Two times the salary in two years? The economy is filled with workers perched right on the educational threshold to higher earnings. This sector of the workforce is sitting on a salary goldmine-two years of applied career training away from doubling their paycheck. Are you one of the lucky ones? Find out how trading up to a new degree can help your bottom line.
In our knowledge-based economy, earnings are directly related to education. According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau report, the average high school graduate earns $1,780 per month; associate degree holders earn $2,702; bachelor's degree holders, $3,841; and master's degree holders earn $4,945. That's an average increase of thirty percent with each two-year stint in the classroom.
Not bad-but certain degrees offer even better returns. Here's a look at five positions across the economy that are two years away from up to a 100 percent increase in salary.
Associate Degree as the Ticket to Higher Earnings
DESIGN
Desktop publisher $35,510 to Web Designer $68,220
Desktop publishers prepare media--books, business cards, calendars, and magazines--for print, using desktop publishing software. They arrange and format text, data, photos, charts, and other graphics. This job is available straight out of high school.
An associate degree in Web design takes desktop publishers to the next level: producing media for the Internet. The technical training bar is higher; Web designers must master HTML and Web design applications such as Flash and Dreamweaver. An associate degree offers career training in digital video and audio, graphics layout, programming in HTML, XML, and JavaScript, and more. With these courses under your belt, you'll deserve your new and improved earning power of $71,350 straight out of school, increasing to six figures with experience.
LAW
Receptionist $23,710 to Paralegal $44,990
Answering phones, greeting customers, and performing routine clerical duties takes no more than a high school diploma. But a two-year paralegal associate degree catapults the receptionist into the paralegal's expanded job description. The paralegal's role begins with clerical tasks but extends to higher-level document preparation and even legal research. In effect, the paralegal serves as the right-hand assistant to the attorney.
Specialized training is essential to landing a job as a paralegal. A two-year associate degree provides a foundation in legal terminology and procedure, research skills, as well as communication and computer skills. Within five years of the paralegal degree, paralegals may earn salaries of $85,000 and beyond--over twice as much as their counterparts at the front desk.
HEALTH CARE
Medical Assistant $27,430 to Nurse $60,010
Medical assistants usually learn their trade on the job, entering the field straight from high school. They perform basic administrative and clinical tasks as needed to keep a medical office running smoothly. In two years, however, assistants could increase their clinical responsibilities-and their salaries-significantly. An associate degree in Nursing offers critical training in medical care, including courses in science-anatomy, biology, physiology-and health care procedures. The ADN is the quickest route to the N-CLEX, the registered nursing exam.
Trade Up to a Bachelor Degree
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Help Desk Support Specialist $42,400 to Manager $108,070
An associate degree leads to a solid position in information technology. Computer support personnel can make upwards of $60,000 per year. But wouldn't six figures be even better? Managerial positions in IT require a bachelor's degree. The extra training is crucial to rounding out the technical associate degree curriculum with the communication and analytical skills of a bachelor's degree program. In addition to the core liberal arts and sciences courses, associate graduates returning to college may take advantage of undergraduate courses in business and economics.
Legendary MBA Pay Increases
BUSINESS
Marketing/Public Relations Assistant $49,800 to Marketing Manager $104,400
No article about dramatic salary increases is complete without a profile of the Master of Business Administration. The official GMAC figure for MBA salary increases immediately upon graduation is 35 percent. But the difference widens significantly when you consider specific job titles. Marketing and public relations assistants coordinate publicity and marketing campaigns, carry out advertising and public relations initiatives, plan trade shows, etc. Marketing managers trade up to strategic planning and analysis roles, developing and implementing the marketing plan that the assistants then put into place.
An MBA offers the business administration skills necessary to perform in a high-level planning role. In addition, MBA graduates gain the managerial skills to lead a team effectively.
Double earnings for more interesting, higher-level work--it's no wonder so many working professionals are heading back to the classroom. Trading up to a higher degree offers an opportunity to get just the targeted career training you need to take on more responsibility at work, perform at a higher level, and add a valuable credential to your resume.
This article is sponsored by Lincoln College of Technology
Lincoln gives you the academic reputation and personalized attention of a traditional college along with the convenience, flexibility, and value you need and expect from an online college... That's the Lincoln Difference.
