Securing a prosperous career often requires more than just a high school diploma. While an associate degree is a valuable option, not everyone can dedicate four years to obtaining a bachelor’s degree. In this article, we’ll explore a list of high-paying career certificate programs that can be completed in one year or less. Additionally, we’ll provide information about online certificate programs that might pique your interest, all backed by salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Highest Paying Trade School Careers Summary
Before we delve into the details of these fast-track certificate programs, let’s briefly review the careers that offer competitive salaries in the realm of trade schools:
- Construction Managers
- Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
- Radiation Therapists
- Nuclear Medicine Technologists
- Dental Hygienists
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technicians
- Aircraft and Avionics Equipment Mechanics and Technicians
- Boilermakers
Fast-Track Certificates: Trades You Can Master in 6 Months or Less
1. Flight Attendant
- 2023 Median Salary: $63,760
- Quickest Program Length: 3-6 weeks
- Career Outlook: Expected to increase by 21% (much faster than average)
Consider a career as a flight attendant if you’re seeking a profession with travel benefits. Flight attendants cater to passengers by providing food, drinks, and assistance during flights. This career offers a diverse schedule, including possible nighttime, weekend, and holiday shifts. If you have a passion for travel, this is an ideal certification to pursue.
Certificate Opportunities:
- Inflight Institute
- The Travel Academy
2. Electrician
- 2023 Median Salary: $60,040
- Quickest Program Length: 8-9 months
- Career Outlook: Expected to increase by 1% (less than average)
Electricians are responsible for resolving electrical wiring issues in residential and commercial settings. They also install monitoring systems, smart devices, cameras, and more. This profession offers a dynamic work environment, although it might sometimes involve working under extreme temperature conditions. Despite the lower-than-average job growth, electricians enjoy a high income, making this certification a valuable investment.
Certificate Opportunities:
- Ashworth College
3. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (HVACR)
- 2023 Median Salary: $48,630
- Quickest Program Length: 6 months
- Career Outlook: Expected to increase by 5% (as fast as average)
As an HVACR technician, your role involves setting up and repairing significant heating and air conditioning systems, as well as ventilation and refrigeration systems. This job takes place in various settings, including homes, offices, hospitals, and more. As these are public spaces, you may have to work irregular hours to troubleshoot and fix system issues. Before choosing this trade certificate, find out your state’s training requirements.
Certificate Opportunities:
- The Refrigeration School
- Ashworth College
4. Physical Therapy Assistant and Aide
- 2023 Median Salary: $61,180
- Quickest Program Length: 2-4 months
- Career Outlook: Expected to increase by 24% (much faster than average)
In the role of a Physical Therapy Aide or Assistant, you will work with physical therapists to help patients recover from an illness or possible injury. You may be the person who is setting up equipment, moving patients, as well as working on administrative tasks. While occupying this role, your work schedule could encompass a diverse range of shifts, such as nighttime, weekends, and even holidays. This is a good career that offers quick schooling. Before choosing this career, be sure to check your local state’s licensing requirements. With expected job growth of 29% in the next ten years, there will be plenty of opportunities in this field.
Certificate Opportunities:
- U.S. Career Institute
5. Commercial Truck Driver
- 2023 Median Salary: $48,310
- Quickest Program Length: 7 weeks
- Career Outlook: Expected to increase 4% (as fast as average)
Almost everything consumers purchase is taken to the store via truck. Truck driving may involve long-hauls, which involve at least one overnight stay; or maybe short-haul, which is a short driving distance. As a truck driver, you will spend most of your time sitting. However, this is also a great way to see many different places while getting paid to work. Becoming a truck driver is one of the highest paying trade school careers that you’ll find.
Certificate Opportunities:
- CDL Training
- Best Truck Driving Schools
6. Bookkeeper
- 2023 Median Salary: $45,860
- Quickest Program Length: 6 months
- Career Outlook: Expected to decrease -5% (decline)
In the role of a bookkeeper, your responsibility will entail monitoring and managing the financial affairs of an organization. You will audit records, and keep track of receipts and purchases. You will also make sure that payroll is completed timely and accurate. Additional duties may include journal entries, closing books, and keeping computerized notes of financial transactions. If you are money minded, this is one of the best certifications to have.
Certificate Opportunities:
- Penn Foster
- U.S. Career Institute
7. Travel Agent
- 2020 Median Salary: $43,810
- Quickest Program Length: 6 months
- Career Outlook: Expected to increase 20% (faster than average)
A career as a travel agent could be an ideal choice if you love learning about other places and enjoy helping people. In this position, you will provide details and advice to travel seekers. You may plan the trips as well. It may also be your job to create an itinerary for the traveler. Most travel agents work for travel companies. However, there are several that work from home. This is one of the easier trade certifications you can attain.
Certificate Opportunities:
- Ashworth College
- The Travel Institute
8. Dental Assistant
- 2023 Median Salary: $44,820
- Quickest Program Length: 3 months
- Career Outlook: Expected to increase by 8% (as fast as average)
As a dental assistant, your tasks may vary quite a bit. You may spend part of your day helping to check patients in, scheduling visits to taking x-rays of patients. This career is a good choice if you like to add variety to each day and you enjoy working with others. While this is one certification program that pays well, we advise you to check your state for licensing requirements.
Certificate Opportunities:
- Stratford Career Institute
- Center Creek Dental
9. EMT and Paramedic
- 2023 Median Salary: $36,390
- Quickest Program Length: 1 week-5 months
- Career Outlook: Expected to increase 7% (faster than average)
Choosing to become an EMT or paramedic is one of the best trades to get into if you enjoy helping people and can handle a high-stress environment. A typical day in this trade may start out slow with you stocking the ambulance but in an instant you could be saving a child from drowning or rushing a heart attack victim to the hospital. In this medical certification program you will learn to stabilize patients and deliver babies, manage fractures, insert IV lines, and more. You will also learn how to provide oxygen as well as deliver CPR. This fast paced career provides a level of excitement that you rarely find in the workforce.
Certificate Opportunities:
- EMT & Fire Training Incorporated
- National Medical Education & Training Center
10. Phlebotomy Technician
- 2020 Median Salary: $37,380
- Quickest Program Length: 4-8 weeks
- Career Outlook: Expected to increase 10% (faster than average)
As a phlebotomy technician, you will spend your days drawing blood from people. You may be collecting the blood for individual testing, research or possibly for donations. You will be granted the chance to clarify for the patient the rationale and methodology behind drawing their blood. There are plenty of employment opportunities to consider for phlebotomists. You may work in labs, donor centers as well as doctor’s offices and hospitals. This is a quick certification that pays well.
Certificate Opportunities:
- Contra Costa Medical Career College Online
- Phlebotomy Training Center
11. Medical Assistant
- 2020 Median Salary: $37,190
- Quickest Program Length: 6 weeks
- Career Outlook: Expected to increase 16% (much faster than average)
A career as a medical assistant allows you to help people stay well. In this medical certificate program, you will learn how to take a proper patient history, take an accurate temperature and perform administrative tasks as well. You may also be the person who teaches the patient how to dress their own wounds, take certain medications or find a specialist. You will encounter a diverse array of patients, who will inevitably introduce a multitude of microbes into your environment. Keeping up to date on vaccinations is important, as well as eating healthy, taking care of yourself, and having excellent hand washing hygiene. This is a quick healthcare job certificate that pays well.
Certificate Opportunities:
- Online Medical Assistant Programs
- Become a Medical Assistant in 6 Weeks
12. Pharmacy Technician
- 2020 Median Salary: $36,740
- Quickest Program Length: 4 months
- Career Outlook: Expected to increase 5% (as fast as average)
One of the top healthcare certifications in demand is for pharmacy technicians. Your job role, in this career, you will help people to understand their medications, as well as filling their prescriptions. You will also have the opportunity to explain medication, possible interactions, and side effects with customers. In this career, you will also help clients locate over-the-counter remedies such as vitamins and herbal remedies. Other duties may include scheduling and supervising pharmacy staff members. You can find careers for pharmacy techs in hospitals, grocery stores, clinics, prisons, and more. Check your state’s licensing and requirements for this certification career, before you choose your school.
Certificate Opportunities:
- Ashworth College
- US Career Institute
Short-Term Career Training Programs – 9-17 months
Electroneurodiagnostic Technologist
- 2023 Median Salary: $61,370
- Quickest Program Length: 12 months
- Career Outlook: Expected to increase 6% (as fast as average)
Choosing a career as an electroneurodiagnostic tech will provide you with the chance to help both doctors and patients. You will be able to help calm patients that are having neurodiagnostic testing while explaining the procedure. Many people in this fieldwork in clinics or labs; however, you can also find careers in sleep centers as well as in hospitals, where you may monitor patients during surgery. Owing to these alternatives, you will possess the capability to discover a versatile schedule and a work setting that aligns with your preferences. An associate’s degree is not required for this certificate.
Certificate Opportunities:
- Concorde Career Colleges
- Mayo Clinic
Surgical Technologist
- 2023 Median Salary: $48,530
- Quickest Program Length: 12-24 months
- Career Outlook: Expected to increase 6% (as fast as average)
Getting your surgical technologist certificate will allow you to help doctors, nurses, and patients. In this career, you may be preparing an operating room one day while sterilizing and arranging surgery equipment the next day. You will be assisting doctors who are performing surgery, gathering any needed tools, disposing of items, and transporting patients to the recovery room. Each day and each surgery will be different. To excel in this role, possessing a robust constitution and the ability to make prompt decisions is imperative. Besides working in a hospital, you can also find jobs in dental practices, vet practices, and selling surgical equipment.
Certificate Opportunities:
- Cincinnati State
- Nashville State and Community College
