Top 10 Careers Requiring Two Years of Training (or Less)

Top 10 Careers Requiring Two Years of Training (or Less)
by Joe Taylor Jr.

Changing your job doesn’t always have to mean completing a four-year degree. With help from government statisticians, we’ve compiled a list of ten exciting, well-paying jobs that you can start with just a high school diploma and an associate’s degree. Many of these jobs even allow you to start earning money while you train. That means you’ve got no more excuses to put off your education and your career.
1. Employment Recruitment Specialist
As America moves away from manufacturing and toward a service economy, employers need help identifying and recruiting strong job candidates. An associate’s degree in business and the ability to build great relationships with prospects can land you an entry-level job in this competitive field, exposing you to essential on-the-job training. Many full time recruiters earn $40,000 or more per year.
2. Personal Financial Advisor
If you understand how money works, you can earn a salary of $60,000 or more as a personal financial advisor. An associate’s degree in finance can often get you started in this field, usually working alongside experienced advisors at banks and brokerages. From there, you can learn to help clients make wise investments while earning yourself hourly fees or commissions. Two out of five professionals in this field are self-employed, often working from home.
3. Physical Therapist Assistant
Hard work and hard play has created a huge demand for physical therapy services. Earning $37,000 a year or more, you can help busy physical therapists with routine tasks and procedures designed to keep patients moving. Basic medical assisting training can help you land an entry-level job that provides even more essential training, as well as the potential to earn your own license later in your career.
4.Pharmacy Technician
As our aging population needs help moving around, they also require unprecedented assistance managing their medication. Pharmacies rely on technicians to count pills, label bottles, and reduce the workload of licensed pharmacists. You can learn how to play a critical role on a pharmacist’s team during an accredited training program. With salaries averaging at around $22,000 per year, pharmacy technician jobs usually offer flexible schedules, convenient work locations, and good benefits.
5. Health Information Technician
The volume of data we’re generating about our wellness can be staggering. Health information technicians organize all of our personal data into coherent streams for hospitals, pharmacies, and health insurance providers. In health information technology program, you can learn how to verify patient data, how to check for inconsistencies, and how to maintain the privacy of highly personal information. Most health information technician jobs pay $25,000 or more per year, often with generous health care plans provided by employers.
6. Library Technician
Library technicians help librarians organize their collections while working directly with users who want to access books, tapes, or other records. Most frequently employed on college campuses, library technicians can also use an associate’s degree to find jobs in law firms, large corporations, and government agencies. Many library technicians earn $24,000 or more per year, while participating in employer-sponsored tuition reimbursement programs.
7. Database Administrator
Every time you hit the ATM, order a hamburger, or buy groceries, you’re also creating a data trail. As businesses of all kinds have adopted database technology to streamline their operations, the demand for skilled database administrators has exploded. Decades ago, a database administrator job usually required a master’s degree. With today’s advanced tools, an associate’s degree in information technology can prepare you to pass a certification exam that will qualify you for an entry-level job that pays $36,000 or more.
8. Multimedia / Flash Animator
Flash animation has blossomed from a basement hobby to an essential tool in any creative organization. Learning how to create effective, elegant animations for business requires a passion for design and the kind of technical training you can earn at one of many digital arts & animation schools. About three in ten Flash animation professionals are self-employed, especially since many animators work a variety of freelance jobs before landing a full-time gig that can pay $38,000 or more.
9. Fashion Designer
Fashion design is a highly competitive, almost cutthroat industry. However, it’s one of the few places where your portfolio says more about you than your degree. If you have a passion for great clothing, you can enroll in an associate’s degree program to build essential technical skills. A top notch fashion design arts school can also help you land important internships and apprenticeships that can lead to entry-level jobs. With experience and a list of satisfied clients, you can become a professional earning more than $55,000 per year.
10. Food Service Managers
We may love to eat, but we may not always want to cook. That’s why food service managers are in such high demand. You don’t have to fight your way to the top of a food critic’s list to become a well-paid food service manager at a hotel, a catering hall, or a conference facility. You just need training from a hospitality & culinary management program and some experience in the kitchen (or as a member of the wait staff) to earn $39,000 or more supervising high quality meals for guests.