Well-Paying Jobs That Require a Year or Less of Training or School

Whether you’re reevaluating your career because of the pandemic or looking to redirect for an entirely different reason, making that transition is no easy feat. Career changes often involve extensive education and training, a huge time investment, and a pay cut until schooling and training are completed. But that's not true for every job — just ask Walmart, which is offering a starting salary of $95,000 to new truckers that it will train for just a few months. Cheapism combed through data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to find this and other jobs where workers make upward of $50,000 annually with a year or less of training and schooling. 

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Median annual wage: $50,340

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent 

Typical on-the-job training: Short-term

The average pay rate for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is officially just over $50,000, but higher wagers are easier to find these days thanks to a shortage of around 80,000 drivers in the industry. Walmart, which has its own fleet of trucks, just announced that it is raising its starting salary to at least $95,000 for first-year drivers. The company currently employs around 12,000 truckers, and has even started an internal three-month training program for supply-chain workers to earn their commercial driver's licenses so they can become Walmart truckers.

Related: 13 Hacks and Secrets for Shopping at Walmart

Median annual wage: $106,920

Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary non-degree award

Typical on-the-job training: None

These aren’t the makeup artists that focus on makeovers or preparing clients for an event. Instead, they focus on applying costume makeup to performers, paying particular attention to the period, setting, and specific situation of a role. 

Median annual wage: $92,970

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term (more than one and up to 12 months of on-the-job experience plus informal training)

Not to be confused with law enforcement officers or officials, direct supervisors of police and detectives coordinate the activities of a police force. Basically, these supervisors maintain order and make sure teams function effectively.

Median annual wage: $89,090

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: Long-term (more than 12 months of on-the-job training or combined work experience plus formal classroom instruction)

Power plant distributors, dispatchers, and operators controls the systems that create and distribute electric power, and prepare for their careers with a combination of hands-on training and classroom instruction.

Related: Which States Pay the Most for Electricity?

Median annual wage: $88,540

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: Apprenticeship

How often do you get stuck on an out-of-order elevator or have to take a flight of stairs because the escalator isn’t operating? Elevator and escalator installers and repairers are the ones keeping it infrequent. These workers are trained through an apprenticeship and many states require them to be licensed.

Median annual wage: $78,560

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: None

Direct supervisors of non-retail sales workers have a variety of responsibilities, including personnel duties, clerical tasks, accounting, and budgeting. 

Related: Entry-Level Jobs You Can Do From Home With No Experience

Median annual wage: $78,400

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term

These workers focus primarily on freight and rail transportation, inspecting goods and equipment related to the safe, efficient transport of people or cargo.

Median annual wage: $78,060

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term

The post office can be a hectic place to work. Not only do postmasters and mail superintendents work in a busy environment, they handle quite a few job responsibilities. From operational and management services to administrative and support functions, these professionals direct and coordinate the activities and responsibilities of postal staff at a particular office.

Median annual wage: $72,970

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: Long-term

Anyone working in the gas, oil, or petroleum industries can tell you that there is a good deal of employer-provided long-term training to ensure employees are prepared to perform their job responsibilities. Gas plant operators are no exception to that ongoing on-the-job training, focusing on distribution for utility companies on main pipelines.

Median annual wage: $69,440

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term

Formal education isn’t needed for transporting passengers and operating elevated suburban trains and subways, but some moderate training is.

Related: Most Satisfying Jobs That Also Pay Well

Median annual wage: $68,130

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: Long-term

Charged with evaluating insurance claims, claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators often work outside typical office settings, inspecting and assessing damaged properties or vehicles.

Median annual wage: $68,030

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: Long-term

It’s frustrating when the power goes out; the relief you feel once you hear the whirring of your appliances, lights, and fans coming back to life is thanks to electrical power line installers and repairers. With no formal education required, these essential workers undergo recurring on-the-job training to stay up-to-date on practices, procedures, and protocols to make sure they can always respond to installation and repair situations with ease.

Median annual wage: $65,960

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term

Controlling chemical machine systems and processes makes for one of the more specialized career options on our list.

Median annual wage: $65,360

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: Apprenticeship 

We’re not talking about the cocktail recipe or Purdue University’s football team. These boilermakers complete apprenticeships to learn functions including assembling, installing, maintaining, and repairing containers and boilers for liquids and gases.

Related: Great Second Careers That Don't Require More School

Median annual wage: $64,210

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term

Working on the railroad all the live-long day is never just to pass the time away — railroad workers often spend more than 40 hours each week on making sure passenger and freight trains operate safely.

Median annual wage: $59,660

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: None

Maintaining and managing properties is no small task. Property, real estate, and community association managers meet with owners, show properties to prospective renters, and even do groundskeeping management for industrial, commercial, and residential properties.

Median annual wage: $59,250

Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary non-degree

Typical on-the-job training: None

Not everyone has a good set of sea legs to handle working over water. Water transportation workers spend long periods away from dry land, operating and maintaining vessels that take people and cargo sometimes incredibly long distances in all types of weather.

Median annual wage: $59,050

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term

The passenger in 21A is upset because someone else claims her seat is theirs, the kid in 12C is throwing a fit because he wanted pretzels, not a shortbread wafer, and no one seems to understand that when the seatbelt light is on, they should be buckled up. Flight attendants certainly have a lot going on, since their responsibilities entail tending to the safety and comfort of passengers aboard an airplane. 

Related: What Flight Attendants Want You To Know About Flying Now

Median annual wage: $56,900

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: Apprenticeship

Homeowners and business owners everywhere know just how valuable a good electrician can be. These professionals not only handle repairs, they also focus on installations and maintenance for lighting, communication, and control systems.

Median annual wage: $56,670

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent

Typical on-the-job training: None

The next time you stay at a hotel or rental property and have a good experience, thank the lodging managers. They keep things running smoothly, paying close attention to guests and their needs.

Median annual wage: $56,590

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent 

Typical on-the-job training: None

Food service managers run the daily operations of restaurants, hotels, school cafeterias, and other establishments preparing and serve food and beverages. They deal with dissatisfied customers, manage employees, and maintain inventory, all while working in a typically chaotic environment.

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