Funny, I just recommended this in the other “what should I do with my life” thread in this forum. I found the OOH to be very helpful when I was picking a major in grad school. I had opportunities in a couple of different areas and based my final selection on the info in the OOH. It worked out very well.
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The reality is few people coming out of college are going to be making the big bucks- that’s not to say they aren’t making a decent salary but is it going to be a salary that allows you the time and finances to compete regularly at A/AA shows? It’s all doable but there’s a difference between being able to show all the time, send horse to WEF or Vermont for 3-6 months vs. 1 or 2 A/AA shows per month.
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That’s a good point.
A “high paying job” or career option may not actually be ‘high paying’ initially. Or, let’s just be realistic - it probably won’t be.
Be sure to do your research - know what “average starting salary” is for your area; as well as salary potential.
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The insurance industry is always hiring, and many have work from home type positions. A background in business, where you have classes in accounting and finance, is useful. Like others have said, it may take a while for the OP to get the big salary. Trades are good, but the big money is in OT, and if you are working a lot of OT, then you are not riding.
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This is so true! OP the reality is it takes time and money. And it’s not until later in life that you have both at the same time. I have money but not the time. I’m grumpy about it now because I had to do my midterm and one of my short term goals is next to impossible because work always sends me places last minute. I’ve been gone for a month every other month since November of last year. Yes I signed up for the the job but oh it it would so nice to not be the fall back guy when someone backs out two weeks before the trip.
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Another thing: take the “average starting salary” for a job and realistically plan for about 10k less than that. Pretty much everyone I know starting out in different fields got about that much less than the average starting pay, with a couple getting 10k or more over that (and those were usually the ones that were pretty much obsessed with their career and didn’t have many other interests outside of it). The average salaries are a bit tricky because you can have most people getting around one amount, then a few that get a lot more, and it will bring the average up to higher than what most people actually get.
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Abby, what do you like and enjoy doing, besides horses?
Do you enjoy math? You can find well-paying employment as an actuary with only a B.S. but will need to complete several years’ worth of exams to maximize your earning potential in that career. (Two good friends graduated with this degree and are very happy with their careers now, about 10 years later.) If you don’t enjoy statistics, this is not the job for you.
A career as a pharmacist will offer very good job stability and there are schools which give you an accelerated path from undergraduate to the PharmD in 4-5 years. Because this is a medical degree you can expect to make high 5, low 6 figures within 5 years out of school but you will likely also have the student loans to match. If you don’t enjoy chemistry, this is not the job for you.
Whatever you consider doing, think very hard about the debt you will incur in student loans. My husband is a hospital pharmacist. I make $15k less a year than he does (I work in educational technology) but my savings are in much better shape than his because of the size of his student loans.
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Law school graduates with top grades are making $150k+ on day one these days. BUT – and OP this is a big but – many of the careers that pay like that are also going to come with a demanding schedule that hampers your riding and showing time. I’ve practiced law for over 20 years now and sometimes my schedule is a bigger challenge than the cost. And junior lawyers have far less flexibility and ability to predict their schedules than senior lawyers. Also, even $150k isn’t going to have your horse showing at Ocala, WEF or Vermont for weeks on end, as the post I quoted notes. So, paycheck isn’t the only consideration – schedule demands are also important.
Also, I echo the posters who say you have to factor in what you are good at and will like to do, because work is going to unfortunately occupy a much larger chunk of your life than the barn and horse shows will! Certainly it doesn’t hurt to factor in earning potential, so that you don’t box yourself in, but you can’t dread going to work every day, or have no aptitude for it, that won’t turn out well.
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Learn how to weld. Go to a trade school and get your certification. Tons of opportunities for welders at a fraction of the cost of school.
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First off accounting IS NOT conducive to a showing or even riding lifestyle at least 5 months out of the year, ask me how I know. Second you will be miserable if you choose a career based mainly on what it pays. Third there are a million ways showing and riding at all could become impossible in an instant. Figure out what your interests are, what your natural talents are then look at the best way to make money with them…there are aptitude tests and career coaches who could help you determine a short list of careers you are likely to enjoy and excel in then you could choose based on earning potential or other factors. And I do include “the trades” as a career considering the ridiculous and rising cost of college trade schools and apprenticing are actually dang good options. It is good that you have a passion and are doing some research to come up with a plan.
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another shout out for Trades. Electrician, HVAC or similar. No long college slog. Often find an apprentice program right out of whatever training or certification school you go to or even as part of that training school. Might have to start nights or weekends but after a few years, hours are regular, most pay well as you gain experience and good benefits.
Quite a few friends have kids who did not do well in college and dropped out explore trade schools and all are doing quite well in their chosen trades. Some better then their college friends who graduated.
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@Equestrian.abby I had the same calculation when I was in college about 10+ years ago. I went into school thinking I wanted to be a vet, figured out pretty quick that wasn’t for me and eventually landed in Animal and Food Science. I’m in a pretty specialized area of food processing but I was able to show at the national level at about 5 years post graduating with my BS. I could have gone back for an MS or PhD but the cost to earned value in my field made going straight into the work force more valuable than getting advanced degrees. I was also very lucky in my family was able to get me through school with minimal debt. That is not always possible.
The first 5 years I was able to afford my rent, car payment and horse with a bit of fun money thrown in pretty easily. I was also in a lower cost of living area of the US and I didn’t have aspirations to show at a higher level. My first job out of school paid above what most of my peers where being paid because of my odd combination of degree and minor. Once I started showing I have the flexibility to work weekend (24/7 facilities enable that flexibility) so I don’t use all my PTO on horses. I am on call all the time and will get woken up at odd hours and managing people is a challenge at times. However I love my work.
I would advise you look at online for what the entry level average for the career path you want to take could be and be willing to go under or over. Practical/applied degrees (accounting, engineering, agricultural sciences, nursing etc.) tend to pay well and are quite for filling. See if you can get job shadows or interview professionals in the career path you are interested in. Look at programs that will get you a good education but won’t break your bank.
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Welding. Electrician. Any of the engineering fields, especially software, network, mechanical and petroleum. Anything having to do with analytics and data management. Cryptography and IT security. Nursing - flexible scheduling. Avoid jobs that make you travel (consulting comes to mind). Research companies that extol the whole work-life balance thing.
Take some internships and do some job-shadowing to get a glimpse into these jobs. I’m a person who needs to enjoy my work to feel fulfilled. My boyfriend “goes to work to be miserable” and doesn’t care as long as he makes $$$$. Knowing what type of person you are will help you narrow a career field.
Find ways to minimize your educational debt: go to school in-state, live at home, apply for scholarships, work while tin school, take prereqs at a community college. Debt will delay any horsey enjoyment.
When you start out, you will be making peanuts - because even with a degree, you won’t really “know” anything. You hit a good salary about 3-4 years into your career. The best pay raises happen when you take a new job.
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Something to keep in mind is that yes even today large parts of the workforce remain gendered.
The jobs that are traditionally and still mostly held by men pay considerably more than the jobs that are mostly and traditionally female.
For a woman in the workforce it can be harder to get into a “male” occupation and harder to advance, but even at the lower levels you might be making more than in a comparable “female” job. But it will be easier to break into and advance as a woman in a “female” job.
I’m thinking obvious contrasts like plumber or electrician versus kindergarten teacher or social worker.
Even in the big research universities, professors in medicine or STEM subjects get much higher salaries than professors in humanities or education. The fields are historically gendered, so yeah, a woman medical professor will undoubtedly make more than a male philosophy professor at the same school. If they hire her.
So young women who want good careers need to consider this paradox.
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First you have to seriously explore various professions that you might like, if not love. I gave up one well-paying career path and passed on the opportunity for another because I knew I was/would be totally miserable doing that type of work. Your job doesn’t have to be your passion, but it shouldn’t be something that you dread and that stresses you out.
So take all those aptitude tests and think about the kinds of things besides horses that you enjoy. (Even if those aptitude tests didnt really help me - most of the categories came out equal!) Realize, too, that there are many jobs and pathways that you wont know about. The important thing is to know what general types of jobs would work for you and what would make you crazy. So if you are an introvert, an outside sales job may seem like torture even if the money makes it look appealing.
Also realize that job choices are not permanent. Many people change careers and many get more education later in life to advance or change. Pick a path that seems practical, (has openings!) suitable, (uses your talents and preferences) and lucrative enough to fund your horse hobby before too long!
Best of luck!
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