High Income Career Choices?

[Forrest Gump 10+ year member]

Non destructive testing

I went through school in '02, started workin in '03 and now am up to around 150K a year. Or I could make more if was willing to travel the country.

You will start out around 20 per hour, but within six months you can easily be up to 30 if you are a fairly quick learner.

I have the following certs

American Petroleum Industry 510 Pressure vessel inspection

American Petroleum Industry 570 Piping inspection

Ultrasonic testing level 2

Radiorgraphic testing level 1

Magnetic particle testing level 2

Liquid penetrant testing level 2

It took me 5 years to get all those and less than 1 to get the last 4

Here is a link so you can see all the job openings right now

http://www.inspectionjobs.com

 

[duece212 5,000+ posts]

Cisco cert and MCSE cert in the tech field gets you 100k + a year. All you have to do is pass the tests.

The 100k/year jobs with just a cert and no experience are becoming rare. If you live in india and can spell your own name tech jobs pay $5/hr. If you live here and have a cert you can get decent wages IF you can find a job. If you have a cert and experience you can get a little better wages IF you can find a job. Now as far as keeping that job and not having it offshored or backfilled with an H1b visa import...thats a whole different story.

Not saying tech jobs for good wages can't be had here just saying the thought that tech jobs are abundant and grossly overpaid isn't holding true now and will only get worse.

A cert with no experience might get you by the hiring manager but when you get put on the job and fail because all you did was get the cert you will get canned. I've had to fire book jockeys before that took a test but had no real life experience in the field.

 

[Kastlez_ 10+ year member]

Non destructive testing
I went through school in '02, started workin in '03 and now am up to around 150K a year. Or I could make more if was willing to travel the country.

You will start out around 20 per hour, but within six months you can easily be up to 30 if you are a fairly quick learner.

I have the following certs

American Petroleum Industry 510 Pressure vessel inspection

American Petroleum Industry 570 Piping inspection

Ultrasonic testing level 2

Radiorgraphic testing level 1

Magnetic particle testing level 2

Liquid penetrant testing level 2

It took me 5 years to get all those and less than 1 to get the last 4

Here is a link so you can see all the job openings right now

http://www.inspectionjobs.com

wow you've got my attention.

Great info, thanks appreciate it !

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

The 100k/year jobs with just a cert and no experience are becoming rare. If you live in india and can spell your own name tech jobs pay $5/hr. If you live here and have a cert you can get decent wages IF you can find a job. If you have a cert and experience you can get a little better wages IF you can find a job. Now as far as keeping that job and not having it offshored or backfilled with an H1b visa import...thats a whole different story.
Not saying tech jobs for good wages can't be had here just saying the thought that tech jobs are abundant and grossly overpaid isn't holding true now and will only get worse.

A cert with no experience might get you by the hiring manager but when you get put on the job and fail because all you did was get the cert you will get canned. I've had to fire book jockeys before that took a test but had no real life experience in the field.

Doesn't matter. Do you know what the MCSE cert is? Its an onsite server administrator cert. Which means it can't be outsourced, and the likelyhood of it being filled by someone on a visa is low because they have to interact with users so much.

Oh yea, the Cisco cert gets you hired in a heartbeat. Local school here has terrible graduation rates, because as soon as they get there CCNA they get hired off by a company paying $60g a year for a non college graduate.

 

[btdickey99 5,000+ posts]

maybe get an Ins adjuster license.....week class, and cost about $400....you can make some good money local, butwhen the storms hit there is a lot of money in it.

My dad usually does it once a year where he goes to Texas/Florida/Kent, wherever needed and does it...Usually makes about 75-100k in 3-4 months

 

[duece212 5,000+ posts]

Doesn't matter. Do you know what the MCSE cert is? Its an onsite server administrator cert. Which means it can't be outsourced, and the likelyhood of it being filled by someone on a visa is low because they have to interact with users so much.

I know what the MCSE cert is and I also know what a KVM switch and lights out management is. I also know what remote administration is with a low paid hands and eyes person to push buttons when needed.

Some admins interact with users and some don't. I've seen TONS of visa workers in admin positions, I've also seen TONS of remote administration done by offshore workers to save money.

Remote admin (system and network) by foreign workers is a simple concept...and it sucks that its caught on. Maybe I'm just a pessimist because I've been in the industry for over a decade and watched it slowly degrade here for American workers.

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

I know what the MCSE cert is and I also know what a KVM switch and lights out management is. I also know what remote administration is with a low paid hands and eyes person to push buttons when needed.
Some admins interact with users and some don't. I've seen TONS of visa workers in admin positions, I've also seen TONS of remote administration done by offshore workers to save money.

Remote admin (system and network) by foreign workers is a simple concept...and it sucks that its caught on. Maybe I'm just a pessimist because I've been in the industry for over a decade and watched it slowly degrade here for American workers.

Outsourcing is horrible, I agree completely. But there is still plenty of money to be made. You just have to make yourself indespensible.

 

[cobra65427289 10+ year member]

Petroleum engineering.

 

[GTO Dave 10+ year member]

Railroad...bad schedule but good pay, benfits, and retirement.

 

[duece212 5,000+ posts]

Outsourcing is horrible, I agree completely. But there is still plenty of money to be made. You just have to make yourself indespensible.

Indeed. Its gone from a free for all market for employees to a niche market. Find your niche and hang on as tight as possible...or pick a different career and never look back. Indespensible no longer means you work your *** off and do a better job than everybody else, indespensible now means there is 100% no way possible that a foreigner can do your job.

I'm starting to wish I had finished college, may be going back for something in the medical industry. Something with less chance of offshore-ability (can still import workers but atleast its better chances.)

Aslong as there is somebody in another country willing to do your job for 1/10 of the pay, your company will find ways to make it happen. Things aren't great now in the tech industry and guaranteed to only get worse from here. I'm starting to think more for the long haul and less about the next few years, and its bleak //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

 

[RNSkipper]

Railroad...bad schedule but good pay, benfits, and retirement.

X2 my uncle works 4 days a week and banks, long hours though, and alot of travel. It depends where you are, here in Michigan the medical field is the only guranteed job.

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

Indeed. Its gone from a free for all market for employees to a niche market. Find your niche and hang on as tight as possible...or pick a different career and never look back.
I'm starting to wish I had finished college, may be going back for something in the medical industry. Something with less chance of offshore-ability (can still import workers but atleast its better chances.)

Aslong as there is somebody in another country willing to do your job for 1/10 of the pay, your company will find ways to make it happen. Things aren't great now in the tech industry and guaranteed to only get worse from here. I'm starting to think more for the long haul and less about the next few years, and its bleak //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

Truth. I have been looking at business schools as of late to get my MBA, but started thinking that a law degree may be better. Focus on tech issues.

 

[duece212 5,000+ posts]

Truth. I have been looking at business schools as of late to get my MBA, but started thinking that a law degree may be better. Focus on tech issues.

Cyber criminal law...now that sounds interesting, high paying, and sustainable //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[Mitch86 5,000+ posts]

Cisco cert and MCSE cert in the tech field gets you 100k + a year. All you have to do is pass the tests.

Thinking of getting an A.A.S IT major network concentration. Upon completion I can get Cisco certs or an A+ etc. Hoping to get Cisco and be a network admin somewhere. Think I'm headed the right way?

 

[mrogowski 5,000+ posts]

Get a job working for the town/city. Sanitation, water and waste, etc. Decent pay, good to very good benefits, etc.