Seven High Income Skills to Make You Millionaires
High-income skills are skill sets that will earn you an income of $10,000 or more each month, or $120,000 or more a year. To put that number in context, Americans have a median household income of $61,000.
That means if you took all the total incomes of American families and lined them up from small to large, the income number you see the most often is $61,000.
Most families are making HALF what they could be made with high-income skills! In a study of the cost of living for 25 of the largest cities in the USA, they found a range from $40,000 in El Paso, Texas, to $110,000 in San Francisco.
High-income skills would give you enough income to cover the cost of living for all 25 of the largest US cities in this study, including, LA, Boston, and Washington, DC.
Here’s another way to think of the high-income lifestyle.
It would mean picking up the phone to call the plumber when your bathtub has a problem, instead of wasting hours watching YouTube videos so you can learn to fix the problem yourself to save money. (Unless you enjoy fixing things, which I don’t.)
Now, you might be wondering, what if you don’t have a high-income skill right now? How can you get one? Or, if you don’t want to go back to school to retrain, can you still acquire high-income skills?
You can upgrade to a high-income skill while on the job or return to school for training. Here is a list of high income skills that will make you 5 to 6 figures a month.
List Of High-Income Skills To Learn
1. Web Development:
Web development is the process of building websites and applications for the internet, or for a private network known as an intranet. Web development is not concerned with the design of a website; rather, it’s all about the coding and programming that powers the website’s functionality.
From the most simple, static web pages to social media platforms and apps, from e-commerce websites to content management systems (CMS)—all the tools we use via the internet on a daily basis have been built by developers.
What does a web developer do?
The role of the web developer is to build and maintain websites. Web developers can work in-house or freelance, and the specific tasks and responsibilities involved will vary depending on what kind they’ll be. If you want to learn how to become a web developer, you may have to decide whether you’d like to become a frontend, backend, or full-stack developer. Full-stack developers specialize in both the frontend and backend; we’ll go into more detail about what a full-stack developer does later on.
Web developers are responsible for building a product that meets both the client’s needs and those of the customer or end-user. Web developers collaborate with stakeholders, clients and designers in order to understand the vision: how should the final website look and function?
A large part of web development also revolves around identifying and fixing bugs in order to constantly optimize and improve a website or system. Web developers are therefore keen problem solvers, regularly coming up with solutions and workarounds to keep things running smoothly.
Of course, all web developers are proficient in certain programming languages. However, different developers will work with different languages depending on their specific job title and area of expertise. Let’s take a look at the different layers of web development and the associated tasks in more detail.
A career in web development is challenging, financially rewarding, and has a lot to offer in terms of job security. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 13% employment growth for web developers and 22% for software developers between 2020 and 2030—much faster than average. More than that, web developer was ranked as the 6th best job title in tech-based on salary and employment rates, with software developer finishing 2nd!
At the time of writing, the average base salary for a web developer in the United States is $70,863 per year. Of course, salary varies depending on location, years of experience, and the specific skills you bring to the table; have a look at our guide about how much you could earn as a web developer.
Once you start deciding which type of programmer you want to become, it can help to research what the average salaries for these are. Useful resources for this would be our JavaScript developer, Python developer, and full-stack developer salary guides.
Decide your learning pathway
The first step to a career in web development is to learn the necessary languages, libraries, and frameworks. You’ll also need to familiarize yourself with some of the above-mentioned tools, as well as some common terminology. For a beginner-friendly introduction, start with these 50 web development buzzwords that all budding coders should know.
In terms of the languages you learn, it all depends on whether you want to focus on frontend, backend, or full-stack development. Regardless, all web developers should be proficient in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which is why most web development or software engineering programs will include them so on their curriculum.
Essentially it can be best to start by learning these three. If you are interested in becoming a web developer, check out these five tips to get started or try our free 5-day short course.
2. Copywriting:
A copywriter is anyone who is paid to write content that entices readers to take action — in other words, copywriters write the words used for marketing products and/or services. This includes things like:
- Sales pages
- Email funnels
- Landing pages
- Blog posts/articles
- Social media posts
- White papers
- Case studies
- Advertisements (both print and digital)
- Video scripts
Despite the name, copywriters are more than just writers. They’re writers, salespeople, and behavioral psychologists all rolled into one. To be a good copywriter, you need to learn to master all those elements.
Luckily, it’s easy to start gathering the experience you need.
How Much Do Copywriters Make?
Copywriting salaries vary a lot depending on what setting you work in (more on that in the next section).
According to Glassdoor, the median salary for copywriters in the U.S. is $58,465/year, but this is for writers who work in-house or for an established agency.
When you work as a freelancer, you can make a lot more (or less) depending on the amount of work you take on. The sky’s the limit when it comes to your income as a freelance copywriter, and it’s not unheard of for writers to have steady six-figure salaries.
Working as a Copywriter: Freelance vs In-House
There are two main settings that you can work in as a copywriter:
- In-house. Working for a company or marketing agency.
- Freelance. Working as a freelance copywriter (aka being your own boss).
And both have their pros and cons.
Pros of In-House Copywriting
- Stable income and benefits
- Mentorship if you work under an experienced copywriter
- Potential to work for big, well-known brands
Cons of In-House Copywriting
- You get paid the same amount of money, even if your work generates millions of dollars
- You’ll have less flexibility in your schedule
- You might have to work on projects you’re not passionate about
Pros of Freelance Copywriting
- You can start as a side hustle, allowing you to see if you really like copywriting before making it a full-time career
- Choose your own hours, projects, and rates
- Be your own boss and work from anywhere
Cons of Freelance Copywriting
- Unstable income — including lean periods where you have very little work coming in. May have to take jobs you don’t enjoy
- It may be hard to stay motivated without anyone keeping you in check
For this post, I’m going to focus on creating your own freelance copywriting hustle — even if you have no experience.
How to Get Into Copywriting – from Zero Experience to Professional
The art of writing (and doing it well) is one you’ll learn with experience — so you might not be great at it if you’re just starting out at first.
Learn How to Write Persuasively
You don’t have to have a creative writing degree to learn how to be a copywriter, but you do have to know how to persuade readers to take action. The good news is that this can be learned by studying those who’ve done it already.
These resources are a great place to start:
3. Digital Marketing:
Web development is the process of building websites and applications for the internet, or for a private network known as an intranet. Web development is not concerned with the design of a website; rather, it’s all about the coding and programming that powers the website’s functionality.
From the most simple, static web pages to social media platforms and apps, from e-commerce websites to content management systems (CMS)—all the tools we use via the internet on a daily basis have been built by developers.
What does a web developer do?
The role of the web developer is to build and maintain websites. Web developers can work in-house or freelance, and the specific tasks and responsibilities involved will vary depending on what kind they’ll be. If you want to learn how to become a web developer, you may have to decide whether you’d like to become a frontend, backend, or full-stack developer. Full-stack developers specialize in both the frontend and backend; we’ll go into more detail about what a full-stack developer does later on.
Web developers are responsible for building a product that meets both the client’s needs and those of the customer or end-user. Web developers collaborate with stakeholders, clients and designers in order to understand the vision: how should the final website look and function?
A large part of web development also revolves around identifying and fixing bugs in order to constantly optimize and improve a website or system. Web developers are therefore keen problem solvers, regularly coming up with solutions and workarounds to keep things running smoothly.
Of course, all web developers are proficient in certain programming languages. However, different developers will work with different languages depending on their specific job title and area of expertise. Let’s take a look at the different layers of web development and the associated tasks in more detail.
A career in web development is challenging, financially rewarding, and has a lot to offer in terms of job security. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 13% employment growth for web developers and 22% for software developers between 2020 and 2030—much faster than average. More than that, web developer was ranked as the 6th best job title in tech-based on salary and employment rates, with software developer finishing 2nd!
At the time of writing, the average base salary for a web developer in the United States is $70,863 per year. Of course, salary varies depending on location, years of experience and the specific skills you bring to the table; have a look at our guide about how much you could earn as a web developer.
Once you start deciding which type of programmer you want to become, it can help to research what the average salaries for these are. Useful resources for this would be our JavaScript developer, Python developer, and full-stack developer salary guides.
So what can you do to become the agile, in-demand digital marketer that companies seek? Here are seven tips to help you specialize, strategize, and streamline your career as a digital marketer.
- Attend Networking Events
Although knowledge and resources on digital marketing are widely available from sources such as podcasts and online articles, investing in registering or joining a conference offers you benefits that other sources just can’t.
At these conferences or networking events, you have the opportunity to listen to global industry experts, take advice from best-in-class digital marketing professionals, and get insight into the future trends in the digital marketing industry. These types of events also have presentations, workshops, and lessons geared to help you build your digital skill set and expand your understanding of why you do what you do.
Not only can local or international conferences revamp your professional skills, but they allow you the opportunity to build relationships with peers and mentors.
- Learn from Digital Marketing Brands and Entrepreneurs
If you’re considering or just starting out in a career in digital marketing, making the investment in a professional digital marketing conference may be too big of a leap. Luckily, there’s a lot of great content online geared towards making a successful digital marketing career.
Digital marketing ‘thought leaders have the experience, expertise, and knowledge needed to create content that’s accessible for beginners. And since most of these industry leaders are digital marketers themselves, they know exactly how to make their content easy to find on search engines and social media platforms.
Chances are you’ve already seen articles from experts like Neil Patel and webinars by Neal Schaffer.
You may also know that DMI’s membership library is packed full of toolkits, e-Books and podcasts that cover every subject and brand you can think of within digital marketing. These resources are designed for both industry newcomers and high-level marketers to help you reach your career goals.
- Connect with Like-Minded Individuals and Peers
As a digital marketer, a large part of what you do is develop communities online. Whether it’s for your personal brand or a global organization, a strong community can make or break your business. So why wouldn’t you want to be actively involved in a like-minded community of peers?
Active digital marketing communities (online or offline) can help you recognize the importance of what you do and how it can fit within the ‘big picture of your business and life. As a DMI student or member you get to be part of a global digital marketing community where you can post on forums, network, collaborate and find support from peers.
By communicating frustrations or asking a question about an area of digital marketing you’re unfamiliar with, you can gain confidence in your abilities and push yourself to learn and try new strategies and processes.
- Find a Digital Marketing Internship
As with any internship position, many people do them for the opportunity to work in a professional environment that pushes their capabilities. An internship can be challenging, but when surrounded by the right team, you can learn from their mistakes and successes.
Not only can an internship help expand your digital marketing portfolio and experience, but it can help determine what you appreciate in a work environment.
As there are so many facets of digital marketing, you may find that you appreciate solitude when writing creative content, or that you thrive by collaborating on a new campaign to market a new product or service.
While you can learn on your own, an internship will give you real-life experience and help you understand the challenges that marketers face daily. If you do land such a role, make sure you figure out ways to maximize your internship.
You can also do some behind-the-scenes research of your own to impress your new boss or team. Here are a few great resources that will help:
- Podcast – Kickstart your digital marketing career
- eBook – How to Become a Social Media Manager
- eBook – How to Become a Digital Manager
- Blog – How to Become a Social Selling Specialist
- Toolkit – Channel Performance Tracker
Conclusion
Maybe you’re not sure which high-income skills you should learn, or which one interests you more. Start by thinking about your soft skills – the traits that help you to interact with other people. Are you creative? Do you like to persuade?
LinkedIn rates those two soft skills as the two most in-demand this year. It has also rated the top in-demand hard skills – the teachable skills that you learn at school. Cloud computing and artificial intelligence are at the top of the list for 2020.
If those two skills interest you, you might consider working in technology. Here are some of the other highly rated soft skills and hard skills for this year.
