Everyone wants to have some high-income skills. Especially if those skills allow you the freedom to move around or work from home. During this pandemic, we have seen those whose skills allowed them to work remotely flourish. While many of us were laid off or had our income reduced. However, many people have decided to use this time to better themselves and develop high-income skills. In this article, we will show you some of the best high-income skills to learn during the lockdown.
Remote High Income Skills
When most people think of working remotely we picture a laptop on the beach and a mai tai in our hand. However, recent events have now shown us that it is also sitting at home with some kids screaming in the background. While that doesn’t sound as appealing as the beach it sure beats no job at all. Here are a few high income skills that you can do from just about anywhere.
UX Designer
With technology on the rise, the demand for UX designers is more significant than ever before. UX designers are responsible for products and services such as applications, web development, machines, and services provided seamlessly. Their main task is to ensure customers take part in a seamless, easily accessible, and enjoyable experience.
UX designers take on various subsets from psychology, business, design, market research, and technology – making it art that takes time to learn and perfect. However, it is not a skill that is out of reach. Those with a passion and eye for design may pick it up quickly. There are both online and offline courses you can take when looking to achieve a UX design degree.
Once you have achieved the skills and experience, you can easily start with an $80,000 annual salary. You can even push it towards $110,000 annually based on your experience. A great start that keeps on growing as you rank up more experience and expertise in your field. Allowing you to truly learn and grow, working on exciting tasks, time, and time again.
Software Engineering
You might think that you need a proper university degree to be a software engineer. However, it’s possible to learn this skill without going to university. For example, you could attend an online or in-person “coding boot camp” These boot camps usually take around 12 weeks to complete.
Software development is an excellent high-income skill. The demand for this type of work is very high and the income is great. A lot of the world’s most successful businesses and systems run on software. More and more transactions each year happen online. I’m sure everybody reading this article buys stuff online. Next to that, more people are using online tools, apps, and electronic devices in basically every aspect of their lives. We live in a digital era, meaning the demand for software developers/engineers keeps on growing.
When a software engineer has a few years of experience, it’s not uncommon that their income is over $100,000. The top engineers in the top companies can earn over $200,000. If you want to work freelance as a software developer, you can charge around $100-$150 per hour. How much you’re going to make depends on your specific programming languages and skills.
Copywriting – Business Writing – Technical Writing
Very few people naturally possess the ability to capture your attention using words. Like most other high-income skills, it takes time to develop. Words can captivate thousands at a time – compelling them to read every word written. It does not matter if it’s a story, speech, or a handbook. A well-written piece will always be appreciated and admired by everyone who reads it. Moreover, it possesses the ability to change, motivate, teach, and inspire readers worldwide.
Working as a writer is not an easy task but can be extremely rewarding. When it comes to writing, you can choose anything from copywriting for advertising, presentations, and pitches to direct copy for marketing, newsletters, social media posts, to advertising. Furthermore, you can choose to write books, magazine articles, scripts, bloopers, news pieces, or anything you wish to publish.
Every industry requires a writer, which means you will never be out of work if you possess the skill set. Or you can start working for yourself as a blogger. The income will vary based on the type of writer you are, the experience you carry, and the sector you wish to work for. The starting salary for a copywriter is $31,700 per year, the median income is $62,170, and the top ten percent make $97,700 annually.
The starting salary for writers, authors, and business writers is $25,400 per year. The median income is $56,200, and the top ten percent makes $97,700 annually. Furthermore, technical writers make $35,500 at the start, pushing to $58,000 at a median level, and the top ten percent earns $91,700. While this is the general income frame, the number varies depending on different factors. The city you work in, the hours you put in, and whether you work for a corporation or are self-employed can all play a role in your final income.
Social Media Influencer
Becoming an influencer is the hottest thing these days. Everyone seems to be trying to work their way to the top. Now that everything is online, there is no reason why you should shy away from creating your online presence and building your personal brand. As a social media influencer, you are the brand, and the way you sell yourself matters. All you have to do is make it interesting enough for your followers.
There is no degree or education requirement. All you need is a social media account and the knowledge to operate your account. There are influencers for every niche these days. You can be a traveler taking everyone with you on your journey, a dancer showing off your skills from home or on the road, a singer ready to captivate thousands or even millions online, a photographer/videographer sharing their work, or just a normal man/woman sharing your lifestyle with everyone around the world.
There are many success stories of influencers. Some have become multi-millionaires before reaching 30 years. Making this an unlikely job that offers excellent returns when you become the “”it”” thing. However, expect to make next to nothing when you first start. If you want a high-income skill that you can take anywhere, this is it.
Social Media Marketing
This is another great high-income skill that allows you to make money from anywhere with an internet connection. Social media marketing is a type of digital marketing. Unlike an influencer, a social media marketer is more behind the scenes. Often an influencer will have a professional marketer behind the scenes paying huge sums per month to handle the less glamorous aspects of being an influencer.
With social media marketing, you will be using platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to help build brands, sell products or services, and funnel traffic to websites.
The pay scale for social media marketers can vary greatly, like in most digital marketing. Many people start out happy that they have a side hustle that is making some extra cash. However, those who excel at it can find themselves with a full-time job and making six figures.
Like almost all high-income skills that will make money, it takes time and perseverance. It does not require a college degree but a little education never hurts. If you want to learn, you can take an online course. Keep in mind, though, that the best way to learn high-income skills is through years of experience, and this is definitely the case for all types of digital marketing
Software Developer
Now is a great time to focus on becoming a developer. For those who do not understand the concept – a software developer is responsible for creating designs, texts, and meeting the users’ needs. These range from programs, systems, games, and applications to everything technical you see in the design.
When looking to become a software developer, one must understand that there are various aspects you can choose from. Learning code is a basic requirement but coding by itself is one of the best high-income skills you can have. We suggest you start with the necessary language programs such as Java, Python, or JavaScript. Working towards a higher-income career in software development includes personal experience as well. Which is why it’s best to take on a course or two in programming.
Once you have racked up a few courses, passes a few exams, and gained some experience, you can easily fit over or under the standard salary for a developer. That generally ranges around $104,480 annually.
Translator
Being bi-lingual is a great asset, one you may not have considered to be a high-income skill. However, knowing how to cash in on your skills is the key to achieve high income. Today, we live in an online world connecting with individuals from all around the world. Some companies pay top dollars for translators who have a firm grasp of English and a second language. Languages such as Arabic, German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Russian, Italian, Japanese, and Mandarin.
If you do not speak a second language, now is the time to invest your time to learn something new. It is not only a great skill to possess but it comes with endless benefits in the long run. Imagine putting a second language on your resume. As a hiring employer, wouldn’t that impress you? Additionally, you will be able to network with other nationalities worldwide or even settle in a foreign country.
Learning a second language is not easy. However, depending on your dedication, it can be done in as little as a year. While some languages are hard to learn, others are easier to take on. You can start learning right away with an online course, free applications, or even a local institute.
Once you are fluent in the language and can easily read, write, and speak the language, you can easily make an income of around $70,000 annually working as a translator.
Blockchain
Blockchain is the new kid on the finance block. It is a fast-growing sector that can help you rack up a fair amount of income in a short period of time. Think of blockchain as a group of several transactions or “blocks” linked together and verified by many individuals. This removes the need for external authorities such as banks. All sorts of transactions can be done on a blockchain. From financial exchanges to verifying products’ authenticity, blockchain does it all.
Learning blockchain requires a unique set of skills in the data structure, programming, and web applications. This is why we suggest you start with an introductory course. This allows you to get a taste of the information and skills required before overcommitting.
Once you have settled down a little, you can easily make $160,000 annually working as a blockchain developer. You can make more once you have racked up some experience and worked your way towards the top. Making blockchain an excellent career choice for those looking for something tech-savvy, challenging, and refreshing.
Artificial Intelligence
Robots will one day take over the world, so why not do your part in the process. With AI technology becoming more sophisticated and professional over the years, there is a growing demand for developers who can get the job done. There are currently 2.3 million jobs related to the AI sector. AI is also expected to continue growing rapidly in the coming years. Making it one of the best high income skills to get in early on.
Artificial Intelligence is a very complex industry. It is suggested only for those who have exceptional learning and understanding abilities. This is why most individuals who have a strong foundation in math and science are pushed towards AI. Working in the field allows you to work closely using teachings found in data structures, logical thinking, statistics, calculus programming, and algebra.
Working as an AI engineer, you can easily make $130,000 annually, or even more depending on your specializations, skills, experience, location, and company. These small factors play a significant role in how you grow and how much you make in the years to come. Much like other fields, AI engineers develop over time, adding to their skills and experience.
Affiliate Marketing
Online stores have taken over the world. More than 75% of the world is now shopping online. This has led to countless opportunities to be explored. If you have a remarkable social media or blogging presence and understand basic web development, you can benefit from affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing pays you a small commission for every purchase made through you. Think of it as a marketing plan, you boost a said product, and the company pays you to boost sales.
Once you have linked yourself with the company, you will be offered special links that ensure you get your cut. Using the link, the customer will land on the page and make a purchase. Which will automatically be linked back to you. You will typically be paid as soon as the purchase goes through.
Affiliate marketing is easy to understand, but it takes a little time to master. You must focus on traffic until and unless you have traffic – the products sitting on your website won’t matter. Learning SEO goes a long way. SEO is a high-income skill on its own. Learning it will help you drive traffic to your webpage.
When you start, there is a good chance you make about $100 to $300 per day (depending on your online presence). Once you get settled in, you can join the high-raking affiliates. Top-tier affiliate marketers earn thousand a day. This is one of the greatest high-income skills for passive earning.
Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing is all the rage these days. With most of the world heading online, there is a great need for additional storage systems and plans. In the last decade alone, we have seen ample growth. Companies are more inclined to store their information on cloud servers than private servers. This helps them secure their data using an unidentified online server that only they can access.
Learning cloud computing requires a certain level of dedication. Advanced networking, programming languages, cloud security, database management, and artificial intelligence are all skills you will have to have a basic understanding of. You can start with an introductory course, and then focus on the aspect you wish to excel in.
Once you have set yourself up and gained some experience, you can easily earn about $200,000 working as a cloud computing engineer. Moreover, individuals who work with a STEM offering their tech skills make more. Furthermore, there is a good chance the cloud computing business reaches around $241 billion this year. It is also expected to grow much further in the years to come.
Other Great Remote High Income Skills
Here are some more good choices of high-income skills to learn. I will not be going into as much detail on these but felt they should still be included. These skills are also mostly or fully able to do from anywhere.
Public Speaker
This skill is definitely not for those of you who may be a little shy and do not like public speaking. Most public speakers have already mastered a high-income skill and have chosen to speak about rather than practice it. However, this is not always the case. In many instances, they have a motivating story or written a book on a certain subject matter.
Whichever of these categories you may fall into, this skill requires you to be highly skilled in public speaking. An in-demand public speaker can easily make a six-figure income as people are willing to pay up to around 20,000 per speaking event.
Don’t get too excited as most people get started, only making around 500$ per event with only a couple of events per month. You will not make it to the highest paying events unless you are very skilled in a high demand field.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
This skill is crucial to any website that wants to bring in traffic. Needless to say, it is in very high demand. SEO entails all aspects of driving traffic. As you can imagine, many companies are willing to pay big money for this service. How can you sell a product without search visibility?
There are many different angles to SEO. Most SEO specialists need to learn a little bit of all of them. If you want to get paid a six-figure salary long term, you may want to start your own online business offering your services. Sometimes finding clients can be a bit tough so it is recommended that you have a bit of experience in email marketing or content marketing. If not then you can always look into marketing agencies.
SEO is another high-income skill that does not happen overnight. Most SEOs do not have college degrees but have taken many online courses.
Semi Remote Or Non-Remote High Income Skills
Below I have put together a few high-income skills that are not necessarily remote. Two of them can be, but more often than not, require some face time either with clients or at the office. However, all of them are very in-demand skills. An in-demand skill typically leads to high income and job openings. These two factors typically allow you to get a job wherever you want to be.
High Ticket Closing
High Ticket Closing is a skill that entails selling their premium-grade products and services. These services and products usually cost more than a car or even a house sometimes. So while sales is a great skill to have, high ticket closing is the pinnacle of the sales field. The high cost/high commision is what put this skill on our list of high income skills.
These closers are assets, unlike any other, that possess the ability to convince a considerable settlement. Taking someone’s business to the next level allows you to share a huge chunk of the share, making sure you get high returns for your skills. The job does not require any degree. All you need is knowledge about the service or product you are selling and the ability to solve problems on the go. Once you grasp the service or product, you can easily set up the perfect funnel system.
Rather than pushing hard, these closers find individuals interested in the said product or service. Later, all that is left is to create an offer that offers them something while setting you up for a huge sale. The biggest perk of working as a closer is that there are no overheads, no products, low-tech, satisfied clients, and no cold calls. Meaning you are playing on the high-rollers table and are only required to skillfully close the deal without any hassle.
Business Analysis
As a business analyst, you will work between the IT and the business sector. Working toward improving the company’s services, processes, products, and software using data analysis. However, the focus area can vary depending on the business and the role of the business analyst. Making sure they are focusing on the site that needs focus the most. Allowing them to improve a said sector that will boost overall growth.
A successful business analyst offers versatility, meaning they can focus on various aspects of a business such as finance, operations, engineering, architecture, and technology. It is highly complex work, and the primary skill required is attention to detail, which is why you must get started with a Bachelors’s at the least. After this, you can focus on business analysis and take on various offline and online courses.
A great thing about working as business analysis is the added 10% bonuses. However, when you get started, you can expect a starting income of around $45,000 and work its way up to $110,000. The number may vary based on where you work and how many sectors you cover.
Trade Skills
A shocking addition to the high-income skills sector is trade skills. These might not appear to be high paying but can easily earn six figures a year.
Some of the most common high-income trade skills/jobs include working as a plumber, electrician, HVAC technician, dental hygienist, home inspector, and mechanic.
Yes, not all trade skills are high-income skills. Many only make between $45,000 to $60,000 a year. This is not exactly what most people would consider high-paying skills. This is due to their placement and level of skills. Yet, many individuals are working in the field, making more than six figures. If you decided to use your skill to open your own business then the sky is the limit.
One of the best things about trade skills is that you can easily relocate and start fresh. The experience and skills you have achieved go along with you, ensuring you get every opportunity you have worked to achieve.
Which High Paying Skill is for You
This is possibly the best time in most of our lives to learn a new skill that helps you make more money for the rest of your life. So take this time to learn everything you can, whether it is soft skills or hard skills. Just go for it so you can start making money instead of watching someone else pull in 100,000$ per year.
Whichever skill or skills you decide to pursue, remember that the most important thing is to make sure it is something you enjoy. After all, you could have every one of these high-income skills, but if you’re miserable, it means nothing.
If you need a break from such serious articles take a peek at my crazy Florida man stories, they are sure to lighten your mood.