FORBES
Did you know that you can learn high-income skills (with the potential to make money way into six figures), without needing to run into debt to pursue a four-year degree?
High-income skills—the skills that have high growth and salary potential—can be applied to multiple sectors and industries, and they enable a degree of flexibility and stability for your career.
For example, with a high-income skill such as project management, you can easily apply this skill to multiple industries and in a wide variety of contexts. This helps you to future-proof your career, as you will always have the ability to be able to bounce regardless of the job market, and you could even turn your skill into a full-time entrepreneurial or freelance venture.
If you’re wondering what skills you should commit to developing in 2024 so you can have a lucrative career without needing to go to college, here are three that might surprise you. These are certainly worth bearing in mind throughout your decision-making—and what’s more, they’re not in tech.
(Salary information is taken from Salary.com.)
1. Sales
You don’t need a degree of any kind to succeed in sales. There are many sales professionals who took a job in sales right out of school or halfway through college, and have been able to work their way up the ladder, earn $100,000 and above each year through bonuses and commissions, and experience exciting careers. Sales is a skill that can be applied to any industry, because every company and industry needs sales revenue to thrive and remain in business.
It’s worth noting, however, that there are some industries which pay sales professionals exceptionally well, and these include healthcare and enterprise technology.
You can study sales techniques and gain sales skills development through online courses, or through attending in-person training and local community colleges.
According to Salary.com, average salaries can start at $29,482 but go as far as $361,896.
2. Real Estate
Real estate is a type of sales that involves selling and advertizing properties for let or for purchasing. These properties can include commercial, residential, industrial, and mixed-use spaces. In the Unites States, you will need to take a course and pass an exam, so that you can receive a state licence to practice. You might then consider joining the National Association of Realtors as a member to become a realtor.
Professionals who have real estate within their career toolkit can see their annual earnings jump to as much as $98,000 (not including unlimited commission).
3. Project Management
Project management is another fantastic high-income skill to consider learning without getting a degree this year. However, depending on the nature of the role, you may find yourself more involved in the technical aspect than you initially expected, so depending on your career goals, getting certifications in software development, for example, can be a helpful addition to your project management certification.
In your role as a project manager, you can expect to make between $65,661 to $83,483 on average. As you work up the ladder in management, you could eventually realize earnings of up to $143,000.
