Want to boost your earning power? High-income skills can translate to a bigger paycheck since employers or clients may be willing to pay a premium to workers who possess them. Generally, high-paying skills are specialized skills that are considered to be in demand. Here, you’ll learn about 12 high-paying job skills, from generative AI (artificial intelligence) to UX (user experience) know-how, that may be worth picking up. They can hold the potential to help earn more money and achieve your financial goals.
Key Points
• High-income skills like generative AI, data analysis, and UX design are in demand and can significantly boost earning potential.
• Learning new skills is essential for adaptability and job security in a rapidly changing job market.
• Specialized training, whether received through degree programs, online courses, or trade schools, is often required to acquire high-paying skills.
• Soft skills, including communication and problem-solving, are valuable and can lead to high-income positions.
• Freelancing and side hustles provide opportunities to apply high-income skills and increase earnings.
Why Learning New Skills Matters
Adaptability and the ability to learn can be invaluable, whether trying to land your first job or gig or one farther along in your career. Learning new skills can help you to better keep up with a changing job landscape. Here, some points to consider:
• Acquiring high-income skills could make it easier to stand out among the crowd when competing for positions or freelance gigs. You may have a more diverse range of job options to choose from. Your skills may also translate to a larger paycheck if they’re sought-after by employers or clients.
• Some of the highest paying jobs are in the computer and information technology fields. If you’re able to learn the skills needed to get those jobs, either as a full-time employee or a freelancer, that could substantially boost your lifetime earnings.
• Relevancy is also a factor. If you’re up to date on the latest high-paying skills that could make you much more valuable in an employer or client’s eyes. Should the company or client need to cut back on staffing, your job could be secure if you hold a skill set that your colleagues can’t match.
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15 High-Income Skills to Learn
The best high-income skills to learn are ones that can help you to increase your earnings while also doing work that you enjoy. Certain lucrative job skills may require a college degree to learn, while others can be acquired through online courses and certification programs. There are also skills you might be able to pick up without going to school.
Here are some of the best high-paying job skills to learn now, including remote job skills and tech skills, whether you are looking for a full-time or freelance job.
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
As you have likely heard, artificial intelligence, especially generative AI (aka GenAI), is a new technology that is transforming many fields. AI tools can enhance productivity and can be used in a variety of ways, from writing content for websites to providing customer service. One of the keys needs in this realm is to engineer prompts; that is, to fine-tune AI requests to get optimal feedback.
How Much Can Someone With AI Skills Make?
If you build AI skills, you might find a role as an AI developer (average base pay at the end of 2024 is $109,000) or an AI engineer (with a base pay of almost $133,000 on average). That could help you keep a competitive income flowing into your checking account.
What Education Do You Need?
Working with AI likely requires specialized training. This might be offered by a continuing education, professional skills, or trade school program, whether from a renowned university or a smaller organization. You may also find online courses from businesses like Coursera, which specialize in online learning.
2. Data Analysis
Another key skill to consider if you want to earn more is data analysis. Data plays a critical role in decision-making across an array of industries, and being able to gather, parse, and share data is a rising skill. There are many tools that can be part of succeeding at data analysis. Some may focus on working with programs such as Python, SQL, Tableau, or others.
How Much Can Someone With Data Analysis Skills Make?
With skills under your belt, you might expect to earn an average of about $85,000 base pay as a data analyst (who interprets data) to an average of almost $117,000 as a data scientist (who typically uses data to create predictive models). That could help you stash more money in your savings account or pay down debt.
What Education Do You Need?
You will likely need to build your skills. There are online courses, often ranging from four to 16 weeks, to start your education. These could be hosted by small, focused companies, local colleges, or high-profile universities, such as Harvard or Cornell’s online continuing education divisions. A data scientist will typically require a graduate degree.
3. SEO Skills
SEO, or search engine optimization, involves knowing how to structure website content in order to push it to the top of search engine rankings. This skill is in high demand, and businesses are willing to pay well for it. The reason: Higher search rankings can translate to more clicks and more purchases.
How Much Can Someone With SEO Skills Make?
It’s possible to find full-time SEO jobs, but you could also offer freelance SEO services if you’d like to be your own boss. The average annual pay for an SEO strategist is currently about $95,000.
What Education Do You Need?
Studying guides and information published by SEO experts can be a good starting point for learning more about this skill, and there are online courses as well, many of which provide certificates.
4. Cybersecurity
As so many aspects of our lives shift to digital realms, cybersecurity has been rising as a key need, for private individuals, enterprises, and the government. There has unfortunately been a significant uptick in online security breaches. These hacks can lead to sensitive data falling into the wrong hands as well as financial loss, bank fraud, and identity theft.
How Much Can Someone With Cybersecurity Skills Make?
Learning how to protect platforms and systems from these issues can be a valuable skill as well as one that can pay a competitive salary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for an information security analyst is approximately $120,000 per year.
What Education Do You Need?
Cybersecurity can involve training at such options as a trade school, continuing-ed program, or online academy to build skills. Certifications can be a valuable achievement as you gain deeper expertise. While you don’t necessarily need a college or postgrad degree, it can be helpful in opening doors to some paths in cybersecurity.
5. Copywriting
Copywriting involves creating written content that’s intended to inform, entertain, and/or persuade. Similar to email marketing, copywriters help businesses and brands to sell their products and services.
Some of the ways you could leverage high-income skills as a copywriter include writing website content, sales pages, marketing emails, sales brochures, or newsletters. Copywriting allows for further specialization if you’re focusing on a single niche. For example, you might write for petcare companies or companies in the beauty or wellness niche. If you cultivate a niche, copywriting can allow you to channel your personal interests (such as travel or fitness) into your work.
How Much Can Someone With Copywriting Skills Make?
The average salary for a copywriter is about $62,000, but the top 10% earn more than $121,000. Additionally, copywriting can be a pursuit that lends itself to gig work and freelancing, so it can be a way to bring in additional income.
What Education Do You Need?
Some people have an innate “way with words” and don’t need any specialized education to hold a job as a copywriter. Others may want to build their copywriting skills, which may be offered by a professional or continuing education school.
6. Software Development
Software developers create operating programs for computers and other devices. Keeping user needs in mind, they typically design, build, test, and then maintain software. They use a variety of skills and tools to do so, and may also create applications for mobile devices and computers.
How Much Can Someone With Software Development Skills Make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, software developers earn a median pay of about $120,000 per year, so this could be a good high-income skill to learn if you’re hoping to earn a six-figure salary.
What Education Do You Need?
Becoming a software developer starts with learning the basics of coding, which is something you might be able to do through a trade school or online coding bootcamp. Some of the skills you may need include knowledge of program languages Python, Java, JavaScript, and C++, among others.
7. Web Development
Web development is similar to software development, but the focus is on creating websites and web applications. Web developers need to be knowledgeable about programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They also have to be familiar with different website-building platforms, such as WordPress. A web developer may work with a web designer to create new sites for clients or redesign existing ones.
How Much Can Someone With Web Development Skills Make?
According to Ziprecruiter, typical pay for a web developer is around $93,000 in the U.S.
What Education Do You Need?
To learn web development, you’ll likely need to take an in-person or online course to start learning programming languages. There are likely many options, from those offered by coding academies to community colleges to universities professional studies divisions.
8. Project Management
Project managers oversee the completion of large-scale projects from start to finish, often in information technology (IT) or computer-related fields. The project manager’s primary duty is to help the company or client they’re working with achieve their end goals for the project.
How Much Can Someone With Project Management Skills Make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of a project management specialist is just under $100,00 per year.
What Education Do You Need?
Project managers may require certain hard skills, such as coding knowledge, which can be learned via specialized training at, say, a trade school or via an online course. However, they can also utilize soft skills (more on those below), such as effective communication and the ability to direct a team.
9. UX Design
UX refers to user experience, or how a person interacts with a product or service. It’s an important element of websites and apps, as well as physical products and services. When consumers visit a website or log in to their favorite apps, they want them to be fast and easy to navigate. Likewise, when someone purchases something or signs up for an online service, they want it to function the way they’re expecting it to. UX design experts help to iron out the kinds to deliver the best user experience possible.
How Much Can Someone With UX Design Skills Make?
A UX designer can expect to make around $123,000 per year, according to Glassdoor.
What Education Do You Need?
User experience jobs can require specialized training, depending on whether UX design is delivered for a digital property or something more rooted in the offline world. You may need skills in the realm of information architecture, prototyping, and usability testing. These are typically learned via online courses, bootcamps, and certification programs, though there are also masters degree programs available.
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10. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing means marketing another entity’s products or services and earning commissions each time someone makes a purchase. For example, a blogger who includes affiliate links to Amazon products in their web content might earn money if a reader clicks their links and buys something.
How Much Can Someone With Affiliate Marketing Skills Make?
If pursued as a full-time job, affiliate marketing typically earns a person about $82,000 per year. But affiliate marketing could be an ideal high-income skill to learn if you’re interested in generating passive income online or picking up some freelance work.
What Education Do You Need?
Affiliate marketing can typically be learned (at least the beginning stages) via online guides and courses.
11. Mobile App Development
Mobile apps are part of many people’s daily lives. They can offer convenience if you’re using them to log in to your online bank account or manage your investments. Other apps can provide entertainment if you’re using them to watch videos, play games, or listen to music.
Companies can hire mobile app developers to create apps and test them before releasing them to the market. It’s possible that you could even try moonlighting work, and create your own mobile app and sell it, in some cases building a six-figure business in the process. Or it could be your main gig.
How Much Can Someone With Mobile App Development Skills Make?
The current average salary for a mobile app developer is around $110,000, according to Ziprecruiter.
What Education Do You Need?
Mobile app development can be learned in a variety of ways, but one popular avenue is to take online courses at such platforms as Coursera, Udemy, and the like.
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12. Soft Skills
Soft skills are a diverse professional toolkit. They’re based on a different sort of knowledge that doesn’t involve learning how to code or develop software. Examples of high-paying soft skills include good communication skills, problem-solving skills, creative thinking, and time management skills. Employers and clients can value those skills just as much as some of the other high-income skills on this list. These skills can be used in high level administrative, coordinator, and management positions.
How Much Can Someone With Soft Skills Make?
While there’s no single skill to cultivate or average salary to cite, these capabilities can help propel a person to a high-income position.
What Education Do You Need?
Building soft skills doesn’t typically require formal coursework. You may find books and podcasts by respected experts that can help you cultivate some of these skills.
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What Will Be the Highest-Paying Skills in 2025?
There isn’t one single skill that is destined to pull in major money in 2025. For instance, one person might make loads of money via affiliate marketing due to excellent instincts or having a product go viral, while another person might earn a minimal amount at the same pursuit.
However, a review of an array of sources finds that most say that AI, coding, and data analysis will be very valuable skills to have in the year ahead.
Tips for Developing High-Paying Skills
There are several options for learning the high-paying job skills you might need to succeed. Which one you choose can depend on the skills you want to learn and how much you know about them already. Some of the possibilities for developing high-income skills include:
Completing a two- or four-year degree program at a college or university
• Attending a trade school
• Utilizing online resources, like YouTube or blogs
• Taking paid online courses and earning certifications that are independent of a degree program
• Applying for internships or freelance jobs that could allow you to learn the skills you need
• Asking someone who already possesses your desired skill set to act as your mentor
• Working with a professional coach to help you develop your skills
Some of these options cost money; others don’t. If you’re on a tight budget, then you might want to start with free resources like well-rated YouTube tutorials. After that, you could consider what kind of investment you might want to make in a paid course or degree program.
Trade school can be more affordable than a four-year college or university for learning certain skills. Web development and coding are just two of the high-paying skills you could brush up on. Community colleges and continuing ed programs at universities may also offer affordable classes that will allow you to develop your talents.
If you’re considering applying high-income skills to start a freelance business, it’s also a good idea to give some thought to the financial side. Financial planning for freelancers includes things like budgeting for irregular income, learning how to set your rates, filing taxes, and saving for retirement.
The Takeaway
If your goal is to earn more money, learning some new high-income skills can definitely be worthwhile. From generative AI to UX design to copywriting, there are many avenues to pursue as you build expertise that can help you earn more money.
Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.
FAQ
What high-income skills can you learn in college?
Depending on what classes a college offers, a student might learn about AI, data analysis, coding, web development, UX, and other high-income skills. Also, many colleges offer online courses or continuing education programs in these topics.
What high-paying skills can you learn for free?
Many of the skills that are high-paying can be learned for free, but it can be wise to make sure that free sources you may use (such as downloadable guides, YouTube videos, and the like) are from respected and reliable sources and have good reviews.
What is the easiest high-income skill to learn?
Determining the easiest high-income skill to learn is typically a matter of “it depends.” So much varies from person to person. One person might be a “natural-born” writer and thrive as a copywriter; another might find that they really spark to data analysis and can whip through a course on the topic.
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