Careers you can qualify for in two years or less in the US
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 license, certificate or exam, and the career page says which.
82 careers in the United States
A year or less
31 careers911 DispatcherAnswer the worst call of someone's life, work out what they need, and send help while keeping them alive on the line.$53kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandAuto Glass TechnicianCut out a cracked windshield, bond in a new one, and leave the car as strong as it was before.$48kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandBaristaA job you can start at 16 with no training, and a real craft if you decide to take it seriously.$31kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandBartenderFast hands, a good memory, and legal responsibility for everyone you serve.$34kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandBicycle MechanicKeep bikes safe and running. Low pay, real craft, and a trade you can start the week you leave school.$43kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandBus DriverGet a commercial license paid for by your employer and drive a route every day.$48kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandCasino DealerRun a table game for eight hours. Weeks of training, a state background check, and most of your pay comes from tips.$34kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandCertified Nursing Assistant (CNA)A few months of training to a job with about 196,200 openings a year. Hard, physical, human work, and the pay is modest.$42kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandCoast Guard MemberSearch and rescue, law enforcement and pollution response on American waters. You can enlist straight out of high school.$44kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandCommercial FisherCatch fish and shellfish for a living. No tuition, no degree, and no guarantee of what you make.$37kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandCorrectional OfficerKeep order inside a jail or prison. No tuition, paid training, and a job that asks a lot of you.$59kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandDeckhandWork the deck of a tug, ferry or cargo ship. No degree, but you live where you work.$52kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandDelivery DriverDrive a van or light truck, run a route, and get paid without a degree or a license exam.$45kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandDirect Support ProfessionalHelp people with disabilities live their own lives. You can start within weeks, and the pay is the hard part.$46kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyVery highDemandDriving InstructorTeach teenagers to drive from the passenger seat. Cheap to start, and calm is the whole job.$47kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandDrone PilotA federal certificate you can earn at 16. The certificate is easy, the paid work is the hard part.$123kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandEnlisted 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.$44kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandFlight AttendantSafety crew first, service second, paid by the flight hour and living by a seniority list.$64kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyVery highDemandHotel Front Desk AgentCheck guests in, fix what goes wrong, run the desk overnight. You can start the week after high school.$35kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandLifeguardGet certified at 15, get paid to watch water, and learn how to keep people alive.$34kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandMail CarrierA federal job you can start at 18, with a pension at the end and no tuition at the start.$61kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandNail TechnicianManicures, pedicures and nail art. A few hundred hours of school, a state license, then you build a client list.$36kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyVery highDemandOil 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.$58kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandReal Estate AgentFast to get licensed, and paid only when a deal closes. Surviving the first year is the hard part.$53kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandRestaurant ServerTake orders, run food, get paid in tips the same night. No school, no degree, and you can start as a teenager.$35kTypical payunder 1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandSecurity GuardWatch, patrol, report. You can be licensed in weeks, and it is a doorway into a lot of other jobs.$38kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandSolar Panel InstallerRooftops, racking and wiring. The fastest trade on this site to get into, and the one most tied to policy.$53kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyVery highDemandTow Truck OperatorRecover wrecks, clear crashes and rescue stranded drivers, often at 3am in the rain.$45kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandTruck DriverMove freight across the country in a tractor-trailer. Good money fast, and a lot of nights away from home.$59kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandUnderground MinerRun loaders and shuttle cars a mile underground. Good money, no degree, real danger.$75kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandWildland FirefighterFight fire in forests and rangeland with hand tools, chainsaws and water. Seasonal, brutal, and the hardest job to walk away from.$59kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemand
Up to 2 years
51 careersAppliance Repair TechnicianFix fridges, washers and ovens in people's homes. Almost no school, and you can own the business by 30.$51kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandAquaculture TechnicianRaise fish and shellfish for food. Outdoors, on the water, in a small industry the country keeps saying it wants to grow.$50kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandBakerEarly mornings, flour to the elbows, and a product that has to be right before the doors open.$37kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandBarberA licensed trade you can finish in under a year, with your own chair and your own clients at the end of it.$38kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandBookkeeperKeep a business's money records straight so the owner, the bank and the tax office all see the same numbers.$51kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandBorder Patrol AgentA federal law enforcement job patrolling the land between the ports of entry, mostly in the desert Southwest.$76kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandButcherBreak down whole animals into cuts people cook. Learn it on the job, paid, from week one.$40kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandChemical TechnologistRun the tests that decide whether a batch ships. Two years of college, a lab coat, and steady work in industry.$60kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandCommunity Health WorkerHelp people in your own neighborhood get the care and support they are entitled to.$52kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandCookRun a station in a working kitchen. Hired on attitude, trained on the line, paid from day one.$37kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandCourt ClerkRun the paperwork that makes a courtroom work. A government job you can reach straight out of high school.$49kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandDental AssistantWork chairside next to a dentist, often after less than a year of training.$48kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandDental Laboratory TechnicianBuild the crowns, bridges and dentures that go in people's mouths. A craft trade with a scanner in it.$50kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandDriller and BlasterDrill the holes, load the explosives, move the rock. One of the few jobs where a mistake is final.$61kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandEnvironmental TechnicianTake the samples, run the gear, clean up the spill. Two years of school and you are on site.$60kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandEstheticianFacials, peels and hair removal. Licensed in under a year, then you build a client list.$45kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandFloristDesign with flowers for weddings, funerals and ordinary Tuesdays. Low pay, real craft, early mornings.$37kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandForestry TechnicianThe person who actually does the work in the woods: cruising timber, planting, thinning, and often fighting fire.$55kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandHairstylistCut, 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.$36kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandIT Support TechnicianThe fastest way into IT (information technology) without a degree, and the job most people in tech started in.$62kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandLandscape HorticulturistBuild and keep the planted world: lawns, gardens, ball fields and street trees. You can start the week after high school.$39kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandLibrary TechnicianRun the desk, the catalog and the shelves. The job that keeps a library working, reachable with a two-year degree.$45kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandLicensed Practical Nurse (LPN)Hands-on bedside nursing about a year after high school, with a real license at the end of it.$64kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandMassage TherapistLicensed in about a year, then paid per massage. The work helps people and it wears out your hands, so plan for both.$58kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandMedical Office AssistantRun the front of a clinic and help with patients at the back. About a year of training, and clinics everywhere are hiring.$46kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandMedical Records SpecialistTurn what happened to a patient into codes and clean records. Office work, health pay, and no bedside.$51kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandMortgage BrokerTake somebody's income, debts and credit file, find a lender who will say yes, and get paid when the house closes.$77kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandMotorcycle MechanicFix bikes, scooters, quads and snowmobiles. No degree, no license in most states, and you can be earning inside a year.$49kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandNavy SEALJoin the Navy's SEAL (Sea, Air and Land) teams, small special operations units. In the Navy's own words, few attempt the training and fewer make it through.$47kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandOffice 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.$70kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandOpticianTurn 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.$47kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandParts TechnicianFind, order and supply the exact component a mechanic needs. The job that keeps every shop moving.$39kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandPayroll 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.$58kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandPest Control TechnicianFind what is chewing, biting or nesting, then get rid of it. A licensed trade you can enter straight out of high school.$45kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandPet GroomerBathe, clip and style dogs and cats all day. No license anywhere in the country, and your hands do the talking.$35kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandPharmacy TechnicianFill prescriptions, run the counter and keep the pharmacy moving. Under a year of training for a regulated health job.$46kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandPhlebotomistDraw blood, label it right, keep the patient calm. The fastest way into a hospital job in the country.$45kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandRailroad ConductorYou are in charge of the train: the paperwork, the cars, the crew and every move it makes.$78kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandRetail Store ManagerRun a shop: the staff, the stock, the sales and the targets. No degree needed, and you can be doing it two years out of high school.$49kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandSecurity Systems TechnicianInstall and fix alarms, cameras, card readers and fire detection. Low voltage, high responsibility.$60kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandSmall Engine MechanicMowers, chainsaws, generators, snow blowers and outboards. Short training, fast hands, steady work.$48kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandSurgical TechnologistSet up the operating room, guard the sterile field and hand the surgeon the right instrument before they ask. Two years of school.$65kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandSurveying TechnicianMeasure the land before anyone builds on it. You can start straight out of high school and learn on the crew.$54kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandTeaching AssistantWork alongside a teacher and with the students who need the most help. The quickest way into a school.$37kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandTour GuideWalk groups through a city, a park or a museum and make them care about it. Fun work, uneven money.$38kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandTransport DispatcherDecide which truck goes where, keep drivers legal, and fix the day when everything goes wrong at once.$50kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandTravel AgentPlan and sell other people's trips. The job the internet was supposed to kill, and did not quite.$50kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandUpholstererStrip a chair to its frame and rebuild it. A small trade where the good ones are never short of work.$46kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandWater 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.$60kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandWelderJoin 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.$54kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandWind Turbine TechnicianClimb 250 feet up a tower and fix the machine at the top. Growing much faster than average, and not for anyone afraid of heights.$64kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemand