Is a BA worth anything now?

[Moxie]

As I've started looking at jobs, careers, and what to do with the next half of my life, I've noticed something. A shocking (to me) number of jobs require a Masters degree. It seems like there are two kinds of jobs. A low low paying job that only requires a high school diploma and a better paying job (but not huge money) that requires a Masters.

 

Is a BA worth anything now? And what does this mean for me (always looking out for #1!!)? I have no desire to go back to school. The reason I need to work is to pay for my kids to go to college; they will be graduated before I finish a masters! Plus, the cost! That is going in the wrong direction. And a low paying job-our tax rate=not worth the trouble.

 

I keep telling DH that our only option is to start some kind of business but he isn't convinced.

[lovinmyboys]

I have looked at job postings off and on over the last few years. To me it seems like the BA is now like a high school degree used to be. To work at our library as anything other than a page, it requires a college degree and starts at $9.00. The McDonald's across the street starts at $10 if you are over 18.

 

The children's hospital had a part time position open that required a BA and it was listed as $9.25 an hour.

 

I have pretty much given up on working ever again.

[regentrude]

I would think that depends entirely on the kind of BA. What major? Plenty of college graduates get jobs with a bachelors degree.

Edited June 22, 2016 by regentrude

[J-rap]

Absolutely they can.  But, a lot of jobs that used to require only a Bachelors now require a Masters, when really they shouldn't need to.  That really bothers me.  

 

Our tax advisor/preparer didn't even have a BA.  He got an AA years ago and has been practicing for over 35 years now.  He's really top-notch, as far as I'm concerned.  He said that nowadays, most people with his job would be required to have a Masters.

Edited June 22, 2016 by J-rap

[SparklyUnicorn]

In the field my husband works in (IT), a BS is more than fine.  Some have master's, but most pursue that after being in the field for awhile.  Some manage to get jobs without a BS, but that is more difficult. 

 

 

[FaithManor]

I think it depends on the major. Dh's has been just fine for his job, no need for a master's for advancement, but in Comp Sci once one has the degree it tends to be experience after that which counts not the degree.

 

This has been true of a variety of fields that my friends are in, but then again in some, the master's has been a requirement.

 

I do think that the AA is what is becoming worthless. In our area an AA or two years towards a BA is considered proof of high school, and even in nursing, most of the practical nurses (one year degree) have been let go if they refuse to go on and get their ADN's. The ADN's do okay, but can't get promoted past a certain level without their BSRN's. It is because the field has become more advanced so more training is needed.  A business AA is literally in this area nothing more than proof of something beyond GED.

[HRAAB]

This is so depressing to me. I know for me I can't expect to make much more than $10 or so an hour. I would never consider going back to school at my age. Been there, done that.

 

My oldest struggled enough getting her degree. My second is working on her master's and should be finished next spring. My third will get her master's. The next one, who knows? My youngest. I worry for her. She's a lot like my oldest: not academic. What will she be able to do to support herself? I've encouraged them all to attend college (attending college has more or less been an expectation), thankfully without much debt. Second dd has the most debt so far, but she is working in her field. Third dd will probably end up teaching in a private school. My youngest just wants a little house with a big garden and chickens. But how to pay the bills? Where I really fall down is in the role of guidance counselor.

[AK_Mom4]

Bachelor's degree is still very useful.   DD22 just got hired as a high school teacher with her bachelor in Music education and her teaching certificate.  My company has 3 positions open now for starting IT positions that require a Bachelor degree and a year of experience, but the experience can be pieced together from internships, summer jobs, or advanced (jr. level and above) coursework.  So - perfect jobs for students right out of college.

 

We don't hire anyone with AA degrees for anything except hourly service-desk people.

[Katy]

Only for certain jobs.

 

If you want a decent paying job with little education, look at computers - coding, networking, something like that.  You can probably make a decent salary with a two-year AA degree in computer networking.

 

For regular 4 year degrees, Accounting, Finance, Math (or Actuarial Science), Engineering (Almost all fields), and Tech (MIS, Computer Science, Computer Engineering) lead to high paying jobs.  But even there, you probably have to get a graduate degree (MBA, Math, Engineering, etc) to advance much beyond $100k.

 

 

ETA:  quickest route to 60k is probably computer networking AA; or an MIS BA.  MIS is a combination of business and computer science - heavy on the management, low on the programming, but still pays like a tech degree.  If I'd understood it as an undergrad I would have gone for that.  They are generally put in charge of managing computer geeks and are making in excess of $100k in less than 5 years in the midwest.

Edited June 22, 2016 by Katy

[bettyandbob]

What field are you entering?

 

Is the BA the foot in the door that gets you $10/hour, but also gets you in position to move up?

 

If you plan to get a job and just paid along maybe a BA is not worth it. But if you get in with a good boss or decent overall employer and work hard at doing more and squirrels acquiring new skills, you should be able to apply for higher level positions quickly.

[Jenny in Florida]

As I've started looking at jobs, careers, and what to do with the next half of my life, I've noticed something. A shocking (to me) number of jobs require a Masters degree. It seems like there are two kinds of jobs. A low low paying job that only requires a high school diploma and a better paying job (but not huge money) that requires a Masters.

 

Is a BA worth anything now? And what does this mean for me (always looking out for #1!!)? I have no desire to go back to school. The reason I need to work is to pay for my kids to go to college; they will be graduated before I finish a masters! Plus, the cost! That is going in the wrong direction. And a low paying job-our tax rate=not worth the trouble.

 

I keep telling DH that our only option is to start some kind of business but he isn't convinced.

 

I mean, it depends on what you mean by "low low paying."

 

I have a 30-year-old B.A. After taking off nearly two decades to be home with my kids, I'm now working again. By choice, because I want to retain more flexibility in my schedule, I work a combination of part-time jobs rather than a single full-time one. However, even with a long break, I've been pleasantly surprised to find myself capable of earning enough to support myself if I had to do so. It wouldn't be a life of luxury, but I could get by if need be. And that is possible because of the jobs I'm qualified for with my degree.

[Guest]

I mean, it depends on what you mean by "low low paying."

 

I have a 30-year-old B.A. After taking off nearly two decades to be home with my kids, I'm now working again. By choice, because I want to retain more flexibility in my schedule, I work a combination of part-time jobs rather than a single full-time one. However, even with a long break, I've been pleasantly surprised to find myself capable of earning enough to support myself if I had to do so. It wouldn't be a life of luxury, but I could get by if need be. And that is possible because of the jobs I'm qualified for with my degree.

Can I ask what you do?

 

Low paying--local pre-school pays $9/hour. Aldi starts at $12.50.

[kitten18]

Can I ask what you do?

 

Low paying--local pre-school pays $9/hour. Aldi starts at $12.50.

Have you looked at local businesses that would need office help? All of our office help has been found by word of mouth, friend of a friend.

 

My dh's assistant makes over $15/hour. They have other office help (including high school and college students) that make $10-15/hour.

 

Child care and retail are never going to pay well.

[Anacharsis]

Payscale has done some research into this over the past few years. What they found is that often where the degree is from is more important than what it is about. In the same way that even 100 Hong Kong dollars are not worth 20 U.S. dollars, despite both being dollars, a "useless" degree from a Harvard or Stanford often gets a person further than a practical degree from a Chicago State.

 

(Not sure how reliable they are anymore, as certain schools have drastically shot upwards in ROI since the initial reports, which makes me suspect they've figured out how to play to the metrics.)

 

I think this feature of education is often ignored because it seems wrong, somehow -- education is supposed to be the great equalizer, after all. When a desire for something unpleasant not to be true is combined with a financial incentive, you sometimes end up with schools that aren't willing to go into the hard numbers on whether a degree will pay for itself, even if the education has other non-financial rewards.

[redsquirrel]

It's worth something if only because imagine if you didn't have one.  Given what you have posted I would much rather have one than not. A BA or a BS is great for an entry level position. If you want to work in something higher level or management then yes, you might need a Master's degree. But, I wouldn't get one without spending some time at that entry level in case it isn't the sort of work you like.

 

With my BA I can take any number of civil service tests and make a comfortable living. Not luxurious by any means, but it would come with health care and vacation etc. I can also get a job at the local universities, maybe working in a library job that doesn't require an MLS.

[J-rap]

I will say that my oldest are just now beginning their careers, and they have all found good jobs with just a BA.  From here on out, if they want to just continue advancing within their fields, they wouldn't need anymore education.  Experience will be all that matters now.  One dd may want to change career paths though, so is looking at graduate schools.

 

It is nice to know that a BA still counts for something!

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

I think it's always kinda vague to imagine how one gets to where they want to go in terms of a career.  There is often no clear path where if you follow these specific steps you'll get there without a hitch.  It's a lot of luck, being in the right place at the right time, etc. 

 

I haven't looked for a job in oh 10 years, but even with my BA in psychology I went quickly from minimum wage jobs to jobs that paid a bit more than that and quickly to raises and advancements.  I started out at the bottom of a health insurance company and worked up fairly quickly.  The BA was my foot in the door.  Could someone without a BA do that job?  Certainly, but when they have 10 applicants and a couple of them have a BA, they will often hire those with a degree.  Once I had experience I had even more opportunities. 

 

Also, it's a lot about who you know.  Don't be afraid to ask people you know.  Even your spouse.  My husband mentions family members getting jobs who barely have the qualifications at the company he works for. 

And there is usually a period of time where you are new and you are trying to get your foot in the door and you might not get paid as much as you want to.  That often changes more quickly than you imagine (although at that point in time it never happens as quickly as you want it to). 

[Shellydon]

Depends on the degree.  A B.A. in History or Communication Studies is pretty useless.  A B.A. in education = teacher's degree (here, starting pay for a 1st year teacher is $51K).  A B.S. in microbiology has a good job field as well.

[Jennay]

Bachelor's degree is still very useful. DD22 just got hired as a high school teacher with her bachelor in Music education and her teaching certificate. My company has 3 positions open now for starting IT positions that require a Bachelor degree and a year of experience, but the experience can be pieced together from internships, summer jobs, or advanced (jr. level and above) coursework. So - perfect jobs for students right out of college.

 

We don't hire anyone with AA degrees for anything except hourly service-desk people.

My BA in Music Education will continue to be sufficient if/when I have enough time to start teaching private lessons again out of my home. Around my area $45 - $50 per hour is on the low side for private instrumental lessons.

[Jenny in Florida]

Can I ask what you do?

 

Low paying--local pre-school pays $9/hour. Aldi starts at $12.50.

My primary part-time gig is as a technology trainer with my county library.

 

I also teach exam prep at a tutoring center for a few hours a week.

[MomatHWTK]

Our local McD's starts at $9.50 per hour for closers. Nearly every business at that wage point in our area is hiring. 

 

I work from home as a freelance writer. I am not earning a high hourly rate, but I am earning more than $10 per hour (working part-time.) And, I am home with the kids, set my own schedule, work in my pj's and have the choice to limit the number of hours I work each week. If you have a particular area of expertise through life experience or education, it can make you more valuable as a writer.(My hook is that I am good at researching.) I'm happy to share what I've learned about the process if anyone wants to know more. 

 

 

Moxie, what field is your BA?

 

 

 

 

Edited June 22, 2016 by MomatHWTK

[Guest]

Our local McD's starts at $9.50 per hour for closers. Nearly every business at that wage point in our area is hiring.

 

I work from home as a freelance writer. I am not earning a high hourly rate, but I am earning more than $10 per hour (working part-time.) And, I am home with the kids, set my own schedule, work in my pj's and have the choice to limit the number of hours I work each week. If you have a particular area of expertise through life experience or education, it can make you more valuable as a writer.(My hook is that I am good at researching.) I'm happy to share what I've learned about the process if anyone wants to know more.

 

 

Moxie, what field is your BA?

English Literature. So, who wants to pay me to read???

[MomatHWTK]

Seriously? That means you can probably write coherent sentences using proper grammar! You can write, edit, and proofread. All you have to do is learn to write to your audience (the internet is a bit more casual than the writing we all learned to do in school.) The internet has been taken over by "content marketing" and a surprisingly limited number of people write well. 

 

Now, there are a lot of really low paying, terrible freelance jobs out there; but, there are also good clients who will appreciate you. If you don't want to freelance, think about writing a book and self-publishing.  

[Shellydon]

English Literature. So, who wants to pay me to read???

 

I just hired a English Lit major to teach at our co-op.  She is making $1200 per month teaching two classes one day a week.  She charges $55 per kid per month and her classes are full.

[SparklyUnicorn]

English Literature. So, who wants to pay me to read???

 

It's not any weirder than psychology.  LOL

[Arcadia]

Tutoring agencies still prefer someone with a college degree.

 

Tech industries do take associate degrees just that there is a payscale ceiling in some companies unless the person go for further studies.

 

. She charges $55 per kid per month and her classes are full.

How many hours a week? I am thinking of asking my neighbor to tutor my kids and I don't know the going rate for high school literature. She is a high school teacher so summer is off for her.

[gardenmom5]

Really depends on the subject

[SparklyUnicorn]

Although I suppose what could be said that with certain fields you won't likely work in the field without a higher degree.  For example, psychology.  It can be used as a general degree, but working in that field is unlikely with a BA.  Although it is not impossible.  The first job I had, through very dumb luck, was as a social worker in a nursing home.  I got the job because I had worked there part time for a couple of years as a receptionist and they were looking for someone to temporarilyy take over a position doing that.  The job involved anything from talking to the residents to interviewing potential resident families.  It started off as a temp job, but it was offered to me because the person out on maternity leave decided not to come back.  She herself had a BA.  I didn't take the job permanently because the pay wasn't enough.  Although technically not terrible.  $10 an hour almost 20 years ago. 

Edited June 22, 2016 by SparklyUnicorn

[redsquirrel]

A BA allows me to be a substitute teacher with my local school system. I know people who make a living being a sub.  It was suggested to me by another homeschooling mom. She said getting together the necessary documents and referrals etc to be a sub (lots of background check stuff to work in the school system...which is a good thing) was great for getting ready to go back into the job market.

 

I know that you only need a BA to teach a class at our local community college.  A friend did it. She found she only needed a BA and she put together a course description and course outline etc and was able to teach an into to sociology class. It didn't pay a great amount, but it did help her to clarify her goals. She has since gone back to grad school and got an advanced degree. For a time she did teach adjunct at a 4 year university, but she has since moved on to a different type of job, using her Master's degree. Many universities do require a MA or MS to teach at the adjunct level.

 

FYI: my degree is in English lit and I have NEVER worked in writing publishing etc. I have always worked in human services/ not for profit agencies. When DS2 is in high school I will probably spend some time subbing. One of the beauties of a BA is that most give a lot of flexibility in terms of what job you can do.  They are not like many Master's degree's which are created to give you the skills to work in a very specific field.  My dh has an MLS, he is qualified to be a librarian, period. But his undergrad was in communications, something that can be used in many different situations, from a library to a television studio. 

 

One good way to figure out what you want to do is to look around and volunteer at different places. If you find a place that 'click's with you then make it known that you are job hunting. My friend is ABD in comparative French literature, a program she quit a long time ago. But when her kids preschool asked her to be one of their teachers she was thrilled. She's not the head teacher, that person is a state certified teacher, but she loved her job and is considering going back for a grad degree in teaching. She never would have thought of that if she hadn't volunteered and they then hired her.

 

Edited June 22, 2016 by redsquirrel

[heartlikealion]

A BA allows me to be a substitute teacher with my local school system. I know people who make a living being a sub.  It was suggested to me by another homeschooling mom. She said getting together the necessary documents and referrals etc to be a sub (lots of background check stuff to work in the school system...which is a good thing) was great for getting ready to go back into the job market.

 

I know that you only need a BA to teach a class at our local community college.  A friend did it. She found she only needed a BA and she put together a course description and course outline etc and was able to teach an into to sociology class. It didn't pay a great amount, but it did help her to clarify her goals. She has since gone back to grad school and got an advanced degree. For a time she did teach adjunct at a 4 year university, but she has since moved on to a different type of job, using her Master's degree. Many universities do require a MA or MS to teach at the adjunct level.

 

FYI: my degree is in English lit and I have NEVER worked in writing publishing etc. I have always worked in human services/ not for profit agencies. When DS2 is in high school I will probably spend some time subbing. One of the beauties of a BA is that most give a lot of flexibility in terms of what job you can do.  They are not like many Master's degree's which are created to give you the skills to work in a very specific field.  My dh has an MLS, he is qualified to be a librarian, period. But his undergrad was in communications, something that can be used in many different situations, from a library to a television studio. 

 

One good way to figure out what you want to do is to look around and volunteer at different places. If you find a place that 'click's with you then make it known that you are job hunting. My friend is ABD in comparative French literature, a program she quit a long time ago. But when her kids preschool asked her to be one of their teachers she was thrilled. She's not the head teacher, that person is a state certified teacher, but she loved her job and is considering going back for a grad degree in teaching. She never would have thought of that if she hadn't volunteered and they then hired her.

 

I know people that are teacher aids and I don't think they have a BA. I don't even know if they have an AA. Of course that role was never available when I was looking for it. I recently put in an application for a job at a school and it did not specify a degree requirement. I looked at the previous person's degree and they did not have a master's.

 

As for the MLS, he could possibly be an archivist. My dh has an MLIS and was shy just a credit or two for a certificate in archives. They no longer had the class(es) he needed to complete the certificate when he was finishing up his degree.

[HSmomof2]

My 20-yr-old BA in psychology helped me get my part-time job with our local library. I work at the help desk, and the pay range is $20-$27/hr plus benefits, which isn't too bad for a part-time job. If I were starting college now, I wouldn't get a BA in psychology but don't regret that I did back then.

[LucyStoner]

It depends on the blend of education, experience and references the applicant brings to the table.  Also a factor is if the degree is a professional licensing requirement or not.  

 

Many jobs here ask for a degree but will take work experience or other educational programs in lieu of a degree.  

 

One thing I am seeing is masters and PhD programs being added into a professional certification that previously required less.   For some fields this makes sense or improves outcomes.  For others, it may have very little impact besides increasing the college debt loads of new entrants to a profession.  That there is no cap on loans for graduate degrees exacerbates this issue.  Do employers require it and thus colleges start offering it?  Or do colleges start offering it so employers start to think they need to require it?  

 

In fields where it's not a legal or professional licensing requirement, like say Program Managers or non-profit management, I have found that the desired or even "required" qualifications are often flexible.  I do not, for instance, have a masters in public administration or non-profit leadership or an MBA.  I have been hired for or headhunted for jobs that "required" one because of my professional reputation in my local area and that while I don't have that MPA or MBA, I do have professional certificates from a well regarded university in related topics geared to my industry and my professors for those certificates are like celebrities in this local niche.  I've seen this play out a lot for my friends in their job searches and for those I have helped produce resumes.  What is required may well not be required.  

 

Another thing to think about- a degree might seem old and worthless but one can refresh it with work experience, lower cost certificates or post bacc entry programs to professional schools.  I have several friends who were able to get their BSN without starting over from year one.  Old credits without a degree expire.  Degrees may become less relevant but don't expire.  I definitely got a better deal on clearing my pre reqs on working towards my CPA because I had a 10+ year old degree and not just 10-20 yo credits.  

Edited June 23, 2016 by LucyStoner

[LucyStoner]

English Literature. So, who wants to pay me to read???

 

I have friends with lit degrees who have built successful careers in other fields.  Reading and writing skills are valuable to a myriad of employers, especially when paired with strong interpersonal and organizational skills.  Many of those folks seem to work in Project Management.  One worked her way into the executive ranks of a tech company with universal brand recognition.  Her degree?  Not business.  Not anything IT.  A PhD in French Literature.  

[LucyStoner]

In the field my husband works in (IT), a BS is more than fine.  Some have master's, but most pursue that after being in the field for awhile.  Some manage to get jobs without a BS, but that is more difficult. 

 

This is very true.  My BIL is extremely experienced and has many industry certifications and a middle management level job with a large company but he has zero college credits.  Worked into the field via working for phone and cable companies as more and more of their work was becoming reliant on the internet and he learned on the job.  There are promotions that he can not get.  There are companies who will never hire him in-house (but were happy to have him as a contractor).  He'd significantly improve his mobility in all respects if he had the rubber stamp of a degree.  It's not hurting him now, but it has in the past and could again in the future.  

[Liz CA]

In the tech industry it seems to come down to what you know which can easily be verified. In other areas, like Psychology, someone may have a gift for that field but it is not as easily measured. An MA gives potential employers the security that someone has gone the extra mile - and here in CA, you need to have an MA to be licensed.

Would you be interested in working as an editor?

[Joyofsixreboot]

Depends on the degree. A B.A. in History or Communication Studies is pretty useless. A B.A. in education = teacher's degree (here, starting pay for a 1st year teacher is $51K). A B.S. in microbiology has a good job field as well.

My dd did find a teaching position with her BA but it's 32,000 in our state. She is starting her master's because it is th only way to make an appreciable salary jump. ( She has had her BA 3 years.) In my dh's field ( pharmacy) entry level requirements have jumped from a 5 yr undergrad when he graduated 30 years ago to 6 years to now a Pharm. D., preferably with a fellowship. The amount of debt these young professionals have is staggering.my 17 yo is looking at a 2 year physical therapist assistant degree over her original PT choice after finding 7 years and a doctorate would be needed. I'm still thinking my one who wants to be an electrician may out earn the college grads.

[SparklyUnicorn]

A BA allows me to be a substitute teacher with my local school system. I know people who make a living being a sub. 

Same here, but I find the idea rather scary.  I live in a rough district! 

[Tita Gidge]

A friend just offered me a temporary job filling in for an employee who will be taking time off for maternity leave.

 

The job doesn't require a degree, but advancement does. It's a competitive market and that's the easiest way to weed through candidates. It's the grown-up equivalent to taking the SAT or ACT - does it really demonstrate what you know and are capable of? No, but it's the standard many schools use to determine eligibility and fit. So it's a hoop worth jumping through, if you can swing it.

 

The employee has been with my friend for 10 years. She started off P/T in high school and was hired F/T upon graduation. All of her training has been on the job - no certifications, no degrees, nothing to really vette her to a prospective employer if she went up for the same job at a different company. She's paid in the mid-range of the industry's standard because my friend values and wants to retain her talent, but anywhere else she'd most likely earn the lower-end and remain entry-level.

 

I'll be earning $35/hour MORE to do the same job as she. Just having a degree (in an unrelated field and almost 20 years old) commands me in the upper-range of pay for the same work even though I have less direct, hands-on experience. I'd say a BA is definitely worth something. I agree with the points made above that a degree doesn't expire, that it's value (if nothing else) is in opening doors, and that just because a job description says it "requires" a Masters ... these are often cream of the crop wish list requirements but there is some flexibility in hiring outside of those requirements and it doesn't hurt to try!

[MomatHWTK]

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(The above is part of a longer article.) I would guess nearly everyone here could do better. Many of our kids could probably do better.  

[Bluegoat]

The job market in Canada is a little different, but I would say, it depends. 

 

There are some bacelor's degrees that are pretty career specific.  There are a few that give a skill that can be leveraged - say, a second language.  But the traditional BA - say in history or something similar - most people I know who have jobs with that kind of degree are also bringing some other skill or experience to the job, or a second degree or diploma.  Even something like office admin skills makes those kinds of degrees more employable, or gives greater scope.  I know a lot of people who have a BA and a diploma that they added later, sometimes they find the two are a great combination (a girl I did a library and information tech diploma with has a degree in fine arts - she went on to do really interesting work in art cataloguing.)  Other's felt the BA was just a waste of time and money, it would have been better to do just the diploma.

 

I do think a lot of jobs that did ask for a BA are now asking for an M, essentially an unnecessary one.  And that is actually true of the BA too in many cases, people without one would be just as capable.  It's degree inflation, which is so annoying - all it does is cost people money.

[DawnM]

A BA allows me to be a substitute teacher with my local school system. I know people who make a living being a sub.  It was suggested to me by another homeschooling mom. She said getting together the necessary documents and referrals etc to be a sub (lots of background check stuff to work in the school system...which is a good thing) was great for getting ready to go back into the job market.

 

 

 

Make a living?  As in, supporting a family?

 

Here we make about the same per hour as working at Starbucks AND with no benefits.

 

And no raises.  You make the same right out of college as you do with 10 years of experience.

 

I can't imagine actually making a living doing this.

[patriciatx]

I think it entirely depends on the person. I know people who have a BA and have made a nice living outside their original field of study. I also know people who have doctorates and are still scraping by.

 

Have you looked at the technical degrees at your local community college? If you're wanting to do something else that may be a great place to start. I have a friend who has recently gone back for a dental assisting certificate and is really happy with it.  

[redsquirrel]

Make a living?  As in, supporting a family?

 

Here we make about the same per hour as working at Starbucks AND with no benefits.

 

And no raises.  You make the same right out of college as you do with 10 years of experience.

 

I can't imagine actually making a living doing this.

 

It's probably not a lot, but it would be better than minimum wage. I have a friend who supported herself on subbing for quite a while, until she found a steadier job.  Another friend did support herself and 2 kids for a little while. I am assuming she was also getting child support, so maybe that isn't supporting herself.

 

We have a pretty big district, that covers a lot of area. There are also several other districts very close by. I've been told it is possible you could sub 4 times a week, if you are fast and aren't picky.  The district has an app and it sends out texts to subs. I am assuming that the same app serves all the districts in the area, so it covers 4-5 school districts. If a teacher needs a sub he just needs to plug the info into the app 24-7 and it goes out to all subs.  If you are looking for jobs you sleep with your phone next to you and you take what comes in at 2am. I'm not really sure how it works, because I've only had it described to me. But that is what it sounded like. A teacher can also request a specific sub. 

[Jenny in Florida]

With my BA I can take any number of civil service tests and make a comfortable living. Not luxurious by any means, but it would come with health care and vacation etc. I can also get a job at the local universities, maybe working in a library job that doesn't require an MLS.

 

Exactly. My library job doesn't have me rolling in dough, but it is a foot in the door with a large government agency, meaning there is room for advancement. I also, even as a part-timer, get partially paid holidays and paid time off, as well as a company-funded retirement account. I have the option to sign up for health care, but have not done so because I am covered by my husband's employer.

 

I've watched my husband navigate employment without a degree, and those observations have strongly influenced my insistence that we do everything in our power to "encourage" our kids to complete at least a bachelor's degree. My husband has managed to carve out a place for himself, but he has encountered a number of obstacles over the years that prevented him from moving up beyond a certain point. Essentially, his employer will never promote him to any position that carries a title of "manager," because in their framework, managers have degrees. Period. 

 

In one especially ridiculous situation, my husband had a position especially created for him, and the department head intended for my husband to be the only applicant. The job description was literally based on my husband's resume. However, the whole thing nearly fell apart when the powers that be said the job being created would not be eligible for a salary in the range my husband was already making, because the position did not require a degree. Of course, if they added the requirement for a degree, then my husband, the person for whom the job was especially tailored, would not be eligible to be hired.

 

Don't get me wrong: He still makes five or six times what I do annually, but he also didn't take off 20 years to stay home with our kids. As of the time I quit my last full-time job, I actually made just slightly more than he did. It's reasonable to presume that, had I kept working, I might still be bringing in more money, based largely on the fact that my degree would open doors for me that remain closed to him.

 

I've done the math and decided that, re-entering the paid workforce in my late 40s-early 50s, it doesn't make financial sense for me to pursue a master's. Graduate level tuition is very pricey, and I'm not really interested in the kinds of jobs that would require the more advanced degree. However, if I were 40-ish, looking at a return to full-time work and had no degree at all, I would absolutely be putting in the necessary energy to get a bachelor's or, if appropriate, some kind of legitimate, career-specific credential that would set me up for future growth and advancement, rather than just comparing what two specific part-time jobs pay today.

 

Not all $10 (or $12 or $15)/hour jobs are created equal. 

[Arcadia]

Make a living? As in, supporting a family?

 

Here we make about the same per hour as working at Starbucks AND with no benefits

A friend makes $160 per day as a sub in a big school district. Her kids are in public school. Their home is in a lower COL city and almost paid for. Her husband works but if he was layoff, her pay as a regular sub would be sufficient to tide over.

[redsquirrel]

A friend makes $160 per day as a sub in a big school district. Her kids are in public school. Their home is in a lower COL city and almost paid for. Her husband works but if he was layoff, her pay as a regular sub would be sufficient to tide over.

 

I doubt they make that much in my area, and if I thought of it I would expect less than 100$.  But I never have a good feel for these things, so it could be over 100$ per day.

[Mosaicmind]

I have two nephew's: #1 graduated a year ago May from Mizzou with his BS in Electrical Engineering. He was hired by Honeywell in KC, MO at $65k per year plus benefits. He isn't planning on getting his master's at this point.

 

 

#2 graduated this May from Mizzou with his BS in Computer Engineering. He was also hired by Honeywell in KC, MO at $65k per year plus benefits.

 

Both of them interned at Honeywell the summer in between their junior and senior year of college. They got the internships based on their grades and professor recommendations from Mizzou.

 

Now, I have my BS in psychology and master's in counseling but when I started looking for a job, when I was able to work, I couldn't find anything. I ended up working for $10/hour helping people with traumatic brain injuries learn life skills.

 

I think it all depends on the degree you get.

[mellifera33]

How does one learn how to get a decent job? I have a MS but have never had a job that paid more than $10 an hour. I have zero charisma, and was once told at a temp agency because I wasn't qualified for their lowest-tier job, a receptionist position. I never had a good job---just crummy service-industry jobs after my degrees, and now I've been out of the job market for 9 years. My biggest fear is that my husband will leave and have full custody of the kids because I'll be living in a cardboard box. 

[regentrude]

I have two nephew's: #1 graduated a year ago May from Mizzou with his BS in Electrical Engineering. He was hired by Honeywell in KC, MO at $65k per year plus benefits. He isn't planning on getting his master's at this point.

#2 graduated this May from Mizzou with his BS in Computer Engineering. He was also hired by Honeywell in KC, MO at $65k per year plus benefits.

 

Yep.

At our public 4 year university with strong STEM focus, the average starting salary of fresh graduates is $60k. With a bachelors.

[mommyoffive]

A friend makes $160 per day as a sub in a big school district. Her kids are in public school. Their home is in a lower COL city and almost paid for. Her husband works but if he was layoff, her pay as a regular sub would be sufficient to tide over.

 

Where is that?  That is great pay for a sub!