Six-Figure Jobs You Don't Need a College Degree For

14 Ways to Get to Six Figures Without Doing Four Years First

Maybe you don't want to spend all that time taking classes in obscure subjects while hoping to find your calling and piling up student loan debt. Maybe you don't really care so much about college. You just want to work and make money.

You can do it, but there aren't many fields where it happens very often. In our list (see below) of 14 potentially six-figure jobs that don't require a four-year diploma, only two have a median wage of above $100,000. For the rest, you'll have to be in the top 10% of earners, and even then you may find yourself working 50 to 60 hours a week.

Dr. Al Lee, director of quantitative analysis at Payscale.com, says that most of these jobs share a few qualities. (Payscale's research provided the numbers that made this list possible. The company measured the average earnings for people with eight or more years in their field.)

No test can tell an employer how good you might be at some of these lines of work -- real estate broker or fashion designer, for example. That's why a degree is less important to a potential employer than field experience and demonstrated past success. Either you're good at it or you're not.

Many of these jobs rely on variable pay (commission and overtime) to break six figures. Good plumbers, ultrasound techs and construction managers generally do a lot of overtime. It's far more valuable to a company to pay them extra than to hire an additional employee, Lee says. And that means workers can break past what they would earn if confined to 40 hours a week.

Stress is pretty much a given in all these occupations. A high price for failure is not uncommon. Cost estimators can't estimate too high on a project or they'll risk losing it to a competitive bidder. They can't go too low or their company won't make money on the deal. Radiation therapists and ultrasound technologists have to worry about the danger of malpractice suits. Court reporters mustn't miss a word in the courtroom. Air traffic controllers know that hundreds of lives ride on their actions.

Almost all these positions produce revenue that can give them a clearly defined monetary value. An executive chef at a hotel can pull in guests or send them fleeing. An ultrasound technologist or radiation therapist paid $100,000 a year can bring the hospital several times that. A sales manager's value can often be pinpointed in dollars and cents at the end of the year. Also, a few of these jobs -- air traffic controller, police supervisor, court reporter -- have unions to thank for their good pay.

Lee says now is as good a time as any to start on the path to one of these jobs. The market may be in bad shape, but companies will still need competent workers. When better to find out if you're truly good at something than when it's most difficult?

He says of people who make more than $100,000, "At the end of the day, the largest percentage of them are degree-holders." But you definitely can get there this way -- not that it's easy. "You learn on the job. You pay attention. You move your way up."

Could it be time to design your five- or 10-year path to six figures? Below is a list of 14 options for possible six-figure jobs without a degree.

1. Real Estate Broker
2. Air Traffic Controller
3. Small Business Owner/Operator
4. Fashion Designer
5. Plumber, Pipe Fitter or Steamfitter
6. Non-Retail Sales Manager
7. Network/Data Communications Manager
8. Construction Superintendent/Manager
9. Radiation Therapist
10. Police and Detective Supervisor
11. Ultrasound Technologist
12. Hotel Executive Chef
13. Court Reporter
14. Construction Cost Estimator

by Klaus Kneale, Forbes.com

Important Tax Tips For Job Seekers

This http://www.WorkTree.com career article by Nathan Newberger gives job seekers some tips and things to consider when it comes to tax time.

That dreaded date is approaching very quickly. April 15th is just around the corner, which means it is time to file those tax returns. When economic conditions are tough, the last thing anyone wants to do is pay taxes. Luckily, you could be better off than you realize.

There are some very favorable rules embedded in the tax code for job seekers. When dealing with taxes, sometimes it pays to be between jobs.

This article briefly discusses some of the possible tax benefits for the unemployed. These are just tips that you may want to look into, please talk to a tax expert before filing your return. Don't pay more than you have to!

The following topics will be covered:

1. Basic Tax Deductions
2. The Big Bucks
3. Playing It Safe

1. Basic Tax Deductions
Many of the costs associated with a job search can be deducted from your income. As long as you are not entering the job market for the first time, searching for work in a different field of employment, or returning to work from a long spell of unemployment, many typical job search costs are tax deductible. Individually these costs can be small, but they can add up very quickly.

Eligible expenses may include:

1. Phone calls and faxing fees
2. Costs for typing, printing, and mailing resumes
3. Employment agency fees
4. Ad space in newspapers, trade magazines, or on web sites
5. Traveling costs for job interviews (This does not just include airfare or public transportation. The costs of driving to an interview can be deducted on a mileage basis.)

The list continues on, but you get the picture.

The 2 most important things to remember are:

1. These expenses are only deductible if you itemize them.
2. Only job search expenses exceeding 2% of your adjusted gross income are tax deductible. (please check with a tax expert on the finer details)

2. The Big Bucks $$
The deductions don't begin and end with your minor expenses. As well as the small costs of printing, postage, etc, large expenses associated with the job hunt can also be deducted.

The two primary "major expenses" are as follows:

1. EDUCATION - If you went back to school before taking a new job, your educational expenses can be curbed with tax deductions. Based on your adjusted gross income, you could be eligible for deductions of up to $3,000.
2. MOVING - Once you have finally found that new job, some of your moving expenses may be deducted for tax purposes. The only eligible expenses are ones that your current employer did not already cover. Furthermore, moving costs for a new job are only deductible if your new place of work is at least 50 miles from your old home. If these requirements are met, things like packing costs, mileage expenses, parking fees, tolls, and lodging while traveling are all tax deductible.

3. Playing It Safe
Tax deductions can be very tricky and very tempting. The worst idea you could get into your head is to start being a risk taker when it comes to your tax return. You may not always get caught bending the truth, but if you do, the IRS will have very little sympathy. Deductions related to the job search may also raise a bright red flag to the IRS. These types of expenses tend to get examined more thoroughly than others.

So as you file your return, keep these things in mind:

1. Don't get creative and try to pile on expenses that are not truly exclusive to your job search. For example, a new suit may be needed for interviews, but its usefulness is not strictly confined to your job search.
2. Save your receipts. In the case that your deductions do draw suspicion, you can save yourself a lot of pain, time, and money if you have proof of all your expenses.
3. CHECK WITH AN EXPERT. We here at Worktree.com are job search experts, not tax accountants. Before you file a return with new types of deductions, it would be smart to get professional advice.

Conclusion
Don't be afraid to try and save money, however, please speak to an expert if you have any questions. As long as you play by the rules and only deduct legitimate expenses, you are in the clear. Being out of work is an economic burden on its own. Money can be even tighter when you have to spend large amounts on your job search but these tips may help you recover a portion of this. Use those deductions to your advantage, and do it quick - April 15th is just around the corner!

by Nathan Newberger