Rachel Burge for CareerBuilder.co.uk
Fancy earning £40,000
plus a year? We reveal six well-paid roles that pay £40,000-£45,000 on
average (according to the latest Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings),
what it takes to get them - and what kind of starting salary to expect.
1. Solicitors: £44,552 Solicitors
advise their clients - who might be individuals, organisations,
companies or government departments - about the law, act on their behalf
in legal matters and represent them in a variety of court settings.
How to become one:
You will need to meet certain academic standards and complete
vocational training. In England and Wales, you can gain a qualifying law
degree, or if you have a non-law degree, take a law conversion course.
Alternatively, you can qualify as a Fellow of the Institute of Legal
Executives (ILEX). Once you have passed the Legal Practice Course, which
takes a year full-time, you must then complete a two-year, on-the-job
training contract with a firm of solicitors and pass the Professional
Skills Course.
Starting salary: The minimum salary for
trainee solicitors is £18,590 for those working in London and £16,650
for the rest of England and Wales. Once qualified, you can expect to
earn around £25,000.
2. Marketing managers: £44,163 Marketing
managers plan, organise and direct marketing campaigns - which may
include media advertising, direct mail, websites and promotional events.
They also manage budgets and other team members, including marketing
executives and assistants.
How to become one: You will need
solid experience as a marketing executive before progressing into
management. While a degree is not a pre-requisite (skills, track record
and industry knowledge are just as relevant as formal qualifications), a
business-related degree or marketing qualification, such as the
Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Professional Diploma in
Marketing, may be an advantage.
Starting salary: Management salaries usually start around £25,000, more depending on the location and size of the company.
3. Hospital and health service manager: £43,523 Also
known as clinical managers, health service managers plan, organise and
direct resources and activities of healthcare providers and purchasers
to ensure a hospital, or other health organisation, runs efficiently and
effectively. That includes supervising staff, setting and maintaining
budgets, and making sure government guidelines are followed.
How to become one: There
are a number of routes in the role. One of the most direct is the NHS
Graduate Management Training Scheme, which is open to applicants with a
degree (minimum 2:2) or an equivalent qualification in a health or
management-related subject. Others work their way up from an
administrative post by taking in-service training courses. To become an
administrator you need five GCSEs (grade A-C) and may require A-levels.
Starting salary: On completion of a graduate scheme,
health service managers can expect to earn £27,000 to £37,000, rising to
around £43,000 with experience.
4. Train drivers: £42,527
Train
drivers transport passengers and goods on over-ground and underground
local and national rail networks, driving diesel, diesel-electric,
electric and steam engines.
How to become one: Although
specific qualifications are not required (GCSEs in maths and English are
generally sufficient), the application procedure is rigorous. If your
initial application is successful, you will be tested on your basic
mechanical knowledge, reaction times and concentration skills at a
training centre. If you pass, you will then progress to the interview
stage and be required to take a medical/fitness check.
Starting salary: Trainee drivers earn around £17,500, newly qualified drivers £30,000.
5. Higher education teaching professionals: £42,263 Higher
education teachers work in universities and colleges, delivering
lectures and teaching students over the age of 18 to undergraduate and
postgraduate level. They may also undertake research and write articles
and books in their specialist field.
How to become one:
Most employers require you to have a degree (first or 2:1), a PhD (or be
working towards it) and prefer you to have had work published, or see
that you have the ability to carry out original research. You also need
experience of teaching, which it may be possible to gain by working as a
Graduate Teaching Assistant while you carry out research. For
vocational subjects, you need a relevant degree and solid work
experience.
Starting salary: Full-time university lecturers earn around £33,000, rising with experience.
6. Construction manager: £40,484 Construction
managers, also known as contracts managers, site managers or site
agents, supervise and direct operations on construction and structural
engineering projects (such as houses, factories, roads, bridges,
tunnels, railway works, harbours, and drainage and sewage works), to
make sure work is completed safely, on time and within budget.
How to become one:
You would usually be expected to have a relevant foundation degree,
BTEC HNC/HND or degree - or solid experience in the building industry.
Working as an estimator, building technician or a site supervisor may be
another way into the role.
Starting salary: Construction managers earn £27,000 rising to £40,000 plus with experience.
