$25-an-hour Jobs

www.careerbuilder.com ^ | October 2007 | Mary Lorenz

[Maelstorm]

$25-an-hour Jobs

By Mary Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com writer

If you get paid a salary, you probably don't give much thought to what you make on an hourly basis. Either the thought is too depressing ("That's all I make per hour?"), produces too much guilt ("That's how much the company spends every time I take a 'little' break to watch YouTube videos?"), or simply doesn't occur to you.  That said, $25 an hour may not sound like much, until you realize that the median household salary is $46,326 according to the 2005 U.S. Census Bureau, and that breaks down to about $22.27 per hour for a 40-hour work week. 

 

So who's making more than the average American at $25 an hour?

 

1. Market analyst -- $27.18/hour
Market analysts work in government agencies, consulting firms, financial institutions or marketing research firms, where they research and predict the sales potential of a particular product or service. A bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement for many jobs; however, a master's degree in a field such as business administration, marketing, statistics or communications will provide more opportunities.
Average annual salary: $56,541*

 

2. Chemist -- $25.16/hour
Chemists search for and use knowledge about chemicals to discover and develop new and improved products, processes to save energy and reduce pollution, and advances in fields like medicine and agriculture. A bachelor's degree in chemistry or a related discipline is the minimum educational requirement; however, many research jobs require a master's degree or doctorate.
Average annual salary: $52,333

 

3. Civil engineer -- $25.29/hour
Civil engineers plan, design and oversee engineering for building projects like airports, bridges, buildings and irrigation systems.  They often need a degree in civil engineering or certification as a registered civil engineer.
Average annual salary: $52,605
 
4. Social worker -- $25.06/hour
Social workers work for places like community centers, hospitals and penal institutions, where they develop programs to help individuals and groups enhance their personal relationships and social development.  Social workers receive accreditation through a four-year college degree program in social work and on-the-job experience.
Average annual salary: $52,119

 

5. Human resources generalist -- $26.90/hour
Human resources generalists work to improve working conditions within an establishment by identifying, evaluating and resolving problems in employee relations and work performance. A combination of directly related training and experience is typically required for carrying out the responsibilities for this job.
Average annual salary: $55,959

 

6. Architect -- $26.41/hour
Architects apply their knowledge of design to plan and supervise the construction of building projects according to their clients' needs and financial resources.  Architects need a degree from an approved school of architecture.
Average annual salary: $55,060 

 

7. Speech pathologist -- $25.05/hour
Speech pathologists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of speech and language disorders and study the science of human communication. Practice requires a four-year degree in the field of health sciences.
Average annual salary: $52,105

 

8. Budget analyst -- $26.71/hour
Budget analysts review financial plans and help institutions prepare budgets, improve efficiency and lower costs. Budget analysts typically have at least a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business, public administration, economics, statistics, political science or sociology.
Average annual salary: $55,579

 

9. Detective -- $27.02/hour
Detectives carry out investigations to prevent crimes or solve criminal cases.  Detectives are appointed based on their eligibility under civil service regulations, their performance in competitive written exams and their previous education and experience. 
Average annual salary: $56,197

 

10. Physical therapist -- $25.68/hour
Physical therapists plan and administer medically prescribed treatment for patients suffering from injuries or certain diseases to restore function, relieve pain and prevent disability. A combination of training and experience is typically required to practice, as well as compliance with state licensing requirements. 
Average annual salary: $53,410

[gridlock]

It’s a sick World where a Human Resources Generalist makes more money than a Civil Engineer.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I guess you are familiar and have traveled the " Malfunction Junction " were 95 south , 395 and 494 meet near the old Springfield exit BEFORE they redone all of the ramps and exit's there.

[mamelukesabre]

Where do you find wingtips these days? I own a pair. Mine are florshiems imperials. Amber in color. I’ve resoled them 3 times I think. Leather soles, rubber heels. I’ve had them since 1991. I got them from a guy that died and so he didn’t need them anymore. I’ve no idea how old they are, but they do not wear out.

My dad is in his 70s and has an old black pair with steel toes that he’s had since the early sixties. He doesn’t wear them much anymore though. He needs softer shoes in his old age.

They are infinitely repairable provided you have a good cobbler. They are hard to find nowdays though. The cobbler that is. The shoes are too for that matter.

[Safetgiver]

Get a COHN, go into consulting and make three times as much.

[Graybeard58]

If you want to make money go into sales.

I believe you are right but that takes a certain personality trait that I don't have. I'm retired anyway (The best job of all)

[Graybeard58]

Let me guess. You like football.

I'd rather watch paint dry.

[mamelukesabre]

I agree. When I was in grad school for structural engineering, the foreigners attending school there were appalled by the wages that non engineers made in america.

For instance, the guys from the middle east told me that a civil engineer was the highest paid job there was. Politicians were former civil engineers. lawyers were nobodies. I believe it too. I think I read that osama bin laden was a civil engineer.

[RachelFaith]

Well like I said... the average person would need an hour plus commute. The average person does this in the average mega city anyway. Ive seen it take 2 hours to go across Chicago when I was there visiting a friend.

So, live safe, drive to work. Gas is cheaper here too.

Or like the other guy said... Retire here and buy acres of land.

Or sit in an Islamic Target city full of crime and decay.

To each there own...

[Recon Dad]

My personal opinion is you should never spend more than half an annual starting salary on the education it takes to get in the door.

My son received a BA from Miami University in Ohio and now he’s a Marine Sgt. I don’t feel I wasted my money.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I love shoes..... good.

I love socks.... good, but the 2 ( shoes and socks ) go together.

I'm just happy to have feet... even better.

The best ? I am just happy I can still walk, breath, and see... lol.

[truemiester]

Admin/management in non-nursing
12 years ED (loved it for 10 years)
5 years Family Practide (loved it for 4)
Keep the license active but dont know if I will ever go back to full time (never say never!).

[Melinda in TN]

25 dollars an hour isn’t alot? WTH? Something’s seriously wrong here.. because in my neck of the woods, that’s considered way over the top... most folks around here consider themselves lucky to make more than 10 dollars an hour.. The only people who make more than 15 dollars an hour are shrinks, plumbers and electricians.. and they make closer to 80 dollars an hour.

Same here. I've been with the same company for 31 years. Today I make $45,000 a year (excellent wage for rural TN), have excellent benefits (medical, dental, LTD, life, etc), and guess what? I do it on a high school education. I'm 52 and recently started college. My employer has paid every cent of my tuition, books, etc.

We have 43 acres and a house paid for and I'm not in debt. I have good retirement benefits and a 401K. I didn't have to go thousands in debt to get where I am. I also go home at the end of the day and leave work at work. What more can you ask? I'm not wealthy but I'm in a heck of a better situation than most people I know.

[Myrddin]

I'm happy with New Balance 998s. I'm on my 3rd pair. Two additional pairs await in the box. I get about 4 years of daily use out of them. At that point, I "retire" them for use as "yard work" shoes. My 10EE flat feet are perfectly happy in that style of shoe for daily wear. I have another pair of nice leather "dress" shoes. They are only worn for church or days when I must wear a suit for my business activities. They should last another 15 years. I only have about 12 years in them at this point.

[mamelukesabre]

My personal opinion is that you should never go into debt while in college. That means it doesn’t matter what you spend, so long as you pay as you go. It’s a living expense, in my opinion.

Of course, my theory doesn’t work if you are getting help from mom and dad or if you have some kind of dividends from an investment...an annuity or something.

[Graybeard58]

Melinda, I;m glad you’re happy but how many pairs of shoes do you own?

[magellan]

I'm kind of surprised at the average incomes of Chemists, Civil engineers, and Architects.

Are these mean or median salaries?

Civil engineers and Architects are more local occupations, so their salaries probably vary greatly around the U.S. depending on the cost of living. They probably also are more likely to get bonuses tied to the time lines of their building project contracts, which could reduce the salary component of their compensation.

A quick Google search reveals another web site (http://www.referwork-jobs.com/) which backs up the above numbers for CEs but shows Architects making $70,000/year on average, and shows both CEs and Architects average about 10% more in bonuses.

I would think chemists are more likely to work for major companies and would be more likely to have salaries similar to engineers.

The one which really stands out is Physical Therapist. That is a job where the salary is probably driven by shortages in the field.

[Myrddin]

My sister has been an RN for 29 years. Most of that has been in OB-GYN. She doesn't do much nursing any more. Her time is filled with filling out paperwork to protect the hospital from legal assaults. She figures her patient contact time is under 15%. She will be 49 years old this month. The only reason she is still putting in multiple 12 hour shifts is to put her kids through college. Her "yuppie" lifestyle didn't include appropriate savings for the future.

[CrashCole]

30 years ago, the cost of 4 years of college was supposed to be no more than what a graduate would make his first year of employment. In the 1930s, this was true even for Ivy League Universities.

[Melinda in TN]

Shoes? Everybody knows we don’t wear shoes in TN. LOL

Seriously though, let’s see. I have a pair of Wolverine steel toe work boots (bought by the company), a pair of Sunday church dress shoes, a pair of running shoes, a pair of walking shoes, and two pair of Crocs. Flipflops don’t count.

I must have missed something. Where do shoes figure in? I need to go back and read all the posts.

[Melinda in TN]

"I buy new shoes just before I think my wife is at the point where she’s going to go out and buy them for me."

Found it. Actually, I'm not into shoes. My husband buys more shoes than I do, no kidding.