The job market is crowded with graduates and non-graduates alike. Getting hired is a serious pain, but there is a possibility to learn how you can bolster your resume with some of the quickest certifications you can get to land a better-paying job in 2022. I have researched 20 quick certifications that pay well today in this article and concisely presented them.
Some of the best quick certifications that pay well today include:
- Real Estate Brokerage Flight Attendant
- Web Development
- Massage Therapy
- Surgical Technology
- Hearing Aid Specialists
- Bookkeeping
- Professional Healthcare Coding
- Phlebotomy Technician
- Physical Therapy Aid and Assistants
- Makeup Artists
- Personal Trainers
- Electrician
- Pharmacy Technician
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography
- Medical Front Office Administrative Specialist
- Electroneurodiagnostic Technologist
- Emergency Medical Technician(EMT) and Paramedic
- Behavioural Health Technician
- Welding
- Cloud Engineer
High-paying jobs are sometimes difficult to come by, requiring high expenses. This can be a problem because finding a job that earns well and is easy to obtain is just as hard. Continue reading to learn about 20 quick certifications to boost your career and prospects. I have made the guide is quite short, so you can finish it quickly and go back to doing your job…or partying it up!
[watch video] Quick Certifications That Pay Well Today
Real Estate Brokerage
Real estate is one of the biggest industries in the world today in terms of huge return on investment (ROI). As a real estate broker, your job is to negotiate and arrange real estate transactions. In essence, you are expected to link buyers and sellers of real estate properties. Other aspects of your job include writing contracts and overseeing sales, purchasing, leasing homes, land, and commercial properties.
You are different from a real estate agent because you have additional licenses that agents don’t have. Getting a real estate brokerage certificate does not take more than 4 to 6 months. The cost of completing a real estate brokerage is usually around $50 to $100 depending on the state and duration of the certification program.
According to Indeed.com, real estate brokers in the United States make up to $60,000+ as salary per year and up to $42,000 in commission. Imagine getting certification for less than $1,000 and being able to make up to $30,000 in months after being certified. Real estate brokerage is my choice among the 20 quick certifications that pay well today.
Web Development
Web development involves the building of websites for the internet. It is the name given to the activities and actions of coders and programmers in creating websites. This point essentially speaks about becoming a programmer who develops websites and web applications.
Most times, people confuse web design for web development. Although they may sound similar, they are two different concepts connected to creating websites. As a web designer, your job is to design how a website should look, taking user-friendliness, intuitiveness, and simplicity to mind. However, a web developer is an expert saddled with turning the designed framework into a functional piece.
Web developers are split into three categories: front-end, back-end, and full-stack developers. The front-end developers create the parts of the user interacting with the web projects. Such developers work with HTML, CSS, and Javascript. Back-end developers ensure that the parts designed by the front-end developers are functional. They create and manage databases required to power the parts of the design. Lastly, full-stack developers are experts in front-end and back-end development, preferred.
Getting a certification in web development can be challenging but rewarding financially. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a 13% employment growth for web development from 2020 – 2030. The median pay for web developers is $77,200 per year and an hourly income of $37.12.
You can become a full-stack developer or any other developer, as highlighted above, in six months. There are many paid and free web development courses available today. Some of which are CareerFoundry, Thinkful, Ironhack, MIT xPRO, Cornell, etc.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is a worthy addition to this list of 20 quick certifications that pay well today. The profession is in-demand, and patronage is not a question. It is used for various health-related purposes, including relieving pain, rehabilitating sports injuries, reducing stress, increasing relaxation, and promoting general well-being.
To become a massage therapist, you need a state-issued license issued after passing tests in the following areas: massage therapy ethics, Anatomy, kinesiology and physiology, Client assessment, and Massage therapy history.
Some of the essential massage therapy licensing programs to enrol in include:
- Zero Balancing certification
- Sports Massage certification
- Medical Massage Therapy certification
- Board Certification in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (BCTMB)
- Stone Massage Therapist certification
- Certification Exam for Structural Integration (CESI)
- Scandinavian Mobilization Therapy certification
Recent data from the BLS suggests that massage therapists in the United States earn an annual income of $47,180. You should complete a certification to become a massage therapist within a few weeks to five months after enrolling, depending on the nature of the certification program.
Surgical Technology
Surgical technology may sound new if you have not been an active participant in the health sector. Notwithstanding, it is one interesting job profession that is financially rewarding and does not require advanced knowledge.
Surgical technologists work alongside surgeons, nurses, and other health care team members to create a clean operating room. They ensure that all equipment is sterilized and ready for use and that the tools have been properly sanitized afterwards.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that the employment opportunities available for surgical technologists will be higher than average at a 9 percent mark. In 2020, the annual income of surgical technologists as published by the BLS was $51,510. It will take you about a year or two to bagged a surgical technology certification which must be followed by a year of clinical practice, and then you are good to go.
Hearing Aid Specialists
A hearing aid specialist is a healthcare professional who focuses on the distribution and maintenance of hearing aids. Hearing aid specialists can serve as an associate to audiologists. They must complete at least two years of schooling or training to work in this capacity.
To help patients with hearing difficulties, hearing-aid specialists conduct thorough hearing tests, diagnose the likely causes of hearing loss, and recommend several solutions. These solutions typically include hearing aids.
A hearing aid specialist does not require extensive medical training, and when you get a certificate as one, you could earn up to $50,000 per year.
Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping is the art of keeping the records of every financial operation or activity by a business, organization, or institution. While this may be underrated, you can make a decent living off it.
The average bookkeeper earns about $18 per hour, and the compensation can increase to $20 per hour. Your job as a bookkeeper is more than keeping financial records. You should help the business you work for make safe economic and financial decisions to ensure the business’s finances are in control.
The work of bookkeepers today has grown considerably, but software and automated systems have been developed to ease the work. So, you would need to be conversant with MS Excel, QuickBooks, and other computer accounting programs as a bookkeeper.
Investopedia published an article on Best Online Bookkeeping Courses for 2022. It is a rich resource you should use to get a quick certification as a bookkeeper and start making money today.
Professional Healthcare Coding
I am sure you are hearing this field of endeavour for the first time. Being a professional healthcare coder is an incredible way to make money without advanced medical knowledge. Your job entails overseeing the medical coding for healthcare agencies, and Payscale.com asserts an average hourly pay of $20 for this profession.
Medical coders ensure that medical coding complies with all medical coding laws and regulations. They are also responsible for ensuring that the coding used is for reimbursable expenses when necessary.
As a certified coder, you may provide regular coding, surgical coding, or hospital coding as the situation calls for. You must also communicate effectively regarding rejected claims or procedures with patients, so effective communication skills are necessary. Medical coders must maintain confidentiality and stay current on changes to insurance coding (especially Medicare).
According to Salary.com, the average annual income of a certified healthcare coder is between $48,605 and $65,705.
You can become a professional healthcare coder in nine months or at most 20 months.
Phlebotomy Technician
Phlebotomy tech collects blood samples from patients and prepares them for testing. Your work description as a phlebotomy technician is simple, and I am sure you can pull a quick certification as one. You can work in hospitals or clinics or as part of a blood donation service. Whichever way, it is important to note that your job is not to get blood from patients alone. Sometimes, you need to get the patients to trust you, keeping them at ease while getting their blood.
You can become a phlebotomy technician within eight months. So that you know, there is an increased demand for phlebotomy technicians with the population growth and development of new types of tests.
Phlebotomists can earn an average annual income between $25,000 and $40,000. Statistics from Nursing Process show that phlebotomists earn between $50,000 – $60,000+ annually in some parts of the US.
Physical Therapy Aid and Assistants
If you are not willing to get your hands dirty, scroll to the next point. Becoming a physical therapist aide is one of the dirtiest quick certifications that pays well today. They clean, sanitize, wash/dry linens, and perform clerical tasks for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 23,800 job openings for physical therapist aides and assistants, which means the job is in high demand. Physical therapists aides earn around $28,000, while assistants earn up to $59,000 annually. To be a physical therapist assistant should take a two-year certification course, and the same applies to aides.
Makeup Artists
Makeup artists, or what is now known as Makeover artists, is another certification you can get that pays well. This field of endeavour is not new. As a makeup artist, your work medium is on the human body. You are expected to apply makeup and prosthetics on others for various purposes, including theatre, television, modelling, photography, and more.
The pay for makeup artists is impressive. Makeup artists earn up to $90+ per hour and an average of $31.44. Becoming a makeup artist is probably the easiest quick certification on this list, as you can enrol in a makeup course and perfect the craft within six months.
Personal Trainers
If you’re looking to lose weight, get in shape, and learn a new skill, hiring a personal trainer is one of the best choices you can make for your health. A personal trainer has achieved certification in their field and has the necessary skills to provide safe and effective exercise programs.
One of the many job functions of a personal trainer is to help their clients achieve their fitness goals. People pay personal trainers about $30 for a 30-minutes session, $70 for a one-hour session, and up to $100 to have the trainer come to their homes.
To become a personal trainer, you need to get a certification either from the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), National Council on Strength & Fitness (NCSF), Fitness Mentors – Personal Training and Online Personal Training Certifications, American Council on Exercise (ACE), or the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
Certifications do not take more than a year. You can get certified in nine months, depending on the program you take. Ensure you get certified by a recognized organization, preferably one with an option for NCCA accreditation.
Electrician
Installing and maintaining electrical equipment is another cool way to make money today. Electricians are responsible for the lighting, electrical power, and heating systems in homes, office buildings, factories, and businesses.
According to US News, the highest-paid electricians in the United States earned up to $75,000 annually, while the lowest-paid earned about $42,000. With job openings expected to increase, becoming an electrician is a cool way to make money in 2022.
I am not a fan of electricity, even though I love its benefits. If you are like me, then you can pass. But if you find this job idea too profitable to overlook, then consider getting a certification as an electrician. Depending on the program, you can become a certified electrician within 12 to 18 months.
Pharmacy Technician
A pharmacy technician is a licensed health care professional who works under the supervision of a pharmacist. They provide professional care and advice to patients about their medications. As a pharmacy technician, you’ll supply patients with medications, which may be prescribed by a physician or available over the counter. You’ll also prepare medications for prescriptions and provide information to patients, physicians, and other healthcare professionals.
The average salary of pharmacy technicians varies from state to state, but you can expect to earn up to $30,000 as one. You can become a certified pharm tech in four months or at most two years.
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
A diagnostic medical sonographer uses imaging equipment and soundwaves to form images of many body parts, known as ultrasounds. These images are used to help doctors diagnose and treat many medical conditions. Getting a certification as a sonographer takes time, but the paycheck can be worth the time. We are looking at about 24 months to get a certification as a sonographer.
The average sonographer earns up to $72,000 annually, with a considerable number earning above the $100,000 threshold. Only a few sonographers today earn below $40,000 in the United States.
Medical Front Office Administrative Specialist
Medical front office jobs can vary depending on the environment in which you work. You should expect to interact with patients and perform administrative tasks that support the medical office. These could include records and information management, basic coding, financial management, appointment scheduling, and in-person and telephone customer service.
A medical front office administrative specialist certification takes ten weeks to six months. As a medical front office specialist, your average salary should be around $30,000.
Electroneurodiagnostic Technologist
Electroneurodiagnostic (END) technologists work in hospitals, epilepsy monitoring units, sleep disorder centres, and research institutions. END technologists use machines to watch a patient’s nervous system. They test a patient’s response to various stimuli and watch brain activity using evoked potential (EP) Machines, electroencephalographs (EEG), and other instruments. They also use tests including nerve condition studies (NCS), electromyography (EMG), and inoperative monitoring (IOM).
The average salary for an electroneurodiagnostic technologist in the United States is around $60,000.
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Paramedics
An emergency medical technician (EMT) or paramedic provides emergency care to people outside or on their way to the hospital. As a paramedic or EMT professional, you are expected to provide basic medical and first-aid care until a person can get help at a hospital or other medical facility. Your job takes place in ambulances or places outside a hospital or clinic.
It takes between one to three years to get certified as an emergency medical technician. The salary is not bad as you can earn up to $80,000 annually.
Behavioural Health Technicians
Behavioural health technicians provide invaluable care to individuals with developmental disorders, mental health illnesses, or neurodegenerative conditions. They also provide support to nurses and doctors to encourage patients’ progress.
Although salaries differ from state to state, as a behavioural health technician, you can expect to make an average of $52,497 annually. Certification takes about three years, one-year post-high school, and two years to complete the course content for an associate degree.
Welding Technician
A welding technician is an experienced professional who uses a welding kit to bond metal into various parts. Welding technicians know multiple welding techniques, such as cutting metal components and finishing metal parts.
Qualifications for a career as a welding technician include a postsecondary certificate or associate degree in welding technology, manual labour skills, and attention to detail. These should not take more than two years to get.
You can earn up to $42,000 annually as a welding technician in the United States.
Cloud Engineer
The last role on this list of 20 quick certifications that pay well today is cloud engineering. Cloud engineers are responsible for managing an organization’s cloud-based systems and processes. Cloud engineers typically work with cloud providers such as Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, etc. They may set up architectures using these services, manage the deployments of cloud apps, or define scaling strategies to allocate more resources when needed.
According to ZipRecruiter, the lowest salary earners in cloud engineering earn about $107,000 while the highest cross the $150,000 annually.
Before I conclude this article, I have answered some of the frequently asked questions concerning the 20 quick certifications that pay well today.
FAQs
What certifications can you get quickly?
Some of the certifications you can get quickly (within six to twelve months) include:
- Real Estate Brokerage Flight Attendant
- Web Development
- Massage Therapy
- Surgical Technology
- Hearing Aid Specialists
- Bookkeeping
- Professional Healthcare Coding
- Phlebotomy Technician
- Makeup Artist
What certifications are in demand right now?
Today’s in-demand certifications include real estate brokerage, web development, cloud engineering, finance, and health-based certifications. It would help if you considered getting certifications in these fields.
What certifications can I get in 3 months?
You can get a web development certification in three months. Other certifications that can be acquired in three months include professional health coder, real estate brokerage, massage therapy, and phlebotomy tech certifications.
Conclusion
In this article, I have discussed the top 20 quick certifications that pay well today. I tried to provide the certification program for each job role presented and how much you can make.
We all want to have multiple income streams, and I am optimistic that the ideas I shared in this article have provided the needed insight to help you make the best decisions.
