Though people are complex and so much more than just their jobs, in a new social situation you’re often asked, “So, what do you do?” or “What are you majoring in?” While you probably have a stock answer ready to go (I’m in sales; I’m majoring in English), the person asking may be able to help you achieve your career goals — but they won’t know unless you’ve got an elevator pitch ready to go.
An elevator pitch is an enticing and interesting three or four-sentence summary of you. But you do more than talk about yourself. Your elevator pitch gets the listener interested in what you’re capable of.
What Is an Elevator Pitch?
Mike Gardon of CareerCloud sums up elevator pitches like this: “When meeting someone for the first time, we all get asked what we do, right? Well, an elevator pitch is how you answer that question.”
At its core, an elevator pitch is a brief synopsis of who you are and what you do (or are trying to do). It’s named so because of the idea that you’re in an elevator with the one person who can make your career dreams come true. You’ve got the length of that elevator ride (approximately 30 seconds) to convince that person to keep listening to you.
Why You Need an Elevator Pitch (and When You’ll Use It)
In many respects, an elevator pitch is all about you. And though it may seem strange — uncomfortable even — to talk about yourself, a well-designed elevator pitch starts with you and ends with the listener.
Gardon explains, “The elevator pitch is designed to engage the person with whom you are communicating, and get them to take some next action. Think about it like this: if you were writing an email, the elevator pitch would be the subject line plus the next couple of lines that are shown in an inbox. The purpose is to get the recipient to open the email.”
In the case of your elevator pitch, you’re attempting to spark a longer conversation (or later meeting) with someone who could potentially help you professionally.
Your elevator pitch comes in handy when you’re looking for a job. But you’ll also use various versions of your elevator pitch in situations like:
- Networking events
- Prospecting for new sales and clients
- When you’re interviewing and asked, “Tell me about yourself.”
- As the “about me” on LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social media page
- In the summary of qualifications on your resume
How Long Should an Elevator Pitch Be?
While elevator ride times vary, the general rule of thumb is that an elevator pitch is no longer than 30 seconds, which means your pitch needs to be concise.
So, you can’t include every accomplishment from your last three jobs, just the top most recent ones. As you’re honing your pitch, write it down and limit yourself to four sentences. This will help you focus on your top highlights.
How to Write an Elevator Pitch
In general, an elevator pitch includes four essential elements: who you are, what you do, what’s unique about you, and what your “ask” is. Though the “meat” of your pitch likely doesn’t change often, you should prepare multiple elevator pitches that you can tailor to your situation.
For example, if you’re a student, the pitch you use at a career fair may not be the same one you use at a networking event. Likewise, if you’re changing careers, you may need to switch up what your “ask” is depending on who you talk to.
Gardon offers an example. “I wear so many different hats and am involved in different businesses. So, if I want someone to be a guest on my podcast, I might tell them how we’ve done over 400 episodes, instead of telling them that I’m a former derivatives trader.”
Also, while the below elements are crucial, they can go in almost any order. While a good elevator pitch usually begins with your name, you may find that listing your skills before your accomplishments is better for your pitch.
Part 1: Who Are You?
Your elevator pitch starts with your name, of course, but also consider throwing in a “hook” that gives the person you’re speaking with an opening to ask you questions. Here are some examples:
“I’m [your name], a recent graduate of [university] with a degree in [your degree].”
“My name is [your name] and I’m a junior at [university] majoring in [your major].”
“I’m [your name] and while I’m currently in product development, I’ve decided I want to change gears and go into graphic design.”
Part 2: What Do You Do?
The second part of your elevator pitch explains what you do. However, you shouldn’t limit yourself to a job title. This is the place to mention one outstanding accomplishment from your job, internship, or even a class that will wow your listener.
Like all parts of your elevator speech, this needs to be brief, but it should also be detailed and help the listener get an idea of what you’re capable of:
“During my marketing internship at [name of company], I grew social media engagement by 43%, which resulted in an uptick in newsletter sign-ups year over year.”
“Our business is small, but that lets us have more personal interaction, which has helped us keep a small but loyal and profitable client base for 15 years.”
“After learning about the stock market, I wanted to test what I learned as well as my skills, so I created a mock portfolio that’s realized a 24% gain over the last year.”
Part 3: What’s Unique About You?
The next section of your elevator pitch includes something unique about you. While this can include specific skills, you can also trace your career path or accomplishments to illustrate how you use your skills.
Because you only have 30 seconds, you might be tempted to list your skills or accomplishments like a grocery list. But try to link them to an outcome or something you can do.
“I enjoy analyzing data and using the results to plan my content calendar, including social media posts.”
“I worked on my college newspaper, starting on the sports beat, eventually moving my way up to chief editor.”
The first example mentions one skill (data analysis) and two outcomes (planning the content calendar and social media posts). The second example doesn’t mention any skills but illustrates the speaker’s career path (sports beat to chief editor), demonstrating an increase in skills and responsibilities.
Part 4: Call to Action (or What’s Your Ask?)
The final part of your elevator pitch includes a call to action. Or, more specifically, what are you asking for?
Much like networking, you may not want to blurt out “a job!” even if that’s your desired outcome. This section is what you hope will happen, which could be a job, internship, or just a new networking connection.
“I would love to speak to you about being a potential mentor, if you have time.”
“I’d like to follow up with you about how I can get involved in and conduct summer research.”
“Can you tell me how you decided on [this] career?”
Each of these invites the listener to continue engaging with you either right now or in the future.
Optional Part 5: Something Memorable
Finally, depending on the situation, you might want to include something memorable in your pitch. This is situation-dependent and only something you should do if you’re comfortable.
For example, the pitch on Gardon’s LinkedIn profile says, “Earned the Title ‘World Champion Funniest Person In The World (to my kids)’ 10 years running.”
Of course, not everyone can be the “Funniest Person in the World,” but your memorable moment could be your love of science fiction, who your favorite author is, or the fact that you just adopted a cat.
Elevator Pitch Examples
Here’s what all the elements look like when you put them together:
“I’m David, a rising senior at XYZ University and an education major. I spent last year student teaching at my old high school, and it was quite the experience being on the other side. I’m graduating in the spring and am looking to teach high school biology.”
“I’m Ella, and I’m currently an individual contributor at XYZ company running the social media accounts. I use Google Analytics to analyze and improve content performance, and my personal TikTok has XXX followers. I’m looking to move to a leadership role at a mid to large-size company where I can mentor others.”
“I’m Mike and I’m a sophomore at XYZ university. When I was a kid, I really wanted to communicate with animals, which is partly why I’m majoring in zoology. I’m not sure what career is best suited for me. Can you tell me how you ended up in yours?”
Elevator Pitch Bonus Tips
Once you’ve written (and rewritten) your elevator pitch, you’re almost ready to try it out. Before you do, though, ensure your delivery is memorable — for the right reasons!
Practice. Practice makes perfect, of course. And while you don’t want to sound too rehearsed, you also don’t want to trip over your pitch or start rambling. Practice in front of a mirror, with friends or family, or record yourself to make sure you’re getting it right.
Time yourself. Thirty seconds can feel like forever or fly right by. Time yourself to make sure your pitch isn’t too long or too short, and adjust as necessary.
Use your “excited” voice. While you’ll want to use your “inside voice,” vary your tone. When you give a rehearsed speech, it should be polished but not robotic. Try to bring some excitement to your voice as you speak.
Speak slowly. You may want to cram as much as possible into your 30 seconds, but that could result in you speaking too quickly to try to get it all in, making it tough for the listener to understand you. As hard as it might be, stick to one or two main points.
Maintain eye contact. While you don’t want to stare at the listener the whole time, you don’t want to stare at the floor either. Maintain the level of eye contact that feels normal and natural to you, and break eye contact when appropriate.
Make Your Pitch
An elevator pitch is useful in all sorts of professional (and even personal!) situations. By taking stock of what you do and what you want to do, you’ll find the perfect elements to include in yours and impress the next person you pitch it to.
This article originally appeared on TheForage.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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The 25 best careers for people who want to be their own boss
Plenty of people dream of becoming their own boss. However, options for self-employment are heavily dependent on one’s industry and occupation. To help better inform your career planning, this MagnifyMoney study takes a closer look at the occupations best suited for self-employment.
When evaluating the leading occupations where you can be your own boss, we looked at several key factors: median earnings, change in earnings, estimated employment change for long-term opportunity, annual occupational openings and the percent of people in each occupation who are self-employed.
istockphoto/nd3000
Plenty of people dream of becoming their own boss. However, options for self-employment are heavily dependent on one’s industry and occupation. To help better inform your career planning, this MagnifyMoney study takes a closer look at the occupations best suited for self-employment.
When evaluating the leading occupations where you can be your own boss, we looked at several key factors: median earnings, change in earnings, estimated employment change for long-term opportunity, annual occupational openings and the percent of people in each occupation who are self-employed.
istockphoto/nd3000
In order to find the best occupations for people looking to be self-employed, we looked at data on 579 occupations. We compared them across six metrics, all pulled from the BLS. Specifically we looked at the following:
- Percent of workers who are self-employed. We considered this the most important metric to indicate the best careers for self-employment, assigning it a weighting double the other metrics when creating our ranking. For this metric, a higher number indicates the job is more suitable for self-employment as there are already plenty of self-employed individuals in the industry. It also means you’ll have some company in the self-employment journey.
- Estimated employment change 2018 to 2028. This metric shows the total new jobs for each occupation in the decade from 2018 to 2028. If you’re going to take the plunge into self-employment, you’re going to want to make sure there’s room for growth in your chosen industry. Otherwise, you could get squeezed out too early and left finding yet another job. A higher number here indicates more potential employment in the long term, which would help a job rank higher on our list.
- Estimated annual occupational openings 2018 to 2028. This number provides a closer look at employment change between 2018 and 2028 by giving the estimated number of job openings each year. The best careers to be your own boss will have higher numbers in this metric as well, as that indicates for long-term opportunity.
- Percentage change in estimated employment change 2018 to 2028. In addition to the number of projected new jobs, we also looked at the percentage of this change. This metric shows how fast an occupation is growing or contracting. A higher percentage means faster growth which, again, indicates greater long-term opportunity.
- 2018 median earnings. Of course as with any job, you’re going to want to check the earnings prospects here, especially since being self-employed means you often set your own rates. So we included median annual earnings for each occupation for 2018 for you to get a better idea of each job. This is weighted the same as all the other metrics (except percentage of self-employed workers), which is why you will see a range of earnings within the top 25.
- Percent change in earnings 2017 to 2018. Looking at a specific year’s earnings provides just a snapshot of that occupation’s pay. So we also took into account the percent change in earnings for each occupation from 2017 to 2018 to show whether an occupation’s wages seem to be increasing or not. A higher percentage indicates faster wage growth and can indicate a more sustainable job over the years, especially when paired with a high percentage of employment growth.
- Education needed. This metric was not used to create our ranking, but used rather as a bonus tidbit of information. Knowing what kind of education or training is needed for an occupation can help you determine whether it’s right for you or what steps you need to take to be eligible for self-employment in that career.
In order to create our final rankings, we first ranked each occupation in each metric. We then found each occupation’s average ranking across the metrics, giving a double weighting to self-employment rate. We used this average ranking to assign a score to each occupation. The occupations with the highest scores ranked first while the occupation with the lowest score ranked last.
istockphoto/Ridofranz
In order to find the best occupations for people looking to be self-employed, we looked at data on 579 occupations. We compared them across six metrics, all pulled from the BLS. Specifically we looked at the following:
- Percent of workers who are self-employed. We considered this the most important metric to indicate the best careers for self-employment, assigning it a weighting double the other metrics when creating our ranking. For this metric, a higher number indicates the job is more suitable for self-employment as there are already plenty of self-employed individuals in the industry. It also means you’ll have some company in the self-employment journey.
- Estimated employment change 2018 to 2028. This metric shows the total new jobs for each occupation in the decade from 2018 to 2028. If you’re going to take the plunge into self-employment, you’re going to want to make sure there’s room for growth in your chosen industry. Otherwise, you could get squeezed out too early and left finding yet another job. A higher number here indicates more potential employment in the long term, which would help a job rank higher on our list.
- Estimated annual occupational openings 2018 to 2028. This number provides a closer look at employment change between 2018 and 2028 by giving the estimated number of job openings each year. The best careers to be your own boss will have higher numbers in this metric as well, as that indicates for long-term opportunity.
- Percentage change in estimated employment change 2018 to 2028. In addition to the number of projected new jobs, we also looked at the percentage of this change. This metric shows how fast an occupation is growing or contracting. A higher percentage means faster growth which, again, indicates greater long-term opportunity.
- 2018 median earnings. Of course as with any job, you’re going to want to check the earnings prospects here, especially since being self-employed means you often set your own rates. So we included median annual earnings for each occupation for 2018 for you to get a better idea of each job. This is weighted the same as all the other metrics (except percentage of self-employed workers), which is why you will see a range of earnings within the top 25.
- Percent change in earnings 2017 to 2018. Looking at a specific year’s earnings provides just a snapshot of that occupation’s pay. So we also took into account the percent change in earnings for each occupation from 2017 to 2018 to show whether an occupation’s wages seem to be increasing or not. A higher percentage indicates faster wage growth and can indicate a more sustainable job over the years, especially when paired with a high percentage of employment growth.
- Education needed. This metric was not used to create our ranking, but used rather as a bonus tidbit of information. Knowing what kind of education or training is needed for an occupation can help you determine whether it’s right for you or what steps you need to take to be eligible for self-employment in that career.
In order to create our final rankings, we first ranked each occupation in each metric. We then found each occupation’s average ranking across the metrics, giving a double weighting to self-employment rate. We used this average ranking to assign a score to each occupation. The occupations with the highest scores ranked first while the occupation with the lowest score ranked last.
istockphoto/Ridofranz
Self-employed: 28.4%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 10.1%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 20.3
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 4.7%
2018 wage: $24,330
Index: 83.32
istockphoto/Antonio_Diaz
Self-employed: 28.4%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 10.1%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 20.3
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 4.7%
2018 wage: $24,330
Index: 83.32
istockphoto/Antonio_Diaz
Self-employed: 2.0%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 16.0%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 64.9
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 2.3%
2018 wage: $127,990
Index: 83.35
There are a couple wage standouts towards the bottom of the top 25. For example, financial managers made $127,990 in 2018, but the profession ranks low due to its low percentage of self-employed workers (2%). This could prove difficult for those trying to break into the industry as self-employed.
istockphoto/undrey’
Self-employed: 2.0%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 16.0%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 64.9
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 2.3%
2018 wage: $127,990
Index: 83.35
There are a couple wage standouts towards the bottom of the top 25. For example, financial managers made $127,990 in 2018, but the profession ranks low due to its low percentage of self-employed workers (2%). This could prove difficult for those trying to break into the industry as self-employed.
istockphoto/undrey’
Self-employed: 21.5%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 11.4%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 34.4
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 2.5%
2018 wage: $38,400
Index: 83.77
istockphoto/Ivan-balvan
Self-employed: 21.5%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 11.4%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 34.4
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 2.5%
2018 wage: $38,400
Index: 83.77
istockphoto/Ivan-balvan
Self-employed: 4.8%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 17.6%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 42.2
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 1.4%
2018 wage: $99,730
Index: 83.98
istockphoto/DragonImages
Self-employed: 4.8%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 17.6%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 42.2
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 1.4%
2018 wage: $99,730
Index: 83.98
istockphoto/DragonImages
Self-employed: 10.7%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 10.5%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 47.6
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 4.7%
2018 wage: $33,780
Index: 85.05
istockphoto/SeventyFour
Self-employed: 10.7%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 10.5%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 47.6
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 4.7%
2018 wage: $33,780
Index: 85.05
istockphoto/SeventyFour
Self-employed: 7.8%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 10.4%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 79.4
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 1.8%
2018 wage: $65,230
Index: 85.23
istockphoto/iBrave
Self-employed: 7.8%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 10.4%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 79.4
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 1.8%
2018 wage: $65,230
Index: 85.23
istockphoto/iBrave
Self-employed: 15.8%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 13.0%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 15.1
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 2.1%
2018 wage: $69,430
Index: 86.03
istockphoto/DragonImages
Self-employed: 15.8%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 13.0%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 15.1
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 2.1%
2018 wage: $69,430
Index: 86.03
istockphoto/DragonImages
Self-employed: 20.0%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 6.1%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 45.7
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 1.4%
2018 wage: $120,910
Index: 86.13
Around 20% of lawyers are self-employed and they made $120,910 in 2018. Still, there’s less room for new prospective self-employed workers to join the legal industry, as it’s expected to grow only 6.1% in a decade.
istockphoto/scyther5
Self-employed: 20.0%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 6.1%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 45.7
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 1.4%
2018 wage: $120,910
Index: 86.13
Around 20% of lawyers are self-employed and they made $120,910 in 2018. Still, there’s less room for new prospective self-employed workers to join the legal industry, as it’s expected to grow only 6.1% in a decade.
istockphoto/scyther5
Self-employed: 26.6%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 16.0%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 54.5
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 3.5%
2018 wage: $23,760
Index: 86.65
istockphoto/Donyanedomam
Self-employed: 26.6%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 16.0%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 54.5
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 3.5%
2018 wage: $23,760
Index: 86.65
istockphoto/Donyanedomam
Self-employed: 46.7%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 8.7%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 24.3
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 2.5%
2018 wage: $48,220
Index: 86.97
istockphoto/Halfpoint
Self-employed: 46.7%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 8.7%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 24.3
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 2.5%
2018 wage: $48,220
Index: 86.97
istockphoto/Halfpoint
Self-employed: 8.7%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 22.5%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 41.5
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 3.1%
2018 wage: $44,630
Index: 88.53
The industry with the highest projected percentage growth from 2018 to 2028 is substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors, expected to grow 22.5% in that time.
istockphoto/fizkes
Self-employed: 8.7%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 22.5%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 41.5
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 3.1%
2018 wage: $44,630
Index: 88.53
The industry with the highest projected percentage growth from 2018 to 2028 is substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors, expected to grow 22.5% in that time.
istockphoto/fizkes
Self-employed: 9.4%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 13.6%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 66.1
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 2.5%
2018 wage: $53,910
Index: 88.95
DepositPhotos.com
Self-employed: 9.4%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 13.6%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 66.1
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 2.5%
2018 wage: $53,910
Index: 88.95
DepositPhotos.com
Self-employed: 13.8%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 18.4%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 5.1
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 3.8%
2018 wage: $93,830
Index: 89.33
istockphoto/Ridofranz
Self-employed: 13.8%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 18.4%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 5.1
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 3.8%
2018 wage: $93,830
Index: 89.33
istockphoto/Ridofranz
Self-employed: 22.0%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 8.8%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 173.6
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 4.8%
2018 wage: $29,000
Index: 89.61
istockphoto/juefraphoto
Self-employed: 22.0%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 8.8%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 173.6
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 4.8%
2018 wage: $29,000
Index: 89.61
istockphoto/juefraphoto
Self-employed: 22.1%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 19.2%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 9.8
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 5.8%
2018 wage: $49,930
Index: 90.58
istockphoto/fizkes
Self-employed: 22.1%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 19.2%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 9.8
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 5.8%
2018 wage: $49,930
Index: 90.58
istockphoto/fizkes
Self-employed: 27.0%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 8.0%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 116.3
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 3.1%
2018 wage: $46,590
Index: 92.94
istockphoto/Deagreez
Self-employed: 27.0%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 8.0%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 116.3
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 3.1%
2018 wage: $46,590
Index: 92.94
istockphoto/Deagreez
Self-employed: 17.8%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 13.5%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 99.9
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 1.4%
2018 wage: $83,610
Index: 93.67
istockphoto/fizkes
Self-employed: 17.8%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 13.5%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 99.9
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 1.4%
2018 wage: $83,610
Index: 93.67
istockphoto/fizkes
Self-employed: 27.6%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 10.5%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 179.3
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 3.7%
2018 wage: $35,800
Index: 93.88
istock/dima_sidelnikov
Self-employed: 27.6%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 10.5%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 179.3
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 3.7%
2018 wage: $35,800
Index: 93.88
istock/dima_sidelnikov
Self-employed: 42.8%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 19.5%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 51.3
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 4.4%
2018 wage: $25,980
Index: 94.02
istockphoto/mangostock
Self-employed: 42.8%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 19.5%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 51.3
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 4.4%
2018 wage: $25,980
Index: 94.02
istockphoto/mangostock
Self-employed: 30.0%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 14.7%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 14.6
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 2.5%
2018 wage: $76,990
Index: 94.47
istockphoto/KatarzynaBialasiewicz
Self-employed: 30.0%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 14.7%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 14.6
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 2.5%
2018 wage: $76,990
Index: 94.47
istockphoto/KatarzynaBialasiewicz
Self-employed: 33.0%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 22.2%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 24.2
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 3.6%
2018 wage: $41,420
Index: 94.51
istockphoto/LSOphoto
Self-employed: 33.0%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 22.2%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 24.2
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 3.6%
2018 wage: $41,420
Index: 94.51
istockphoto/LSOphoto
Self-employed: 54.5%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 6.3%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 91.3
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 1.8%
2018 wage: $107,480
Index: 95.27
After real estate sales agents, the top third pick, managers have the highest percentage of self-employed workers at 54.5%. Managers made a whopping median $107,480 in 2017 and typically requires a bachelor’s degree.
istockphoto/nd3000
Self-employed: 54.5%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 6.3%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 91.3
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 1.8%
2018 wage: $107,480
Index: 95.27
After real estate sales agents, the top third pick, managers have the highest percentage of self-employed workers at 54.5%. Managers made a whopping median $107,480 in 2017 and typically requires a bachelor’s degree.
istockphoto/nd3000
Self-employed: 56.4%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 6.9%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 38.9
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 5.9%
2018 wage: $48,690
Index: 95.62
Real estate agent is the third best job for being self-employed. Roughly 56% of real estate agents are self employed, the highest percentage out of the top 25.
In 2018, the average real estate agent made $48,690, and average earnings for this profession are on the rise. From 2017 to 2018, the average real estate agent saw earnings rise by nearly 6%, perhaps related to the ever-increasing value of homes in America’s largest cities.
istockphoto/fizkes
Self-employed: 56.4%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 6.9%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 38.9
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 5.9%
2018 wage: $48,690
Index: 95.62
Real estate agent is the third best job for being self-employed. Roughly 56% of real estate agents are self employed, the highest percentage out of the top 25.
In 2018, the average real estate agent made $48,690, and average earnings for this profession are on the rise. From 2017 to 2018, the average real estate agent saw earnings rise by nearly 6%, perhaps related to the ever-increasing value of homes in America’s largest cities.
istockphoto/fizkes
Self-employed: 39.8%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 9.8%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 40.2
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 2.2%
2018 wage: $93,370
Index: 97.64
The second-best job for being your own boss is construction manager. Roughly 40% of people employed in this profession are self-employed.
The median wage for construction managers in 2018 was $93,370, a 2.20% increase from 2017. If you’d like to be your own boss as a construction worker, chances are you’ll need a bachelor’s degree, reports the BLS.
istockphoto/Cineberg
Self-employed: 39.8%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 9.8%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 40.2
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 2.2%
2018 wage: $93,370
Index: 97.64
The second-best job for being your own boss is construction manager. Roughly 40% of people employed in this profession are self-employed.
The median wage for construction managers in 2018 was $93,370, a 2.20% increase from 2017. If you’d like to be your own boss as a construction worker, chances are you’ll need a bachelor’s degree, reports the BLS.
istockphoto/Cineberg
Self-employed: 37.6%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 10.8%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 46.9
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 4.2%
2018 wage: $54,240
Index: 100.00
The best occupation for self-employment is food service manager. Currently, more than a third of food service managers are self-employed. Plus, the industry is expected to grow 10.8% from 2018 to 2028.
The average food-service manager made $54,240 in 2018, a decent income for a job that typically does not require a college degree, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Most of the best jobs to take if you want to be self-employed do not require a college degree. In addition to food service managers and real estate sales agents detailed above, massage therapists, chauffeurs, construction laborers and carpenters all cracked the top 10.
If you do want to be self-employed, it will still probably require some planning. Even if they don’t require a college degree, a good number of the highest ranking jobs require previous work experience or on the job training.
This article originally appeared on MagnifyMoney.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
istockphoto/SeventyFour
Self-employed: 37.6%
Projected employment % change 2018-2019: 10.8%
Annual occupational openings 2018-2019*: 46.9
% growth median earnings (2017-2018): 4.2%
2018 wage: $54,240
Index: 100.00
The best occupation for self-employment is food service manager. Currently, more than a third of food service managers are self-employed. Plus, the industry is expected to grow 10.8% from 2018 to 2028.
The average food-service manager made $54,240 in 2018, a decent income for a job that typically does not require a college degree, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Most of the best jobs to take if you want to be self-employed do not require a college degree. In addition to food service managers and real estate sales agents detailed above, massage therapists, chauffeurs, construction laborers and carpenters all cracked the top 10.
If you do want to be self-employed, it will still probably require some planning. Even if they don’t require a college degree, a good number of the highest ranking jobs require previous work experience or on the job training.
This article originally appeared on MagnifyMoney.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
istockphoto/SeventyFour
Featured Image Credit: AndreyPopov/iStock.
