The word out on the street is that the college certificate might just be the new degree. Is this true, you may wonder? In earnest, it might just be a sample of understandable wishful thinking, in a slow economy, where the average amount of college debt to face after graduation doesn’t seem to be getting any better. But, on the other hand, certificates really are a good alternative to college for those who want to garner professional skills useful in real life, through a well balanced mix of hands-on practice and classroom coursework. To boot, thanks to the Internet, it’s not all that hard to find free online courses with certificate of completion upon graduation, these days. With online training making contemporary education all the more accessible and affordable, let’s take a gander at the 7 best certificate courses for a hefty salary and a fulfilling career.
#1 Court reporter certificate course
You may have been told that crime doesn’t pay, but the situation changes if you’re working within the justice system. Court reporters can become qualified for the job through certificate courses – and that’s not a small feat, considering the average pay per year in this field stands at $40,000. To boot, it’s easy to find employment in other fields, too, with the kind of skills you’ll be learning in the process: the entertainment industry is just one such example.
#2 Website design courses
If you’re looking for a field that’s rife with online certificate courses, freely available, then web design might just be your best bet. After all, if you’re going to work online, you might as well study there, too, right? The job growth level in this field speaks for itself
– there are thousands of new websites going live literally every day. The average yearly salaries, which range from $40,000 to $70,000, are not to be ignored either.
#3 Fashion design certificate courses
If design is your thing, but coding languages aren’t, you might want to check out dressmaking certificate courses – or other similar opportunities in the field of fashion, tailoring, costume making, etc.. If all goes well for your career, there’s no reason not to assume you might one day own your own label, since, in the process of learning you’ll be doing everything from choosing the right fabric to understanding proper care techniques. The average salaries range from $25,000 to $60,000 and, of course, successful clothing label owners stand to earn far more than that.
#4 Restaurant management certificate courses
One of the industries that’s still afloat, even in spite of the recession, is the leisure, tourism and hospitality industry. Certificate courses in restaurant management focus on honing leadership, communication, team building, and problem solving skills – so if you’re a Type A personality kind of guy/gal, this might just be the best career track for you. Job satisfaction levels are also highly rated in this line of work, while average yearly pay ranges from a decent $35,000 to an impressive $125,000.
#5 Insurance appraisal certificates
Some people like to work office jobs, while others think they were simply not made for them and vie for fieldwork. Insurance appraisers get the best of both works, as well as the added perk of a relatively low-stress job. If this all sounds appealing to you, factor in the $50,000 to $60,000 average range of yearly pay, and sign up for a course. Taught skills include cost of repair estimate calculation, as well as communication and salesmanship.
#6 Personal fitness trainer certificate courses
With the so-called obesity epidemic on the rise, it’s no wonder America’s being swept by a new obsession: the one for health and fitness. If you’ve get a natural high from working out and are genuinely passionate about helping others harness the best body they possibly can, then why not become a personal trainer? The issue with such a decision is that the market is already oversaturated at the moment, but industry experts predict that licensed professionals will prevail over non-certified ones in the near future. The expected pace of job growth for this field stands at 25 to 30 per cent over the coming two years, while the pay per hour can be anything from $30 to $300.
#7 Language interpreter certificate courses
We live in the day and age of globalization, which means the number of languages spoken in the United States is on a continuous up and up. This, in turn, has also expanded the job growth index of this career path. Certificate holders who can interpret popular languages such as Mandarin, Hindi, or Japanese are in high demand at the moment – and in fields as diverse as the legal system, the medical system and social services. The end exam typically includes a complex written test, while average yearly salaries range from $45,000 to $55,000.
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