On the lookout for a job that pays handsomely? Well, this CareerStint article will provide you a list of jobs that pay a whopping $30 or more for an hour’s work.
“A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.”
– Jane Austen
Many times, we get stuck in a job that does not do much for increasing our bank balance or progressing our career. Every day, we have to force ourselves to go to work and carry out our duties. We start hating our pay check and our job so much so that we begin to look drastically for different job opportunities just to get out of the current one. If you are facing this problem, then here is a list of interesting jobs that pay around $30 an hour. It will definitely help you explore some very lucrative career options. Please note that all the mean hourly wages range between $30 to $41, and the mean annual salaries from $64,000 to $ 86,000.
Note.- All data pertaining to hourly and yearly wages has been sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2012.
$30 Per Hour Jobs
Registered Nurse
Mean Hourly Wage
$32.66
Mean Annual Salary
$67,930
A registered nurse looks after the patients and provides them medical and emotional support. He/she maintains a record of the patients’ medical history and administers medicines as per the recommendation of the doctor. A person needs to graduate by undertaking a nursing program and then pass the national licensing test in order to practice as a registered nurse.
Duties
✦ Providing nursing care to patients
✦ Performing diagnostic tests on patients
✦ Operating medical equipment
✦ Administering the right medications from time to time
✦ Supervising other nurses
✦ Ensuring that the right treatment is provided to the patient as per the doctor’s guidelines
✦ Providing nursing care to patients
✦ Performing diagnostic tests on patients
✦ Operating medical equipment
✦ Administering the right medications from time to time
✦ Supervising other nurses
✦ Ensuring that the right treatment is provided to the patient as per the doctor’s guidelines
Fashion Designer
Mean Hourly Wage
$34.92
Mean Annual Salary
$72,620
Fashion designing involves applying creativity and innovation for making clothes, footwear, and accessories. A person can take professional courses in fashion designing to progress in his career. However, creativity and keeping up with trends is the key to success for this job.
Duties
✦ Coming up with innovative fashion concepts
✦ Following the trends in international fashion market
✦ Making sketches for designs either manually or with the help of computer software
✦ Buying various fabrics, accessories, embellishments, trims, etc., from the suppliers
✦ Monitoring and managing the production of the clothing line
✦ Organizing events to showcase the designs
✦ Coming up with innovative fashion concepts
✦ Following the trends in international fashion market
✦ Making sketches for designs either manually or with the help of computer software
✦ Buying various fabrics, accessories, embellishments, trims, etc., from the suppliers
✦ Monitoring and managing the production of the clothing line
✦ Organizing events to showcase the designs
Landscape Architect
Mean Hourly Wage
$32.71
Mean Annual Salary
$68,030
Landscape architects are involved in designing and planning landscape, garden, or distinct space. One is required to pursue a degree in landscape architecture and undertake an exam to attain a license to practice.
Duties
✦ Meeting the client to get an in-depth understanding about his expectations
✦ Investigating the natural resources present on-site
✦ Using computer software to create designs and plans
✦ Preparing design options, plans, drawings, models, and price estimates for the work
✦ Giving presentation to the clients as well as associates
✦ Supervising on-site work and raw material supply from time to time
✦ Meeting the client to get an in-depth understanding about his expectations
✦ Investigating the natural resources present on-site
✦ Using computer software to create designs and plans
✦ Preparing design options, plans, drawings, models, and price estimates for the work
✦ Giving presentation to the clients as well as associates
✦ Supervising on-site work and raw material supply from time to time
Occupational Therapist
Mean Hourly Wage
$36.73
Mean Annual Salary
$76,400
Occupational therapists provide therapeutic treatment to patients with disabilities, disease, or injuries so that they are able to perform routine tasks easily. In order to work as an occupational therapist, one needs to acquire a Master’s degree in the subject. Also, all the states require a license to practice as an occupational therapist.
Duties
✦ Reviewing the medical history of the patient
✦ Assessing the need for special equipment based on patient requirement
✦ Making a treatment plan for a patient based on the type of disability
✦ Demonstrating and recommending exercises for the patient
✦ Educating the patient’s family about caring for the patient
✦ Monitoring and recording the patient’s progress
✦ Reviewing the medical history of the patient
✦ Assessing the need for special equipment based on patient requirement
✦ Making a treatment plan for a patient based on the type of disability
✦ Demonstrating and recommending exercises for the patient
✦ Educating the patient’s family about caring for the patient
✦ Monitoring and recording the patient’s progress
Speech-Language Pathologist
Mean Hourly Wage
$34.97
Mean Annual Salary
$72,730
Speech-language pathologists undertake treatment of communication and swallowing disorders among patients of all age groups. They need to complete a Master’s degree in the subject. Many states require a license to practice as a speech-language pathologist.
Duties
✦ Evaluating history and deciding the treatment for a patient
✦ Helping patients improve the quality of their voices and communication
✦ Teaching patients, who have limited or no speech ability, alternate methods of communication
✦ Helping patients who find it difficult to swallow
✦ Assisting patients in tasks, like reading and writing
✦ Educating family and friends of the patient about communicating with him
✦ Evaluating history and deciding the treatment for a patient
✦ Helping patients improve the quality of their voices and communication
✦ Teaching patients, who have limited or no speech ability, alternate methods of communication
✦ Helping patients who find it difficult to swallow
✦ Assisting patients in tasks, like reading and writing
✦ Educating family and friends of the patient about communicating with him
Dental Hygienist
Mean Hourly Wage
$33.99
Mean Annual Salary
$70,700
Dental hygienists deal with preventive oral care and educate patients about oral hygiene. They work together with dental assistants and dentists. One needs to get an Associate’s degree in dental hygiene and a license to practice.
Duties
✦ Assisting in taking dental radiography
✦ Removing tartar and plaque from the surface of the teeth
✦ Applying sealants and fluorides for prevention of cavity
✦ Answering all the queries of patients
✦ Educating patients about the methods of oral hygiene
✦ Following all the rules, regulations, and hygiene norms when catering to patients
✦ Assisting in taking dental radiography
✦ Removing tartar and plaque from the surface of the teeth
✦ Applying sealants and fluorides for prevention of cavity
✦ Answering all the queries of patients
✦ Educating patients about the methods of oral hygiene
✦ Following all the rules, regulations, and hygiene norms when catering to patients
Food Scientist and Technologist
Mean Hourly Wage
$30.84
Mean Annual Salary
$64,140
Food scientists and technologists conduct a study of food, its processing, deterioration, and storing. They also conduct experiments for invention of new food products. For an entry-level position, you may require a Bachelor’s degree in the subject.
Duties
✦ Researching innovative ways to preserve, package, and process food
✦ Evaluating the color, flavor, smell, texture, and taste of food
✦ Experimenting to make new food products
✦ Conducting a study of food processing and deterioration
✦ Undertaking analysis of food for determining its nutritional composition
✦ Working to establish cost-effective methods for production of wholesale food
✦ Researching innovative ways to preserve, package, and process food
✦ Evaluating the color, flavor, smell, texture, and taste of food
✦ Experimenting to make new food products
✦ Conducting a study of food processing and deterioration
✦ Undertaking analysis of food for determining its nutritional composition
✦ Working to establish cost-effective methods for production of wholesale food
Statistician
Mean Hourly Wage
$38.25
Mean Annual Salary
$79,570
Statisticians apply mathematical techniques and use them for theoretical or applied statistics. They collect, analyze, and interpret data for various researches and studies. A Bachelor’s degree in statistics, math, and research methodology is good enough for an entry-level position.
Duties
✦ Understanding the problem that needs to be addressed thoroughly
✦ Deciding the best method for data collection in order to solve a particular problem
✦ Implementing various methods, like polls, experiments, surveys, etc., for collecting the data
✦ Conducting an analysis of the data and stating the limitations of the method
✦ Studying the accurate interpretation of data collected from research
✦ Generating reports to compose the findings
✦ Understanding the problem that needs to be addressed thoroughly
✦ Deciding the best method for data collection in order to solve a particular problem
✦ Implementing various methods, like polls, experiments, surveys, etc., for collecting the data
✦ Conducting an analysis of the data and stating the limitations of the method
✦ Studying the accurate interpretation of data collected from research
✦ Generating reports to compose the findings
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
Mean Hourly Wage
$31.90
Mean Annual Salary
$66,360
A diagnostic medical sonographer uses equipment with high frequency sound waves to produce images of the patient’s internal structures. He studies the results and makes the correct diagnosis so that an appropriate treatment can be given to the patients. One needs to acquire an Associate degree or a post-secondary certificate to become a diagnostic medical sonographer. Completing an additional certificate course is advisable.
Duties
✦ Operating the imaging equipment to get diagnostic images
✦ Applying gel on the part of a body for easy visibility of the images
✦ Using accurate judgment to notice and analyze the images
✦ Recording the findings and reporting them back to the doctor
✦ Helping in the maintenance of ultrasound equipment
✦ Performing other related tasks in the laboratory
✦ Operating the imaging equipment to get diagnostic images
✦ Applying gel on the part of a body for easy visibility of the images
✦ Using accurate judgment to notice and analyze the images
✦ Recording the findings and reporting them back to the doctor
✦ Helping in the maintenance of ultrasound equipment
✦ Performing other related tasks in the laboratory
Computer Programmer
Mean Hourly Wage
$37.63
Mean Annual Salary
$78,260
Computer programmers create codes for various different software. It is advisable to have a Bachelor’s degree for this job. One has to keep updating his knowledge of programming languages from time to time in order to survive competition.
Duties
✦ Meeting the software development team to understand the requirement
✦ Assisting the team with software planning, designing, and modeling
✦ Using different types of computer languages to write programs
✦ Upgrading the systems from time to time to meet the new technological demands
✦ Testing programs for errors and bugs and then conducting the necessary repairs
✦ Running trials and handing over the completed computer program
✦ Meeting the software development team to understand the requirement
✦ Assisting the team with software planning, designing, and modeling
✦ Using different types of computer languages to write programs
✦ Upgrading the systems from time to time to meet the new technological demands
✦ Testing programs for errors and bugs and then conducting the necessary repairs
✦ Running trials and handing over the completed computer program
Nuclear Technician
Mean Hourly Wage
$33.52
Mean Annual Salary
$69,720
A nuclear technician conducts nuclear research, production, and measurement of radiation. This is a specialized job and requires the person to have at least an Associate degree in nuclear science or any other related field.
Duties
✦ Measuring and monitoring the levels of radiation
✦ Collecting the samples of air, water, and soil for measuring radiation
✦ Spreading awareness about the safety measures for handling radiation
✦ Looking after the disposal and recycling of hazardous material
✦ Identification of radioactive contamination and taking immediate decontamination measures
✦ Working towards increasing the efficiency, safety, and performance of the nuclear equipment
✦ Measuring and monitoring the levels of radiation
✦ Collecting the samples of air, water, and soil for measuring radiation
✦ Spreading awareness about the safety measures for handling radiation
✦ Looking after the disposal and recycling of hazardous material
✦ Identification of radioactive contamination and taking immediate decontamination measures
✦ Working towards increasing the efficiency, safety, and performance of the nuclear equipment
Environmental Engineer
Mean Hourly Wage
$40.93
Mean Annual Salary
$85,140
Environmental engineers implement principles of science and engineering for the benefit of the natural environment. They also study the impact of technology on the natural environment and take steps to avert its adverse effects. A person needs to get a Bachelor’s degree in the subject or any other allied field.
Duties
✦ Implementing innovative technology to increase the environmental acceptability of various projects
✦ Preparing environment investigation reports and evaluating their impact
✦ Undertaking programs for protection and improvement of the environment
✦ Undertaking and imparting environment compliance training
✦ Bringing the environmental concerns to the forefront by promoting them
✦ Ensuring that the regulations related to environment are complied with
✦ Implementing innovative technology to increase the environmental acceptability of various projects
✦ Preparing environment investigation reports and evaluating their impact
✦ Undertaking programs for protection and improvement of the environment
✦ Undertaking and imparting environment compliance training
✦ Bringing the environmental concerns to the forefront by promoting them
✦ Ensuring that the regulations related to environment are complied with
Ship Engineer
Mean Hourly Wage
$36.29
Mean Annual Salary
$75,480
Ship engineers are involved in looking after the management, maintenance, and proper operation of the ship’s engine, machinery, and equipment. A Bachelor’s degree in marine engineering is required for getting a well-paid job as a ship engineer.
Duties
✦ Ensuring that the pollution due to the ship is minimized
✦ Carrying out any repair and maintenance work for the ship
✦ Making sure that the engine and other equipment of the vessel are in an operating condition
✦ Carrying out routine checks to ensure that all the machines are working efficiently
✦ Supervising the technical staff and operations on the ship
✦ Monitoring the automatic or manual record reading, and taking actions accordingly
✦ Ensuring that the pollution due to the ship is minimized
✦ Carrying out any repair and maintenance work for the ship
✦ Making sure that the engine and other equipment of the vessel are in an operating condition
✦ Carrying out routine checks to ensure that all the machines are working efficiently
✦ Supervising the technical staff and operations on the ship
✦ Monitoring the automatic or manual record reading, and taking actions accordingly
Apart from these, there are a few other jobs where you can earn about $30 per hour, like geographers, technical writers, urban and regional planners, budget analysts, civil engineers, film and video editors, sociologists, etc. Now that you are aware about jobs that pay $30 an hour, you can choose a lucrative career for yourself.