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Ask the Guru a question.Career Choices
I am a junior in high school, and am starting to narrow down my college search and career search. I am thinking about going into medcine or pharmacy, or becoming a nurse anesthetist. I was wondering what is the average salary a person would receive staight out of college in these fields. I understand that money is not everything, but this would be helpful info, and with that in mind these are all studies that I am very interested in. Also, can you tell me what colleges in Ohio and Pennsylvania would be best for me for the fields in which I'm interested?
Your question is a tough one because each career requires you to do graduate work in order to become certified to practice. To become a nurse anesthetist, you’ll need to do some post-graduate work (http://www.allnursingschools.com/faqs/crna.php), just as you’ll need to earn a Doctor of Pharmacy to become a pharmacist (http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos079.htm#training). To become a doctor, you’ll need to attend medical school, which could take as long as eight years.
I don’t have specific statistics for the salaries of recent graduates in these fields, partly because a college education isn’t sufficient to become a doctor or nurse anesthetists. Of the professions you mention, you’ll probably make the most money as a doctor, depending on the type of medicine you practice and where you practice. However, you’ll have to account for the fact that you won’t start making money for several years. In fact, you’ll need to find a way to pay for medical school. If you have to take out loans, it may be a few years before you’re finished paying them back.
I don’t have specific statistics for the salaries of recent graduates in these fields, partly because a college education isn’t sufficient to become a doctor or nurse anesthetists. Of the professions you mention, you’ll probably make the most money as a doctor, depending on the type of medicine you practice and where you practice. However, you’ll have to account for the fact that you won’t start making money for several years. In fact, you’ll need to find a way to pay for medical school. If you have to take out loans, it may be a few years before you’re finished paying them back.Nurse anesthetists make an annual base salary of $90,000-$115,000 (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/archive/index.php/t-34470.html).
The average annual salary for a pharmacist is about $90,000-$100,000. However, like all of the other jobs, this varies depending on the company you work for and the location of your company (http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layouthtmls/swzl_compresult_national_HC07000011.html)There are dozens of schools in Ohio and Pennsylvania with good programs in the areas you’re interested in. To see a complete list, visit U.S. News & World Report’s College Finder (http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/tools/brief/cosearch_advanced_brief.php), which will come up with a list of relevant colleges when you select the states you want to attend college in as well as your desired area(s) of study. If you want to narrow down your options even more, you can include other criteria in your search.
Ultimately, of course, you should pick the career that you think you'll enjoy the most. You have plenty of time for that!
Good luck!
I am currently a sophomore in high school. I would like to either study civil engineering or meteorology. What are some of the best schools to attend in the tri-state area of Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia for each mayjor? Also what are a few good jobs you could get with each mayjor? Thanks
I'm a sophomore in high school and I'm highly interested in early childhood education. I love to work with kids in the summer. However I'm worried with tough economic times, that the salary wouldn't be enough to survive comfortably. However I'm reluctant to stray from this area. Should I be worried?
This is a good question to address right now, with our economy struggling in the U.S. It is true that teachers don't usually make a ton of money. There are other professions that aren't among the highest paid as well. If you are on a career path to one of these, you may have concerns about your future. Should you be worried?
First, let me say that many, many people in this country live on teachers' salaries, or salaries that are in a similar range. You have to learn to live within your means, follow a budget, and possibly live in an area where the cost of living in low. Yes, you can "survive." The question comes when you talk about "surviving comfortably." To you, if this means eating out several times a week, driving brand new cars, and taking big trips, then you need to reconsider your profession. If you want to live a certain lifestyle, and you are not willing to budge on that lifestyle, then you need to make enough money to support yourself. But, if you really believe that you are good at working with children and feel led that way, I certainly hope you will follow that path. Good teachers are so difficult to find, yet so necessary. Or if you are following another career path that is not among the highest paid, and you really, really love what you are going to do, I hope that you are able to continue that path and learn to live within your means.
If you are able to finish college with very little or no debt, you give yourself a huge head-start. Try to find financial aid, scholarships, and other programs that will help finance your education. You can also look into work-study programs that offer great on-campus jobs for students. Once you graduate and get a job, consider taking courses towards a graduate degree while you are working. Typically, the more education you have, the better your salary will be.
So what can you do right now? As I said before, do everything you can to finance your education with scholarships, grants, and college savings. Learn to live on a budget right now. Ask your parents to help you set up your own finances on a limited basis, and take a financial class for students. Create good money habits now, and you will not need to worry so much about the future.