Nursing degrees remain in strong demand – and the most specialized nurses make nearly $200,000 per year
Nursing degrees do fall under the broader umbrella of STEM degrees, but they are often underestimated compared to medical degrees. Yet, the demand for qualified nurses in both the developed and developing world remains as high as ever, and their salary tends to remain higher than average compared to other skilled jobs.
In the UK, for instance, the average nurse makes £33,000-35,000 a year, while teachers make slightly less (£28,000 to £34,000). Specialized nurses like pain management nurses and neonatal intensive care nurses make close to £40,000 on average. In the US, some specialized nurses, like nurse anesthetists, make nearly $200,000 annually, which is quasi-on par with some doctors' salaries. In Canada, nurses have a starting salary of close to CAD 60,000. In comparison, the average entry-level salary for all jobs is around CAD 40,000. Many countries, including Canada, have been running recruitment drives and easing immigration rules for expat nurses owing to their domestic labor shortage.
Nursing studies are academically and emotionally demanding. However, this remains more accessible than going to medical school to become a doctor – both in terms of entry requirements and tuition fees. Many nurses start with a diploma or 2-year associate's degree. They often later decide to top up their diploma with additional courses to get a bachelor's degree. Nursing diplomas and degrees are offered by both traditional universities and more vocationally-oriented polytechnical institutes.
Degrees in medical sonography, prosthetics and respiratory therapy lead to well-paid paramedical jobs
Many other paramedical professions beyond nursing enjoy high salaries. Again, these professions are often more accessible than studying to be a doctor or dentist, even if they are less well-known and less glamorized.
Prosthetists create and fit artificial limbs for patients. Diagnostic medical sonographers are specialists in using imaging devices to produce scans and ultrasounds. Respiratory therapists take care of cardio-pulmonary patients by managing ventilators and administering drugs to the lungs. In many countries, they don't need to be doctors themselves but instead, work under doctors. Their studies are also shorter: either 2-year associate degrees/diplomas or 3-4 year bachelor's degrees.
For instance, in Australia, to become a prosthetist, you need to get a 3 or 4-year degree in the subject and then apply for membership with the Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association. As it's a niche of medicine, not many universities offer this degree in the country. Actually, one or two do, such as LaTrobe University and the University of Sunshine Coast.
In the US, many paramedical jobs require only a 2-year associate's degree rather than a 3 or 4-year undergraduate degree like in other countries. Respiratory therapists, for one, need an Associate of Science in Respiratory Care from a community college. It's well-known that community colleges are much more affordable than traditional colleges. After their associate's degree, they need to pass credentialing exams to get licensed in their specific US state.
How much do these paramedical professionals make? In the US, respiratory therapists make between $60,000-80,000. In the UK, their average salary is £39,000, which is above the national average of £33,000 for all jobs. In Australia, prosthetists generally make $80,000-$100,000 AUD a year. That is nearly the same as engineers' average salary range. In Canada, diagnostic medical sonographers make between $70,000-105,000 per year, which is considered an upper-middle-class salary.
A business degree gives a solid foundation in various marketable skills
Business degrees often have a bad reputation for being an “easy” option for those who didn't have the grades for other programs or are undecided about what to do in life. They often have the limelight stolen by more prestigious degrees in the same field like economics, finance and banking. However, the breadth and flexibility of a business degree can also be an asset, especially when it's combined with more technical skills, notably in information systems.
The IT skills you can expect to gain through a business degree include data science, organizing records on computer-based systems, digital marketing, network security and logistics. These courses won't have the same depth of expertise as in a computer science degree, but it will be enough to use technology expertly in business operations or act as the foundation for further IT certifications.
A business degree also gives you other skills related to finance, accounting, law and human resources, from which it's possible to pursue further expertise in these fields. In the US, the median salary of business graduates is $5,000 higher than the median for all college graduates ($65,000 versus $60,000). In Canada, they generally make between $55,000-140,000 per year. Given that these degrees are extremely popular, you can truly stand out and earn in the upper range of that bracket only if you have experience and specialized added-value skills.
Studying the culinary arts can lead to exciting and well-paid careers
Vocational degrees tend to be overlooked compared to more strictly “academic” degrees. However, they can lead to careers that are as exciting and well-paid as academic degrees. Culinary arts and enology, that is, the study of wine, open the doors to rich careers as chefs, caterers, sommeliers, nutritionists, food safety specialists, restaurant and bar managers, food technologists and purchasing coordinators.
Switzerland has a great reputation not only for first-class culinary schools but also for having the highest salaries worldwide for culinary head cooks and chefs. On average, chefs make $56,000 per year in Switzerland. Other countries that pay chefs well are the US (second on the list), Denmark, Japan, Australia, Norway and Sweden. In the US, all of these jobs make over $40,000 on average as a salary. Surprisingly, even though France and Italy are known for their fine restaurants, they don't pay chefs the most.
Where can you study culinary arts in Switzerland and the US? Some of the best culinary schools in the first country are in the city of Lucerne: the ICI International Culinary Arts School, the Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland and BHMS Culinary Arts School. The tuition fees for 3-year bachelor's programs range between $20,000-65,000 (18-60K Swiss francs).
The US has over 20 culinary schools, but the most prestigious one remains The Culinary Institute of America, which has campuses in New York, California and Texas. It also has an international campus in Singapore. Undergraduate tuition fees are nearly $35,000/year, but generous financial aid is available.
The international network of Le Cordon Bleu culinary schools is also extremely prestigious for aspiring chefs. Their campuses are located in various global cities across Europe, Asia, Canada, South America and Australia. The oldest of them is in Paris. Depending on the course, the tuition fees range from $10,000-55,000 per year.
Human Resource jobs are surprisingly diverse and can be financially rewarding
Like business degrees, HR degrees can lead to a surprising diversity of jobs. People sometimes assume that HR graduates only become recruiters, but the jobs in the fields are actually more varied.
You can become a labor relations specialist, a payroll specialist, a training and development coordinator, a performance manager, an HSE (health, safety and environment) advisor, an HR analyst, or a change management specialist, among many other specializations. Just like business degrees, HR degrees give you knowledge and skills in a variety of fields, such as law, psychology and accounting, to name a few.
The Australian news network Nine News listed HR coordinators as one of the top in-demand jobs in the country in 2023. There, they tend to earn $70,000-85,000 AUD per year. That is more than accountants and only slightly less than engineers. In the UK, the median salary in the field is £37,000, which is higher than the median salary in all fields by a few thousand pounds. HR professionals are more well-paid in the US, earning $40,000-60,000 in most roles requiring a bachelor's degree. Management-level HR professionals make close to $100,000 there. In Canada, HR professionals tend to make a salary that is average or slightly above average.
Human resources is a very common degree that is offered at many universities. It is a standard 3-year degree, although in the US, you can also get a 2-year associate's degree. It's also relatively easy to enroll for a master's in the field even if you don't have a bachelor's in it, as long as you have experience in a related people-centric field like administration, law, or counseling.
One challenging aspect of HR for international students is cultural. International graduates need to be extremely familiar with the country's culture and be near-native speakers of its official language to be able to compete on an equal footing with local HR graduates.
