You can earn a lot of money without a college education. In some fields, a degree may even be required.
You can learn almost anything on the Internet that will help you to increase your income or start a side hustle.
You will need time and experience, but it is possible to learn a lot from the comfort of your own home.
What skills will you need to increase your career and income?
You’ll find below some of the highest-paying skills you can use to earn more at your job, create a side hustle, or start a new business.
Table of Contents
What are high-income skills?
Examples of High-Income Skill
The Best Places to Learn High Income Skills
Final Thoughts
What are high-income skills?
These are skills that will help you earn more money. These skills will help you to increase your income, your career net-worth, and your side-hustle.
According to the United States Census Bureau the median household income in the United States is approximately $68,703. This number may seem healthy, but it will only get you so far depending on where in the United States you live.
In most cities in California, you might struggle to make ends meet with that income.
Achieving a high income can be a game changer for your family and you. What skills are in high demand and can boost your income?
Examples of High-Income Skill
You can learn and improve many high-income skills by gaining experience. You can eventually increase your salary or income by improving your career value. These are all things that you can do without a college education.
You can get certified in many of the examples below and accelerate your time to make more money. It’s often about taking the time to gain experience and learn how to add value.
For example, I didn’t go to college or take a single marketing course at school. Through my experience and interest in this field, i was able get a high-paying job and build side hustles.
You may not make six-figures at first, but with experience and a little bit of work, you will be able to earn a lot of money, whether you do it full-time, or on the side.
Want to work as a freelancer or part-timer in one of the high-paying skills listed below? Sign up for FlexJobs to get exclusive job offers and the option to apply for top gigs.
- Coding
There are many different “coding languages” that you can learn. Some of the most popular include HTML, Python, and Javascript. Software developers who spend most of their time coding can expect to earn an average salary of $107,000 per a year. Freelancers may be able to earn even higher salaries.
You can find a variety of online resources that allow you to learn how to code. Some are free, while others require payment for an online certification. This can be a good alternative to going to college.
- Web Development
You can also use your coding skills to create the backend of a website. You may focus on the structure of the website (like WordPress) or on other technical elements.
In an entry-level position, a full-time web developer could earn around $61,000. However, they can easily surpass six figures. You’ll also find many online resources and courses to help you improve your web development abilities.
- Web Design
Web designers work on the front end of websites and focus on UX (user-experience) elements. Designers will not only focus on color coordination. They’ll also consider branding and navigation, to make sure the site map makes sense for customers.
For example, they might optimize each page to encourage customers to stay online for longer. Junior web designers can earn up to $42,000 per annum or they can do it as a side hustle.
- Graphic Design
You can excel at graphic design even if you are not a traditional student. Graphic designers ensure that your brand is appealing to customers and fits into all aspects.
You can also have them create graphics for your marketing material. Graphic designers can earn around $45,000 per year when they work full-time, but much more if they freelance.
- Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing has become a lucrative skill.
Social media has become a major factor in the decision-making process of customers. Teams will be dedicated to creating material and increasing engagement on their platforms. Social media managers earn an average of $50,000.
The social media market is more difficult to crack because everyone has some level of expertise in the field. If you want to earn money, you will need to be creative and learn how to engage audiences.
- Copywriting
This is the perfect job for someone who enjoys telling stories. Copywriters must be able to sell products, write persuasively and relate to their audiences. Your work can be used in emails, on websites, and across social media.
To begin with, copywriters should expect to earn about $47,000 per annum when they work full-time. However, this can increase quickly. There is always work for those with strong writing skills, whether they are freelancers or working full-time.
- You can also find out more about SEO by clicking here.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization is a skill highly valued by companies. To get your site to rank higher in search engines such as Google, you’ll need to work on the technical aspects, content on the page, and building links. A SEO consultant earns around $72,000 a year. - Email Marketing
Have you got a knack for words? Email marketing may be for you if the sound of these copywriting skills sounded perfect to you. To directly market to your customer, you’ll need to test different subject lines to see what open rates are. Specialized email marketers make an average of $50,000 a year. - Video Editor
You can make a good income as a professional video editor if you are willing to learn creative transitions and how to correct color. It’s hard to put together professionally produced video. You will also need insider knowledge about multiple editing platforms and software packages.
A video editor can earn around $38,000 per annum at the entry level, which is on the lower side. It can be an excellent place to launch a side hustle if you enjoy video editing and video production.
- Podcast Editor
Podcasts are also on the rise, and they could be as popular as Youtube one day. The audio needs to be refined, the podcasts need to be cut at the right places, and the parts must be merged.
Podcast editors, a relatively new role, can expect to earn an average of $61,000 a year. If you’re inclined, you could start your own podcast and make a lot of advertising revenue.
- Transcription
Are you a fast-typist? Transcriptionists convert audio files into legible documents, sometimes in monologue format and sometimes as conversations. To be successful in this role, you’ll need to have a good grasp of grammar, spelling, and accents. Freelance transcriptions can earn up to $30 an hour. - Trade Skills (plumbing, electrical, construction)
There are also classes available in person in the fields of plumbing, electrical engineering, and construction. You’ll learn everything you need to know about starting a business and you may even receive a certification or accreditation. Self-employed tradespeople can earn up to six figures per year. - You can also find out more about Coaching
Life coaching, nutrition & health coaching. Right now, coaches are in demand both online and in person. The best part is? As the industries are unregulated, some of these roles do not even require accreditation.
Anyone can claim to be a coach. You’ll have to do a good job and offer value to your customers if you want to earn a consistent income. Don’t trick people into paying you for something that you can’t provide.
- Course Creation
Many entrepreneurs create courses in order to generate passive income. Many entrepreneurs don’t understand how to build the courses. They also do not know which hosting platform they should use or what value to put into each module. Other businesses can hire a specialist to create an online course that will generate income throughout its lifetime. - App Creation
App creation is another skill that can be added to your resume if you are interested in software development or coding. The app stores are not just for digital toys and online games anymore. They have apps from every airline, shopping site, and bank.
This is an extremely high-paying job. Companies will pay a lot to retain mobile customers and have a good user experience.
- Lead Generation
Companies will invest in your future if you are able to learn how to sell or create a system for generating leads. The ROI (return-on-investment) directly relates to the performance of your job. So, you will need experience in remaining calm under pressure. You can also earn commissions on top of the base rate in this role. - Teaching or tutoring
Some students may never go back to traditional classrooms now that the teaching is done online. There are a lot of opportunities for native English speakers to tutor or teach children and adults who are learning English.
There are many Chinese online schools where teachers can work before or after a typical school day. This works well with different time zones. Online tutoring can earn up to $20 per hour for a new teacher.
- Real Estate Brokerage
You might be surprised to find out that real estate commissions are lucrative.
Brokers are like estate agents, but they have additional licensing that allows them to hire others and work on their own. They usually earn around $100,000 per annum, with 40% of that being commission.
- Presenting or Public Speaking
You may not think “soft skills” such as public speaking are valuable. However, these skills can be used to present videos, give talks or consult at companies.
Your success will not be determined by your awards or accreditations, as these are skills that you have developed through practice, and not something that you learned. YouTubers can earn six-figure salaries, while keynote speakers and motivational speakers make around $100,000.
- Stock Trading
You may be able become a Wall Street employee or a day trader if you are familiar with the stock market.
If you’re not a risk-taker, then perhaps one of the other positions on this list is more suitable. Salary levels vary, but you can expect to earn at least six-figures if you are really good at your job.
I prefer to invest with a lax portfolio than day trade, but I do dabble occasionally with a small amount. Never trade on the day with all of your income or money!
Stash, Acorns or M1 Finance are all good options for those who want to start investing or trading without spending a lot of money.
- Internet Security
New cybersecurity threats are a result of the migration to cloud computing and digital businesses. It is important to protect a company against these threats, especially if it belongs to the Fortune 500. The average salary in this field is $76,000 per annum, but there are opportunities to earn much more.
The Best Places to Learn High Income Skills
You can learn all of the skills above in college, or get a degree.
You don’t necessarily need a degree from a university to acquire most of these skills.
You can earn big money by mastering your passions and skills. Here are a few ways you can learn high-income skills in the coming year.
Book
Reading books about the field you want to work in is a great way to learn and improve your skills. You can find books on almost anything. This is how I learned how to invest, and how to start learning the basics of code.
Udemy or Skillshare
Since years, online communities that allow experts to teach others specific skills are a growing industry. In 2020, when the COVID-19 epidemic hit, people were on the lookout for new things to do. Udemy, and Skillshare are two of the most popular learning communities. They offer thousands of topics and courses to choose from.
You can find us on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Learning.
In the past few years, LinkedIn is more than just a platform to connect with recruiters and post your resume. It has become a way to connect and learn from other professionals.
Many LinkedIn influencers share their insights on work and how to improve your high-income skills. You can also join LinkedIn Learning to access thousands of videos.
Google
Google: Grow your business with Google
Want to learn more about tech, such as coding, data and analytics, digital marketing or data? Google offers many free courses and certifications that will help you develop your skills. Certifications are only a starting point, but they can help you to build the foundation for making more money.
Google Skillshop offers a variety of options, including Grow with Google. You can also learn about AdWords and Youtube via Google Skillshop.
HubSpot
HubSpot Academy.
HubSpot, the world’s largest marketing platform, is a great place to start if digital marketing interests you.
They offer a wide range of certifications, including inbound marketing, social media, content marketing and advertising. They include inbound, social, content, advertising, inbound, sales and more. HubSpot Academy is a great place to learn more.
Codecademy
Codecademy – Learn to code.
Over the past few years, tech companies have paid top dollar to skilled coders.
There are coding programs that can get you certified and prepared in as little as two years, but they may not cost you the same. These schools are usually cheaper than four-year colleges and can be an excellent option. However, you can also learn even cheaper.
Codecademy, for example, offers in-depth programming courses and asks you to type in the code you have learned. I’ve always thought that “learning by doing” is a better way to learn. Codecademy offers a free sign-up or a $20/month subscription that gives you access to more content, certifications, and support.
Online Experts
You can find many online experts on sites like Udemy or LinkedIn Learning, but they also have their own online content. I’m referring to websites, YouTube channels, podcasts and other online content.
You need to be very careful now and make sure you do some research on the advice that you take. Do not blindly follow the advice of these “experts”, without knowing their background and experience.
Some experts are able to make a great deal of money by selling courses, affiliate products, or views. They may also use a narrative in order to increase their income. It’s not that online experts aren’t legitimate, but you shouldn’t rely solely on them for your knowledge and growth.
Final Thoughts
Here are some of the most effective high-income skills you can use to increase your income and boost your finances.
You can see that there are many options and you don’t need a degree to start.
Even though certifications and learning are important, getting started on your project (even if you’re doing it yourself) is the best way to build your skills.
