50 Jobs for a Second Career
Whether you’re looking for a specific job or a popular field, this list will help you find an encore career
See also: 2013 Best Employers
Now that you've wrapped up one career, do you wonder what's next?
They Want You
Fastest-Growing Jobs (Projected by 2018)
|
2008 Median Wages |
Required Training
|
Home health aide: 460,900 new jobs |
$20,460 | short-term on-the-job training |
Personal and home care aide: 375,800 jobs | $19,180 | short-term on-the-job training |
Computer software engineer: 175,100 jobs |
$85,430 | bachelor’s degree |
Medical assistant: 163,900 jobs | $28,300 | moderate-term on-the-job training |
Network systems and data communications analyst: 155,800 jobs | $71,100 | bachelor’s degree |
Dental assistant: 105,600 jobs | $32,380 | moderate-term on-the-job training |
Self-enrichment education teacher: 81,300 jobs | $35,720 | work experience in a related occupation |
Compliance officer (except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation): 80,800 jobs | $48,890 | long-term on-the-job training |
Dental hygienist: 62,900 jobs | $66,570 | associate degree |
Veterinary technologist and technician: 28,500 jobs | $28,900 | associate degree |
Physical therapist assistant: 21,200 jobs | $46,140 | associate degree |
Physical therapist aide: 16,700 jobs | $23,760 | short-term on-the-job training |
Skin care specialist: 14,700 jobs | $28,730 | postsecondary vocational award |
Biomedical engineer: 11,600 jobs | $77,400 | bachelor’s degree |
Financial examiner: 11,100 jobs | $70,930 | bachelor’s degree |
You Want Them
Most Desired Fields |
Percentage of Those Interested in an Encore Career |
Advocacy | 36% |
Work with children/youth |
32% |
Conservation | 31% |
Teaching | 31% |
Community safety | 24% |
Local or global poverty alleviation | 24% |
Spiritual/religious work |
23% |
Work with older people |
17% |
Health care: hospital, hospice, nurse | 17% |
Start Tomorrow
Lucrative jobs with no college required |
Average Salary |
Loan officer | $61,928 |
Medical appliance technician |
$57,484 |
Stationary engineer or boiler operator | $55,373 |
Postal service mail carrier |
$49,499 |
Line installer and repairer | $47,759 |
Quality control inspector | $46,378 |
Floral designer | $45,234 |
Hazardous materials removal worker | $45,220 |
Already Doing It
Most common occupations for people ages 55+ in 2010 |
Number of people with occupation |
Secretary, administrative assistant | 877,000 |
Driver/sales worker, truck driver | 682,000 |
Retail salesperson | 650,000 |
Registered nurse | 636,000 |
Elementary, middle-school teacher | 631,000 |
Supervisor/manager of retail sales workers |
627,000 |
Counselor, social worker, religious worker | 602,000 |
Janitor, building cleaner | 588,000 |
Chief executive | 532,000 |
Architecture and engineering occupations | 517,000 |
Keep Your Tee Time
Part-time jobs employing more than 1.5 million |
Average Hourly Wage |
Bookkeeping, accounting, auditing clerk | $16.08 |
Customer service | $14.56 |
Office clerk | $12.57 |
Laborer, material mover | $11.11 |
Janitor | $10.56 |
Stock clerk | $10.08 |
Retail salesperson | $9.74 |
Waitress or waiter | $8.50 plus tips |
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