Cool Jobs
Jobs where you will Analyze and Manage:
-
Accountant
What you'll be doing all day:
Every company is in business to make money. Which means they all need people to handle and keep track of that money. As an accountant, you'll be in charge of an increasingly wide array of business and accounting services. Budget analysis, financial and investment planning, information technology consulting, and limited legal services are just a few of the things you'll be taking care of.
What someone with a little experience makes annually (roughly):
$47,000What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Bioprocess Supervisor
What you'll be doing all day:
You'll be in charge of an entire team of bioprocess engineers. Ok, what does that mean? It means you'll be responsible for creating anything from cutting-edge pharmaceuticals to environmentally friendly pesticides.
What someone with a little experience makes annually (roughly):
$55,000What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Engineering Manager
What you'll be doing all day:
If something's going to be built, you're there from start to finish to make sure it actually gets done. You'll start by working with managers to create detailed plans. Don't forget, you're responsible for budgets, bids and contracts, too.
What someone with a little experience makes annually (roughly):
$90,000What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Financial Manager
What you'll be doing all day:
You'll be deciding what your company does with its money. You?ll create financial plans, follow cash flow, and discuss financial options with the big wigs. When stockholders ask what you're going to do with all of this year's profits, you'll be able to tell them.
What someone with a little experience makes annually (roughly):
$73,300What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Industrial Production Manager
What you'll be doing all day:
When it comes to whatever it is your company is producing, you'll be in charge of making sure it all happens. Budgets, supplies, employees, materials, equipment, you'd better know the status of all those and more, because it's your job to know.
What someone with a little experience makes annually (roughly):
$67,300What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Inventory Control Manager
What you'll be doing all day:
You'll find yourself ordering parts and products. You'll supervise the comings and goings of every last material and part, plus you'll issue purchase orders to make sure that products are available as needed to meet specified orders.
What someone with a little experience makes annually (roughly):
$43,000What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
-
Market Research Analyst
What you'll be doing all day:
You'll be figuring out what, when, how and why people want to buy. You'll be conducting market research, analyzing the data, and helping to devise new business plans and strategies. When it comes to selling your product, you'll know everything there is to know about your market.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$53,800What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
What you'll be doing all day:
Everyone wants to work in a safe environment, right? Well, you're here to make sure of that. You'll investigate anywhere and everywhere people work, looking for things like proper ventilation, good lighting, and whether there are any potentially hazardous conditions or equipment.
What someone with a little experience makes annually (roughly):
$46,000What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree -
Production Supervisor
What you'll be doing all day:
You make sure it gets done, and it gets done right. You're in charge of anything involving fabricating, assembling, modifying, repairing or processing your product. If it sounds like a lot, it is. You're overseeing quality control, production methods, and worker training.
What someone with a little experience makes annually (roughly):
$42,900What type of education you'll need:
High School
On the Job Training -
Purchasing Manager
What you'll be doing all day:
If your company buys it, you'll know about it. In addition to keeping track of everything your company needs, you'll be working on improving your delivery systems, negotiating contracts, following market conditions and more.
What someone with a little experience makes annually (roughly):
$67,800What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Quality Auditor
What you'll be doing all day:
Making sure things work like they're supposed to. You could be testing pants to make sure they're not going to fall apart after one washing. Maybe you're testing ice cream to ensure there are enough cookies in the Cookies 'n Cream. You might even get to hop on a motorcycle and make sure it rides like it's supposed to.
What someone with a little experience makes annually (roughly):
$33,280What type of education you'll need:
High School
Associate's Degree -
Storage and Distribution Manager
What you'll be doing all day:
When your product comes in and when your product goes out, you're in charge of it all. You could run entire warehouses, ship hundreds of thousands of units and keep fleets of vehicles on the road. Most impressive, however, is the fact that you'll know where every product your company makes is at all times.
What someone with a little experience makes annually (roughly):
$59,700What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
Jobs where you will Assemble, Make and Build
-
Aircraft Assemblers
What you'll be doing all day:
Jets, helicopters, prop planes, blimps, even space shuttles, rockets and missiles, if it flies, you'll be putting on its engines, installing navigation systems, attaching landing gears, and maybe even outfitting the interior.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$43,680What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
Technical Degree -
Baker
What you'll be doing all day:
Breads, donuts, cakes, frozen pizzas? Yes, baking can be a manufacturing job. You'll be doing everything you'd expect to be doing: measuring ingredients, mixing batters, kneading dough, and working the ovens.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$24,140What type of education you'll need:
On the Job Training
Apprenticeship -
Carpenter
What you'll be doing all day:
Tools. Wood. Cutting. Sanding. Sculpting. Nailing. Etc. That's what you'll be doing. And if you know anything about carpentry, you know that leaves a whole lot open to the imagination.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$34,900What type of education you'll need:
High School
Apprenticeship -
Chemical Technician
What you'll be doing all day:
Wearing a lab coat and playing with chemicals? Well, not quite. You'll be in charge of a range of tests that your company needs done. Sometimes you might be following an established procedure. Other times you'll be inventing new ways to solve the problem.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$37,400What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
-
Database Administrator
What you'll be doing all day:
You'll be in charge of more data than most people know what to do with. You'll be able to slice and dice that data at will. You'll be compiling reports for the boss. And you'll probably do a fair share of program writing, too.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$59,200What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree -
Diamond Cutter
What you'll be doing all day:
Working with the most precious stones in the world will be just another day at the office for you. You'll be examining rough diamonds with a magnifying glass to look for defects in color, quality, and physical structure. Being a good diamond cutter requires a flair for proportions, hand and finger dexterity and good eyesight.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$26,300What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
-
Electrical Equipment Repairer
What you'll be doing all day:
There are lots of electronics in manufacturing. It'll be up to you to install them, test them, and fix them should anything go wrong.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$43,680What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
Technical Degree -
Electro-mechanical Technician
What you'll be doing all day:
You're able to build or repair pretty much anything your business uses that has an electric motor in it. You'll be proficient in dozens of different tools to get the job done, everything from hand or power tools to oscilloscopes and voltmeters. You'll have to know how to read blueprints and schematics, as well.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$38,100What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
-
Electronics Engineering Technician
What you'll be doing all day:
Electrical components, mother boards, anything involving circuits you'll be fixing, replacing, and even making them. Be prepared to use everything from high-tech testing machines to good old fashioned hand tools. Whatever it takes to get the job done.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$43,000What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
-
Engine and other Machine Assembler
What you'll be doing all day:
Always liked working on your car's engine? Well, this job may be for you - except the engines could be a lot bigger than the one you're used to. Airplane turbines, mill engines, construction rigs like earthmovers and cement mixers, they're all part of this job.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$35,360What type of education you'll need:
High School
-
Environmental Science and Protection Technician
What you'll be doing all day:
Saving the Earth and everyone on it? Okay, that's a bit of an overstatement, but barely. One day you'll be advising the government, employers and the general public on all different kinds of health issues. The next day you'll be collecting air and water samples at a new construction site. And on another day you might be shutting down a business that isn't properly protecting its workers.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$36,900What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Fiberglass Fabricator
What you'll be doing all day:
Laying down layer after layer of resin doesn't sound like that much fun until you hear what you're laying it down for. Surfboards, speedboats, race cars and motorcycles, now that sounds like a fun job, huh?
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$24,960What type of education you'll need:
High School
-
Food Science Technician
What you'll be doing all day:
If it goes in your mouth, you'll know everything there is to know about it. All the nutritional information on the back of food packages? You're the one who tested for that. Making sure your products taste good when consumers eat them that's where you come in with the quality control.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$48,700What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Industrial Machinery Mechanics
What you'll be doing all day:
Get ready to work on some of the most complex machinery there is pipelines, food processing equipment, distribution systems and more. From installations and adjustments to maintenance and repairs, you'll keep the machines moving.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$39,520What type of education you'll need:
High School
-
Installation, Maintenance or Repair Helper
What you'll be doing all day:
Repair people can't do it all by themselves. And that's where you come in. You'll be assisting on all kinds of projects and making sure the job gets done right. Of course the most important thing you'll do is make sure everyone's safe all the time.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$20,800What type of education you'll need:
High School
-
Laboratory Technician
What you'll be doing all day:
You know in the movies where there's a laboratory with all those crazy machines jammed everywhere? Well, you'll know how to run every one of them. There's a lot to learn, so let's get started.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$30,100What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree -
Machinist
What you'll be doing all day:
Basically, you'll be making things with metal. Lathes, milling machines, shapers, and grinders will all be part of your daily work. You'll run computer-controlled machining tools that are accurate down to a few micrometers. And you'll work with finish tools to perfect each piece you've made.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$32,600What type of education you'll need:
High School
On the Job Training -
Maintenance Workers, Machinery
What you'll be doing all day:
It's inevitable that stuff breaks, but your job is to make sure things don't break very often. You'll be performing maintenance of all kind - from machines that make chrome rims to machines that insert the cork into a bottle of wine.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$33,280What type of education you'll need:
High School
-
Manufacturing Engineering Technician
What you'll be doing all day:
Every product you see and use must be made - cars, computers, refrigerators, music systems, bicycles, video games, sports equipment, aircraft, medical devices and on and on - are all manufactured. As a manufacturing engineering technician you will operate, install, maintain, and continuously improve the machinery, processes, and production systems that produce these products. You get to point to something and say - I made that!
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$45,200What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
-
Metal Fabricator
What you'll be doing all day:
Remember how you never thought you'd use trigonometry after high school? Here?s where you?re proven wrong. Take some trig, a vast knowledge of metal, and some good old hands-on work, and the next thing you know, you?re fabricating and assembling structural metal products.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$28,600What type of education you'll need:
High School
On the Job Training -
Mixing/Blending Machine Operators
What you'll be doing all day:
Sure, you'll be setting up, running, and tending to machines that mix and blend things. But what's cool is exactly what you get to mix or blend. Think explosive chemicals for fireworks, or the secret formula for your favorite soft drink.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$29,120What type of education you'll need:
High School
-
Model Maker
What you'll be doing all day:
Remember building scale models and carving stuff out of clay when you were a kid? Well, now you'll get paid to do it for real. No joke. Does this sound like a great job or what?
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$24,700What type of education you'll need:
On the Job Training
Apprenticeship -
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders
What you'll be doing all day:
If there's a part made from metal or plastic, you'll be the one making it. You'll set up lathes, borers, grinders, presses and more. Then you'll go to work creating specialized parts for everything from airplanes to kids' toys.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$29,120What type of education you'll need:
High School
-
Nuclear Equipment Operation Technician
What you'll be doing all day:
This sounds like a job from Star Trek, but it's not. You'll actually be able to tell people you control particle beams, measure readings from inside reactor cores, move around radioactive fuel rods, and help run the atomic accelerators. You won't have a dull moment here, that's for sure.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$60,000What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
-
Production Worker
What you'll be doing all day:
The question isn't what will you be doing, it's what won't you be doing. Be prepared for just about anything. You could be moving products from place to place. Or maybe mixing ingredient or running machines. You might even assemble things or make sure an order is complete before it ships out.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$20,800What type of education you'll need:
High School
-
Robotics Technician
What you'll be doing all day:
You're thinking Star Wars-type human androids that walk and talk and shoot laser rifles. Well, don't. Think Mars rover. Think remote-controlled bulldozer to cap oil well fires. Think giant robotic arm that spray paints sports cars. That's what we're talking about and what you get to make.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$43,000What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
-
Tool and Die Maker
What you'll be doing all day:
Someone's got to make all the pieces and parts that go into any machine. That someone is you. You'll be studying blueprints or shapes of dies, parts, and tools. Then you'll operate lathes, milling machines, shapers, and grinders, to machine the parts.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$42,700What type of education you'll need:
High School
Associate's Degree
On the Job Training
Apprenticeship -
Upholsterer
What you'll be doing all day:
Cutting, sewing, stitching, making patterns, and more. And if all this sounds like something your grandma would do, then you need to be just a little more creative, my friend.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$25,200What type of education you'll need:
High School
Apprenticeship -
Welder
What you'll be doing all day:
You might be working on anything from a custom motorcycle or mountain bike frame, to the wings on a private jet or even part of a bridge. Precise hand-eye coordination and a great attention to detail are a necessity to get those welds looking smooth as butter.
Watch Brian, a welder at Babcock & Wilcox, share his passion for Welding
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$29,900What type of education you'll need:
High School
Apprenticeship -
Winemaker
What you'll be doing all day:
It's a lot more than just crushing grapes and putting them in a bottle. Sure, winemaking is hands-on and physical, but there's a fair amount of chemistry and skill that goes into a great glass of wine. Being a winemaker entails crushing, fermentation, refining, racking and filtering, as well as bottling, labeling, and cleaning tanks and equipment and floors, etc.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$30,300What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
Jobs where you will Communicate and Lead:
-
Attorney
What you'll be doing all day:
As a corporate attorney, you'll be called upon by your company to handle all things legal. Maybe you'll be applying for your company's latest patents or defending them in a lawsuit. You could be drafting a contract for a new partner or advising on correct language to use in an advertisement.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$92,700What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree Law Degree
-
CEO/President
What you'll be doing all day:
Of course this is one job you have to work your way up to. But once you're at the top, you certainly can't rest. In smaller organizations, you might be responsible for purchasing, hiring, training, quality control, and day-to-day supervisory duties.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$126,260What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Computer Support Specialist
What you'll be doing all day:
The name says it all, but don't think your only option is helping little old ladies figure out email. You could be troubleshooting rocket launch software for NASA or installing the latest 3D movie making programs at a major studio.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$41,600What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree -
Copywriter
What you'll be doing all day:
No, you won't be dealing with those little (C) marks. A copywriter is in charge of writing stuff. Ad campaigns, in-house communications, manuals and instructions, package copy? If it comes from your company and has words, you'll probably write them.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$42,300What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Customer Service Representative
What you'll be doing all day:
You'll be who the customers come to. From handling complaints and resolving problems to taking orders and answering inquires, you can expect all kinds of questions to be flying your way. You've got to think on your feet, have stelar interpersonal skills and know your products inside and out.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$27,200What type of education you'll need:
High School
-
Human Resources Manager
What you'll be doing all day:
You'll affect every single employee who walks through the door. As a human resources manager, you'll be in charge of everyone's paychecks. You'll manage benefits like health care and 401(k) plans for the entire company. You'll even oversee the interview process and new hires. Vacations, raises, even the company holiday party will probably all be part of your job description.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$64,700What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
International Customer Service Representative
What you'll be doing all day:
Well, answering customer calls, sure. But there's a lot more to it. You'll also be making proactive calls to contacts to ensure customer satisfaction.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$35,000What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
-
Marketing Manager
What you'll be doing all day:
Anything and everything to get people to buy your product. You'll plan advertising programs, manage the production of things like brochures, posters, coupons, and ads. You might even work a trade show or conference. If your company does a cool sweepstakes-you'll be the one in charge of running it.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$85,200What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
PR Specialist / Marketing
What you'll be doing all day:
Well, first there's the public part of public relations: dealing with the media, writing press releases, working with ad agencies to develop the newest TV commercial or promotion, and conducting market research and public opinion polls.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$41,710What type of education you'll need:
High School
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree -
Sales Engineer
What you'll be doing all day:
You get to work in two very different fields at the same time. First is the sales part. You'll be making sales calls to different companies trying to persuade them to buy your products.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$63,700What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Sales Manager
What you'll be doing all day:
It's just like the job title says. You'll be managing sales. If a customer calls to complain, you'll help them resolve it. If your department has a sales goal, you'll figure out how to meet it. And if your company needs a point person to represent the company to customers, you'll probably be it.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$75,000What type of education you'll need:
High School
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree -
Sales Representative
What you'll be doing all day:
In short, you'll be dealing with people. You'll meet with your regular customers and make sure they still love your product. You'll be asked to do a little wheeling and dealing, and convince new consumers to buy your stuff. You'll make a lot of contacts and hand out a lot of business cards.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$55,740What type of education you'll need:
High School
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree -
Speech Writer
What you'll be doing all day:
Important people give speeches - sometimes to local business groups, sometimes at award shows, sometimes to the press. And someone has to write those speeches. That someone is you.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$42,800What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Team Assembler
What you'll be doing all day:
Like to build things? Well, this job is right up your alley. You'll work as part of a team that assembles just about anything. But you'll have to know your product inside and out. Team members aren't usually assigned to one task, you rotate through them all.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$22,880What type of education you'll need:
High School
-
Translator and Interpreter
What you'll be doing all day:
Yes, you'll be converting one language into another. But it's way more complicated than that. You'll need to understand and relay concepts and ideas between languages. You've also got to really understand the subject matter, otherwise, how can you remain sensitive to the different cultures you're translating between?
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$32,600What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Jobs where you will Create and Design:
-
Architect
What you'll be doing all day:
Yes, you'll really get to design office buildings. But don't forget about bridges, roads, sports stadiums, libraries, schools, theme parks and more.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$58,600What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
Apprenticeship -
Art Director
What you'll be doing all day:
Drawing, designing, creating packaging, newsletters, logos, ads? You could be doing it all. Whether you work for an in-house ad agency or the graphics department in a smaller company, every day will be something different.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$61,850What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Commercial and Industrial Designer
What you'll be doing all day:
Look around you. Every product you see someone designed--airplanes, cars, toys, lounge chairs, mountain bikes, toasters, cell phones, ball point pens--someone designed all that and more. You'll combine artistic talent with product research, customer insight, marketing, materials, and production methods to create the stuff people use in their daily lives.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$52,260What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Electronics Drafter
What you'll be doing all day:
You know how complex circuit boards and other electronic equipment are these days? Well, you'll be tasked with explaining to everyone precisely how to build them.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$43,680What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
Technical Degree -
Exhibit Designer
What you'll be doing all day:
How exciting can designing booths for trade shows and exhibits be? Well, think about designing a Internet-linked, multi-player booth for a gaming company complete with a dozen 60-inch plasmas and the hottest new gaming gear. Now you with us?
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$33,900What type of education you'll need:
High School
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree -
Mechanical Draftsperson
What you'll be doing all day:
You'll be the person making the plans and designs for a whole host of products. Maybe you'll be doing computer-aided design (CAD) on plans for a new jet. Maybe you'll be drawing schematics for a barbecue or a computer game console.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$42,400What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Apprenticeship -
Painter
What you'll be doing all day:
If this sounds like a pretty general job, it's because it is. And as a painter in manufacturing, the sky's the limit when it comes to whatever interests you. You'll learn to match colors, work with spray guns and booths, run ventilation systems, and most of all, create designs.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$34,400What type of education you'll need:
High School
Apprenticeship -
Print Shop Specialist
What you'll be doing all day:
Make sure you have an artistic eye, because you'll be the final step before everything from books and catalogs to posters and prints gets made.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$29,000What type of education you'll need:
On the Job Training
Apprenticeship -
Sculptor
What you'll be doing all day:
Sure, you'll be carving stuff from clay, wax, plastic, wood or other materials. But you better have a good design background to start with, because you'll definitely have to draw and sketch things out first.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$37,000What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Apprenticeship
Jobs where you will Engineer:
-
Chemical Engineer
What you'll be doing all day:
Ever wonder who invented color-safe bleach, who thought up Silly Putty, or even who's designing the new generation of bio fuels? Chemical engineers, that's who. From gas and rubber to detergent, cement, and paper, it'll be your job to make this stuff better or create something entirely new.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$76,960What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Computer Software Engineer
What you'll be doing all day:
Think computer software engineers just sit in a dark room and type all day? Let us enlighten you. You could be planning and building entire systems for your company. You might be talking to managers to figure out performance requirements. Some days you'll be found studying up on the latest hardware or off buying dust control equipment or temperature regulation devices.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$74,000What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Electrical Engineer
What you'll be doing all day:
You'll be the brains behind the electrical part of engineering projects both big and small. Designing, maintaining, and improving everything from electrical instruments and equipment to facilities and products, that's your job.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$68,600What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Engineer
What you'll be doing all day:
A lot. And you think we're kidding? You'll be using math, science, problem solving ability, business principles, design skills, and creativity. It is a lot to ask, but it is necessary.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$62,900What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Industrial Engineer
What you'll be doing all day:
In short, your job is to help everyone do their jobs better?from improving worker safety and streamlining the production process, to running cost analysis and designing new inventory controls.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$66,560What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Industrial Health and Safety Engineer
What you'll be doing all day:
Industrial engineers determine the best ways to use people, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or to provide a service. Your main concern will be with increasing productivity while keeping all your workers safe. You'll be doing daily problem solving to work out organizational and production problems, too.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$62,200What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Manufacturing Engineer
What you'll be doing all day:
Cars, computers, refrigerators, music systems, bicycles, video games, sports equipment, aircraft, medical devices . . . every product you see and use must be made or manufactured. As a manufacturing engineer you will plan, develop, specify, improve, and manage the machinery, processes, and production systems that produce these products.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$67,700What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Materials Engineer
What you'll be doing all day:
When something breaks, it's your job to figure out why. Whether it's a heat tile on the space shuttle or an arm on a baby doll, if it doesn't hold up, you'll run test after test until you understand, and fix, what went wrong.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$62,600What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Mechanical Engineer
What you'll be doing all day:
When it comes to machines, you're the man (or woman). You'll be bringing innovation and creativity to the design of new equipment that no one's ever seen before. That means you'll also be called on to fix them sometimes too.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$66,560What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
Jobs where you will Research and Develop:
-
Biochemist
What you'll be doing all day:
How are different chemicals going to react with living things? This is where you come in. You may be researching what a certain chemical or drug does (both good and bad) to the human body. You might be designing tests or even finding cures for diseases.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$60,400What type of education you'll need:
Ph.D.
-
Chemist
What you'll be doing all day:
Analyzing organic and inorganic compounds to determine chemical and physical properties, composition, structure, relationships, and reactions, utilizing chromatography, spectroscopy, and spectrophotometry techniques. What does that mean? Basically, you're dealing with chemicals.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$52,900What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
-
Geologist
What you'll be doing all day:
It's obvious that you'll be outside, gathering geological, geochemical, and geophysical data from the Earth. But you'll also be doing everything from computer modeling to advising other companies and government agencies.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$68,600What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree -
Nanotechnologist
What you'll be doing all day:
Architects work with bricks. You'll be like an architect, but you'll be working with atoms instead of bricks. Nanotechnology is the study and design of systems at the nanometer size, one-billionth of a meter. It's a huge job on a tiny, tiny scale.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$40,000What type of education you'll need:
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree -
Research and Development
What you'll be doing all day:
There are people who get paid to come up with new ways of doing things. People who invent complex machinery or processes. People who make breakthrough discoveries. If you're in research and development, one of those people will be you.
What someone with a little experience makes (roughly):
$68,200What type of education you'll need:
Bachelor's Degree