As a small business consultant assisting entrepreneurs daily, I‘m often asked – how can I transition to a lucrative new career without directly relevant experience?
The good news is, with strategic positioning and a success-oriented mindset, many high-paying roles are within reach for driven candidates willing to learn on the job.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore 21 careers offering strong compensation, even if you‘re just starting out. For each, I‘ll share insider insights on salary ranges, growth outlooks, and how to get your foot in the door based on my experience advising clients.
Let‘s dive in!
Digital Marketing Specialist
Digital marketing specialists help brands effectively promote their products/services online. Key responsibilities include executing campaigns across platforms like search, social, email, and paid ads.
Salary Range: $50,000 – $90,000
Growth Outlook: +11% (much faster than average)
Getting Started: Take online courses, complete certifications (Google, HubSpot, etc), intern or freelance with local businesses to gain experience.
Data Analyst
Data analysts utilize programming, statistics, and visualization tools to extract valuable business insights from complex datasets.
Salary Range: $60,000 – $95,000
Growth Outlook: +33% (much faster than average)
Getting Started: Learn SQL, Python, R, Tableau. Analyze open datasets on Kaggle. Seek internships.
Web Developer
Web developers design, build, and implement websites and web applications. They utilize programming languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and frameworks like React.
Salary Range: $55,000 – $85,000
Growth Outlook: +13% (faster than average)
Getting Started: Build websites/apps for friends and local businesses. Contribute to open source projects. Complete a coding bootcamp.
Content Writer
Content writers create written content in various formats to engage audiences and promote brands, products, or services.
Salary Range: $40,000 – $73,000
Growth Outlook: +11% (faster than average)
Getting Started: Start a blog, guest post, provide website copy or blog content for small businesses to build a portfolio.
Financial Analyst
Financial analysts evaluate investments, analyze financial data, and develop recommendations to help organizations and investors make sound financial decisions.
Salary Range: $60,000 – $90,000
Growth Outlook: +10% (faster than average)
Getting Started: Complete finance internships, take modeling courses, contribute analysis to open source finance projects.
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers utilize visual communication principles to craft engaging designs across digital and print platforms. This requires creativity and mastery of design tools.
Salary Range: $40,000 – $65,000
Growth Outlook: +3% (slower than average)
Getting Started: Create visual content for personal projects and small businesses. Learn Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign.
Social Media Manager
Social media managers oversee an organization‘s social media presence across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Salary Range: $40,000-$70,000
Growth Outlook: +13% (much faster than average)
Getting Started: Manage social media for side projects and local businesses. Stay updated on trends and best practices.
Real Estate Agent
Real estate agents assist clients with buying, selling, and renting residential, commercial, or industrial properties. They must pass a state licensing exam.
Salary Range: $40,000 – $100,000+
Growth Outlook: +8% (as fast as average)
Getting Started: Obtain real estate license, intern at brokerages, leverage personal networks to build client base.
Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants provide administrative, technical, or creative support to clients remotely. They assist with tasks like social media, appointment scheduling, and more.
Salary Range: $30,000-$50,000
Growth Outlook: +15% (much faster than average)
Getting Started: Identify your niche skillset. Start with small/local clients and provide excellent service to build references.
Personal Trainer
Personal trainers develop customized fitness programs, offer encouragement, and help clients reach health and wellness goals. Certification is required.
Salary Range: $35,000 – $70,000
Growth Outlook: +10% (much faster than average)
Getting Started: Get certified, complete internships at local gyms, start training friends/family to gain experience.
Sales Development Representative
SDRs specialize in outbound sales – qualifying leads through calls/emails to determine interest and align them with solutions.
Salary Range: $50,000-$100,000
Growth Outlook: +5% (as fast as average)
Getting Started: Seek entry-level BDR roles, take sales courses, highlight communication abilities.
Technical Support Specialist
Tech support specialists troubleshoot technical issues and provide guidance to help resolve customer problems with software, hardware, or equipment.
Salary Range: $40,000-$60,000
Growth Outlook: +8% (as fast as average)
Getting Started: Seek customer service roles with tech exposure. Highlight problem-solving skills and computer proficiency.
Freelance Photographer
Freelance photographers shoot portraits, events, products, real estate, and more for clients across industries.
Salary Range: $30,000-$100,000+
Growth Outlook: 0% (little to no change)
Getting Started: Build portfolio through pro bono work. Leverage personal networks to find clients. Master photo editing software.
Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy techs assist licensed pharmacists by measuring medication, administering immunizations, taking payment, and more.
Salary Range: $32,000-$50,000
Growth Outlook: +4% (as fast as average)
Getting Started: Earn pharmacy tech certification, highlight attention to detail, customer service skills.
Dental Assistant
Dental assistants support dentists by sterilizing instruments, passing tools during procedures, managing digital records, and more.
Salary Range: $36,000-$48,000
Growth Outlook: +7% (faster than average)
Getting Started: Complete dental assistant training program, obtain state certification if required.
Bookkeeper
Bookkeepers maintain financial records, process payroll, reconcile accounts, and prepare financial statements. Strong math skills required.
Salary Range: $36,000-$50,000
Growth Outlook: -5% (declining)
Getting Started: Take accounting courses, apply for entry-level bookkeeping jobs, highlight organizational abilities.
Medical Biller/Coder
Medical billers/coders submit insurance claims and assign codes to diagnoses and procedures to facilitate reimbursement.
Salary Range: $35,000-$50,000
Growth Outlook: +7% (much faster than average)
Getting Started: Take medical billing/coding courses, obtain certification, intern at healthcare facilities.
Bank Teller
Bank tellers conduct financial transactions for customers at banks and credit unions, which requires strong customer service skills.
Salary Range: $25,000-$35,000
Growth Outlook: -7% (declining)
Getting Started: Highlight cash handling experience, passion for finance, apply for entry teller roles.
Legal Assistant
Legal assistants support lawyers by conducting research, drafting documents, filing paperwork, scheduling, and organizing case files.
Salary Range: $35,000-$55,000
Growth Outlook: +10% (much faster than average)
Getting Started: Take courses in legal studies or paralegal studies, complete internships in law offices.
Medical Assistant
Medical assistants provide both administrative and clinical assistance in healthcare settings under supervision of medical staff.
Salary Range: $29,000-$39,000
Growth Outlook: +23% (much faster than average)
Getting Started: Complete medical assistant training program and obtain certification. Highlight science aptitude.
Administrative Assistant
Administrative assistants provide office support by managing correspondence, documentation, scheduling, travel arrangements, phone communications, and more.
Salary Range: $30,000-$50,000
Growth Outlook: -7% (declining)
Getting Started: Highlight organizational abilities and experience with office software/tools. Seek entry-level office/admin roles.
Transitioning Effectively
Switching careers into a well-paying role without directly relevant experience is very doable with proper preparation. Based on my experience advising entrepreneurs, here are three keys to transition smoothly:
- Pick roles with abundant entry-level opportunities – Research job growth projections and average experience requirements to identify accessible fields. Many of the careers above fit this criteria.
- Highlight transferable skills – Emphasize adaptable abilities like communication, analysis, creativity, teamwork, problem-solving and interpersonal skills. Tailor your resume and interview answers to the role.
- Demonstrate motivation to learn – Convey genuine passion for the new career and willingness to work hard, take initiative and develop the required technical capabilities on the job.
With strategic planning, persistence and a success-oriented mindset, you can absolutely parlay your transferable strengths into a lucrative new profession, even as an inexperienced candidate.
I hope these insights from my experience as an entrepreneurship advisor gave you a helpful starting point. Let me know if you have any other questions!
