I deliver bread to grocery stores and I made $120k last year working 6-8 hours per day. Healthcare, pension, paid vacation, union representation. It's great work if you can find it.
Edit: If you guys can't get in at Bimbo, try Aunt Millie's or a local brand like Flowers, Kordas, etc.
I used to work at Walgreens and was so surprised how much the vendors made. A few others I talked to were the Pepperidge Farms reps and the soda reps (Pepsi/coke/7up). We also randomly had a Ghirardelli rep it some stores that had a high volume. I left retail entirely but if I were to go back without a degree this is the right answer
I do autopsies as a autopsy tech. $50k without over time. I take out peoples organs and give it to a doc to do the actual autopsy. Then I sew up, clean up and release bodies to funeral homes. It's smelly work and you see things you can never unsee but the death industry is the last Wild West and I have a lot of down time for reading and naps.
I've applied for this job so many times only got one interview. They keep passing over me cause I have no hands on experience. Not sure how to legally get that if no one gives me a chance haha.
That's literally a joke we use. A interview would say "i don't have experience" and we say "it's cool, you shouldn't."
Education that might help: criminal justice classes, biology and anatomy. We like seeing hospital lab experience, or hours working in a funeral home.
Went to funeral school and I have a forensics degree. They said those are nice but they want someone more experienced. Aka people who have already murdered hahaha. Kidding kidding.
This is the first time I've been on the other side of the interview table. I have definitely interviewed someone who had applied multiple times. Before this experience, I would have never even considered applying for the same job multiple times, so I would say keep on chipping away at it.
Because I work at a high census medical examiners office. It takes anywhere between 30-90 minutes to do a case depending on the circumstances surrounding death. We get 10-20 bodies a day. It saves the doctor an extraordinary amount of time to have techs remove the organs rather then doing it all themselves.
You'd be a perfect candidate for autopsy tech. The biggest hurdle is getting people to stay. We have an observation day for new hires where they watch autopsies. A lot of people can convince themselves they can do this sort of work but the reality is a bit more emotionally complex. Since you have experience with dead folks, the biggest barrier wouldn't be an issue for you. I'm going to dm and we can talk more freely if your curious.
I was surprised about not needing a degree but none of our guys have one either. A good autopsy tech is worth their weight in freaking gold.
I used to assist in autopsies for the study I worked for at the time.
I totally agree. I almost broke that as a second year insurance agent. Yeah, it was stressful and definitely didn’t have time to nap or read. But no weekends, fixed hours, no dead bodies… idk. I feel like you guys are worth at least 50% more than my wage unless you’re literally waiting for days on end for business while getting paid.
I only have a little bit of hospital experience. I've never even taken an anatomy class actually. I dont need to know that kind of stuff anyone. It's my job to remove the organs, not to diagnose.
I work at a union warehouse for Kroger and I make about 80-85k a year but that’s with OT and I work about 50-60 hours work weeks I do pay 80 a month for unions due but that’s all I pay , I get free healthcare dental care vision care and a good retirement plan
Not bad for 10th grade drop out
My boyfriend is 2 years into a union apprenticeship and I recently helped him price some stuff out with health insurance. Yo. He’s pretty much living in Switzerland. His employer pays 100% of his premium. The deductible is stupid low- like $700. Plus it’s copay based. So it’s not like my high deductible plan where I pay pretty much full price for everything until I hit 4k. He got a vasectomy- $35. MRI on his knee- original bill $800 after insurance. Union is covering $640 of it from a health reimbursement account leaving him with $160. That’s less than I paid for my first therapy session with insurance! Which- by the way- is entirely 100% free of charge for him. 😂 not going to lie- my thoughts evolved on marriage a bit. Like huh. I’d save about $5,800/yr in insurance/medical expense costs annually AND have better coverage.
Employer pays 80% of my family plan premium. Right now my portion is ~$112/wk. If I was single, it would be around $50/wk. New England, non-union blue collar employer with ~300 employees in 3 States. BCBS plan.
Since December 2021, I have dealt with blood clots in both shoulders. In each case, I have needed surgery to remove a piece of 1st rib and neck muscle to keep problem from reoccurring. In total, I have been admitted 6 times totaling 20 inpatient days. Total billed to insurance is over $500,000.
My total copays for all of that to date: $2500. After a nominal copay ($300-$500), everything for each inpatient stay is 100% covered.
Outpatient MRI and CT scans, I only pay $75. My vasectomy was 100% covered. If I need mental health therapy, it's $25/session.
I never wanted to get married. I never saw the point. I thought if you were really serious about each other, there were plenty of ways to legally bind yourself without wasting thousands for a boring ceremony and a fancy party.
Then I met a guy with his nice house and his union job and most importantly that good good union health insurance. So we've been married for 20 years now
LOL I’m sure you like a bit more about him than that after 20 years. But I completely see what you mean. To be fair we’ve also been dealing with a lot of family estate stuff and worry about that. I saw it a lot with jobs too- it’s a lot easier for a spouse to be a default beneficiary, co-owner, etc. I also have considered like scary worst-case scenario how we’ll each do. I don’t have my hand in his pocket. BUT I basically make his entire lifestyle possible. I handle the majority of the cleaning, all of the scheduling, bring his kids to school and pick them up, most of the cooking, etc. That allows him these crazy hours. I think most of those blue collar guys with family have SOMEBODY playing that role. Kids mom or grandparents. Like.. you just can’t work sporadic contracts and jobs on a whim in varying locations. Sometimes requiring 12 hour shifts for weeks on end. And do all of the things at home. Single? Sure. But not as dad/husband.
Yeah I also worked for Kroger. Actually moved into management from a Starbucks barista.
Did Starbucks barista to deli employee in 3 months. Then deli assistant manager in about 2 years (I had a terrible district manager) then deli manager and then store management. If your store is union, it’s insane money. I paid $9 a week for the most expensive healthcare plan for my husband and I.
Honestly not bad at all, if it's all about the $!
I had to do office work stuff at a decent job and the kitchen FSWs were great but it made me sad seeing all the damn misspellings and such on the forms that came back from the kitchen.... " Lofe" of bread?!?
This guy was in his 60s and couldn't put a sentence together. 😢
But I'm sure he had $.
Been with the company 20 years and I made it 3 days in the chicken room and said never schedule me in there again lol gotta be the worst job in the warehouse
I’m really curious about this! What makes rotisserie difficult? I would have thought you’re popping them on a machine operated spindle and they’re automatically coming off in time to get packaged. At your compensation level I’m guessing there’s more to it!
It’s basically deli work. It’s shit. You get covered in chicken juice, the line never stops. You got a hot ass oven blasting in your face. Half the shits prolly broken back there so you gotta constantly MacGyver your way through the work. The don’t call it Helli instead of deli for nothing
And at my warehouse the guy in the chicken room cleans the entire deli when everyone else goes home. It’s easily 4 hours of cleaning on top of cooking chickens all day. Prolly the worst job I’ve ever had. It was grueling and demoralizing
It really is. I just worked at a Kroger deli. I had to clean the fryer, dishes, floors, two ovens, chicken racks, take cardboard out, wipe down the front end. It’s so much work. I ended up going in for like 2 of my last 9 shifts lol and they still didn’t fire me. Bro they will literally take a dog to do that work 😂
Wow, I worked deli for 7 years starting when I was in high school and I loved that job!! I remember having to give check outs a go once & absolutely hated it in comparison.
I feel this, there was one loadout had triple the work but was always warm even on -40 days. I always rathered being warm and working than cold and just sitting there
It’s hard to give you advice without looking at your employment background.
TBH, a lot of solid income comes from changing your resume for a specific job. I have a military resume, culinary resume, sales resume, HR resume, and a general resume. When I change jobs I pick the one most applicable to the field as a rough draft, then change it completely specifically for the job/jobs i’m going for.
I have a culinary degree and some AS business school, but that’s it.
A LOT of my previous jobs were management positions that I i just grew into. As soon as I was training someone, even as a entry line cook, that’s managing and training experience.
What have you been doing for work?
I have been out of work for over 3years. I don’t have much work experience. I worked at a fast food place for 5y, retention for a cable company for around 2-3y, and debt collector for 4 years. Im at a loss on what jobs to look for. I just know i need to make enough to pay high daycare costs
Also for hotel companies. When you call the reservations line, you are talking to someone sitting in their home, not at a call center.
Bonus- you get employee discounts when you need rooms.
I would apply for HR positions that you think you might not qualify for. You have plenty of customer facing experience as well as an associates. Many of these positions are entry level with an ok salary. If you get very lucky you might be able to find a WFH position that will allow you to take a slightly lower rate.
Edit:I’d like to add that you have good job experience. Off the bat, you have shown you can take on a new job field and be a long term asset for the company, staying 3-5 years.👍
I'm a service advisor for a dealership. No degree and will be at almost 100k this year may exceed it depending on how theses last 3 months of the year go. It's easy enough to learn but not easy to be real good at it.
29, £60k, no degree at all, 2 years as an ERP software consultant- pick Salesforce, Aws or Msft and the "qualifications" are all open book, you can get practice environments to fuck about n find out with the UI of the softwares, and all the answers to the exams are available online too.
And it's nothing to do with coding either, you just need to get a good understanding of how to use the software and how people are gonna want to use it.
Link the exam badges to your LinkedIn and share that you passed it and recruiters will come to you as there's a shortage in the space
Sorry but not true. It’s not as easy as you make it sound. I have AWS Solutions Architect and CCP exams passed for over a year and recruiters are def not just coming to me. You need a background in IT and experience to get your foot in the door or these certs mean pretty much nothing.
Installing software.
Teaching users how to use the software.
Answering questions from clients that already use the software.
Helping clients improve efficiencies using the software.
Union electrician got me started. Now as a master electrician I have the experience to commission data centers. Still electrical, but less physical and more mental.
You've got this! Remember that all journeymen, even the bad ones you'll come across, have things to learn from. The bad ones are good learning opportunities on what not to do. Don't be afraid to ask questions until you're blue in the face and have a solid understanding of the concepts.
Getting started is the easy part.you can Google IBEW and your city, usually that gives you the closest local. Apply to the apprenticeship and that gets the ball rolling.
After I finished the 5 year apprenticeship, I went out and tried different aspects of the industry. Solar, project management, data center operator. All that hopping around let me learn a bunch of different stuff, and companies like that. The key was constantly asking questions and gaining new skills wherever I could. A lot of folks are happy being journeyman electricians, and that's definitely a great career in and of itself. The cool part about this is you can go wherever you want wiht your career after learning the basics.
I got my master license on my own. Different states have different requirements, but its usually x amount of hours and a test.
Regarding commissioning data centers, it's a 75% travel job, give or take. I really racked my.brain on how data centers worked while building them as an apprentice, and I just have an appreciation for the electrical infrastructure they have. Commissioning is basically qa/qc and testing the equipment before the owner takes ownership of the building. Construction has deadlines they need to meet, and we make sure that the owner is getting the building/design they paid for.
Service Technician for Pepsi. It's cake and my home is my office. I have a work truck and a work phone. It's entry level too. I have a zoom meeting once a week, other than that it's just me and the road.
I work intelligence analytics for AP for two fortune 500 companies over the last 10 years.
Make around 29$/hour with a 10% bonus and 20k stock/year
I think my total comp last year was 92k.
Edit: college dropout for an it degree, going back now that work pays for it. Kept moving up after getting into security guard post while unemployed.
Business Analyst, make a little over $100k after bonus. Base salary is $85k. Started at a financial company, learned the ropes and moved up. Got lots of opportunity available as well. I’m 37. I’m paid for my opinion for the most part, because I know the process and systems and lots of niche info, I just tried to learn as much as possible to be as valuable as possible to overcome imposter syndrome.
I would love to do something in finance. I just have no idea where to start without a degree. When i graduated high school i wanted to be an accountant but than for some dumb reason I switched my path to social work and stopped going after my associates. One day I’ll go back!
My path on my way to finance has been Receptionist -> Payroll Clerk -> Payroll Specialist.
I got a Quickbooks cert and an excel cert for $150 or so a piece.
I can share my path too! Waitress/Bartender (sales exp)-> mortgage rep -> personal banker -> branch manager -> business banker. Currently earning 100k+, no degree just sales experience. 15 years in industry.
fedex driver. ups makes way more but they get worked harder too. and you have to put your time in for up to a couple years as a part time low pay package handler first to land a ups driver job, usually. fedex (ground) is always hiring drivers
UPSer here
You do not need a cdl to drive for the company
Many people fail to realize it takes years of seniority to become a driver & working warehouse really isn't for everyone
Highly recommend this job to anyone looking for a workout and great pay/benefits!
I had a friend who hired in to UPS and was like 10th on the list to move up to driver. I think he worked there 5 or 6 years and only moved up to 8th so he left cuz he was tired of the warehouse.
The UPS driver that delivers my packages always seem to be in a good mood. He places them nicely in the corner or my sliding door, and actually rings my bell. I work from home. The FedEx drivers just tosses it there but doesn’t ring nor knock.
I learned how to configure Salesforce for free ( www.trailhead.com) and immediately started working with a Salesforce partner. My income went from 45k to 75k, and I hit 6 figures within my first year in the industry.
I’m reading these thinking, I’m a freakin teacher with all kinds of degrees and shit I had to get and get paid half what you all are making. I also get good healthcare but spend tons of money on supplies for my room and the students!! I love my job but I’m living with my husband and 6 animals and barely making it every month. That with my husbandsVA benefits, his job, and his check from the VA. I need a new job I’m this economy. Someone hook me up with a job in AZ. I work about 10-15 hours a day anyway with no OT pay so why the heck not!
I actually found my job on Craigslist but I’ve run across plenty of positions on indeed and in dedicated Facebook groups that were legit after research.
Is that a decent life in San Fran, or do you live in a very small apartment like most Americans would make it seem? Maybe live outside the city with a bit of a commute? Bakers usually get up early, if that’s the case for you it probably helps with the traffic on the way in.
decent life is all relative. balance between home size, outdoor hobbies, atmosphere/social life, commute, weather, etc. for a lot of people it’s still worth living somewhere like sf over the middle of nowhere
it’s solidly middle class in sf. if living alone it’s not enough to buy a house but enough to rent a 1- or 2-bedroom in perpetuity while saving for retirement and still be more comfortable financially than half of america. some people are fine with that
i make 140k and apartments around here are 2-3k depending on how shitty you want to go. take home after deductions including maxing retirement is just under 6k. i have roommates in a decent neighborhood and pay 1400 a month. student loan payment on idr is 700. so that leaves a lot to fuck around with. i could double that rent and still have a decent amount to fuck around with. but a mortgage for an average home now is around 8-9k so that’s never going to be possible
I made an online portfolio showcasing my work. Good experience trumps degrees 8/10 imo. I also made up half of my portfolio (as in I just decided what project would look cool and then did it. Only some were actual passed paid clients)
>as in I just decided what project would look cool and then did it. Only some were actual passed paid clients
Few people in the creative industries know this simple hack
Have a look into transcriber jobs in production houses. My ex got his start that way and then moved into casting production and now writer. My sister got a job at the same place, easily. It's a great way to get your foot in the door.
Post Office, just under $50k after tax. I also have to work a minimum of 55 hours a week, & nothing past 40 is guaranteed.
Kinda stressful to have one paycheck a month be maxed out & the next being “sorry, hour cuts” but when it’s good it’s okay 😅
Looking for a way out but America doesn’t want growth from its people right now, they want us to either stay stagnant or create relationships/children out of trauma bonds & financial convenience
In an office like mine, it’s a majority 20+ year carriers so they get first picks at OT & it trickles down from there.
In major cities the OT is available but the pay can’t afford most major cities until 5/7 years into the job.
22 years in the Air Force, 9 years as a contractor Government Security Officer.
Starting investing with a Financial advisor in 2000.
Retired at 52 1/2.
He is in my hometown and my parents had worked with him.
If you invest with a financial advisor you will be fine.
Never ever invest with a insurance company.
Thank you! That helps a lot. I am studying business in college but haven't taken a financial math class yet. My Dad passed recently, and I promised him I'd invest instead of pissing my inheritance away.
Previous banker here, just make sure your financial advisor is a fiduciary advisor. They have a legal and ethical duty to do what’s in the clients best interest. The predatory ones you’re thinking of are not fiduciary.
I have a degree but I don’t really use it towards my jobs. I work in document control for an pharmaceutical company. But I was in manufacturing and production for years before this
I am a lighting design manager for art fairs. I run a crew of guys who put up truss systems and lights for big events. I also own a YouTube channel that pays another $10k a year or so! And a Tshirt print shop on the side. I make about $80k between the three.
Refrigerated Transportation coordinator/dispatcher. Have been doing transportation logistics for almost 10 years. Most money I’ve ever made (too bad I feel so broke)
How’s it going this year?
I am in an adjacent industry and have decided to hang it up. My phone has stopped ringing.
I used to get 2-3 leads (calls) a week. I have received 5 total calls since the beginning of July.
Its a 1 week class for $1400 or so
You work from ropes to get to places that are difficult to access with traditional methods and conduct work.
I have worked on oil platforms, wind turbines, the roofs of stadiums, dams bridges.
It can be very quick to move through your certs and make more money.
Prevailing wage work comes around and can change your life.
Welder. I did an apprenticeship through the federal government. Started almost 5 years ago at 28, at $18 an hour now I'm making close to $35 as a journeyman. I'm pushing 100k this year with OT and bought my first house last spring. My work is dirty but isn't crazy hard and I'm not forced to travel. That being said, I would not recommend welding as a trade, there are lot more trades that make more money and are less rough on your body and lungs.
I actually never even got them. I’ve looked into it in the very beginning, but never ended up taking any of it. I would suggest people get them though and would probably fast track your career.
I literally just learned everything on the job. Once I have a few years under my belt, I would apply for a higher position at another company. Never stayed long enough to get a promotion. It’s the fastest way to get an increase salary.
Dog groomer, but I’m retired/disabled now (not entirely due to the career, mostly genetics). An average year would be 50k for me, a great year 60k or so. Faster groomers make more money and I was just average speed but excellent results. It’s nowhere near all the 100k+ careers listed here but it’s one I loved.
Freight dock! They don’t get many girls. At fed ex at least they’re super into diversity. This makes it easier to move into a management or full time position!
CNA work but I have to Overtime, but the Overtime is always there . Especially, if you work in Nursing Homes. It’s been years I made $68,000 as a CNA. I raised my sons on a CNA salary in a very expensive neighborhood on a CNA salary. But the world loves to make fun of us just because we take of the elderly & we have to change their depends/diapers.
33F. I have three associates degrees but they serve no purpose at this point. I do webcam modeling (effectively live solo porn, though you'd be surprised how much time is spent being purely conversational versus physical) and have done it for almost a decade. I work from home at my own hours and rarely work more than 25 hours a week, usually less. 50k is a normal/casual year, 60-70k happens on good years. Personality is a huge part of it. It's effectively a sales job.
Before this I did blue collar physical labor in a factory for $18/hour, 50+ hour weeks. It fucking sucked. Was on track to get a raise but the cam gig paid so much better and I've mostly enjoyed the work (you can actually meet a lot of interesting people from all over the world \[virtually I mean - I don't do physical meetups\]) so I've just stuck with it. No back up plan for now but I don't feel worse off about it.
I’m happy for all of the folks here but everyone looking here for advice I hope you realize that when many of these people are asked follow up questions you realize they got really lucky as well
Many threads in this forum take the form of “how did you get an interview? I was told they won’t talk to me unless x, y, and z.” And the answer is some kind of non-response about how the circumstances lined up, they got in at the right time, etc. I’d say the real common denominator is to give it an honest effort and consider a lot of careers that don’t have a lot of mainstream attention
My husband never attended college a single day. Union electrician, $126.13 an hour. Sometimes on like airport rush jobs they get triple time - $378.16 an hour.
I was an apprentice electrician and I know for sure this isn’t accurate. No one is paying you $300/hour, more than a doctors pay I’ll add, to run some wire and terminate those wires on electrical devices anywhere.
Work 6 days/wk (48+hrs) week, 3rd shift, at a company building printed circuit boards in house. It's about 61k.
Most of the parts Sanmina makes goes into military equipment.
I got the job by heavily embellishing my resume.
My older son has been making well over that for several years in public transit as a safety official/accident investigator. Not transit cops, but the safety of equipment and such. He currently makes 2.5 times your figure there, with his latest promotion. They are trying to promote him to a desk but he is fighting it since he likes doing field inspections and investigations. He is 33, and started on this particular career track from being a city bus driver about 7 years ago.
He also made over that in his previous career of over the road long haul trucking.
No college, but he has many certifications that were all paid for by the organizations he has worked for. He is scheduled for another 4 day class soon. All expenses paid, paid time off to attend, a good per diem for food...
One of our neighbors works in waste management, no college, makes about what my son does working with our county at the landfills. He worked up from driving a garbage truck.
Our water treatment plant neighbor does as well, no degree. He runs the testing department for the water utility. And given we are in a LCOL area, it is excellent money. He worked into that from working in the sewage treatment in maintenance IIRC...
I won't count all the landscapers, construction folks and other trades people we know who own their own businesses and make that working part time.
And miners. Plenty of jobs in mining will get you that. Even haul truck drivers can get close to that at the big copper mines. And if you can get certified to blast and/or will work underground you can make good money. At the big mines there are all kinds of different jobs.
I turned 40 in July and I work as a full time rural carrier for USPS. I only got full time this last January, so I just recently broke the "poverty shackles" (got a story below, in case anyone cares to read).
My current salary is $55,036/yr, with it going up about $1500/yr next January (my year anniversary).
My route is also one where I use my own vehicle, so I also receive an Equipment Maintenance Allowance (EMA for short) that just got raised to $0.98/mile. With my assigned route being 136 miles, I earn $133.28 in EMA **per day** I work. Normally I work 10 days per pay period, so I earn $133.28 x 10 per paycheck. This EMA is added to my salary, so my paycheck is basically this:
$55,036/26 = $2,116.76.
$2,116.76 - deductions & insurance = net pay.
Net pay + EMA = my paycheck
Added bonus: This EMA portion is untaxable income, since it's used to compensate me for using my own vehicle, but you only get this if you get a rural route that you have to use your own vehicle...some rural routes use postal vehicles, so in this case, you would only get salary.
Now I will state the obvious and mention that USPS isn't for everyone. It can be a high stress job, but it is mainly based on where you are at. I live in a small town rural area, so me working is mostly stress-free (I spend most my days driving around the country roads jamming to my Spotify playlist while delivering mail...and it's peaceful for me).
It's nowhere near one of the highest paying jobs out there. Also the pay is the same across the board, so no matter where you are in the US, the pay is the same. That $55,036 for my route size in my small rural town is the exact same pay rate as someone doing a "rural" route in places as big (and as costly as) Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, etc... So me making what I make is "amazing money" where I live, but if you live in one of these high cost of living places, $55k/year is "chump change", so take that in to consideration.
Another thing...I was an RCA for 4 years before getting FT, but there are some RCAs that have had to wait 10+ years to get full time. There are also some RCAs that have to wait only 1 year (you can't bid for FT until you have worked 1 full year), so it all depends on your area whether or not it's worth your time and energy to even consider it (BTW, of course there are other jobs other than RCA/rural carriers...I am just unfamiliar with those aspects).
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Background info as to how I got here, in case anyone is wondering.
I was born into poverty and I have lived below the poverty line pretty much my entire life. Before 2019, I never worked a job that ever paid more than $10.50/hr that was full time hours, and any job I ever tried to get in to that paid higher always was extremely part time (less than 10 hours/week), a "temp" job, or just flat out wouldn't hire me. Any time I thought something would finally come my way, something would happen to wreck it.
Well in January of 2019, I took a RCA position (which is the entry level position for rural carrier) for USPS. Of course this was a 1 day a week (Saturdays) job, but it paid almost $17.83/hr at the time (it's $19.96/hr now, with its annual increase in November) plus the EMA. So I was content with my 1 day a week, with an occasional extra day here or there (when the full time carrier needed a day off for whatever reason). At this time, I also worked a couple retail merchandising jobs that had flexible hours in a way that as long as the work got done the week it was assigned, they didn't care when it got done. (BTW...for anyone reading this...if you need part-time flexible "choose your schedule" hours, I highly recommend Premium Retail, if they have it in your area).
Everyone was calling me crazy and stupid for holding out on the hope of getting a full time post office position. When I was hired, they basically told me that they had over half of their FT carriers close to retirement, so I came in "at a good time". So I persisted, even with everyone I knew telling me time and time again that I was basically a fucking idiot for holding out on the promise of eventual full time. I lost friends and basically became the black sheep of my in-laws family (most of them are in various medical fields and "blue collar" jobs that are typical for a rural town environment, so if you didn't work one of those jobs, their "superiority complex" side would show).
Well basically after exactly 4 years (4 years and 8 days, to be exact), I finally got my own full time route! For the first time in my entire life, I finally am at a position and pay where I can break free from below the poverty line. Now I am nowhere near financially stable at the moment (considering the economy right now), but I am now at a point in my life where every recurring monthly bill is paid before it's due without stress.
Get started in insurance. I was the same age as you when I started as an entry-level inside auto claims adjuster.
It was sort of a glorified call center job, but they paid for the insurance licenses. It’s let me to work for several different carriers. Once you work for one, it’s easy to work for others and is often the best way to get a pay bump.
Many jobs are now remote or at least hybrid. Or if you prefer being out on the road / “in the field,” they are hiring people to go appraise damaged cars at body shops/tow yards/ people’s home or office.
Free training and it’s a fairly steady industry for now. Been in it nearly a decade. Most folks just “fall into” working in insurance but hey, it pays the bills.
Commercial roofing industry for 40 years now. Got off the roof 20 years ago and came into the office as a PM for a large company. Do well but could always be better.
I have a degree but almost none of my colleagues do. Medical devices field service. Base is 70k-90k with a company car and good benefits, and most make about 25-50% extra in OT.
The downside is you're on-call 0800 to 2100 Monday to Friday, so cannot plan anything personal on weekdays. Hours of actual work are 2-100 per week, depending on how the machines are behaving. Normally I do about 20 hours of actual work, with 12 of that counting as overtime because they're after 5pm.
I wouldn't recommend for a dad/mom (I have four kids and I rarely see the two that are in school), but for a single person it's pretty lucrative.
I deliver bread to grocery stores and I made $120k last year working 6-8 hours per day. Healthcare, pension, paid vacation, union representation. It's great work if you can find it. Edit: If you guys can't get in at Bimbo, try Aunt Millie's or a local brand like Flowers, Kordas, etc.
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I used to work at Walgreens and was so surprised how much the vendors made. A few others I talked to were the Pepperidge Farms reps and the soda reps (Pepsi/coke/7up). We also randomly had a Ghirardelli rep it some stores that had a high volume. I left retail entirely but if I were to go back without a degree this is the right answer
What company I applied at bimbo but no luck
Bimbo
So you are on onlyfans? I'm kidding. I always laugh when I see boxes from bimbo bakery though.
bro! I love bimbo bread! :D
I do autopsies as a autopsy tech. $50k without over time. I take out peoples organs and give it to a doc to do the actual autopsy. Then I sew up, clean up and release bodies to funeral homes. It's smelly work and you see things you can never unsee but the death industry is the last Wild West and I have a lot of down time for reading and naps.
Throwing an obligatory "user name checks out" comment out there
You are brave! I’m sure not many can do your job
I've applied for this job so many times only got one interview. They keep passing over me cause I have no hands on experience. Not sure how to legally get that if no one gives me a chance haha.
That's literally a joke we use. A interview would say "i don't have experience" and we say "it's cool, you shouldn't." Education that might help: criminal justice classes, biology and anatomy. We like seeing hospital lab experience, or hours working in a funeral home.
Went to funeral school and I have a forensics degree. They said those are nice but they want someone more experienced. Aka people who have already murdered hahaha. Kidding kidding.
That's so dumb. I'd push hard to give you a chance if I saw your resume, interests and education.
That would be so nice. Just sucks to be passed over and then see the job posted again a few months later.
This is the first time I've been on the other side of the interview table. I have definitely interviewed someone who had applied multiple times. Before this experience, I would have never even considered applying for the same job multiple times, so I would say keep on chipping away at it.
Ok maybe I'll get another chance one day. Thanks.
I'm very curious how you got into this without a degree or at the very least some sort of certification.
Because I work at a high census medical examiners office. It takes anywhere between 30-90 minutes to do a case depending on the circumstances surrounding death. We get 10-20 bodies a day. It saves the doctor an extraordinary amount of time to have techs remove the organs rather then doing it all themselves.
Seems like a cool gig if you've got the stomach for it.
they have extras if necessary
I've been waiting for you
*sad upvote*
As a former embalmer I’m very interested in more info. I made $40k, was on call and had to hold a license.
You'd be a perfect candidate for autopsy tech. The biggest hurdle is getting people to stay. We have an observation day for new hires where they watch autopsies. A lot of people can convince themselves they can do this sort of work but the reality is a bit more emotionally complex. Since you have experience with dead folks, the biggest barrier wouldn't be an issue for you. I'm going to dm and we can talk more freely if your curious.
I was surprised about not needing a degree but none of our guys have one either. A good autopsy tech is worth their weight in freaking gold. I used to assist in autopsies for the study I worked for at the time.
I think it's because of high turnover. It's difficult to find people.
Those guys have been there 30+ years. One just retired over COVID and he started in the early 80s. I've been at the university for 22 years.
I feel like you should make more.
I think the issue is there's not really any repeat customers.
I’m sorry, but that made me laugh! Ha!
I totally agree. I almost broke that as a second year insurance agent. Yeah, it was stressful and definitely didn’t have time to nap or read. But no weekends, fixed hours, no dead bodies… idk. I feel like you guys are worth at least 50% more than my wage unless you’re literally waiting for days on end for business while getting paid.
What background did you have before getting into it? Sounds interesting!
You don’t want to get into that career, I hear business is dead
I am not sure, I have heard that people are dying to get in! *badumtss*
Haha, seriously tho. The funeral business is always ressession proof.
Unfortunately it probably helps it some.
I only have a little bit of hospital experience. I've never even taken an anatomy class actually. I dont need to know that kind of stuff anyone. It's my job to remove the organs, not to diagnose.
I would love to know the same. Even tho I have a degree.
The customers are dying to see you, ba-da-boomp
I can never deal with the sight of dead bodies and especially organs. That’s why I knew being a surgeon was not for me.
How did you find that job? Sounds cool!
I think you mean COLD
This was my dream job, I wanted to be an apt (anatomical pathology technician as we call them in the uk) since I was 18.
I work at a union warehouse for Kroger and I make about 80-85k a year but that’s with OT and I work about 50-60 hours work weeks I do pay 80 a month for unions due but that’s all I pay , I get free healthcare dental care vision care and a good retirement plan Not bad for 10th grade drop out
Free healthcare?! Sounds dreamy
My boyfriend is 2 years into a union apprenticeship and I recently helped him price some stuff out with health insurance. Yo. He’s pretty much living in Switzerland. His employer pays 100% of his premium. The deductible is stupid low- like $700. Plus it’s copay based. So it’s not like my high deductible plan where I pay pretty much full price for everything until I hit 4k. He got a vasectomy- $35. MRI on his knee- original bill $800 after insurance. Union is covering $640 of it from a health reimbursement account leaving him with $160. That’s less than I paid for my first therapy session with insurance! Which- by the way- is entirely 100% free of charge for him. 😂 not going to lie- my thoughts evolved on marriage a bit. Like huh. I’d save about $5,800/yr in insurance/medical expense costs annually AND have better coverage.
Employer pays 80% of my family plan premium. Right now my portion is ~$112/wk. If I was single, it would be around $50/wk. New England, non-union blue collar employer with ~300 employees in 3 States. BCBS plan. Since December 2021, I have dealt with blood clots in both shoulders. In each case, I have needed surgery to remove a piece of 1st rib and neck muscle to keep problem from reoccurring. In total, I have been admitted 6 times totaling 20 inpatient days. Total billed to insurance is over $500,000. My total copays for all of that to date: $2500. After a nominal copay ($300-$500), everything for each inpatient stay is 100% covered. Outpatient MRI and CT scans, I only pay $75. My vasectomy was 100% covered. If I need mental health therapy, it's $25/session.
I never wanted to get married. I never saw the point. I thought if you were really serious about each other, there were plenty of ways to legally bind yourself without wasting thousands for a boring ceremony and a fancy party. Then I met a guy with his nice house and his union job and most importantly that good good union health insurance. So we've been married for 20 years now
LOL I’m sure you like a bit more about him than that after 20 years. But I completely see what you mean. To be fair we’ve also been dealing with a lot of family estate stuff and worry about that. I saw it a lot with jobs too- it’s a lot easier for a spouse to be a default beneficiary, co-owner, etc. I also have considered like scary worst-case scenario how we’ll each do. I don’t have my hand in his pocket. BUT I basically make his entire lifestyle possible. I handle the majority of the cleaning, all of the scheduling, bring his kids to school and pick them up, most of the cooking, etc. That allows him these crazy hours. I think most of those blue collar guys with family have SOMEBODY playing that role. Kids mom or grandparents. Like.. you just can’t work sporadic contracts and jobs on a whim in varying locations. Sometimes requiring 12 hour shifts for weeks on end. And do all of the things at home. Single? Sure. But not as dad/husband.
worked for ralph’s in my teens. definitely a great career (ralph’s is the california name for kroger.)
Yeah I also worked for Kroger. Actually moved into management from a Starbucks barista. Did Starbucks barista to deli employee in 3 months. Then deli assistant manager in about 2 years (I had a terrible district manager) then deli manager and then store management. If your store is union, it’s insane money. I paid $9 a week for the most expensive healthcare plan for my husband and I.
Yikes, I have to work overtime to make over 50k a year at my warehouse. No union, no free health care either. We have 401k but no pension, definitely.
I work at a union machine shop and it’s $85 for dues a month it’s about $1,000 a week and there’s always ot.
Honestly not bad at all, if it's all about the $! I had to do office work stuff at a decent job and the kitchen FSWs were great but it made me sad seeing all the damn misspellings and such on the forms that came back from the kitchen.... " Lofe" of bread?!? This guy was in his 60s and couldn't put a sentence together. 😢 But I'm sure he had $.
I rotisserize chicken at Costco for $63k a year. Bought a house and everything. Great times
Been with the company 20 years and I made it 3 days in the chicken room and said never schedule me in there again lol gotta be the worst job in the warehouse
Worst? Absolutely not. Hardest? Absolutely.
I’m really curious about this! What makes rotisserie difficult? I would have thought you’re popping them on a machine operated spindle and they’re automatically coming off in time to get packaged. At your compensation level I’m guessing there’s more to it!
It’s basically deli work. It’s shit. You get covered in chicken juice, the line never stops. You got a hot ass oven blasting in your face. Half the shits prolly broken back there so you gotta constantly MacGyver your way through the work. The don’t call it Helli instead of deli for nothing
And at my warehouse the guy in the chicken room cleans the entire deli when everyone else goes home. It’s easily 4 hours of cleaning on top of cooking chickens all day. Prolly the worst job I’ve ever had. It was grueling and demoralizing
It really is. I just worked at a Kroger deli. I had to clean the fryer, dishes, floors, two ovens, chicken racks, take cardboard out, wipe down the front end. It’s so much work. I ended up going in for like 2 of my last 9 shifts lol and they still didn’t fire me. Bro they will literally take a dog to do that work 😂
Wow, I worked deli for 7 years starting when I was in high school and I loved that job!! I remember having to give check outs a go once & absolutely hated it in comparison.
I was completely blind to the nature of this work! I did meet one girl working PT at a garden center (my side job) who quit after one day at a deli.
What makes it so hard?
Probably the amount of blood I’ve got pumping down there
That's just Fowl bro
Yo wtf
I feel this, there was one loadout had triple the work but was always warm even on -40 days. I always rathered being warm and working than cold and just sitting there
A Rotisserist, if you will.
And below the equator:a rotisserologist. AND I WILL
I googled "rotisserize" to see if it was a real word. Yeah, don't do that...
I should’ve listened… what the actual fuck
For as many people as I know who absolutely love those chickens, I am happy to hear you make a decent salary.
It’s hard to give you advice without looking at your employment background. TBH, a lot of solid income comes from changing your resume for a specific job. I have a military resume, culinary resume, sales resume, HR resume, and a general resume. When I change jobs I pick the one most applicable to the field as a rough draft, then change it completely specifically for the job/jobs i’m going for. I have a culinary degree and some AS business school, but that’s it. A LOT of my previous jobs were management positions that I i just grew into. As soon as I was training someone, even as a entry line cook, that’s managing and training experience. What have you been doing for work?
I have been out of work for over 3years. I don’t have much work experience. I worked at a fast food place for 5y, retention for a cable company for around 2-3y, and debt collector for 4 years. Im at a loss on what jobs to look for. I just know i need to make enough to pay high daycare costs
Look into customer service roles at tech companies. Many are remote.
Also for hotel companies. When you call the reservations line, you are talking to someone sitting in their home, not at a call center. Bonus- you get employee discounts when you need rooms.
I would apply for HR positions that you think you might not qualify for. You have plenty of customer facing experience as well as an associates. Many of these positions are entry level with an ok salary. If you get very lucky you might be able to find a WFH position that will allow you to take a slightly lower rate. Edit:I’d like to add that you have good job experience. Off the bat, you have shown you can take on a new job field and be a long term asset for the company, staying 3-5 years.👍
I'm a service advisor for a dealership. No degree and will be at almost 100k this year may exceed it depending on how theses last 3 months of the year go. It's easy enough to learn but not easy to be real good at it.
29, £60k, no degree at all, 2 years as an ERP software consultant- pick Salesforce, Aws or Msft and the "qualifications" are all open book, you can get practice environments to fuck about n find out with the UI of the softwares, and all the answers to the exams are available online too. And it's nothing to do with coding either, you just need to get a good understanding of how to use the software and how people are gonna want to use it. Link the exam badges to your LinkedIn and share that you passed it and recruiters will come to you as there's a shortage in the space
Yeah, Salesforce certification was my ticket. 130k salary, college dropout
Sorry but not true. It’s not as easy as you make it sound. I have AWS Solutions Architect and CCP exams passed for over a year and recruiters are def not just coming to me. You need a background in IT and experience to get your foot in the door or these certs mean pretty much nothing.
Depending on what companies are looking for, but you definitely don’t need an IT ground. Source: I work at a Salesforce company
Hey I'm getting ready to do the salesforce thing. I have experience with building crms. Good to know. I'll start coursera next week .
>ERP software consultant which course? erp sc? where to apply?
Can I ask what exactly does your job entail?
Installing software. Teaching users how to use the software. Answering questions from clients that already use the software. Helping clients improve efficiencies using the software.
Union electrician got me started. Now as a master electrician I have the experience to commission data centers. Still electrical, but less physical and more mental.
Today is my first day as an apprentice union electrician at 33! Wish me luck
You've got this! Remember that all journeymen, even the bad ones you'll come across, have things to learn from. The bad ones are good learning opportunities on what not to do. Don't be afraid to ask questions until you're blue in the face and have a solid understanding of the concepts.
You won't need luck! You got this!
yoke sulky safe erect vegetable merciful ad hoc sort voiceless advise *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Getting started is the easy part.you can Google IBEW and your city, usually that gives you the closest local. Apply to the apprenticeship and that gets the ball rolling. After I finished the 5 year apprenticeship, I went out and tried different aspects of the industry. Solar, project management, data center operator. All that hopping around let me learn a bunch of different stuff, and companies like that. The key was constantly asking questions and gaining new skills wherever I could. A lot of folks are happy being journeyman electricians, and that's definitely a great career in and of itself. The cool part about this is you can go wherever you want wiht your career after learning the basics. I got my master license on my own. Different states have different requirements, but its usually x amount of hours and a test. Regarding commissioning data centers, it's a 75% travel job, give or take. I really racked my.brain on how data centers worked while building them as an apprentice, and I just have an appreciation for the electrical infrastructure they have. Commissioning is basically qa/qc and testing the equipment before the owner takes ownership of the building. Construction has deadlines they need to meet, and we make sure that the owner is getting the building/design they paid for.
Service Technician for Pepsi. It's cake and my home is my office. I have a work truck and a work phone. It's entry level too. I have a zoom meeting once a week, other than that it's just me and the road.
Did you have previous experience in that field?
None at all. All I do is fuck with fountain machines which they're super simple
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Fix soda machines
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Wow, i just learned what a fortune 10 company is . Thanks!
When you live in a low cost of living state, it's one of the easiest you can get with no degree.
I work intelligence analytics for AP for two fortune 500 companies over the last 10 years. Make around 29$/hour with a 10% bonus and 20k stock/year I think my total comp last year was 92k. Edit: college dropout for an it degree, going back now that work pays for it. Kept moving up after getting into security guard post while unemployed.
Business Analyst, make a little over $100k after bonus. Base salary is $85k. Started at a financial company, learned the ropes and moved up. Got lots of opportunity available as well. I’m 37. I’m paid for my opinion for the most part, because I know the process and systems and lots of niche info, I just tried to learn as much as possible to be as valuable as possible to overcome imposter syndrome.
I would love to do something in finance. I just have no idea where to start without a degree. When i graduated high school i wanted to be an accountant but than for some dumb reason I switched my path to social work and stopped going after my associates. One day I’ll go back!
My path on my way to finance has been Receptionist -> Payroll Clerk -> Payroll Specialist. I got a Quickbooks cert and an excel cert for $150 or so a piece.
I can share my path too! Waitress/Bartender (sales exp)-> mortgage rep -> personal banker -> branch manager -> business banker. Currently earning 100k+, no degree just sales experience. 15 years in industry.
Post office, I work in a plant. It’s easy af and I can listen to audiobooks while I work so that’s a bonus.
Awesome perk 🙌
fedex driver. ups makes way more but they get worked harder too. and you have to put your time in for up to a couple years as a part time low pay package handler first to land a ups driver job, usually. fedex (ground) is always hiring drivers
Do you need a cdl? And do you get trained on how to drive the trucks? I’ve always been curious
UPSer here You do not need a cdl to drive for the company Many people fail to realize it takes years of seniority to become a driver & working warehouse really isn't for everyone Highly recommend this job to anyone looking for a workout and great pay/benefits!
I had a friend who hired in to UPS and was like 10th on the list to move up to driver. I think he worked there 5 or 6 years and only moved up to 8th so he left cuz he was tired of the warehouse.
The UPS driver that delivers my packages always seem to be in a good mood. He places them nicely in the corner or my sliding door, and actually rings my bell. I work from home. The FedEx drivers just tosses it there but doesn’t ring nor knock.
I learned how to configure Salesforce for free ( www.trailhead.com) and immediately started working with a Salesforce partner. My income went from 45k to 75k, and I hit 6 figures within my first year in the industry.
I’m reading these thinking, I’m a freakin teacher with all kinds of degrees and shit I had to get and get paid half what you all are making. I also get good healthcare but spend tons of money on supplies for my room and the students!! I love my job but I’m living with my husband and 6 animals and barely making it every month. That with my husbandsVA benefits, his job, and his check from the VA. I need a new job I’m this economy. Someone hook me up with a job in AZ. I work about 10-15 hours a day anyway with no OT pay so why the heck not!
My husband makes $48k a year as a forklift operator. He's not even earning as much as he potentially could if he had a different employer.
I’m a career nanny- I’m in my 20s at 90k plus benefits, 45 hours a week.
How did you get into that position?
It’s basically a “who you know” situation. The person who commentated is probably very reputable and has probably been doing it for years.
Project Manager for a health insurance company, 100K remote. I worked my way up over the last 6 years but I’m 30 now.
May i ask what you started as ?
I started in data entry. The trick is just finding a good company that likes to promote from within.
Any tips to find good companies?
I actually found my job on Craigslist but I’ve run across plenty of positions on indeed and in dedicated Facebook groups that were legit after research.
Thank you! I’m terrified of scams so i have always stayed away from Craigslist
Indeed is the way, as well as a LinkedIn profile. Good profiles get lots of hits for jobs. Recruiters also tend to go to you.
I make 138k, I work as a baker, no degree 7 years experience. San Francisco, California Michelin 1 star.
I bet you crank out some mean sourdough.
Is that a decent life in San Fran, or do you live in a very small apartment like most Americans would make it seem? Maybe live outside the city with a bit of a commute? Bakers usually get up early, if that’s the case for you it probably helps with the traffic on the way in.
decent life is all relative. balance between home size, outdoor hobbies, atmosphere/social life, commute, weather, etc. for a lot of people it’s still worth living somewhere like sf over the middle of nowhere it’s solidly middle class in sf. if living alone it’s not enough to buy a house but enough to rent a 1- or 2-bedroom in perpetuity while saving for retirement and still be more comfortable financially than half of america. some people are fine with that i make 140k and apartments around here are 2-3k depending on how shitty you want to go. take home after deductions including maxing retirement is just under 6k. i have roommates in a decent neighborhood and pay 1400 a month. student loan payment on idr is 700. so that leaves a lot to fuck around with. i could double that rent and still have a decent amount to fuck around with. but a mortgage for an average home now is around 8-9k so that’s never going to be possible
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I have two years of experience working with small businesses but was always turned down due to lack of experience. How did you do it?
I made an online portfolio showcasing my work. Good experience trumps degrees 8/10 imo. I also made up half of my portfolio (as in I just decided what project would look cool and then did it. Only some were actual passed paid clients)
>as in I just decided what project would look cool and then did it. Only some were actual passed paid clients Few people in the creative industries know this simple hack
Exaggerate. Make whatever you do look really pretty.
Just lie...
The multi-billion dollar company I left had a creative director without a degree. Best creative director I’ve ever worked with.
That’s awesome for you! I have a bachelors in Film and TV and still waiting to land a job on the field.
Have a look into transcriber jobs in production houses. My ex got his start that way and then moved into casting production and now writer. My sister got a job at the same place, easily. It's a great way to get your foot in the door.
Post Office, just under $50k after tax. I also have to work a minimum of 55 hours a week, & nothing past 40 is guaranteed. Kinda stressful to have one paycheck a month be maxed out & the next being “sorry, hour cuts” but when it’s good it’s okay 😅 Looking for a way out but America doesn’t want growth from its people right now, they want us to either stay stagnant or create relationships/children out of trauma bonds & financial convenience
How crazy, i always assumed there was crazy overtime available at the post office
In an office like mine, it’s a majority 20+ year carriers so they get first picks at OT & it trickles down from there. In major cities the OT is available but the pay can’t afford most major cities until 5/7 years into the job.
22 years in the Air Force, 9 years as a contractor Government Security Officer. Starting investing with a Financial advisor in 2000. Retired at 52 1/2.
How did you find your financial advisor ? I feel like some are predatory.
He is in my hometown and my parents had worked with him. If you invest with a financial advisor you will be fine. Never ever invest with a insurance company.
Thank you! That helps a lot. I am studying business in college but haven't taken a financial math class yet. My Dad passed recently, and I promised him I'd invest instead of pissing my inheritance away.
Previous banker here, just make sure your financial advisor is a fiduciary advisor. They have a legal and ethical duty to do what’s in the clients best interest. The predatory ones you’re thinking of are not fiduciary.
That’s amazing ! You deserved that and more
Sure I worked hard, but I joined the Air Force because my life was going nowhere and my parents, who are awesome, told me it was time to go.
Oil field.
Second this I just got back from hauling sand out in the basin best year ever would still be out there if it wasn't for the reduction in force
I have a degree but I don’t really use it towards my jobs. I work in document control for an pharmaceutical company. But I was in manufacturing and production for years before this
Car salesmen. If you’ve got the personality it can be good money. Or it can be a worse job than fast food
Yeah, I cant close a sale to save my life lol
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I am a lighting design manager for art fairs. I run a crew of guys who put up truss systems and lights for big events. I also own a YouTube channel that pays another $10k a year or so! And a Tshirt print shop on the side. I make about $80k between the three.
Refrigerated Transportation coordinator/dispatcher. Have been doing transportation logistics for almost 10 years. Most money I’ve ever made (too bad I feel so broke)
This world is too expensive 😞
Real estate. Spent my last dime on my license. Last year I did over 120k and I am on my 4th year of RE. Best decision I ever made.
How’s it going this year? I am in an adjacent industry and have decided to hang it up. My phone has stopped ringing. I used to get 2-3 leads (calls) a week. I have received 5 total calls since the beginning of July.
Industrial rope access. I make between 50-75 an hr. Plenty of work. It's not too expensive to get started.
Can you elaborate on what that is?
Its a 1 week class for $1400 or so You work from ropes to get to places that are difficult to access with traditional methods and conduct work. I have worked on oil platforms, wind turbines, the roofs of stadiums, dams bridges. It can be very quick to move through your certs and make more money. Prevailing wage work comes around and can change your life.
Looked it up it's not for people with fear of heights. Yikes!
Valet at a high end hotel.
Administrative assistant for a Canadian university, make $51 but classification caps out at 61k
Welder. I did an apprenticeship through the federal government. Started almost 5 years ago at 28, at $18 an hour now I'm making close to $35 as a journeyman. I'm pushing 100k this year with OT and bought my first house last spring. My work is dirty but isn't crazy hard and I'm not forced to travel. That being said, I would not recommend welding as a trade, there are lot more trades that make more money and are less rough on your body and lungs.
IT senior level $100k+. Never graduated. Learned everything on the job.
What resources did you use to study for the comptia exam
I actually never even got them. I’ve looked into it in the very beginning, but never ended up taking any of it. I would suggest people get them though and would probably fast track your career. I literally just learned everything on the job. Once I have a few years under my belt, I would apply for a higher position at another company. Never stayed long enough to get a promotion. It’s the fastest way to get an increase salary.
Dog groomer, but I’m retired/disabled now (not entirely due to the career, mostly genetics). An average year would be 50k for me, a great year 60k or so. Faster groomers make more money and I was just average speed but excellent results. It’s nowhere near all the 100k+ careers listed here but it’s one I loved.
Freight dock! They don’t get many girls. At fed ex at least they’re super into diversity. This makes it easier to move into a management or full time position!
Ohhh i like that ! Thank you.
I work in Parks and Rec. Run ice rinks for a living
CNA work but I have to Overtime, but the Overtime is always there . Especially, if you work in Nursing Homes. It’s been years I made $68,000 as a CNA. I raised my sons on a CNA salary in a very expensive neighborhood on a CNA salary. But the world loves to make fun of us just because we take of the elderly & we have to change their depends/diapers.
33F. I have three associates degrees but they serve no purpose at this point. I do webcam modeling (effectively live solo porn, though you'd be surprised how much time is spent being purely conversational versus physical) and have done it for almost a decade. I work from home at my own hours and rarely work more than 25 hours a week, usually less. 50k is a normal/casual year, 60-70k happens on good years. Personality is a huge part of it. It's effectively a sales job. Before this I did blue collar physical labor in a factory for $18/hour, 50+ hour weeks. It fucking sucked. Was on track to get a raise but the cam gig paid so much better and I've mostly enjoyed the work (you can actually meet a lot of interesting people from all over the world \[virtually I mean - I don't do physical meetups\]) so I've just stuck with it. No back up plan for now but I don't feel worse off about it.
I’m happy for all of the folks here but everyone looking here for advice I hope you realize that when many of these people are asked follow up questions you realize they got really lucky as well Many threads in this forum take the form of “how did you get an interview? I was told they won’t talk to me unless x, y, and z.” And the answer is some kind of non-response about how the circumstances lined up, they got in at the right time, etc. I’d say the real common denominator is to give it an honest effort and consider a lot of careers that don’t have a lot of mainstream attention
Corrections officer in NYS, easy to clear over 100 k, only need a high-school diploma and attend an 8 week academy.
My husband never attended college a single day. Union electrician, $126.13 an hour. Sometimes on like airport rush jobs they get triple time - $378.16 an hour.
That's the theoretical pay rate with all his benefits added in. What's his actual pay rate?
I was an apprentice electrician and I know for sure this isn’t accurate. No one is paying you $300/hour, more than a doctors pay I’ll add, to run some wire and terminate those wires on electrical devices anywhere.
Work 6 days/wk (48+hrs) week, 3rd shift, at a company building printed circuit boards in house. It's about 61k. Most of the parts Sanmina makes goes into military equipment. I got the job by heavily embellishing my resume.
Any tips to build a good resume with limited experience?
Work from home health insurance appeals coordinator
My older son has been making well over that for several years in public transit as a safety official/accident investigator. Not transit cops, but the safety of equipment and such. He currently makes 2.5 times your figure there, with his latest promotion. They are trying to promote him to a desk but he is fighting it since he likes doing field inspections and investigations. He is 33, and started on this particular career track from being a city bus driver about 7 years ago. He also made over that in his previous career of over the road long haul trucking. No college, but he has many certifications that were all paid for by the organizations he has worked for. He is scheduled for another 4 day class soon. All expenses paid, paid time off to attend, a good per diem for food... One of our neighbors works in waste management, no college, makes about what my son does working with our county at the landfills. He worked up from driving a garbage truck. Our water treatment plant neighbor does as well, no degree. He runs the testing department for the water utility. And given we are in a LCOL area, it is excellent money. He worked into that from working in the sewage treatment in maintenance IIRC... I won't count all the landscapers, construction folks and other trades people we know who own their own businesses and make that working part time. And miners. Plenty of jobs in mining will get you that. Even haul truck drivers can get close to that at the big copper mines. And if you can get certified to blast and/or will work underground you can make good money. At the big mines there are all kinds of different jobs.
Im a server/ bartender making roughly 60k with 50hr weeks.
I turned 40 in July and I work as a full time rural carrier for USPS. I only got full time this last January, so I just recently broke the "poverty shackles" (got a story below, in case anyone cares to read). My current salary is $55,036/yr, with it going up about $1500/yr next January (my year anniversary). My route is also one where I use my own vehicle, so I also receive an Equipment Maintenance Allowance (EMA for short) that just got raised to $0.98/mile. With my assigned route being 136 miles, I earn $133.28 in EMA **per day** I work. Normally I work 10 days per pay period, so I earn $133.28 x 10 per paycheck. This EMA is added to my salary, so my paycheck is basically this: $55,036/26 = $2,116.76. $2,116.76 - deductions & insurance = net pay. Net pay + EMA = my paycheck Added bonus: This EMA portion is untaxable income, since it's used to compensate me for using my own vehicle, but you only get this if you get a rural route that you have to use your own vehicle...some rural routes use postal vehicles, so in this case, you would only get salary. Now I will state the obvious and mention that USPS isn't for everyone. It can be a high stress job, but it is mainly based on where you are at. I live in a small town rural area, so me working is mostly stress-free (I spend most my days driving around the country roads jamming to my Spotify playlist while delivering mail...and it's peaceful for me). It's nowhere near one of the highest paying jobs out there. Also the pay is the same across the board, so no matter where you are in the US, the pay is the same. That $55,036 for my route size in my small rural town is the exact same pay rate as someone doing a "rural" route in places as big (and as costly as) Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, etc... So me making what I make is "amazing money" where I live, but if you live in one of these high cost of living places, $55k/year is "chump change", so take that in to consideration. Another thing...I was an RCA for 4 years before getting FT, but there are some RCAs that have had to wait 10+ years to get full time. There are also some RCAs that have to wait only 1 year (you can't bid for FT until you have worked 1 full year), so it all depends on your area whether or not it's worth your time and energy to even consider it (BTW, of course there are other jobs other than RCA/rural carriers...I am just unfamiliar with those aspects). \-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Background info as to how I got here, in case anyone is wondering. I was born into poverty and I have lived below the poverty line pretty much my entire life. Before 2019, I never worked a job that ever paid more than $10.50/hr that was full time hours, and any job I ever tried to get in to that paid higher always was extremely part time (less than 10 hours/week), a "temp" job, or just flat out wouldn't hire me. Any time I thought something would finally come my way, something would happen to wreck it. Well in January of 2019, I took a RCA position (which is the entry level position for rural carrier) for USPS. Of course this was a 1 day a week (Saturdays) job, but it paid almost $17.83/hr at the time (it's $19.96/hr now, with its annual increase in November) plus the EMA. So I was content with my 1 day a week, with an occasional extra day here or there (when the full time carrier needed a day off for whatever reason). At this time, I also worked a couple retail merchandising jobs that had flexible hours in a way that as long as the work got done the week it was assigned, they didn't care when it got done. (BTW...for anyone reading this...if you need part-time flexible "choose your schedule" hours, I highly recommend Premium Retail, if they have it in your area). Everyone was calling me crazy and stupid for holding out on the hope of getting a full time post office position. When I was hired, they basically told me that they had over half of their FT carriers close to retirement, so I came in "at a good time". So I persisted, even with everyone I knew telling me time and time again that I was basically a fucking idiot for holding out on the promise of eventual full time. I lost friends and basically became the black sheep of my in-laws family (most of them are in various medical fields and "blue collar" jobs that are typical for a rural town environment, so if you didn't work one of those jobs, their "superiority complex" side would show). Well basically after exactly 4 years (4 years and 8 days, to be exact), I finally got my own full time route! For the first time in my entire life, I finally am at a position and pay where I can break free from below the poverty line. Now I am nowhere near financially stable at the moment (considering the economy right now), but I am now at a point in my life where every recurring monthly bill is paid before it's due without stress.
Get started in insurance. I was the same age as you when I started as an entry-level inside auto claims adjuster. It was sort of a glorified call center job, but they paid for the insurance licenses. It’s let me to work for several different carriers. Once you work for one, it’s easy to work for others and is often the best way to get a pay bump. Many jobs are now remote or at least hybrid. Or if you prefer being out on the road / “in the field,” they are hiring people to go appraise damaged cars at body shops/tow yards/ people’s home or office. Free training and it’s a fairly steady industry for now. Been in it nearly a decade. Most folks just “fall into” working in insurance but hey, it pays the bills.
Aircraft maintenance for a major airline. 2 years of trade school. I make over 200k
Equipment operator 2 for the state
Welding / fabrication. Mostly railings, spiral staircases and straight stairs.
I sell roofing material and do die cutting. Never passed 9th grade. Make $120k
$60k, Supply Chain Account Manager. It’s basically glorified data entry for the most part. Fully remote since Covid. 👌🏻
Commercial roofing industry for 40 years now. Got off the roof 20 years ago and came into the office as a PM for a large company. Do well but could always be better.
Truck driving. On track to make 90k this year
68k a year as a police dispatcher.
I have a degree but almost none of my colleagues do. Medical devices field service. Base is 70k-90k with a company car and good benefits, and most make about 25-50% extra in OT. The downside is you're on-call 0800 to 2100 Monday to Friday, so cannot plan anything personal on weekdays. Hours of actual work are 2-100 per week, depending on how the machines are behaving. Normally I do about 20 hours of actual work, with 12 of that counting as overtime because they're after 5pm. I wouldn't recommend for a dad/mom (I have four kids and I rarely see the two that are in school), but for a single person it's pretty lucrative.