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The dominant wisdom that an English degree equips you to either work in the literary world or to teach is outmoded. Even a bachelor’s degree in this field opens doors to a number of high paying career fields you might not have anticipated. But where does one begin their search? What fields should you explore and which ones should you overlook? In order to facilitate the career growth you’re seeking, we’ve compiled a list of 10 well-paid career options. Read on for insight into how the world can benefit from your skills and knowledge.
1. IT Project Manager
While some additional certification is often necessary, you may be sure that it will be highly focused study. Information Technology is a swiftly changing field, but one constant in this type of job is the ability to manage a group of people. Each of your team members will be responsible for a different aspect of a project, and your duties include oversight and direction of those efforts. You’ll be responsible for maintaining an IT project plan that sets out goals clearly in a time frame and allocates group resources as well as monitors testing, development, and delivery of a design goal. There’s some variance for the pay scale, depending on your level of leadership experience, and where and with whom you work. However, the median income for this position hovers just below $85,000 per year, according to PayScale.
2. Human Resources Generalist
The human resources generalist is tasked with creating and maintaining avenues of communication between employees and employers. One of their primary duties is to assist employing entities with hiring new talent, payroll considerations, and the development of additional human resources policies. This position requires strong teamwork skills and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances in the workplace. Management skills are a positive feature. While there is little dramatic increase in salary, experience does lend a hand. The median income for the HR generalist is approximately $51,000 per year.
3. Marketing Director
This position carries a median yearly income of $133, 158, and responsibilities include oversight of a firm’s marketing policies, according to Salary.com. You will be tasked with developing market plans and gathering market data pertinent to your company’s business interests or products. Recursive responsiveness to market trends is considered an asset in anyone who fills this position, who will ultimately report to the top tier of the company’s hierarchy. Anyone who seeks this position should be intimately familiar with the features of the business world, and comfortable with concepts and common practices of the field. Both experience with the realm of market research and the ability to effectively motivate, coordinate, and direct a team of employees are seen as positive attributes.
4. Managing Editor
While it can range as high as $97,000 per year, the median income for this position lingers at the $58,000 mark. A managing editor is a key position in the publication world, with a wide array of job opportunities in various media from which they may choose. While experience with that world is essential, if you set your sights on this job, your degree will have direct relevance. Teamwork skills, creative vision, and the ability to manage a diverse team of independently operating individuals are also considered essential features for a managing editor.
5. Marketing Communications Manager
Much like the marketing director, the marketing communications manager works to further the presence and action of a company’s brand in the real world. They manage a team of individuals, providing direction and assistance in pursuit of a common goal. However, they are primarily invested in understanding the communication of value on the part of the company within the market environment. Elevating brand awareness is one of their chief responsibilities. Desirable individuals for this position exhibit both deep familiarity with this realm of business and inspired creative drive. Pairing vision with the ability to motivate and direct their staff brings a median income of $63, 528 annually, although experience, employer, and location influence this figure.
6. Non-Profit Executive Director
This position is the equivalent of a CEO in the non-profit world. They are responsible for coordinating the daily activities of an organization and working in concert with a board of directors. The executive director guides the overall vision of the non-profit, maintaining its suite of core values and managing highly skilled individuals who are responsible for brand representation and outreach, efforts to further the mission of the organization and resource allocation. Their median annual income is $63, 824.
7. Proposal Manager
If you’re a highly motivated individual with business acumen and creativity, this position is for you. The proposal manager is responsible for achieving the revenue goals of a company. They’re leaders, developing the marketing and development vision of their firms, with a specific focus on attaining and maintaining clientele and furthering a strategic presence in the marketplace. To this end, they create and deliver presentations, coordinate the efforts of a highly skilled staff, and interpret data. Their median yearly earnings come to approximately $77,000.
8. Sales Account Manager
A strong connection to the needs and desires of customers is essential for anyone interested in this position. A sales account manager creates and maintains clientele, working with them and other departments to resolve issues, reconnecting to ensure satisfaction, and working actively to spread the brand of their employing firm. But they must also possess excellent teamwork skills, managing the efforts of employees to achieve projected sales goals. The average annual salary is $54,501, but can be substantially higher depending on experience, location, employer, and the addition of bonuses.
9. Technical Writer
The ability to translate highly technical data into terms that average employees of a company or a general population can easily understand is a valuable skill. Many technical writers are permanent members of a company’s staff, and this is their primary task—communication and education. They may also write instructional manuals for products or services intended for specific consumer audiences. While they can make considerably more, depending on their experience, employer, and location, their median salary is $57, 549 per year.
Related Resource: 10 High Paying Jobs in Engineering
10. Web Developer
If you have experience with programming languages as well as English literature, you may be just the sort many companies are seeking. A web developer is responsible for creating the foundational and structural aspects of a company’s website. However, they must also possess higher order communication and interpersonal skills, because they will be required to present their concepts to the company’s team of experts and other staff. They must embody the vision and mission of their employers, exhibit creative vision, and work to enhance interpersonal, corporate communications. Many companies are offering competitive employment packages as the human element of this profession takes on increasing importance, but currently, the median yearly income for a web developer is around $58,000.