100K Jobs

A .300 batting average, 36-24-36 measurements, 100K jobs--certain numerical milestones just seem to occupy a prominent place in the popular consciousness. Of course, these fixations are entirely irrational. There's no evidence to suggest that a .300 hitter who strikes out 100 times a year is any more valuable than a .299 hitter who draws 200 walks. In fact, most sane baseball fans would argue to the contrary.

Still, many professionals gauge their professional success by their reach into the 100K jobs stratosphere as if salary alone were the most important indicator of that success. This poses some real challenges, as there are relatively few 100K jobs out there, at least compared with the glut of 35K and 40K opportunities. So who exactly is paid 100K per year? Aside from top athletes, actors, and recording artists (some of whom make a lot closer to 100 million dollars a year)?

Feasible 100K Jobs

Anyone who's read a job forecast (or just a daily paper, for that matter) in the past decade knows that the tech sector is home to the greatest number of new 100K jobs. The field is an expansive one and includes jobs in everything from programming and web design to "back-end" disciplines such as systems architecture and database design. As you might guess, these jobs command the salaries they do not only because of the field's projected growth, but because of the expertise they demand.

The good news for 100K job seekers is that such jobs are attainable without a fancy higher education. Many community college degree programs are both affordable and open to students with sufficient interest and persistence to stick with the curriculum throughout the credentialing process, which is often tough. If you're already semi-literate with computers, however, you can complete some courses in as little as several weeks or months, then get going on your job hunt.