Careers you can qualify for in two years or less
Every career here can be fully qualified for within two years of finishing high school, and that is the longest usual route, not just the fastest one. The times are the same ones shown on each career's own page. Some still need a licence, certificate or exam, and the career page says which.
82 careers in the United States
A year or less
31911 DispatcherAnswer the worst call of someone's life, work out what they need, and send help while keeping them alive on the line.Typical pay$53kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateAuto Glass TechnicianCut out a cracked windshield, bond in a new one, and leave the car as strong as it was before.Typical pay$48kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateBaristaThe most common first job in the country, and a real craft if you decide to take it seriously.Typical pay$31kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodBartenderFast hands, a good memory, and legal responsibility for everyone you serve.Typical pay$34kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodBicycle MechanicKeep bikes safe and running. Low pay, real craft, and a trade you can start the week you leave school.Typical pay$43kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandLimitedBus DriverGet a commercial license paid for by your employer and drive a route every day.Typical pay$48kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateCasino DealerRun a table game for eight hours. Weeks of training, a state background check, and most of your pay comes from tips.Typical pay$34kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandLimitedCertified Nursing Assistant (CNA)A few months of training to a job every hospital and nursing home in the country is short of. Hard, physical, human work, and the pay is modest.Typical pay$42kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandVery highCoast Guard MemberSearch and rescue, law enforcement and pollution response on American waters. You can enlist straight out of high school.Typical pay$52kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateCommercial FisherCatch fish and shellfish for a living. No tuition, no degree, and no guarantee of what you make.Typical pay$37kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandLimitedCorrectional OfficerKeep order inside a jail or prison. No tuition, paid training, and a job that asks a lot of you.Typical pay$59kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandLimitedDeckhandWork the deck of a tug, ferry or cargo ship. No degree, but you live where you work.Typical pay$52kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandLimitedDelivery DriverDrive a van or light truck, run a route, and get paid without a degree or a license exam.Typical pay$45kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandVery highDirect Support ProfessionalHelp people with disabilities live their own lives. You can start within weeks, and the pay is the hard part.Typical pay$46kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandVery highDriving InstructorTeach teenagers to drive from the passenger seat. Cheap to start, and calm is the whole job.Typical pay$47kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateDrone PilotA federal certificate you can earn at 16. The certificate is easy, the paid work is the hard part.Typical pay$123kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodEnlisted Service MemberJoin straight out of high school, get trained and paid from day one, and sign away several years of your choices to do it.Typical pay$38kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodFlight AttendantSafety crew first, service second, paid by the flight hour and living by a seniority list.Typical pay$64kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandVery highHotel Front Desk AgentCheck guests in, fix what goes wrong, run the desk overnight. You can start the week after high school.Typical pay$35kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateLifeguardGet certified at 15, get paid to watch water, and learn how to keep people alive.Typical pay$34kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandVery highMail CarrierA federal job you can start at 18, with a pension at the end and no tuition at the start.Typical pay$61kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandLimitedNail TechnicianManicures, pedicures and nail art. A few hundred hours of school, a state license, then you build a client list.Typical pay$36kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandVery highOil Rig WorkerHard physical work on a drilling or well service rig, two weeks on and two weeks off. No degree needed, and the risk is real.Typical pay$58kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandLimitedReal Estate AgentFast to get licensed, and paid only when a deal closes. Most people who start quit inside two years.Typical pay$53kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateRestaurant ServerTake orders, run food, get paid in tips the same night. The most common first job in America.Typical pay$35kTo qualifyunder 1 yrDemandVery highSecurity GuardWatch, patrol, report. One of the fastest jobs in America to get licensed for, and a doorway into a lot of others.Typical pay$38kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandVery highSolar Panel InstallerRooftops, racking and wiring. The fastest trade on this site to get into, and the one most tied to policy.Typical pay$53kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodTow Truck OperatorRecover wrecks, clear crashes and rescue stranded drivers, often at 3am in the rain.Typical pay$45kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodTruck DriverMove freight across the country in a tractor-trailer. Good money fast, and a lot of nights away from home.Typical pay$59kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodUnderground MinerRun loaders and shuttle cars a mile underground. Good money, no degree, real danger.Typical pay$75kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandLimitedWildland FirefighterFight fire in forests and rangeland with hand tools, chainsaws and water. Seasonal, brutal, and the hardest job to walk away from.Typical pay$59kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerate
Up to two years
51Appliance Repair TechnicianFix fridges, washers and ovens in people's homes. Almost no school, and you can own the business by 30.Typical pay$51kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerateAquaculture TechnicianRaise fish and shellfish for food. Outdoors, on the water, in a small industry the country keeps saying it wants to grow.Typical pay$50kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerateBakerEarly mornings, flour to the elbows, and a product that has to be right before the doors open.Typical pay$37kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodBarberA licensed trade you can finish in under a year, with your own chair and your own clients at the end of it.Typical pay$38kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerateBookkeeperKeep a business's money records straight so the owner, the bank and the tax office all see the same numbers.Typical pay$51kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerateBorder Patrol AgentA federal law enforcement job patrolling the land between the ports of entry, mostly in the desert Southwest.Typical pay$76kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerateButcherBreak down whole animals into cuts people cook. Learn it on the job, paid, from week one.Typical pay$40kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedChemical TechnologistRun the tests that decide whether a batch ships. Two years of college, a lab coat, and steady work in industry.Typical pay$60kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerateCommunity Health WorkerHelp people in your own neighborhood get the care and support they are entitled to.Typical pay$52kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandVery highCookRun a station in a working kitchen. Hired on attitude, trained on the line, paid from day one.Typical pay$37kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandVery highCourt ClerkRun the paperwork that makes a courtroom work. A government job you can reach straight out of high school.Typical pay$49kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerateDental AssistantWork chairside next to a dentist, often after less than a year of training.Typical pay$48kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandVery highDental Laboratory TechnicianBuild the crowns, bridges and dentures that go in people's mouths. A craft trade with a scanner in it.Typical pay$50kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedDrafting TechnologistTurn an engineer's sketch into the drawing a crew builds from. Two years of school, no license.Typical pay$66kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerateDriller and BlasterDrill the holes, load the explosives, move the rock. One of the few jobs where a mistake is final.Typical pay$61kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedEnvironmental TechnicianTake the samples, run the gear, clean up the spill. Two years of school and you are on site.Typical pay$60kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandLimitedEstheticianFacials, peels and hair removal. Licensed in under a year, then you build a client list.Typical pay$45kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandVery highFloristDesign with flowers for weddings, funerals and ordinary Tuesdays. Low pay, real craft, early mornings.Typical pay$37kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedForestry TechnicianThe person who actually does the work in the woods: cruising timber, planting, thinning, and often fighting fire.Typical pay$55kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedHairstylistCut, color and style hair for a living. Licensed in every state, and the people who do well build a book of regulars they keep for years.Typical pay$36kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandGoodIT Support TechnicianThe fastest way into tech without a degree, and the job most people in tech started in.Typical pay$62kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedLandscape HorticulturistBuild and keep the planted world: lawns, gardens, ball fields and street trees. You can start the week after high school.Typical pay$39kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerateLibrary TechnicianRun the desk, the catalog and the shelves. The job that keeps a library working, reachable with a two-year degree.Typical pay$45kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandLimitedLicensed Practical Nurse (LPN)Hands-on bedside nursing about a year after high school, with a real license at the end of it.Typical pay$64kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerateMassage TherapistLicensed in about a year, then paid per massage. The work helps people and it wears out your hands, so plan for both.Typical pay$58kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandVery highMedical Office AssistantRun the front of a clinic and help with patients at the back. About a year of training, and clinics everywhere are hiring.Typical pay$46kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandVery highMedical Records SpecialistTurn what happened to a patient into codes and clean records. Office work, health pay, and no bedside.Typical pay$51kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandVery highMortgage BrokerTake somebody's income, debts and credit file, find a lender who will say yes, and get paid when the house closes.Typical pay$77kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedMotorcycle MechanicFix bikes, scooters, quads and snowmobiles. No degree, no license, and you can be earning inside a year.Typical pay$49kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodOffice AdministratorRun the machinery of an organization: schedules, records, vendors, payroll, the people at the front desk. You can start at eighteen and work your way up.Typical pay$77kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedOpticianTurn an eye prescription into glasses and contact lenses that actually fit. Two years or less to get started, and in many states no license at all.Typical pay$47kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerateParts TechnicianFind, order and supply the exact component a mechanic needs. The job that keeps every shop moving.Typical pay$37kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodPayroll AdministratorYou make sure everybody gets paid the right amount, on time, with the right tax taken off. Get it wrong and the whole company notices.Typical pay$58kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedPest Control TechnicianFind what is chewing, biting or nesting, then get rid of it. A licensed trade you can enter straight out of high school.Typical pay$46kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModeratePet GroomerBathe, clip and style dogs and cats all day. No license anywhere in the country, and your hands do the talking.Typical pay$35kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandGoodPharmacy TechnicianFill prescriptions, run the counter and keep the pharmacy moving. Under a year of training for a regulated health job.Typical pay$46kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandVery highPhlebotomistDraw blood, label it right, keep the patient calm. The fastest way into a hospital job in the country.Typical pay$45kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandVery highRailroad ConductorYou are in charge of the train: the paperwork, the cars, the crew and every move it makes.Typical pay$78kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandLimitedRetail Store ManagerRun a shop: the staff, the stock, the takings and the targets. No degree needed, and you can be doing it two years out of high school.Typical pay$49kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodSecurity Systems TechnicianInstall and fix alarms, cameras, card readers and fire detection. Low voltage, high responsibility.Typical pay$60kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandVery highSmall Engine MechanicMowers, chainsaws, generators, snow blowers and outboards. Short training, fast hands, steady work.Typical pay$48kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerateSurgical TechnologistSet up the operating room, guard the sterile field and hand the surgeon the right instrument before they ask. Two years of school.Typical pay$65kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandVery highSurveying TechnicianMeasure the land before anyone builds on it. You can start straight out of high school and learn on the crew.Typical pay$54kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodTeaching AssistantWork alongside a teacher and with the students who need the most help. The quickest way into a school.Typical pay$37kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedTour GuideWalk groups through a city, a park or a museum and make them care about it. Fun work, uneven money.Typical pay$38kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodTransport DispatcherDecide which truck goes where, keep drivers legal, and fix the day when everything goes wrong at once.Typical pay$50kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedTravel AgentPlan and sell other people's trips. The job the internet was supposed to kill, and did not quite.Typical pay$50kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedUpholstererStrip a chair to its frame and rebuild it. A small trade where the good ones are never short of work.Typical pay$46kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedWater Treatment OperatorRun the plant that makes tap water safe, or the one that cleans what goes down the drain. A licensed job you can start straight from high school.Typical pay$60kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedWelderJoin metal to metal so it holds. A trade you can learn in under a year, tested by whether the weld passes, not by what you say.Typical pay$54kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedWind Turbine TechnicianClimb 250 feet up a tower and fix the machine at the top. One of the fastest growing jobs in the country, and not for anyone afraid of heights.Typical pay$64kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandVery high