15 High Income Skills To Earn More In 2022

Many Americans live paycheck to paycheck. CNBC reported in December 2020 that 63% of Americans have been living paycheck to paycheck since COVID started causing lockdowns. Nearly half say their emergency savings are gone. Eight out of ten Americans reported that they wouldn’t be able to cover the cost of a $500 emergency.

Although it’s easy to blame the pandemic, growing income inequality has been a rising problem over the last few decades due to stagnant wages and the rising cost of living, including food, housing, education, and medical expenses.

The numbers can be depressing. But what if you were able to develop high income skills that could help you earn $10,000 or more a month without taking on a second job? No more mentally calculating if you can afford that $5 latte on the way to work or stressing about maxing out the credit card with your next grocery pickup.

You could build up your savings account and retirement funds, and you wouldn’t need to worry about choosing between paying medical bills or rent. Sounds nice imagining what life would be like with high income skills, right? It doesn’t have to be a fantasy.

What Are High Income Skills?

Over the years, you’ve accumulated and developed a collection of different skill sets.

Some of these are hard skills, which are the technical skills you picked up through some type of training, whether it’s on your own, in a classroom, or on the job. Examples of hard skills could be the knowledge and application of a certain computer program or copywriting.

Soft skills are your personality traits and interpersonal skills. Examples of soft skills would be communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.

High income skills are specialized skills that are particularly valuable and in high demand, therefore reaping a higher profit. While there isn’t an exact metric to determine the threshold to qualify for a high income skill, a general rule of thumb is a six-figure salary or a $50+ per hour baseline.

List of High Income Skills to Learn

Here’s the good news — upgrading your skills to reach the high income level doesn’t necessarily require going back to school. It can, but that’s not always the case. You can upskill yourself for a job with a high school diploma or GED.

Below is a list of the top high income skills to learn:

1. Software / Web Development

2. Entrepreneurship

3. Writing (Copywriting / Business Writing / Technical Writing / Freelance Writing)

4. Specialized or Technical Skills

5. Web Design / Digital Marketing

6. Teaching, Training, or Coaching

7. Supervising

8. Legal / Administrative Skills

9. Sales / Closing / Deal Making

10. Public Speaking

11. Creative Skills

12. Financial Skills

13. Cyber Security

14. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

15. Digital Content Creation

Becoming an Entrepreneur

The idea of entrepreneurship often sounds more appealing than it actually is. While setting your own work schedule and being your own boss seems like a good deal, the majority of entrepreneurs fail within the first couple of years.

It’s a lot of work to operate and manage your own business. A lot of entrepreneurs trade a standard 40-hour workweek with benefits and other perks for 80 hours or more a week that often includes weekends and holidays and may not even turn a profit right away.

But, if you’ve got the determination and a strategic mind with a head for business, entrepreneurship just might be the right avenue for you.

Successful entrepreneurs are able to adapt. They incorporate different skills with business and marketing opportunities. Some of them ease into the role of an entrepreneur by maintaining a day job while developing their side hustle or relying on a high-paying part-time job to earn extra money until the business takes off.

To train yourself for entrepreneurship, you will need to:

• Develop a diverse skill set. If you’re running a one-person show, you’ll need to cover everything from accounting to marketing. If your business has employees, you may need to polish your leadership skills.

• Learn to promote and sell. This is important not only to sell a product but also to sell your brand and your skillset. You can take classes, watch videos, or listen to podcasts for tips.

• Be a lifelong learner. Stay up-to-date with the market and your business industry, whether you’re attending conferences and workshops, reading books, networking with other professionals, listening to podcasts, et cetera.

• Connect with a mentor. Obtaining valuable insight from someone who can provide tips, connections, and resources is invaluable.

• Continue your education. This may involve returning to the classroom, but it doesn’t have to. You can be self-taught and take online courses for certifications.

• Take risks. Your personality will play a big role in your success or failure. Are you ready to be independent and assertive? Can you take risks? Are you prepared to fail?

Becoming an Influencer

Social media influencers have become extremely popular in the digital age of social media and live streaming. Many influencers travel to exotic places, review products, show off their fashion, and a wide variety of other topics.

The life of an influencer can be lucrative, but it’s not all glamour and selfies. Earning money as an influencer requires putting in a lot of time doing photoshoots, editing photos, and interacting with people on social media.

In order to find success as a social media influencer, you’ll need to identify and target a niche such as a lifestyle, travel, sports, beauty, or fashion and then develop your own personal brand within that niche. A content strategy is also important.

To become an influencer, you will need to:

• Learn how to use social media platforms. You can decide which platforms to focus on, but it’s a good idea to diversify your content across a few just in case you end up putting all of your eggs into one basket and then watching that platform become obsolete (anyone remembers Myspace?).

  You should become a self-taught expert in content creation, self-promotion, and engagement analytics.

• Create a social media strategy. You’ll need to find a unique angle that will help you to stand out within your chosen niche.

• Be personable. Even if you aren’t outgoing, you’ll need to be comfortable with opening your life up to thousands of complete strangers. Without a following, you won’t make it as an influencer.

Top Specialized or Technical Skill Industries for High Income

If you have your sights on industry-specific jobs, you’ll need to be prepared for years of study. This might require a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree, trade school, or direct on-the-job training within the industry.

Building up years of experience or several years of training in these high income fields can drastically increase your salary.

1. Healthcare. The healthcare industry is booming and unlikely to see a drop anytime soon. Jobs in healthcare currently dominate the top ten list of highest-paying jobs in California, Florida, and around the country. Most of these jobs have a median salary that meets the high income standard.

   While many positions within this field require earning a degree, there are high-paying jobs within the medical field that don’t require much formal education.

2. Engineering. Engineers are modern-day problem solvers with vast opportunities in the fields of math and science. These types of jobs range from robotics, architecture, machinery, electrical systems, and many other applications.

   High income engineering jobs usually require a bachelor’s degree at a minimum, and some of the highest paying master’s degree jobs fall in the engineering field.

3. Construction. This hands-on type of job can often include adverse working conditions if your specialty involves being outside. Construction jobs are always in high demand since they’re necessary for both the private sector as well as public infrastructure.

   Construction workers build and repair homes, roadways, public buildings, bridges, utility systems, power facilities, and more. The level of training and education is dependent upon what type of specialization you choose, such as a welder, electrician, or carpenter, for example.

   In order to earn a lot of money in this field, most construction workers need to reach senior or manager level.

4. Web Design. Computer-related jobs have been on the rise for a while since technology has become such an integral part of our lives, and the remote opportunities with work-from-home computer jobs make them especially appealing in the wake of COVID.

   Web designers are in high demand to create attractive, functional websites for clients and businesses. They’re responsible for performing audits and maintenance updates, designing brand identities, optimizing websites, creating content, dictating layout and design, and creating a unique user experience.

   Although a bachelor’s degree is usually encouraged in these types of positions, there are certificate programs that can help you advance enough to achieve high income status. You can be self-taught and build an impressive portfolio to apply for jobs or even try your hand at freelancing.

5. Digital Marketing. The digital age has made digital marketing an in-demand job. These types of marketers build brand awareness through digital channels such as social media, email marketing, company websites, search engine ranks, blogs, digital ads, and more.

   They also track key performance indicators (KPI) to help adjust and develop marketing strategies.

   A degree in marketing is usually preferred for this type of job. You can also get on-the-job training through internship programs. In many cases, you can start earning six-figure salaries after only three to five years.

Final Thoughts

High income jobs will likely require extra time and education commitments, but they’re well within reach if you’re ready to make a lifestyle change. Investing in these types of skills and specialized fields will likely pay off as the landscape of the job market continues to shift.

COVID drastically changed the market, and that “old normal” is likely a thing of the past. Having a high income skill is a good way to guarantee your footing as technology, and societal norms continue to evolve how people go to work and earn money to support themselves and their families.

Author

Chris Kolmar

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.