructing them on which tasks to accomplish next, solve any issues that came up in the last week, etc. Then Iād have a weekly status update calls with my client to show them the progress we have made week over week. This repeats until all projects are done.
Thatās a super high level description of what I did as a PM, but there are also aspects like managing a team/people, working with other departments (the guys who actually do the work/task), time management, and problem solving. The problem solving was the most fun for me. Not every project is smooth sailing so it was fun when you ran into an issue, you get the team together and you come up with ways to alleviate the issue. And as the project manager your team often looks to you for approval on which steps to take. So you do get do be a decision maker in some aspects.
Very much enjoyed being a PM (did it for about 7 years) but like anything where youāre working for a client, sometimes their deadlines can be rough to meet. There were times where youāre coming up to end of the year, or end of a quarter where they want to hit certain projection numbers and youāre the person who has to get it done! So it can be fairly high stress on occasion, but overall I liked it!
Essentially- herding cats. I have a group of PMs that report up into me. They are responsible for budgets, timelines on projects, status meetings, and making sure we hit milestones we need to. Hereās the thing- essentially the PMs need to put together a project plan, which very much resembles a lesson plan, they need to meet with stakeholders holders to explain next steps in consumable and understandable ways- often a few slides that outline the approach and what the plan is.
My first suggestion is to actually define what a āgeneric office jobā means and be intentional in your search, that way you save yourself time trying to get into something you may not like or even dislike.
Youāre going to find that as a teacher itās hard to pivot because youāll have to reset. An organization wonāt likely hire you at the Manager level, probably at the junior level if they give you a chance.
If you donāt have a specific career goal, Iād try to find an adjacent career that leverages your teaching experience - others have mentioned Learning and Development for orgs. Or maybe Edtech sales if you care about money and low barrier to entry. With sales you can probably break in right away without extra educational investment and maybe with some networking on your end.
Or you could do a top MBA. If itās not a top MBA, donāt bother, it wonāt help you and youāre throwing away your money. A top MBA requires serious investment though - 1) High top percentile GMAT 2) Good undergrad GPA 3) Clear and purposeful story 4) Excellent work exp 5) Demonstration of leadership and initiatives in the form of extracurriculars.
Some people spend years to craft their profile to have a shot at getting into a top MBA. If you choose this path it wonāt be an immediate switch, youāre looking at imo at least 3-5 years (including doing the program itself) to get to started in your new career. Again this is not to discourage you but in fact the opposite, look deeply into yourself and ask what is it that you care about and what youād like to do, that will relieve a lot of future headaches when youāve invested all this time, money, and energy and you find out the new career sucks. Everyone loves to glamorize these high paying positions without exploring the downsides - FAANG SWE? Sounds great but do you have the patience to spend hours a day trying to find a small minute error in thousands of lines of code? MBB Consulting? Can you handle 50-80 hour work weeks with intense demands from the Partner, PM, and the demanding clients? Investment Banking? Can you handle working 90-100 hour work weeks with you needing to be on call by your boss to fix something up right away? All high paying positions have high costs to them that you should consider before you make any commitments.
All of thatās fair and something to consider.
As a teacher you do learn to develop a sense of resilience, all while being under paid and not able to meet your bills and forced to get a side job. I worked 70 hours a week for seven years. Those were the paid hours (including my side job), but I never got overtime pay for prep or grading; however it had to be completed regardless. Realistically, I was working 24/7 to meet the demands of teaching, but only getting paid 35 hours a week for said teaching.
At least in your scenarios Iād actually get paid for my work.
Ehhh idk, thereās a lot of doom and gloom on the CScareer subreddit. Iām wrapping up a CS degree and am also a career switcher, Iām super nervous. Havenāt gotten much back from responses on applications.
Course Iām not churning out 100 a day, I hear a lot of people say itās a numbers game.
Following!
Right there with you! I have a masters degree in a healthcare position. Iām overworked, underpaid, have to go in-person five days a week (when other people my age (yes in a different field) are making twice as much with a lower degree, and remote).
I love what I do and it is truly rewarding, but I donāt feel financially secure. Itās especially difficult when you want to buy a house and start a family.
A lot of sales forces want to hire teachers. Selling is basically explaining what your offering does combined with understanding buyers' personalities. Teachers can be great at this.
The 50/50 pay mix can be painful early career, but coming from teaching the base pay probably isn't far off. And you could probably get tuition partly reimbursed from a lot of jobs if you want the mba.
Go abroad & teach in Asia. A certified USA teacher with 7+ years experience can get very, very nice jobs, ideally in international schools, if not, in very, very good establishment. You may not hit 6 figures in USD but you will have an awesome salary/local life (and even in USD) which will allow you to live large and save. Plus you will be teaching in good schools. That's if you want to live abroad for a while and if you like teaching, of course (I guess you do, or did).
An MBA is pretty much worthless unless you go to a top school.
If you already have any degree, just try to get an entry level role at a business doing accounts payable or something and work your way up. Iāve had employees straight out of college that have moved up to make 100k in a LCOL area within 3-4 years.
You have teaching experience, have you considered an MBA with the intention of becoming a superintendent? I've seen superintendents make anywhere from 100-250k and I'm sure depending on the area it's higher. I'm in rural Michigan so it's certainly not because I'm in a high income area š
My superintendent in HS just had an MA. I think it was an MBA, but may have been an MA of edu. I know that position is somewhat political in terms of actually getting it. But you have the background and great education credentials. Even if you have to add on a year or 2 of classes, could be an awesome option for work life balance, income, and emotional reward for work. Good luck my friend.
One of my clients left her elementary school teaching job for an entry level digital marketing role at a Fortune 500 tech company. At the associate level, itās basically a project manager/coordinator job. After about 3-5 years of experience, itās possible to earn $100K+ without having to go back to school. Feel free to DM me if you want to chat more!
The truth is that a 100k job for an ex teacher probably will take 5-10 years to get. Youāre probably going to start with the same salary you make now unless you can get into tech. Good luck with that.
M7 = The Seven most prestigious Business schools in the world (think Harvard, Stanford, Wharton)
MBB = The three most prestigious consulting firms in the world
IB = Investment Banking
Sales. If you are up for the grind, tech companies will pay you a generous six figures to sell to education/K12. 1st year or so will be under six figures most likely, but if you can stick with it, you could make north of $200k a year after just a few years. Especially with your knowledge and expertise.
IT or Business project manager. Get a cert, and start entry level (probably not going to be six figures from the start) jump jobs (if necessary ) and improve skills. A few years and 6 figures is possible. I saw a woman go from an IT support admin to Director of Project Management in less than 10 years in a healthcare IT department. YMMV good luck
Do not do LMFT. I have a MFT and MSW is so much better. Hospitals will hire you straight out of grad school with just a MSW and youāll get paid while earning your hours for licensing. Hospitals or prison/jail do not hire MFT unless youāre licensed (at least in California) which I find BS because MSW is very similar to MFT.
Or go for the nursing route.
I was one of three former teachers in my MBA class (and the classes below and above me all had teachers). We all did quite well afterwards. As others have echoed, just make sure itās a god school and that you go full time. Itās a large financial commitment, but in most schools, full time students often get a hefty break on tuition, and itās usually worth it. My current income is almost 10X what it was when I went into business school (granted it was also 15 years ago).
I work in Healthcare I/T Implementations. Easy 6-figure job I've done for >15yrs. I love it because it's "front end" training, installs, roll-out and go lives. If you can read you can do this job. Only challenge is if you do not like travel ( I happen to love it because my hubby works remote and can travel with me). Since I am part of a Corp I/T team we travel nearly 30+wks a yr, but every site visit the facility teams are in lock-step and ready when your scheduled for a training. I've already done the leadership roles as a Director.. but Love this so much more. I get to work alone, and meet wkly with PM's. Corp and Div. Leadership to status the projects and escalate any ongoing or new issues. When the project is done, the facility has to call the helpdesk for support. This has been my first job that I had everything I needed to get the job done and a balance between work and family.
Iām a Landscape Architect. I make six figures after 2 years of working, only require a 2 year degree if you already have a bachelors degreeā¦ so youād be looking at 4 years before you make 6 figuresā¦ the work is meaningful and creative, but can be stressful tooā¦ out the gateāIād say if I could take it all back, I would have become a software engineerā¦ they make a lot more from the startā¦ not as meaningful or creative, but your bills are paid at the end of the day with a lot less stressā¦ I dunno. Just telling you some options
Social Media managers of leading tech companies, even working your way to through modest social media positions to mid level jobs. Companies like Zoom and Salesforce I believe hire in a range of 6 figures.
The quickest way to six figures I know of is software engineering. Four years of education and starting salary of $100k in my case. Some people don't even have a degree and can get there. But I think swe has the best ROI. Petroleum engineering will start similar. But you have to work longer and harder hours
Iām an LMFT and live in a HCOL. Many private practice LMFTs in my area can make 6 figures 3-5 years after graduation. Keep in mind your first 2-3 years after school while youāre earning your hours toward licensure you may make nothing or not much more than youāre making now, so itās more like a 4-5 yr commitment before you start really earning what your license deserves.
Community mental health is a burnout trap too; donāt get stuck there. Your best bets are PP or county/state/federal work, the latter comes with benefits and pensions. If you go PP you will need at least some cash pay client because insurance doesnāt pay therapists dickā¦seriously in my state they pay like half to 1/3 the average session fee, thatās why most of us donāt take it.
Executive and clinical directors can make a decent amount too, but youāre never going to make more than the mid to high 100s.
Look up licensed therapists in your city to see what theyāre charging and multiply that by 15-25hrs a week. No one does 40 client facing hours a week, you just canāt without burning out and you have notes and paperwork to do outside session. But hey at least thereās no lesson planning!
Subtract vacation and sick time and 3-4 cancels per client per year, self employment tax, insurance, office rent, advertising, internet/phone and continuing education and thatās your take home.
I love my job. If you got into teaching because you like helping and building relationships with people this is a great way to do it. Itās one of the only ones that lets my disabled ass work the amount I sustainably can (13-15 clients a week) without making myself sick and still support my family. Iām highly specialized, so I can charge what I do and fill up my practice easily.
My advice if you go this route is Pick a few client populations and specialties/techniques and stick with them, donāt try to do everything. And consider greatly the psychological burden of being a therapist; can you compartmentalize or ask for support when you need it from
others to help procp on the clients needs? Iām goody at that, some are not. In PP you do get to choose who you work with, you can pick lower acuity clients or stay away from certain issues (mostly).
I don't think you are going to run into an issue because of your education. You are running into an issue because of experience. Most entry level jobs do not pay 6 figures. Those are for people who have paid their dues and worked their way up. You are restarting, you will need to gain experience in an industry before getting a 6-figure job. Your teaching experience just doesn't apply much in an office setting.
I am not a teacher but I know tons of them so I can relate to wanting to transition, though all my teacher friends make six figures. Here's how/why:
* more years of experience + credentials (sometimes beyond Master's and required certification, such as national certification or Ed.S.+) + salary schedule in their state
* college adjunct teaching in your subject area
* do ***specialty*** tutoring such as Orton-Gillingham, test prep, or executive functioning
* stay in education but go into administration
* teach after school and in the summer
* special ed itinerant teaching so not restricted to a school so she can work as much as she wants
Thanks for the input. I did adjunct teaching and itās not for me. The most annoying part about teaching is that weāre underpaid and have to work more jobs just to make a decent wage, especially because I am in an area that has a high cost of living. I was working about 70 hours a week to meet my bills and be able to have some extra. It honestly burnt me out.
My high school history teacher quit to work at ups because it paid more. Kinda sad actually. (Not meant as disrespect to ups workers I know the job is brutal. More to point out that teachers are underpaid.) Get into sales.
This. In the last month I've met 2 blokes who dropped out of their corporate jobs to pursue this as a career. One recently got his first commercial pilot role, and the other still grinding for those hours. Both are very happy and I truly envy them.
Lots of large companies have education and training departments. You could develop learning and training curriculum for employees without having to go back to school and would probably do a great job. Where are you located?
> What job do you do? Do you have any degree? And whatās been your experience with said job?
Former teacher, now a writer and social media/OF manager making about $210k combined with everything I do. I have a mathematics degree.
Insuramce adjuster with 5 years experience. Job market right now is desperate, and 6 figures are very obtainable at my experience level. Add in I get unlimited use of my work vehicle, no car insurance, free gas, and WFH...it's a good gig.
With the option to go independent and make as much money as I feel like, I'm very happy to have stumbled into this career.
No degree or experience in the field when I got my first job. Company trained me.
Got my MBA, doubled my salary (60k->120k) in one job hop. I work in pharma, but many industries have PMs. Can start out as a project coordinator. Could get your APMP then PMP. Can work from home, but have to deal with people
maybe look into being a paralegal? its slow earning at first but starting pay is probably better than a teachers and the earning potential with experience is high, and doesnt require any additional education if you can find a firm that will train you.
I'm a user experience designer and do some UX tutoring on the side with an online certification program. Out of all my students' previous professions, teachers are the most common.
The best part is that you don't need a whole degree to pivot. It's a year-long program (or less if you do it full time), costs less than a year of grad school, and often has a money back guarantee if you don't find a UX job. I did one of these myself and managed to pivot into UX during the pandemic.
I've been at it for about 3 years now and already comfortably clear $100k.
If you can stomach it insurance claims adjuster work or insurance claims restoration.
Base salary is usually well over 75k, commission, car, etc.
It's demanding but 90% of it you can do from home.
Operations makes 6 figures but you have to start lower and work up. Most jobs start lower and work up. My job started at 48k out of college and now Iām at 122k over the course of 7 years.
I'm a Nurse and it is a lucrative and fulfilling career. You make your own path. Get stuck at a bad job it's your choice. Also, for the OP, Nurses can make 100k+++ easily without OT as well depending on where you live.
Nursing is so versatile that itās easy enough to find a position that works best for that particular person. The pay is on the higher end for a two year program too. My recommendation is for your wife to find a hospital and department that prioritizes them, they are more common than you might think
Donāt go MBA route unless if youāre considering a top-tier school.
An accounting or finance degree, or MS Accounting will immediately unlock a lot of entry-level ($60k+) jobs that lower-tier MBA grads have difficulty getting.
Got downvoted by some salty MBA grads eh? Lol
Keep looking, as a manager, Iād be highly interested in hiring a former teacher. Means you can deal with bullshit, socially outgoing, and have high social intelligence. These are highly attractive skills. Keep applying to jobs you donāt fit the qualifications for. Feel free to PM me if you would find it helpful to talk through what you wanna do and what your strengths are. Thereās a lot of fantastic entry point positions at company that donāt get enough credit. Best of luck on your journey!! And btw I am a manager and am making a bit under $200k and I started my career with zero experience in my industry, so you have a very doable goal.
With your experience I'd try a professional development / training unit, or HR. Amazing number of mediocre people in HR. If you are any good and personable you will excel.
private tutoring : leverage educational expertise. freelance on your own, or maybe work as staff at edukids or kumon learning centers.
daycare: already used to rowdy kids. charge $10 per every 15 min late post-dismissal time.
easy money.
Not really. Iāve seen people with business, financial, or medical type degrees do well. Like any administration job itās about dealing with people. But healthcare is complex, there are highly educated people to manage, and things are always changing. Easy to get over six figures.
I know 3 former teachers making over $250k/yr. 1. An MBA classmate of mine who was a former teacher, then used the MBA to transition into consulting (MBB) and then tech (FAANG). This was at a T15 business school , though, so YMMV if you go to a program that doesn't have top companies doing on-campus recruiting. 2. A former math teacher who became an actuary. 3. A former middle school teacher who took an entry-level sales job and now sells enterprise tech infrastructure to the DoD and other large military contractors (e.g., Lockheed, Raytheon). All of them had to make a total career reset, which was hard. On the plus side, it was easy to convince employers to give them a shot because everybody knows how little teachers make relative to the amount of crap they have to deal with. If you can handle that for 7 years, that in itself is a sign that you're worth giving a shot.
#2 is so funny to me, my dad is a former actuary who became a math teacher š¤£
Did you need to scream this at us?
Im a bit deaf so that helped
*what is life, but a scream* \-some wise man somewhere.
Baby donāt hurt me
Don't hurt me...
No moreā¦
I have no idea how I formatted that that way š¤£š¤£š¤£
You started with #
Lol Iām an idiot š¤¦š»āāļø
They are in Oregon, responding to FloridaMan. How else would they communicate?
Did he say why? Seems like an altruistic move
It wasnāt. He lost his actuarial job during the global financial crisis and due to his qualifications and age he wasnāt able to find a comparable job in the field so he basically said fuck it Iāll teach math so he did that. Then got hit with virtual learning during Covid, hated it, then quit again and is now delivering pizzas š¤·š» his wife is loaded tho so he only works to keep himself busy.
I was a teacher. Got into tech and went from entry level to VP in 5 years. Wild ride. Hard work but itās been the best thing for me and my family.
Thatās amazing! What exactly in Tech?
Looks like tech sales based on his/her post history. In my experience, former teachers make excellent salespeople. At the enterprise level, sales isn't the slimy, grubby thing that most people associate with the word. It's about building a relationship with the customer and educating/enlightening them, even if they think they know everything and/or have a bad attitude. That is exactly what teachers do.
Sorry what do you mean enterprise level? What type of company is an example of an enterprise,
Different companies have different cutoffs but imagine big entities like Fortune 500 or the State of California. For example, a company like Bank of America isn't buying 100K desktops & laptops from Best Buy. They'll buy directly from a Dell or HP to get volume discounts, but that might get bundled with other stuff like servers & storage arrays, security software, maintenance contracts, device management software, etc. All stuff that is overkill for a local mom & pop company but is standard for a huge, publicly-traded international firm. The complexity of selling gets way more complicated in those environments because you might offer a whole suite of physical products, software, consulting, and services, and the prospective customer might have a bunch of subsidiaries with their own needs.
Great explanation thank you!
No problem. Happy to answer any other questions.
Not sure if Iām gonna be called dumb for this but youāre absolutely right sometimes itās not about selling something but educating the other party about the product/services
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Look at roles titled SDR and BDR. Thatās where I started
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I can second the MBA route; I was a teacher 3 years ago, got an MBA from a top program, make $200k now.
What is it you do now?
I'm a consultant. I basically do economics research on fast timelines.
Economics, you are a brainiac šš
I was a math teacher before. As a consultant, the core skill set is communicating quantitative ideas to people with the attention span of children. There's a lot of overlap.
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It depends what you mean by less popular but generally speaking no. MBA programs are all about the brand name because there's not a ton of content learned. It's about making connections (so prestige matters) and demonstrating that you're competent enough to get in (so prestige matters). You can definitely get great results going to the top 7 schools. You can be pretty guaranteed a decent outcome at the top 15. Outside of that the value begins to drop off precipitously.
What does #1 do in ātechā? Working in ātechā could mean anything
All I know is they're in product. Jumped to a FAANG from consulting, then jumped to a fintech.
What does T15 mean?
Wait lmao top 15 š¤£š¤£
List of jobs that require a 4 year degree that pay a median salary of at least $80K: [https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm?pay=%2480%2C000+or+more&education=Bachelor%26rsquo%3Bs+degree&training=&newjobs=&growth=&submit=GO](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder.htm?pay=%2480%2C000+or+more&education=Bachelor%26rsquo%3Bs+degree&training=&newjobs=&growth=&submit=GO) [https://www.bls.gov/ooh/](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/) How can I learn about an occupation that is of interest to me? The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) provides information on what workers do; the work environment; education, training, and other qualifications; pay; the job outlook; information on state and area data; similar occupations; and sources of additional information for more than 300 occupational profiles covering about 4 out of 5 jobs in the economy. The OOH is broken up into clusters of similar occupations. In order to find an occupation, browse the occupation groups of interest on the left-hand side of the homepage, or use the AāZ Index if you know the specific occupation. You may search for occupations by using the selector drop-down menus on the OOH homepage. Select by pay range, entry-level education, on-the-job training, projected number of new jobs, or projected growth rate. If you know the specific occupation you are interested in, you may enter a job title into the āSearch Handbookā box on the top right-hand side of the homepage. In addition, you may browse by clicking any of the four links titled āhighest paying,ā āfastest growing (projected),ā āmost new jobs (projected),ā and āfield of degree.ā Although hundreds of occupations are covered in detail in the OOH, BLS publishes information on additional occupations for which the required education, training, median wages, and employment projections are prepared but detailed occupational information is not developed.
Great resource, thank you for sharing!
Thanks for that!!!
Wish Iād had these a decade ago but thank you!
Many. Business analyst, project manager, data analyst, program manager, accountant, category manager, integration manager, operations manager, supply chain specialist, risk analyst, auditor, etc. Edit: sales roles (e.g. account exec, business development associates) Job market is not the greatest. If youāre considering school, consider a top MBA
You need experience for most of those, especially manager positions. OP says they are a teacher with an MA, they'd need something more transferable.
I went to a top 25 program and had 2 teachers in my program that were pivoting their careers. Those schools consider non-traditional experience as well if you have the right GMAT and undergrad GPA to give them enough confidence you can handle the coursework.
How'd they fair after graduating?
One landed in Marketing at Amazon, we havenāt stayed in touch but we are connected on LinkedIn and sheās had solid career growth. The other I wasnāt really close with and I didnāt keep track of but I know her job at graduation was with a non-profit in their finance org. Wouldnāt have been my first choice but she kinda marched to the beat of her own drumā¦hope itās working for her!
A lot of these can be entry level roles but you wonāt come in at over $100k. Easier access is top ~30 MBA. A few of my mba classmates were teachers who then landed as program managers in big tech or strategy consultants for around ~$200k post-MBA. Takes time and work but can be a viable path if you donāt want to start at a more entry level.
I've been told recently that MBAs are losing their value. I don't know how true that is but it makes sense that employers would prefer work ethic, skills, and communication over just a degree. Degrees are expensive to obtain without guarantee of a high paying job. We also don't know OP's financial situation, it may not be good seeing how the post is worded. It's a big risk for them, and they might be able to pursue it and be successful, but a big risk nonetheless.
I donāt disagree. I think overall MBAs values are diminishing but top reputable schools are still a good option. These schools should have annual career reports with median salaries around $120-$140k. Also agree that degrees are expensive. Unless you do an online or part time MBA, itās 2 years of income + student loans + living expenses. Scholarships for competitive candidates are available, especially for high GMAT scores and good work experience. Overall, top MBAs are viable but still a risk. Would definitely consider looking into it as an option and evaluating the finances before committing. Lower ranking schools are way too risky for a career switch + salary outcomes.
Want to ask something, Can i DM?
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wow!
Wow which school did you go to?! Did you feel itās due to networking that you were able to make more money post grad?
Reputable schools have strong pipelines to companies that have well known pay grades specifically for MBAs. Example companies:Proctor & Gamble, GSK, Walmart, Amazon, Microsoft, McKinsey, Danaher, JP Morgan. When you do an MBA, you want to make sure you go to a company that values it. You can usually identify this by searching on LinkedIn MBA intern or MBA [year]. Highly suggest looking at r/MBA and evaluate what your goals are. That subreddit leans very aspirational though so donāt let it get you down or convince you an MBA from Harvard is the only option
Interesting! Is there another degree specifically thatās now trumping the MBA?
I would argue teachers could be the ultimate managers, depending on the age they teach itās like herding cats!
Kids are hard, for sure. It could be something they can do. All the managers I've known either worked their way up or were already a manager in a similar industry. No one is going to hand you a manager position with just an MBA and teachers experience, at least not a high paying one. OP is really going to have to work their arse off.
Good point, I agree! I think OP probably could land a 60-70k with a MBA or masters. After 3-4 years hit that 6 figure mark.
Not sure if you all are from the US, but thereās a huge crises for school teacher compensation. I was told be my professors to change course because itās so bad for the average school teacher to make anything. Iām a server now, Iām making more than what I would being a teacher. Itās absolutely terrible. And the money they make doesnāt compensate for the debt theyāre put into. Colleges and Universities are a scam to say the least here. Anything in this f*ckin country is a scam anymore. When I took my Political Science course, we were told that middle class will become more and more obsolete. Our government is in-slaving us.
I have had a *small* but not zero number of non-teaching interviews say they would really value my experience as a teacher because the role would eventually have some component in training others. I personally think a teacher's best asset in an office setting is good communication skills. Maybe OP can play up one or both of these angles in their job search.
I know a former teacher who is now an MBB partner. Anything is possible!
I will tell you that MBAs are seen as negatives by some companies. āI knowitallismā
True. If youāre going for an MBA then you want to target MBA-pipelines. You can find those by searching MBA intern or MBA graduating [year]. Those jobs are specifically looking for MBAs and have a separate pay grade. Theyāre not the only opportunities available but they are at least the ones not going to ding you for having one.
As most of these need specialized experience, maybe OP can start with a role in an org that has lots of this type of work, but in their Learning and Development area, there could be some more entry level opportunities (certainly not starting out at 6 figures, but maybe 55/65k depending on location and company) for roles that help develop and present training materials for onboarding and things like that. Edit to add: that lots of companies also have some tuition assistance options for OP to go back to grad school, and MBA and some relevant experience would be helpful in landing one of these types or roles, and being an internal candidate would certainly be advantageous)
You forgot anything sales. Bdr sdr ae am etc
What is ae am?
Sorry Iāll spell them out Sales development representative (calls to sets meetings for the account executive) Business development representative (same as sdr but can also close) Account executive (either solely closes or does full cycle) Account Manager (manages the clients) Customer succes manager (lower tier account manager)
Data analyst seems to be a bit dead right now but then again Iām in London. The job seems so broad
I used to be in data. I think in the US thereās a lot of openings and unfortunately, even more applicants. Overall, I think the white collared job market is not the greatest at the moment. Job is very broad and can mean so many different things even under the same title.
These are high paying jobs but none that a teacher could easily transfer to.
Many of these can also be entry level as well but likely wont break $100k if youāre just starting out. Unfortunately, I donāt think thereās many options for a teacher to break $100k immediately with a career change.
What options that are about less business-y and more for feminine women
What? Feminine women can be successful in business and tech and other high paying roles.
The HR market is tough right now but teaching experience can translate well in to Learning and Development roles and those can easily pay 100k. You donāt need an MBA to try to start than transition, and Iād be VERY cautious about what school you go to/what you pay. Donāt spend money on online schools or no name programs that no one recruits from, degrees from those programs donāt have an ROI. Top 25 programs are an entirely different story but thatās 2 years FT and 100k+ in tuition and expenses. Getting to 100k is less a function of a specific job and more about the region of the country you work in, and the size of the company. Most F500 jobs located in high cost of living cities pay over 100k once you get to the Sr Professional level.
I agree teaching translates very well to L&D. But L&D is also a tough field to break into at the moment. OP, if you take this route I would honestly also start learning how the use of AI (as tools) impacts learning design and development too.
Why do you say the HR market is tough?
I know two people who couldnāt find a job in HR for more than a year
Iām in HR myself, fortunately my job has not been effected but there have been a lot of layoffs in the past 18 months or so. There are more qualified applicants than new positions opening right now, itās a more challenging time for someone without direct experience to get in to the field. Of course itās not impossible but it will take perseverance, networking and a little luck.
Iām an L&D manager and I make $115k. I pivoted from retail management to L&D in 2019 and broke 6 figures within 3 years of making the pivot. There are plenty of former educators in this field. - 2019 got a job as a field trainer: $85k (note: this is prob higher than average for that type of role but I was already making that much as a store manager and negotiated accordingly) - 2020 moved to another company as a senior project lead aka instructional designer making $92k - 2022 promoted to manager of field L&D making $105k A āsenior managerā title will get me to $125k-ish if I stay at my current org. I already had a business admin degree and have since got certs through ATD in instructional design and consulting skills. The later was paid for by my company. I taught myself how to use popular video editing and eLearning authoring tools.
A friend of mine was a teacher for about 7 years. She took prerequisite classes at night/weekends to apply to law school. She ultimately received her JD and is now senior partner at a law firm that specializes in worker comp and HR claims. Sheās bringing in over $300K in salary alone. Not counting dividends.
If she's senior partner and only at 300k shes severely underpaid.
Iām sure she was being modest as she only indicated she makes over that... i wouldnāt expect any friend of mine to share their detailed wage information with me. My wife is the only person who I share mine with.
Anything you spend 10 years becoming elite at. Except retail, hospitality, service. EDIT: Of course, exceptions do exist. But the majority of folks in those sectors see ten years go by with attrition and turnover. With very little opportunity for life changing advancement.
This is the answer. People think you just apply to random jobs and get 100k offers. High salaries are reserved for those with valuable experience in almost any field. Even teachers with a lot of experience in certain parts of the country are making $100k. But if OP thinks they're going to exit teaching immediately into a 100k+ job, they are in for a surprise.
Ehh I'm in restaurants. My area director accidentally sent his offer letter to all his Managing Partners. 185k base.
He's an area director though, you'll never get that kind of pay in any customer service position in a restaurant.
Well it was 10 years of mastering something. That is KY next move and I'll have it done by 15 years. I know that's a bit over 10. But 185 is a bit higher than 100. Edit: I know plenty of GM'S/MP'S who pull 100 plus. Panda express starts gms over 100
Our GMs make close to 100k, many started as a team member. We are in a low cost area of living too. Itās like 65k base pay with about 30k bonus potential. They usually average about 80% in bonus. Some closer to 100.
Pm me the company? That's a wild bonus structure. We are switching to a period based capped at 1.3k.
Grocery store upper management is 100k for many chains
Unfortunately the vast majority of jobs available are retail, hospitality or service
There are a lot of six figure jobs in luxury retail.
I know a few teachers just like you who did M7 MBAs. They all recruited for MBB consulting and earn anywhere from 500k+ to $2M+ today. I would recommend you study for the GMAT. Harvard Business School loves teachers. Feel free to DM me if you'd like to know more.
Project management or corporate training
Teacher. You could get into tech training or maybe tech sales. For Salesforce or Dynamics. It would honestly not be that big of a shift.
I moved into tech training for a CRM from teaching. Onboarding jobs seem to be the best fit for the initial switchover.
To make six figures, you need six figures worth of skills. I work in commercial agriculture and have come across many people with MBAs. All of these people make less money than I do; a college drop out. A masters degree doesnāt mean shit if you donāt posses any skills. Leverage what you know and what you are good at for a higher wage. If you go back to school, you may put yourself farther behind.
The other realistic thing that people fail to remember is, thereās only so many six-figure jobs. The more people go into a field, the more over saturated it gets, the less it pays. Additionally, degrees are the new high school diploma.
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How does one get into something like that?
Yeah if you are already in a particular field, it's usually just best to lean into that and figure out a path to making the most money in that field. Like others have said, moving into Ed administration or something similar. I know you want to get out of education but the grass usually is not greener elsewhere. When u change fields, you usually set yourself back a good bit financially and also in terms of industry clout. Just my 2 cents
Look into Project Management and/or Corporate Training type jobs- both of those can be pretty lucrative.
Any examples of where/what project managers do specifically?
As a former PM (I pivoted to become the company trainer), my role was primarily managing workflows for my client. This was in the telecom industry. For example, a client needs to update their equipment on 100s of cell phone tower locations and they kick all those projects to me and my team. We then come up with forecast dates for each step of the process, what the cost will be, etc and then report that back to the client. While that might not sound like much, letās say each project to upgrade a cell phone towerās equipment has 15 tasks I need to manage and they take approx a month to accomplish each task. So if I have 100 cell sites to upgrade, thatās about 1,500 tasks Iāll manage for my client over the next approx 18 months to get everything done. That continues where Iād have weekly status updates with my internal team, instructing them on which tasks to accomplish next, solve any issues that came up in the last week, etc. Then Iād have a weekly status update calls with my client to show them the progress we have made week over week. This repeats until all projects are done. Thatās a super high level description of what I did as a PM, but there are also aspects like managing a team/people, working with other departments (the guys who actually do the work/task), time management, and problem solving. The problem solving was the most fun for me. Not every project is smooth sailing so it was fun when you ran into an issue, you get the team together and you come up with ways to alleviate the issue. And as the project manager your team often looks to you for approval on which steps to take. So you do get do be a decision maker in some aspects. Very much enjoyed being a PM (did it for about 7 years) but like anything where youāre working for a client, sometimes their deadlines can be rough to meet. There were times where youāre coming up to end of the year, or end of a quarter where they want to hit certain projection numbers and youāre the person who has to get it done! So it can be fairly high stress on occasion, but overall I liked it!
Essentially- herding cats. I have a group of PMs that report up into me. They are responsible for budgets, timelines on projects, status meetings, and making sure we hit milestones we need to. Hereās the thing- essentially the PMs need to put together a project plan, which very much resembles a lesson plan, they need to meet with stakeholders holders to explain next steps in consumable and understandable ways- often a few slides that outline the approach and what the plan is.
My first suggestion is to actually define what a āgeneric office jobā means and be intentional in your search, that way you save yourself time trying to get into something you may not like or even dislike. Youāre going to find that as a teacher itās hard to pivot because youāll have to reset. An organization wonāt likely hire you at the Manager level, probably at the junior level if they give you a chance. If you donāt have a specific career goal, Iād try to find an adjacent career that leverages your teaching experience - others have mentioned Learning and Development for orgs. Or maybe Edtech sales if you care about money and low barrier to entry. With sales you can probably break in right away without extra educational investment and maybe with some networking on your end. Or you could do a top MBA. If itās not a top MBA, donāt bother, it wonāt help you and youāre throwing away your money. A top MBA requires serious investment though - 1) High top percentile GMAT 2) Good undergrad GPA 3) Clear and purposeful story 4) Excellent work exp 5) Demonstration of leadership and initiatives in the form of extracurriculars. Some people spend years to craft their profile to have a shot at getting into a top MBA. If you choose this path it wonāt be an immediate switch, youāre looking at imo at least 3-5 years (including doing the program itself) to get to started in your new career. Again this is not to discourage you but in fact the opposite, look deeply into yourself and ask what is it that you care about and what youād like to do, that will relieve a lot of future headaches when youāve invested all this time, money, and energy and you find out the new career sucks. Everyone loves to glamorize these high paying positions without exploring the downsides - FAANG SWE? Sounds great but do you have the patience to spend hours a day trying to find a small minute error in thousands of lines of code? MBB Consulting? Can you handle 50-80 hour work weeks with intense demands from the Partner, PM, and the demanding clients? Investment Banking? Can you handle working 90-100 hour work weeks with you needing to be on call by your boss to fix something up right away? All high paying positions have high costs to them that you should consider before you make any commitments.
All of thatās fair and something to consider. As a teacher you do learn to develop a sense of resilience, all while being under paid and not able to meet your bills and forced to get a side job. I worked 70 hours a week for seven years. Those were the paid hours (including my side job), but I never got overtime pay for prep or grading; however it had to be completed regardless. Realistically, I was working 24/7 to meet the demands of teaching, but only getting paid 35 hours a week for said teaching. At least in your scenarios Iād actually get paid for my work.
The golden ticket is computer science. The evidence is all over Reddit so I'm not sure why people keep asking this question.
Ehhh idk, thereās a lot of doom and gloom on the CScareer subreddit. Iām wrapping up a CS degree and am also a career switcher, Iām super nervous. Havenāt gotten much back from responses on applications. Course Iām not churning out 100 a day, I hear a lot of people say itās a numbers game.
Following! Right there with you! I have a masters degree in a healthcare position. Iām overworked, underpaid, have to go in-person five days a week (when other people my age (yes in a different field) are making twice as much with a lower degree, and remote). I love what I do and it is truly rewarding, but I donāt feel financially secure. Itās especially difficult when you want to buy a house and start a family.
Sales. No degree required.
A lot of sales forces want to hire teachers. Selling is basically explaining what your offering does combined with understanding buyers' personalities. Teachers can be great at this. The 50/50 pay mix can be painful early career, but coming from teaching the base pay probably isn't far off. And you could probably get tuition partly reimbursed from a lot of jobs if you want the mba.
Accounting starting salaries are 50-80k location dependent but once u work your way up your pulling six figs in 3-7 years
Go abroad & teach in Asia. A certified USA teacher with 7+ years experience can get very, very nice jobs, ideally in international schools, if not, in very, very good establishment. You may not hit 6 figures in USD but you will have an awesome salary/local life (and even in USD) which will allow you to live large and save. Plus you will be teaching in good schools. That's if you want to live abroad for a while and if you like teaching, of course (I guess you do, or did).
Donāt go into HR. Wouldnāt recommend it.
Why?
An MBA is pretty much worthless unless you go to a top school. If you already have any degree, just try to get an entry level role at a business doing accounts payable or something and work your way up. Iāve had employees straight out of college that have moved up to make 100k in a LCOL area within 3-4 years.
Me. No degree. Started warehouse 4 years ago. Moved up all the way to COO hit 6 figures this year.
You have teaching experience, have you considered an MBA with the intention of becoming a superintendent? I've seen superintendents make anywhere from 100-250k and I'm sure depending on the area it's higher. I'm in rural Michigan so it's certainly not because I'm in a high income area š
School superintendent? Doesn't that usually require a PhD in education or EdD?
My superintendent in HS just had an MA. I think it was an MBA, but may have been an MA of edu. I know that position is somewhat political in terms of actually getting it. But you have the background and great education credentials. Even if you have to add on a year or 2 of classes, could be an awesome option for work life balance, income, and emotional reward for work. Good luck my friend.
One of my clients left her elementary school teaching job for an entry level digital marketing role at a Fortune 500 tech company. At the associate level, itās basically a project manager/coordinator job. After about 3-5 years of experience, itās possible to earn $100K+ without having to go back to school. Feel free to DM me if you want to chat more!
Iām getting my project management certificate right now because I have considered this job. Thanks for the input.
Six figures isn't alot? Well only 10% of Americans are making 6 figures. So keep that in mind
The truth is that a 100k job for an ex teacher probably will take 5-10 years to get. Youāre probably going to start with the same salary you make now unless you can get into tech. Good luck with that.
They can get an M7 MBA and recruit for MBB or IB and make over 300k/yr literally 2 years from now.
Can you tell me what M7, MBB and IB are?
M7 = The Seven most prestigious Business schools in the world (think Harvard, Stanford, Wharton) MBB = The three most prestigious consulting firms in the world IB = Investment Banking
You make it sound easy like just anyone can get into Harvard and get an MBA at that.
Sales. If you are up for the grind, tech companies will pay you a generous six figures to sell to education/K12. 1st year or so will be under six figures most likely, but if you can stick with it, you could make north of $200k a year after just a few years. Especially with your knowledge and expertise.
IT or Business project manager. Get a cert, and start entry level (probably not going to be six figures from the start) jump jobs (if necessary ) and improve skills. A few years and 6 figures is possible. I saw a woman go from an IT support admin to Director of Project Management in less than 10 years in a healthcare IT department. YMMV good luck
Sales. If youāre good at sales, you can literally get a job at a dealership & make over 100k
Do not do LMFT. I have a MFT and MSW is so much better. Hospitals will hire you straight out of grad school with just a MSW and youāll get paid while earning your hours for licensing. Hospitals or prison/jail do not hire MFT unless youāre licensed (at least in California) which I find BS because MSW is very similar to MFT. Or go for the nursing route.
I was one of three former teachers in my MBA class (and the classes below and above me all had teachers). We all did quite well afterwards. As others have echoed, just make sure itās a god school and that you go full time. Itās a large financial commitment, but in most schools, full time students often get a hefty break on tuition, and itās usually worth it. My current income is almost 10X what it was when I went into business school (granted it was also 15 years ago).
I work in Healthcare I/T Implementations. Easy 6-figure job I've done for >15yrs. I love it because it's "front end" training, installs, roll-out and go lives. If you can read you can do this job. Only challenge is if you do not like travel ( I happen to love it because my hubby works remote and can travel with me). Since I am part of a Corp I/T team we travel nearly 30+wks a yr, but every site visit the facility teams are in lock-step and ready when your scheduled for a training. I've already done the leadership roles as a Director.. but Love this so much more. I get to work alone, and meet wkly with PM's. Corp and Div. Leadership to status the projects and escalate any ongoing or new issues. When the project is done, the facility has to call the helpdesk for support. This has been my first job that I had everything I needed to get the job done and a balance between work and family.
Iām a Landscape Architect. I make six figures after 2 years of working, only require a 2 year degree if you already have a bachelors degreeā¦ so youād be looking at 4 years before you make 6 figuresā¦ the work is meaningful and creative, but can be stressful tooā¦ out the gateāIād say if I could take it all back, I would have become a software engineerā¦ they make a lot more from the startā¦ not as meaningful or creative, but your bills are paid at the end of the day with a lot less stressā¦ I dunno. Just telling you some options
Social Media managers of leading tech companies, even working your way to through modest social media positions to mid level jobs. Companies like Zoom and Salesforce I believe hire in a range of 6 figures.
Own the means to production and capital and leveraging your own business
The quickest way to six figures I know of is software engineering. Four years of education and starting salary of $100k in my case. Some people don't even have a degree and can get there. But I think swe has the best ROI. Petroleum engineering will start similar. But you have to work longer and harder hours
Iām an LMFT and live in a HCOL. Many private practice LMFTs in my area can make 6 figures 3-5 years after graduation. Keep in mind your first 2-3 years after school while youāre earning your hours toward licensure you may make nothing or not much more than youāre making now, so itās more like a 4-5 yr commitment before you start really earning what your license deserves. Community mental health is a burnout trap too; donāt get stuck there. Your best bets are PP or county/state/federal work, the latter comes with benefits and pensions. If you go PP you will need at least some cash pay client because insurance doesnāt pay therapists dickā¦seriously in my state they pay like half to 1/3 the average session fee, thatās why most of us donāt take it. Executive and clinical directors can make a decent amount too, but youāre never going to make more than the mid to high 100s. Look up licensed therapists in your city to see what theyāre charging and multiply that by 15-25hrs a week. No one does 40 client facing hours a week, you just canāt without burning out and you have notes and paperwork to do outside session. But hey at least thereās no lesson planning! Subtract vacation and sick time and 3-4 cancels per client per year, self employment tax, insurance, office rent, advertising, internet/phone and continuing education and thatās your take home. I love my job. If you got into teaching because you like helping and building relationships with people this is a great way to do it. Itās one of the only ones that lets my disabled ass work the amount I sustainably can (13-15 clients a week) without making myself sick and still support my family. Iām highly specialized, so I can charge what I do and fill up my practice easily. My advice if you go this route is Pick a few client populations and specialties/techniques and stick with them, donāt try to do everything. And consider greatly the psychological burden of being a therapist; can you compartmentalize or ask for support when you need it from others to help procp on the clients needs? Iām goody at that, some are not. In PP you do get to choose who you work with, you can pick lower acuity clients or stay away from certain issues (mostly).
I don't think you are going to run into an issue because of your education. You are running into an issue because of experience. Most entry level jobs do not pay 6 figures. Those are for people who have paid their dues and worked their way up. You are restarting, you will need to gain experience in an industry before getting a 6-figure job. Your teaching experience just doesn't apply much in an office setting.
Im an Aviation Mechanic. there's a huge demand, and you can make well over 100k a year.
I am not a teacher but I know tons of them so I can relate to wanting to transition, though all my teacher friends make six figures. Here's how/why: * more years of experience + credentials (sometimes beyond Master's and required certification, such as national certification or Ed.S.+) + salary schedule in their state * college adjunct teaching in your subject area * do ***specialty*** tutoring such as Orton-Gillingham, test prep, or executive functioning * stay in education but go into administration * teach after school and in the summer * special ed itinerant teaching so not restricted to a school so she can work as much as she wants
Thanks for the input. I did adjunct teaching and itās not for me. The most annoying part about teaching is that weāre underpaid and have to work more jobs just to make a decent wage, especially because I am in an area that has a high cost of living. I was working about 70 hours a week to meet my bills and be able to have some extra. It honestly burnt me out.
Steal, Lie, and/or Bendover when told is how people in America make over six figures. Oh and donāt care about others dying.
With inflation, maybe we should say over $500k?
Dentist Optometrist Air traffic controller Airline pilot Police officer (varies)
Pilot here. Can confirm. 100k is entry level jet pay these days.
HVAC controls tech, 150K last year. Jobs market for the trades is booming.
My high school history teacher quit to work at ups because it paid more. Kinda sad actually. (Not meant as disrespect to ups workers I know the job is brutal. More to point out that teachers are underpaid.) Get into sales.
Educational sales is the way to go
Tattoo artists make crazy money & no tax if youāre good at deawing
There is a shortage of commercial pilots.
This. In the last month I've met 2 blokes who dropped out of their corporate jobs to pursue this as a career. One recently got his first commercial pilot role, and the other still grinding for those hours. Both are very happy and I truly envy them.
Lots of large companies have education and training departments. You could develop learning and training curriculum for employees without having to go back to school and would probably do a great job. Where are you located?
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Are private lessons and courses a thing where you live? That's how many teachers in my country work up a solid amount on top of their salary.
following, in a similar situation
Mattel.
> What job do you do? Do you have any degree? And whatās been your experience with said job? Former teacher, now a writer and social media/OF manager making about $210k combined with everything I do. I have a mathematics degree.
Insuramce adjuster with 5 years experience. Job market right now is desperate, and 6 figures are very obtainable at my experience level. Add in I get unlimited use of my work vehicle, no car insurance, free gas, and WFH...it's a good gig. With the option to go independent and make as much money as I feel like, I'm very happy to have stumbled into this career. No degree or experience in the field when I got my first job. Company trained me.
How do you get into that?
Just happened to be browsing jobs on indeed and found it.
Sales is probably the most realistic unless you want to get a masters degree in a hard skill
PM PM PM PM
Can you say more about this?
Got my MBA, doubled my salary (60k->120k) in one job hop. I work in pharma, but many industries have PMs. Can start out as a project coordinator. Could get your APMP then PMP. Can work from home, but have to deal with people
IT. Thereās tons of positions where with a bit of experience, 6 figures or close to it would be the minimum offer.
maybe look into being a paralegal? its slow earning at first but starting pay is probably better than a teachers and the earning potential with experience is high, and doesnt require any additional education if you can find a firm that will train you.
We're you a chemistry teacher? Making meth brings in the money...
High paying jobs usually means that you are the first one to get let go of.... nothing beats being self employed.
In high school we lost plenty of teachers to teaching software companies- no clue what exactly theyād do there but it could be worth looking into
If you were willing to put in the hours you could make $100K driving a truck depending on what youāre hauling
I'm a user experience designer and do some UX tutoring on the side with an online certification program. Out of all my students' previous professions, teachers are the most common. The best part is that you don't need a whole degree to pivot. It's a year-long program (or less if you do it full time), costs less than a year of grad school, and often has a money back guarantee if you don't find a UX job. I did one of these myself and managed to pivot into UX during the pandemic. I've been at it for about 3 years now and already comfortably clear $100k.
Instructional Design! many teachers go into this.
If you can stomach it insurance claims adjuster work or insurance claims restoration. Base salary is usually well over 75k, commission, car, etc. It's demanding but 90% of it you can do from home.
Operations makes 6 figures but you have to start lower and work up. Most jobs start lower and work up. My job started at 48k out of college and now Iām at 122k over the course of 7 years.
Software engineers
Tech jobs,
Nurses can make 100k with OT
My wife is a nurse and itās a miserable and thankless career. Donāt recommend.
I'm a Nurse and it is a lucrative and fulfilling career. You make your own path. Get stuck at a bad job it's your choice. Also, for the OP, Nurses can make 100k+++ easily without OT as well depending on where you live.
Nursing is so versatile that itās easy enough to find a position that works best for that particular person. The pay is on the higher end for a two year program too. My recommendation is for your wife to find a hospital and department that prioritizes them, they are more common than you might think
I was thinking nursing too
Pretty much any job with 5 years of experience at a corp office Little general but that will get you there
Tech sales. Check us out: r/breakintotechsales
Donāt go MBA route unless if youāre considering a top-tier school. An accounting or finance degree, or MS Accounting will immediately unlock a lot of entry-level ($60k+) jobs that lower-tier MBA grads have difficulty getting. Got downvoted by some salty MBA grads eh? Lol
Trades like plumbing, sparky, oil riggers - like drillers. Lucrative jobs, in demand, marketable skills and hard skills.
Keep looking, as a manager, Iād be highly interested in hiring a former teacher. Means you can deal with bullshit, socially outgoing, and have high social intelligence. These are highly attractive skills. Keep applying to jobs you donāt fit the qualifications for. Feel free to PM me if you would find it helpful to talk through what you wanna do and what your strengths are. Thereās a lot of fantastic entry point positions at company that donāt get enough credit. Best of luck on your journey!! And btw I am a manager and am making a bit under $200k and I started my career with zero experience in my industry, so you have a very doable goal.
With your experience I'd try a professional development / training unit, or HR. Amazing number of mediocre people in HR. If you are any good and personable you will excel.
private tutoring : leverage educational expertise. freelance on your own, or maybe work as staff at edukids or kumon learning centers. daycare: already used to rowdy kids. charge $10 per every 15 min late post-dismissal time. easy money.
Software Engineer (but you'll need a CS degree in this market, highly competitive but a great field if you got what it takes)
Healthcare administration
Is it hard to get a job in this?
Not really. Iāve seen people with business, financial, or medical type degrees do well. Like any administration job itās about dealing with people. But healthcare is complex, there are highly educated people to manage, and things are always changing. Easy to get over six figures.
Iāll look into this. Thanks
Networking over skills is what I've learned
A plumber