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Find a Job You Really Want In
Training and obtaining education for a job can be difficult, as you often need to find a way to sustain yourself and pay bills simultaneously.
Fortunately, there are many jobs out there where employers will train you in-house or pay for you to attend classes while paying you an income to work for them at the same time.
In this article, we’ll cover ten such jobs. We’ll discuss the skills and duties they entail, how you can obtain them, as well as the career advancement opportunities they provide.
Top Jobs That Train You While You Work
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Truck Driver
Average Annual Salary: $51,000Truck drivers are a crucial component of commerce in the United States, transporting shipments and packages across the country.
However, the industry has experienced a severe shortage of drivers in the last few years, making it an extremely lucrative and high-growth career to start.
Most employers will provide you with paid CDL training, allowing you to improve your trucking skills and earn certifications while working and earning income.
CDL training programs typically last three weeks and cover the basics of operating your rig and the trucking-specific rules of the road.
This opportunity will also serve as a launchpad for your career if you want to continue in the industry.
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Licensed practical nurse and Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN)
Average Annual Salary: $45,000The medical industry offers a wide variety of well-paying and high-growth jobs that train you as you work.
For example, going down the licensed practical and vocational nursing (LPN/LVN) route allows you to enter paid training programs that earn you income and clinical experience while obtaining certification.
These programs typically involve 500-750 hours of work and take approximately a year to complete.
Afterward, you’ll be able to specialize in numerous well-paying subfields, such as geriatric, hospice, and long-term care.
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Phlebotomist
Average Annual Salary: $34,000Phlebotomy, the drawing and preparing of a patient’s blood, is another medical field that offers many paid training opportunities.
There isn’t any particular training program that you need to enroll in. You’ll earn your certification whenever you’re able to pass your state’s licensing exam(s).
Your employer will typically train you in-house, usually by shadowing more experienced medical staff or through an apprenticeship.
Common types of facilities you can find phlebotomy work at include hospitals, medical offices, and testing facilities.
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Food Service worker
Average Annual Salary: $22,000Foodservice jobs are a great option if you’re seeking temporary employment and have little experience.
While becoming a chef often requires culinary experience and schooling, there is a wide range of support staff roles such as food prep assistant and cleaner that require none.
Many restaurants are still closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, demand for these jobs may be relatively low but is expected to recover over time.
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Electrician
Average Annual Salary: $49,000Being an electrician is one of the best ways to pursue a high-growth career without a four-year degree.
Many organizations and programs such as Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) offer paid vocational training opportunities for you to work during the day and learn in the classroom at night.
You’ll learn how to install, repair, and maintain all types of electrical equipment used by residential homes and businesses.
If you stick with a company that offers training programs and shows promise, they may even offer to pay for you to attend vocational school and obtain full licensure.
In addition to the job’s relatively high pay compared with other jobs that don’t require a college degree, electricians also enjoy incredibly high job security in nearly any economy.
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Plumber
Average Annual Salary: $56,000Working as a plumber may not be for everybody, but it’s much more lucrative than you’re probably expecting.
After the 2008 financial crisis, many younger plumbers and other trade professionals retrained into other careers.
As a result, plumbers are, on average, 50 years old, and the industry is currently experiencing record demand for new workers.
The most common method for entering the plumbing industry is completing an apprenticeship, a four-year process that pairs you with an experienced plumber to learn and work under.
Pay typically starts at 45% the first year, increasing to 50%, 60%, and then 70% each successive year.
Upon finishing your apprenticeship, you’ll now be a journeyman plumber. Most plumbers choose to work under the same company that trained them until they eventually become master plumber, allowing them to start their own business.
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Carpenter
Average Annual Salary: $41,000Carpenters follow blueprints to build, repair, and maintain fixtures and other types of structures. They work with a variety of materials, ranging from wood and fiberglass to plastic and drywall.
The job traditionally has enjoyed relatively high job security in the United States, especially during housing booms such as the current one in 2021. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also anticipates higher than average growth in the carpentry industry than most other occupations.
Most carpenters enter the industry through two routes, both typically paid for by an employer or other benefactor.
Apprenticeships are also a great way to receive on-the-job training and income at the same time. You’ll be paired with a much more experienced carpenter who you’ll work alongside and learn from.
One of the great benefits of entering a carpentry apprenticeship is that you’ll often have an easy time transitioning into a full-time job after completion, as you can simply work at the same company as you did during the program.
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HVAC Technician
Average Annual Salary: $48,000HVAC technicians perform a variety of duties relating to Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC) systems, such as:
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Installation
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Maintenance
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Repair
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Evaluation
Professionals in the field can count on above-average job security, and the U.S Bureau of Labor predicts a 15% increase in job growth between 2021-2026.
Becoming an HVAC technician doesn’t require a college degree or even certification.
Instead, most prospective entrants to the field will seek out an apprenticeship that allows them to learn and work simultaneously.
If you want to earn HVAC certification, many apprenticeship programs will even offer to pay for your courses, as long as you’re able to pass them.
Another benefit to becoming an HVAC technician is the number of specialization options, and therefore higher income, available to choose from.
A few popular specialization options include:
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Metal fabrication
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Residential boilers
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Commercial furnaces
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Heat pump pool heaters
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Mason
Average Annual Salary: $45,000Masons specialize in using bricks, natural stones, and concrete blocks to build structures such as chimneys, walls, and walkways.
The job is perfect for anyone looking for excellent job security and growth, as the U.S Bureau of Labor estimates a 12% increase in demand between 2021 through 2026.
This is due to a booming housing market and high demand for new constructions, and many homeowners’ desires for aesthetic upgrades to their existing homes.
The field is open to essentially everyone and doesn’t often require any degrees other than GED. Most people do so through a three-four year apprenticeship that allows them to work and train simultaneously.
You’ll learn about common topics during such a program, including building code requirements, blueprints, and mathematics.
The field also offers several specializations options to increase your income.
Many masons will focus on mastering construction using a specific type of material, adopting titles such as stonemason, block mason, and brick mason.
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Dental Assistant
Average Annual Salary: $38,000Dental assistants are essential members of any dental office, supporting dentists by handling and sterilizing tools, helping patients feel comfortable, and taking care of office tasks such as billing and scheduling.
The field is also flourishing due to the rising demand for preventative oral care, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor predicting a 19% growth in jobs from 2021 through 2026.
To become a dental assistant, you need to meet different training, certification, and licensure processes depending on the state.
Each state offers different programs accredited by the Commission of Dental Accreditation (CODA), each typically lasting between one-two years.
Unlike many other jobs on this list, most dental practices, unfortunately, won’t hire you before you complete these programs.
However, most of these programs offer externship programs that are essentially the same thing – opportunities to work to obtain experience and income at the same time.
Additionally, many other paid-training opportunities will open up to you once you do obtain your first job.
Most established dentistry offices, dental clinics, and specialty practices pay for you to enroll in advanced programs to further your skills in the field.
- Demographic Based
- Interest Based
- Location Based
- Pay Based
- Requirement Based
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
