It’s been said for decades, to be successful you need a four year degree, but is that still true?
Many people think graduating from a four year university is the only way to have a successful career, but others say earning a bachelor’s degree isn’t as important as it once was.
The proof is in the pay.
Many people in trade jobs easily make $50,000 TO $60,000 a year. That includes electricians, plumbers, building inspectors, and other related jobs. Just because a 4-year degree isn’t required, you’ll likely still need some training.
Executive Officer of the Huntsville Madison County Builders Association, Barry Oxley, said, “You can come into the home building industry in one of our trades, and without any experience you can make ten to twelve dollars an hour, but you go through our academy, you’re probably going to be looking at more of fourteen to sixteen dollars an hour.”
The North Alabama Homebuilding Academy teaches trade skills for free in an 8-week program. People can take these classes straight out of high school and enter the workforce by the time they’re 18 or 19 years old.
“If you’re somebody coming straight out of high school, and you’re looking at say $14 to $15 an hour, that’s $30,000 a year straight out of high school which is a pretty decent wage for sure,” said Oxley. “Then you’re going to be learning a skill, and the more time you spend at it, the better you get at it, the more money you make.”
Oxley says someone can become an electrician and make $70,000 to $80,000 a year as long as they’re good at what they do.
The same rings true in the automotive industry. Within a few years, auto mechanics can make around $50,000 a year. Those with years of experience, particularly those who can fix car computers, can easily make six figures. One way to get there is to earn an associates degree from a 2-year college like Calhoun Community College.
Calhoun Community College Dean for Technologies, John Holley, said, “It’s not unusual to see a lot of our graduates leaving here making in the fifty, seventy-five thousand dollar range.”
Many times, employers will highly consider people with experience or certain certifications. They say some people come to Calhoun for just the experience and may only be there for a year.
Holley said, “The return on their investment from this degree or a business industry recognized certificate or credential comes very quickly. They start to see the profits from the time they put in.”
Not all careers that don’t require a bachelor’s degree take manual labor. Real estate agents can also make a pretty good living. To become a realtor, you have to go to real estate school and pass a licensing exam.
President-Elect of Huntsville Area Association of Realtors, Zelda Friedman,said, “It’s not working with your hands as much, but it is definitely a great career, and we see a lot of people getting into real estate right now, and it’s really grown. We have a lot more realtors in our association than we did a few years ago because the market is so strong right now.”
It’s more difficult to calculate how much a realtor makes annually, because it’s all based on sales. For a hard working realtor with experience, they can make around $60,000 to $70,000 a year.
“You can get your real estate license in just a few months, and then you’ll be able to start, find a company you want to work in, and you just start from there,” said Friedman. “You’ll just continue to grow. There’s so much to learn in this industry on the local, state, and national level.”
Having some college experience can give you a leg up in the job market, but it’s not always necessary to earn a good living.
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