In short
Good jobs for career changers include truck driving, electrical and plumbing apprenticeships, practical nursing, HVAC, dental assisting and auto repair. They need two years of training or less, have thousands of openings a year and pay above many entry jobs. LPNs, for example, earned a median of $64,400 in May 2025 per BLS.
Jobs with short training and many openings
| # | Job | Median pay | Typical way in | Growth 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | $58,640 | Certificate | 3.8% | 214,500 |
| 2 | Maintenance and repair workers, general (BLS) | $49,590 | High school or GED | 4.2% | 148,700 |
| 3 | Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel | $69,990 | High school or GED | 2.7% | 115,700 |
| 4 | Electricians | $63,190 | High school or GED | 9.2% | 72,700 |
| 5 | Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers (BLS) | $48,570 | High school or GED | 2.5% | 66,700 |
| 6 | Automotive service technicians and mechanics | $50,620 | Certificate | 5% | 66,200 |
| 7 | Carpenters (BLS) | $60,580 | High school or GED | 3.9% | 62,800 |
| 8 | Dental assistants | $48,070 | Certificate | 7.4% | 53,000 |
| 9 | Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses | $64,400 | Certificate | 3% | 51,800 |
| 10 | Police and sheriff's patrol officers (BLS) | $76,210 | High school or GED | 3.5% | 51,500 |
| 11 | Industrial machinery mechanics (BLS) | $64,520 | High school or GED | 17.8% | 44,400 |
| 12 | Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (BLS) | $76,590 | High school or GED | 0% | 43,300 |
| 13 | Insurance sales agents (BLS) | $62,280 | High school or GED | 3.3% | 43,100 |
| 14 | Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters | $63,800 | High school or GED | 6.8% | 42,000 |
| 15 | Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers | $61,010 | Certificate | 10.9% | 40,600 |
| 16 | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers | $53,750 | High school or GED | 2.4% | 40,300 |
| 17 | Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (BLS) | $59,850 | High school or GED | 4.6% | 39,200 |
| 18 | Real estate sales agents | $52,830 | High school or GED | 1.7% | 32,600 |
| 19 | Firefighters | $59,280 | Certificate | 3.7% | 26,800 |
| 20 | Machinists (BLS) | $58,750 | High school or GED | 1% | 26,100 |
| 21 | Chefs and head cooks (BLS) | $62,470 | High school or GED | 6.6% | 25,200 |
| 22 | Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (BLS) | $61,770 | High school or GED | 3.6% | 24,400 |
| 23 | Bus drivers, transit and intercity (BLS) | $59,050 | High school or GED | 4.1% | 21,100 |
| 24 | Massage therapists | $58,450 | Certificate | 15.3% | 20,400 |
| 25 | Physical therapist assistants | $68,380 | Associate degree | 23% | 18,500 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035 (Table 1.2), May 2025 median wages, retrieved 2026-10-09. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or switch fields.
What the list leaves out
Some of these, like electrician, are apprenticeships that take four or more years to reach full pay, though you earn throughout. Others, like physical therapist assistant, need an associate degree with science courses. Read the training column before you choose.
Questions people ask
What is the easiest career to switch to?
Jobs with short training and lots of openings, like truck driving or general maintenance, are the quickest switches.
Which career change pays the most?
Sort the table by pay. Electricians and plumbers rank high here, and associate-degree jobs like dental hygiene pay more but take longer.