After my last post about the best equine schools, I have been thinking a lot on how it’s best that I go to college so I can get a high paying job and do a working student position throughout college. Plus, as my grandparents made me aware, it would be much better to be able to support my self. I would still love to show in A/AA shows at big heights and I think it would be amazing to be able to have my own horses at my own place and afford to show and all of that. I’m thinking I want to go for a business degree (accounting maybe) since they pay a lot. What jobs would be good for this lifestyle?
There are lots of high paying jobs out there so to help narrow it down what areas of study are you interested in? Law, STEM subjects etc. It is really hard to excel and advance up the pay scale if you don’t like what you do. For example an accountant makes more than I do but I have zero interest in doing that which would make it very hard for me to be good at it.
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once again I would feel negligent if I did not meant Air Traffic Control… there is a growing shortage of controllers with median wage of $122,950. Mandatory retirement at 56
college degree is optional, but you need to smart
Air traffic controllers qualify for a complete package of federal benefits, including annual leave, sick leave, and life and health insurance, according to the FAA. They also receive federal retirement benefits and can participate in the government’s Thrift Savings Plan. Their duties require top mental condition and concentration, so controllers are eligible to retire as early as age 50 if they have at least 20 years of experience. Controllers must retire at 56.
https://work.chron.com/advantages-being-air-traffic-controller-23029.html
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First, you need an aptitude for the work. You also need to enjoy doing it. For the higher level professions you also need to have a passion for the work.
Most jobs that will pay well require extensive and fairly expensive training, and are selective. You need to qualify to even take the course. Many professions require professional school on top of a regular BA.
The STEM professions are currently in demand, if you are good at science and math.
There is lots of money in business and accounting.
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There are lots of job titles out there you never heard of, and will only find out as you advance in a profession. At this stage of your life, high school, you want to start thinking about your strengths and then exploring them in college and building on them.
That said, it does seem from COTH that very few people who support themselves with actual jobs are able to compete at the highest levels of equestrian sport. The costs at the top are insane, and if you have a job you can’t travel to show or ride 5 hours a day.
But certainly most professional jobs will provide enough cash to keep a moderately nice horse and compete locally. As I recall from previous posts, OP you are an advanced beginner lesson kid, not yet showing? You will certainly be able to build on this with most professions, if you can set your work schedule up so you can ride daily.
Obviously once you are in a field you will start to learn which job categories give you the best ratio of time and money, and let you live in a horse friendly community. Unfortunately if you settle in New York City, wonderful as that place is, you will have logistical difficulty managing to ride!
The better you are at your job, the more pay and time you can perhaps negotiate
Then people also end up in unexpected jobs. I’m a professor in the humanities in a 4 year college. There are 3 jobs in my specialty in the entire province and I have one of those jobs. I did my field in BA, MA, and PhD because I found it easy and I love it. I get a good salary and time to ride. But I couldn’t in all.honesty recommend this path to a kid in high school because it is highly selective, and even a PhD doesn’t guarantee you find a teaching job.
But there are many other niche jobs like this that will become apparent once you find a field that really speaks to you.
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@Scribbler I am more advanced and a working student six days a week for my trainer. Riding whoever she wants and helping with some training. I have beeen showing for a year and jumping up to almost 3’. I just want a job that I can show at bigger shows with and to be able to ride daily. And I’m also doing all college classes two days a week during the school year, so I’m not at my high school at all 
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Ok thanks for the clarification! I must have conflated you with other young riders asking similar questions!
That doesn’t change my basic advice though. Are you excellent at science and math? Do you love computers? What other areas of competence do you have besides horses? What classes do you enjoy in school? The answers to these questions will send you to your strengths, and then you can build on them.
Riding every day with a job will be dependent on your own setup and your own drive and energy level. If your work, barn, and home are in reasonable proximity there is no reason you can’t be in the saddle by 6 pm. On the other hand, if you have a two hour commute in different directions, that will get old fast. Also once there is a spouse and children, time will shrink for sure. So time to ride is really dependent on how you organize your life.
Some people manage to take annual vacation to attend away shows or bank overtime if that is possible in your workplace.
The catch 22 of adult life is that if you want a good paying job you need to put sincere effort into qualifying and doing that job. And that effort is time away from a hobby.
Anyhow, once you know what you are good at, it will be easier for us to suggest career paths.
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It’s not all about the money, it’s also about your time. You could get a high-paying job, but find that it requires you to work 60 hours a week and you have no time to go ride, much less show.
The trick is to find the balance between doing what you like, what will make you good money, and allow you the free time to do the other things you like to do.
For me, it worked pretty well. I got a job with the federal government doing something I like. It ramped up pretty quickly to a nice salary, good benefits, and a flexible work schedule. I could have made more money doing the same thing for a contractor, but I would not have had the flexibility in my hours/days of work, and would not have gotten as much vacation time.
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Accounting - I dated a CPA - he pretty much lived at his office 24/7 from mid January to April 15. Not every accountant does taxes but…
For big bucks - commercial real estate. The income potential is incredible but it’s a very tough, competitive business- but the pay-off can be pretty rewarding. I worked in a support role capacity and the person I supported made over $1mil. The other team members made just under that. The firm that I worked for had an associate program - I’m not sure what their starting salary was - I think it was base + commission for a year or two and then commission only. I believe after 2-3 years most were making around $200K annually +. But to make that kind of moola you have to be in the right city… This was in Metro DC area, I can’t even imagine what the brokers in NYC would make
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This seems a little bass-ackwards to me. Unless you are blessed with a trust fund, showing horses will be a hobby, an avocation. Your career will be the greater part of your adult life. You COULD do the math and go for the job that earns the most money and then live for your days off/horse shows. But to me it makes a lot more sense to find a career where you will actually enjoy going to work every day so that you aren’t always working for the weekend. It’s also entirely possible that your priorities may change over time and you may develop new passions.
Keep your options open. An education does more than allow you to choose jobs with $$$, it opens doors and improves your mind. Expensive? Can be. Worth it? Definitely IMO, if you have the aptitude and the ambition. Necessary? No.
Figure out what you love (it’s perfectly OK and normal to have something on the list besides ‘horses’) and figure out what you’re good at. (ditto) Start there and do your homework–figure out what careers are out there in fields that will engage your mind and satisfy you beyond just a paycheck.
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I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have cognizance of a career’s earning potential, especially when you know you have an expensive hobby.
I was a product of the “get a degree in your passion” era that lead us into the student loan crisis. Even as a very intelligent young adult, I couldn’t/didn’t fully grasp the concept that some careers have such low earnings potential that they limit you later in life. If I had a time machine, I definitely would go back and do more career research as a young adult. There are so many “better” routes I could have taken. I probably would pursue engineering if I could go back in time.
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in some fields early retirement is fairly easy, my son is semi retired at 32
I am a HUGE advocate for the trades. I may be a little biased because I work closely with tradesmen, and myself have a trade-like job, but they are in demand and pay well. I’ve been making over 100k a year since 21.
And I hate to say it, but women are a visible minority in trades. When I applied to Exxon Mobile it was asked if I was a visible minority, and then it clarified that women fall into that category. You are at an advantage to get hired because of that.
Is 150k+ trust fund money? No. But it allows you to live a very stable (haha) life.
Examples of trades are electricians, millwrights, pipe fitters.
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Accounting is a great option - really, any form of finance. Yes, Jan-April is crazy for CPAs, but after that, the schedule is a lot different. Trade school is a good option too! Acounting would offer you some options to work remotely, which obviously working in trades won’t. The degree only one part of the career equation - the industry that you work in is another area of choice, and could include construction or real estate. Great that you are thinking about this now! Beware, it takes more energy that you think to get established in your career, and this may require you to re prioritize showing for a few years, so that you can get started with networking and learning the ropes in your career and company.
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You could always look at the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, look at the higher paying occupations and then if any look interesting, research training and work-life balance info for those occupations. One thing to keep in mind when choosing a career compatible with horses, is does the job have to be done in a big metropolitan area? Or can it be done in smaller (lower cost, less commuting) area? And if you think you ever might want to have kids, is it a job that can be done part time or as a job share?
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Dentistry. There are a great deal more dentists retiring than coming out of dental school. Tried getting a dentist appointment lately? No real emergency hours, weekends and holidays off, and not nearly the risk of malpractice of an MD. If science or medicine interest you, that might be a path.
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I highly recommend finding something you are at least interested in, if not passionate about, and going from there. When I was younger, I was a fine arts major and took a couple business classes and honestly hated all of it. I quit school for a good ten years and worked with horses professionally managing barns, exercise riding, low-level teaching/training, etc. I love being in the barn and horses are my passion for sure – I don’t think I’ll ever not have horses. But I never want to work full-time with horses again. Sure, I love spending hours at the barn now that I rent my own and can do whatever, but the hours and requirements for full-time barn work, especially in high-end show facilities, are NOT what I am passionate about.
I went back to school to finish my undergrad a couple years ago and will graduate soon. Originally I really wanted to continue to law school, but for many reasons it’s just not working out. Big reasons are time and money, but also school culture and work culture once I would become a lawyer. I talked to a lot of lawyers in different fields and my FIL is a public defender, and I am just not into that kind of stress and workload. I’m not lazy – I just know my priorities and they don’t include 70+ hour work weeks, mountains of stress, and a compromise of my physical and mental health.
But going back to school has seriously helped me figure out that a) law school is not the answer right now, b) full-time horses will never be the answer in the future, and c) I have other strengths and passions, and that’s okay! I can love horses, have them, ride, and also do other work that I enjoy. After graduation, I’m hoping to find something that involves research or writing and is somewhat flexible so I can still ride and do the barn. But especially if you’re of traditional college age, I highly recommend using this time and experience to find other things that might genuinely interest you. If a business degree seems honestly interesting and you have a passion for it, go for it, but if you don’t at least like it, it will be hard to be successful in school or a career.
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I completely agree with this. I had a hard time choosing a major and was told to pursue my passion so I did animal science/equine studies and in spite of being an intelligent person, was shell shocked to find myself earning just a bit over minimum wage for years after graduation. Luckily I went to a state school and worked, so I didnt have any loans. Anyhow, its all good for me now- I ended up getting an MBA and eventually became a project manager (which is a good field to be in). But the struggle was real for many years and now I see some “kids” that I work with in the STEM field, who are like 25 years old and are already making $50 or $60k with benefits…they have such a jump up on me for long term financial outlook and being able to retire before the age of 80 lol
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our son attended a trade school … he now semi retired at 32.
Sales can be a good career, provided you sell a product that pays a good commission. My sister sells in the education/training market and she was able to afford showing on the A Circuit. And when I say sales, I mean something not horse specific so not tack, trailers or horses.
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Very true. And one of the main reasons for understanding your career options isn’t because of the pay, but because of the cost of education, which is enormous.
The longer you are in school (because a change in major, or because you go back to school to pursue a different degree later in life) - the more money/debt to you, and less earning potential.
One of the best things you can do to affect your earning potential is to understand how to complete your education with the least debt possible.
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