Conventional wisdom says the more money you earn, the more complex the job, and the harder you have to work. While this may be true for many jobs, believe it or not, some professions are relatively easy and pay excellent wages.
Especially if you have the right combination of skills, sometimes working smarter is better than working harder. Consider some occupations on this list if you’re entering the job market or looking for a career change to an easy, low-stress job that pays well.
1. Market Research Analyst
If you enjoy investigative processes, this may be your job. Market research analysts use interviews, polls, questionnaires, literature reviews, surveys, and focus groups to collect consumer demographics data.
This information is analyzed to determine their shopping preferences, requirements, and habits. The median annual salary for a market research analyst is $63,920, and the job can typically be done from anywhere, and working on your own or with a small team.
2. Property Appraiser
Those interested in the real estate field but don’t want to sell properties for a living should consider working as a real estate or property appraiser, which pays around $61,000 annually.
Real estate appraisers usually calculate the value of commercial and residential properties before they go on sale. The properties assessed include vacant land, homes, and commercial buildings.
3. Graphic Designer
With a median annual salary of $50,710, graphic design can be a worthwhile career if you’re artistically inclined. Graphic designers communicate information to viewers using visual concepts like color, image, shape, space, texture, and typography.
Print ads, billboards, icons, logos, marketing materials, posters, and websites are just a few of the things graphic designers create. If you are creative, you can get paid handsomely for your skills in a relatively low-stress environment.
4. Technical Writer
One of lesser known occupations on this list, technical writers take complex, technical documentation and create new documents that are easier for readers to understand. Examples of technical writing works include how-to guides, instruction manuals, journal articles, process guides, and user manuals. Technical writing is a rapidly growing field with a median pay of $78,060 annually.
5. Massage Therapist
With a median annual salary exceeding $46,000, a massage therapist can be decent-paying if you want to embark on a career in the lucrative health and wellness industry.
Professionals in this field deliver massages to foster wellness and treat muscle and joint injuries. Massage therapy certifications typically take six months to a year to complete, and state or national licensing exams are required to practice.
6. Dental Assistant
If you like dentistry but don’t want the stress of dental school or managing a practice, being a dental assistant can be a low-stress alternative.
Dental assistants can earn nearly $50,000 per year, and perform basic tasks such as scheduling appointments, welcoming patients, and maintaining and sanitizing dental tools.
7. Loan Officer
Another easy, well-paying occupation is a loan officer, with an annual median salary of $63,380. Once a loan application is received, loan officers collect the necessary financial information, verify its accuracy, and evaluate the applicant’s eligibility and capacity to repay the amount requested.
If working in a clean, sit-down environment is what you’re looking for in a job, a loan officer may be in the cards for you.
8. Medical Records Technician
An essential job in the healthcare field that doesn’t involve direct patient care is medical records technician. Earning nearly $47,000 a year, these professionals update, maintain, and organize confidential patient health records, ensuring they comply with organizational and regulatory requirements.
9. Power Plant Operator
A little-known but highly-paid career is that of a power plant operator, with a median salary of $94,790 per year. Power plant operators work with machines that generate electrical power. Their duties include equipment operation and maintenance. This position is ideal for people interested in working with critical infrastructure.
10. Fitness Trainer
Proponents of health and wellness can expect to earn close to $41,000 a year working as a fitness trainer. This is one of the more versatile careers since fitness trainers can work in different environments and train groups of people or individuals of all ages and fitness levels.
11. Real Estate Agent
Whether it’s a buyers’ or sellers’ market, real estate agents are always in demand to assist in buying and selling commercial and residential properties and undeveloped land. While getting started in the business can be time-intensive and some transactions can be stressful, real estate agents can generally set their own schedule and established agents work mainly on referrals, taking the stress out of finding new clients.
This role requires real estate training classes and a licensing exam. The annual median income for real estate agents is $48,770. Top producing agents can get paid very well and start with little to no experience.
12. Flight Attendant
Jobseekers looking for a career that offers flexible scheduling, free travel around the world, and the chance to meet new people, becoming a flight attendant is something to consider.
Flight attendants are crucial in ensuring flights are safe and comfortable for passengers and secure for the flight crew. Airline careers are known to pay well, and flight attendant salaries are no exception, coming in at nearly $62,000 a year.
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This thread inspired this post.