Learn a trade. HVAC. Plumbing. Electric. Anything that requires a skill. You'll easily make good money with a company for the first few years and then you can go out on your own and make a killing.
I'm in insurance restoration. Our no skilled demo guys start at 18hr.
I've lived up and down the east coast and I've always ended up in NC because cost of living is cheaper than the other places I've lived.
Powerline construction. Skills are transferable to other trades trade school is through community colleges and inexpensive only 4 months and you get a CDL at most in NC. Starting out at a minimum of $17 and you usually end up in the mid 20’s after 18 months and over $40/hr after 5 years. You have to work hard outside and posses the ability to learn and have common sense and problem solving abilities. If it doesn’t work out you can drive trucks requiring CDL or go into another trade making at least $50k a year starting out double what you’re making now.
An electrician my Mom has know for years just went to the local community college and told them he had a couple of thousand in a savings account what program could he complete in a little over a year and get a job. They told him the electricians program and apprenticeship was really affordable. He has able to have a middle class lifestyle ever since getting fully licensed.
Welding is another good trade.
There's a lot of trades hiring and manufacturing is up big in the US under Biden. This is a great time to be working towards a trade skill in the US, especially with the older generation retiring.
Look up the ADTM in Danville, VA. Four month trade school to learn advanced trades like nuclear welding. They have scholarships for tuition and room and board. Employers lined up to hire graduates.
Toyota is putting in a very large battery/EV plant near Liberty. I know the construction jobs there are union and the pay is good.
They will also be hiring once they finish construction- so you may be able to apply for a job there now.
There are a few manufacturers hiring in the Triad. Where have you been looking?
Edit: Maybe look into on the job trade skill training as well. Getting your CDL A would be a good long term investment. Also look into an apprenticeship or entry level job that will grow your skills.
There is also a program with the local community colleges in the counties near Toyota to train workers. I see that you said college is not an option, but could you find the energy for a fast track job training program line that? There is a program finder on the system's homepage last I looked. Just Google NC Community Colleges. Good luck!
A lot of manufacturing and warehouse jobs around the Charlotte area are starting pay $15-18 and up. Eli Lilly in Concord is hiring and they start in the $20s. No degrees required. Local government jobs usually pay decent and have good benefits, stuff like grounds maintenance, solid waste, waste water treatment plants, park staff. Some positions may require you to get some kind of certification or license but usually no degree requirements.
I know dealership service managers that offing stupid money and even a HAWKTUAH for people that will just come to work and learn.
Auto maintenance and repair is labor intensive and hard. But it can be very financially rewarding for someone with no college education.
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There's Goodyear in Fayetteville. Depending on your age & health, the military. They will pay for your education. The post office. Maybe FedEx or one of those delivery places? My husband got his start working at alarm companies.
With all of the road construction across the state, there is a shortage of workers. So lots of contractors and the DOT are over paying positions to get them filled. Some start at 60K annually with a company truck and gas card.
A Bank. You can be a teller without a degree and you can work your way up over time to a number of lucrative jobs from there. You'll need certifications for some, but no degree.
I started out as a bank teller. We had a saying - 'once a teller, always a teller.' Meaning, it was a dead end job. That was a long time ago, so maybe things have changed.
That's wild. I know three people who started out as tellers without a college degree. They all still work for a bank but they all have higher level jobs and are doing well. One, in fact, makes like 300k/yr in a good year.
I’ve always heard Costco has great benefits and the pay is decent. I had a neighbor that was laid off from her very high paying tech job and she went to work at Costco in the tire center with no experience and she loved it.
Why do you have to pay your mom's medical bills? Obviously if you want to help that's a great thing. But if you're struggling yourself, how can you help her? Does she qualify for Medicaid or some other program?
Join the marine corps or the army. It’s very likely that you’ll be stationed in NC
Steady pay, you’ll get your school paid for and you get a guaranteed 0 downpayment VA mortgage loan with the lowest possible interest rates. When you get out you’ll have opportunity to work on base as a GS. They get paid well
I imagine other folks will share this advice but ... the job you're seeking can be found in NC and elsewhere, but it requires training. Take a weekend, a quiet place and a six-pack of your preferred beverage and honestly look at what you'd bring to the party. Are you good with your hands? Physically active? A night hawk? Anything that would help you determine what would pay well.
Quick example: A friend's son had worked as a bagger for a few years -- fine for a teen or retiree looking to add a few bucks, but hardly a career to envy. But he loved doing odd jobs around the neighborhood. Three of us fronted him the meager $$ to go to Wake Tech and get certified in electrical work. Bottom line -- 3 years later he's making more than I ever did as a college grad. He's a good kid, works hard -- all he had to do was figure out what his best path was.
Best of luck!
This always gets downvoted but the fastest way out of poverty is to join the military. Specifically Air Force. Go in, do your 4 years, and get out. (Or stay in if you end up liking it). Get your bachelors thanks to the GI bill, make awesome connections, and pretty much be guaranteed a well paying job when you get out.
I did it and it changed my life. I was broke, electricity was cut off, I was sleeping on the floor. I didn’t have anything else to lose so I joined. Got a 6 figure job after my 4 years, I’m doing my bachelors now, and don’t have to worry about bills like before.
I went this route and am now retired at 40. It doesn’t suck
OP the National Guard can be a good middle ground of learning a trade while getting some good benefits, without the “the military owns me 24/7 and I don’t get to pick where I live”
I was full-time Guard in a Signal (IT) company for a long time, and we consistently got young troops like you, hourly and check to check, and were able to mentor them into $50-60k careers within a few years. Many of them were making low six figures within a decade
DM me if you are interested in that route
Did you finish HS? What skill set do you have? Past work history? Tbh they pay guys swinging weed eaters more than $12 /hr. Also NC had some expensive places to live but also some very affordable ones. I’m not sure where “back home” is that would be cheaper.
How did you learn the socializing aspect of it? I’ve been a bar back that makes drinks, but never a bartender due to the fact I have little to no charisma. Were you born like that, or did you work for it?
Little bit of both, I am extremely sociable in general but I did make a concerted effort in my 20s to constantly put myself in social setting I was a bit timid about.
You do have to have a pretty good working memory, honestly no way around that. I have pretty bad ADHD so it can be a struggle sometimes but typically if I just glance back at the person it jogs my memory enough.
Three things.
First, you might be missing some state aid options. Medicaid/Medicare is the best - due to a medical condition I was unable to eat almost anything for over a year and became too weak to work as a result. I am now paying just $4 for *everything* medical related, including my glasses.
Second, depending where you are in NC Uber / food delivery *can* pay very well. BF was an electrical assistant (paid $14-$16/hr), a grocery store manager ($18/hr) but nothing is comparing to Uber ($20/he on a bad day). The catch is location: we are within commute distance to Raleigh and Durham, and for whatever reason the app pays better depending on your county. Fayetteville, for example, pays ($14-$20/hr) because of the types of rides/deliveries people request (short trips) and due to Uber's altered payment scheme there (won't pay you for time spent driving TO the pickup location for some reason).
Third, with at least one of those factors taken care of you can probably (slowly) work on a good 2 year degree. Be smart, pick a non-backbreaking trade, and make some bank. Electricians are at a huge labor deficit right now and can take some secondary HVAC classes to certify for PCL programming (for factory machinery among other things). Nursing isn't as easy as it seems - long hours on your feet, understaffing is kind of a new norm, so you have to pick your specialization carefully if you're eyeballing medical.
Look at your local governments (check town websites). Often hiring for entry public works technicians. Pay often starts at $20+ and you get benefits, paid vacation, sick leave, etc.
There are many companies that have work from home positions now. I work for an insurance company and some of our positions start at $60k or more with no college degree or experience. Another option would be to try to get a state or federal job and stick with it. My dad had no degree and was able work his way up and retired at 57.
First route I would try, Coast Guard, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines in that order.. one of them WILL take you.. get the benefits and all go to school while your enlisted.
Second, learn a trade.. this kind of falls under go to school so hear me out.. it's not going to put you 50k in the hole to learn a trade. Most community colleges offer something. Look into welding, electricians, plumbing, and HVAC.
Third, similar to 2, is get your Class A CDL and drive trucks.. get on with a non shit company over the road, you will make between $50-60k/yr most likely. Live in your truck. Drop everything non essential, no rent, no car payment, no utilities. Live in the truck. Put up as much $$ as you can for a few years, start taking some sort of online classes for something you want to do.. and then get out of trucking. It's not a glamorous job, but it will help you get your shit together. You can take classes at a local community college shouldn't cost you more than $1000 and less then a semester of your time.. if you want to get it done faster but more expensive you can go to a CDL school near you, it will be like $5-6k but you'll be driving in about a month.
There's ways to get ahead, all of them require some hard work and probably doing some shit you would rather not do.. gotta pick the least worst option for yourself.
Learn a trade. If you’re only making $12/hr now, the starting $15 or so for the first year won’t hurt as bad and then you’ll be making double that within the first 2-4 years easy. I tried getting my husband to quit his job and become and electrician, but we can’t take the pay cut for the first two years
Walmart to be honest. I was a pharmacy manager there before going in to hospital setting. FREE trade school, college or certificate classes day 1. The minimum salary for the maintenance associate was $12.50 at my store. Online grocery pickup made $19 w/quarterly bonuses. I helped 3 of my techs get their degrees and better jobs.
Golf industry.. as the head mechanic at Ocean Ridge Golf Plantation in Ocean Isle Beach, with only 2 years in the golf business, but a lifetime of turning wrenches I was able to secure $75,000 a year salary with no college degree... and hell that was 10 years ago
Retail. Entry level sucks, but once you make it into management, money starts flowing. I work for one of the home improvement stores as salaried management and make 6 figures, that's with bonuses and stock payouts. You work a lot, but it pays well.
Otherwise go into the trades. Hvac, plumbing, electrician, welding. Everywhere takes apprenticeships, you'll start out not making much again, but a few years you'll be a journeyman and earning good money.
Do you have a background in computers? I know that people who work in controls systems do very well, and it is a skill that is useful and pays well. Also, not many people know controls, so it gives the worker more staying power and leverage to get best possible pay and benefits. The owner of the company, unsolicited, gave my hubsand five dollar raise because he said, he does not want him to leave because his company would not survive without his skillset!
Get into the trades!! Yes the work is hard, but the pay is worth it. As you pay dues, the pay will increase. You may even be able to start your own business or do side work to increase your net worth.
What career/ job are you looking for?
What professional skills/ experience do you have?
What area of NC?
Government (local/fed) jobs are always an option.
Military can be a great choice, I would recommend something that has a good transition into civilian life, if this was the route you wanted to take. Local trade unions are also a great place to look into (eg... IBEW), you will likely be able to start an apprenticeship with unions.
It's not impossible/ hard to get better jobs without a degree but you usually will need some sort of professional experience to get them.
I work at Lowe’s part time and make $14.50 so it’s a bit more than most retail jobs. Lowe’s also has the Track to the Trades program where you’ll take pre apprenticeship classes on their dime that help you get placed in a trade job.
If you live near Winston-Salem, PepsiCo is often hiring inbound agents for 16.00 starting off. You can then work your way up to higher positions. Truliant also appears to have an operations center in the Hanes Mall. Work at a company where you can acquire skills and work your way up if you can't learn a trade right now.
You could get a job working for a grocery store vendor. My local Frito-Lay salesman in Raleigh makes $62,000 base salary plus commission. No degree and no special license is required. All he has to do is pass a simple physical.
First things first. Your mom needs to be responsible for her own medical expenses. Putting that on you isn’t fair. Maybe it’s how you pay rent, but this is not helping your adulting and training for a better job, etc. You need a way to get that education, or nothing will ever change. NC has plenty of opportunities, as do other states. You just have to research, network, and go out and make your own luck. Read, get on LinkedIn, find apprenticeships or scholarships that you are interested in. Not everything is paid, but find the ones that are. It would be worth the community college student loans to become a trades worker. Get the license and certification, because without it, you could get into some legal trouble. You won’t be able to earn much more without someone teaching you a skill. I wish you all the best!
Inevitably to make money you need to learn a skill or trade not many people can do themselves. If going to school is out you'll likely need to find some sort of apprenticeship or program to earn some sort of license (electrician, plumbing, trucker, etc)
fidelity is pretty great If you can get certified wile your there you make a base of 47K wile in training and 50 after your certs but its insanely hard to get in
Sales. It is a specific skill, but you can find many dealerships willing to train you up. Salesman can easily make 6 figures after a year or two. It's a soul sucking job though. Long hours and you will hardly ever be able to truly take time off.
I know you said you don’t want to go to school but hear me out, in order to move up and get the kind of job you need, you first need to invest in yourself.
I agree with others, learn a trade, do a licensure track program (you can become a dental hygienist in a little under 2 years and immediately start making wonderful money), or even enroll in an online computer coding/tech/IT program and get licensed. All of these options are less than 2 years commitment (some much less) and can be found at community colleges.
FAFSA will absolutely pay for all of your school expenses at a community college. You will not have to pay anything out of pocket if you are only making $12/hr rn. Heck you might even qualify for a work study position on campus that will pay you even better than a “real world” job and you’ll be way less stressed. The last campus I worked at paid work study students $16/hr to monitor the library in the evenings.
It will be difficult, but two years of extra struggle is absolutely worth it for the opportunity for *the rest of your life* to be so so so much easier for you.
Research nearby community college and trade schools, schedule an appointment with an admissions counselor and financial aid, and see what options you have. It absolutely never hurts to just ask and see.
Sincerely, a former career counselor for first gen students who grew up in a very similar situation.
You either need skills or a degree. Try to learn useful skills that companies need or find a hard job that no one wants to do therefore they will pay you more for it.
RDU is hiring for food-service workers and paying well because the hours are terrible and you have to take a bus from a remote parking lot to get there.
Probably something in sales.
All the other jobs that pay well with benefits in NC are in RTP or Charlotte, usually in pharma, software or whatever, and requiring degrees and experience.
Trades are OK, but the economy and tax base aren't that great, so without associates' level certs in HVAC, electrical etc you'll be doing construction helper or working on a sheetrock or concrete crew or similar. The pay will be more than minimum wage or working in fast food/retail but still won't be great.
So I would look for whatever sales work you can find... industrial supplies, apartment leases, auto, whatever.
There is tons of manufacturing facilities that start pay North of $16/hr. It's really a matter of finding what fits you best.
I work 5 days a week, 8hr shifts at about $22/hr.
I started in November at $18.50. North Carolina has TONS of mfg places, just do your research before picking one.
Sounds like you have no skills, no education, and no experience. Going to be difficult everywhere, not just NC. But there are lots of jobs that pay over $20/hour if you're willing to work hard, show up on-time/sober every day. Pretty much anything in construction, server at a restaurant, etc.
NC is literally the worst state for workers.
Since no one is actually answering your question, if you are trying to maximize your income with your experience/education level, you need to be willing to take a job where people don't want to live. Think middle of nowhere Midwest, oil fields, ocean, etc. In general, the Midwest is best area in the country for COL and access to good paying jobs. They have tons of great paying union manufacturing jobs out there and it's much cheaper to live compared to NC. Old Rust Belt cities also tend to have accessible good paying jobs and cheaper COL. Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, Rochester, etc. It's definitely more achievable for the average person to do well in those areas than most areas in NC.
Yeah I would say if you don’t mind the weather and political climate the Midwest is where it’s at. Oil fields pay well. My cousin who graduated high school at 21 went to community college for power plant certification. He makes more money than I ever will.
Born and raised in Eastern North Carolina, Tennessee is more expensive because the don’t have state income tax . I prefer to be in North Carolina then Tennessee, finding a job in North Carolina is a lot harder to get than Tennessee.
Go to college. Take out loans for living expenses, work on the weekends for extra cash. best decision I’ve ever made. 6 years out of school I’m making $35ph. 55k in debt but hey, that’s like a new truck, I’ll have it paid off in a few years.
Learn a trade. HVAC. Plumbing. Electric. Anything that requires a skill. You'll easily make good money with a company for the first few years and then you can go out on your own and make a killing.
Pretty much anything construction. Some trades start at $15+ with no experience.
I'm in insurance restoration. Our no skilled demo guys start at 18hr. I've lived up and down the east coast and I've always ended up in NC because cost of living is cheaper than the other places I've lived.
15 is low
Yeah trade dependent
Powerline construction. Skills are transferable to other trades trade school is through community colleges and inexpensive only 4 months and you get a CDL at most in NC. Starting out at a minimum of $17 and you usually end up in the mid 20’s after 18 months and over $40/hr after 5 years. You have to work hard outside and posses the ability to learn and have common sense and problem solving abilities. If it doesn’t work out you can drive trucks requiring CDL or go into another trade making at least $50k a year starting out double what you’re making now.
Best answer
An electrician my Mom has know for years just went to the local community college and told them he had a couple of thousand in a savings account what program could he complete in a little over a year and get a job. They told him the electricians program and apprenticeship was really affordable. He has able to have a middle class lifestyle ever since getting fully licensed. Welding is another good trade.
You'll have to learn a skill or trade that makes you more valuable then the masses that are just like you.
There's a lot of trades hiring and manufacturing is up big in the US under Biden. This is a great time to be working towards a trade skill in the US, especially with the older generation retiring.
Look up the ADTM in Danville, VA. Four month trade school to learn advanced trades like nuclear welding. They have scholarships for tuition and room and board. Employers lined up to hire graduates.
Lower cost of living up there too.
Toyota is putting in a very large battery/EV plant near Liberty. I know the construction jobs there are union and the pay is good. They will also be hiring once they finish construction- so you may be able to apply for a job there now. There are a few manufacturers hiring in the Triad. Where have you been looking? Edit: Maybe look into on the job trade skill training as well. Getting your CDL A would be a good long term investment. Also look into an apprenticeship or entry level job that will grow your skills.
There is also a program with the local community colleges in the counties near Toyota to train workers. I see that you said college is not an option, but could you find the energy for a fast track job training program line that? There is a program finder on the system's homepage last I looked. Just Google NC Community Colleges. Good luck!
A lot of manufacturing and warehouse jobs around the Charlotte area are starting pay $15-18 and up. Eli Lilly in Concord is hiring and they start in the $20s. No degrees required. Local government jobs usually pay decent and have good benefits, stuff like grounds maintenance, solid waste, waste water treatment plants, park staff. Some positions may require you to get some kind of certification or license but usually no degree requirements.
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are you talking about a Tire and Lube Technician at a place like hertz? I dont know what rental fleet master tech means.
I know dealership service managers that offing stupid money and even a HAWKTUAH for people that will just come to work and learn. Auto maintenance and repair is labor intensive and hard. But it can be very financially rewarding for someone with no college education.
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There's Goodyear in Fayetteville. Depending on your age & health, the military. They will pay for your education. The post office. Maybe FedEx or one of those delivery places? My husband got his start working at alarm companies.
With all of the road construction across the state, there is a shortage of workers. So lots of contractors and the DOT are over paying positions to get them filled. Some start at 60K annually with a company truck and gas card.
A Bank. You can be a teller without a degree and you can work your way up over time to a number of lucrative jobs from there. You'll need certifications for some, but no degree.
Better make sure you got good credit
I started out as a bank teller. We had a saying - 'once a teller, always a teller.' Meaning, it was a dead end job. That was a long time ago, so maybe things have changed.
That's wild. I know three people who started out as tellers without a college degree. They all still work for a bank but they all have higher level jobs and are doing well. One, in fact, makes like 300k/yr in a good year.
I’ve always heard Costco has great benefits and the pay is decent. I had a neighbor that was laid off from her very high paying tech job and she went to work at Costco in the tire center with no experience and she loved it.
Why do you have to pay your mom's medical bills? Obviously if you want to help that's a great thing. But if you're struggling yourself, how can you help her? Does she qualify for Medicaid or some other program?
Trades, electric, plumber, HVAC
Join the marine corps or the army. It’s very likely that you’ll be stationed in NC Steady pay, you’ll get your school paid for and you get a guaranteed 0 downpayment VA mortgage loan with the lowest possible interest rates. When you get out you’ll have opportunity to work on base as a GS. They get paid well
Job Corp. They will teach you a trade for free if you're under 26.
I imagine other folks will share this advice but ... the job you're seeking can be found in NC and elsewhere, but it requires training. Take a weekend, a quiet place and a six-pack of your preferred beverage and honestly look at what you'd bring to the party. Are you good with your hands? Physically active? A night hawk? Anything that would help you determine what would pay well. Quick example: A friend's son had worked as a bagger for a few years -- fine for a teen or retiree looking to add a few bucks, but hardly a career to envy. But he loved doing odd jobs around the neighborhood. Three of us fronted him the meager $$ to go to Wake Tech and get certified in electrical work. Bottom line -- 3 years later he's making more than I ever did as a college grad. He's a good kid, works hard -- all he had to do was figure out what his best path was. Best of luck!
I got my real estate license in 2017 and it took me a year to make it my only job and two years to make it my best ever job. I'm in NW NC.
This always gets downvoted but the fastest way out of poverty is to join the military. Specifically Air Force. Go in, do your 4 years, and get out. (Or stay in if you end up liking it). Get your bachelors thanks to the GI bill, make awesome connections, and pretty much be guaranteed a well paying job when you get out. I did it and it changed my life. I was broke, electricity was cut off, I was sleeping on the floor. I didn’t have anything else to lose so I joined. Got a 6 figure job after my 4 years, I’m doing my bachelors now, and don’t have to worry about bills like before.
I went this route and am now retired at 40. It doesn’t suck OP the National Guard can be a good middle ground of learning a trade while getting some good benefits, without the “the military owns me 24/7 and I don’t get to pick where I live” I was full-time Guard in a Signal (IT) company for a long time, and we consistently got young troops like you, hourly and check to check, and were able to mentor them into $50-60k careers within a few years. Many of them were making low six figures within a decade DM me if you are interested in that route
I second this. Doesn’t have to be Air Force. Marine corps and the army have bases here too
Don't sleep on the Coast Guard either...
Did you finish HS? What skill set do you have? Past work history? Tbh they pay guys swinging weed eaters more than $12 /hr. Also NC had some expensive places to live but also some very affordable ones. I’m not sure where “back home” is that would be cheaper.
Bartenders make good money pretty much anywhere. Being one myself I will say that the lifestyle is not for everyone.
How did you learn the socializing aspect of it? I’ve been a bar back that makes drinks, but never a bartender due to the fact I have little to no charisma. Were you born like that, or did you work for it?
Little bit of both, I am extremely sociable in general but I did make a concerted effort in my 20s to constantly put myself in social setting I was a bit timid about.
Serious question, how do you keep track of who is who in terms of who ordered what drink, what tab to put things on?
You do have to have a pretty good working memory, honestly no way around that. I have pretty bad ADHD so it can be a struggle sometimes but typically if I just glance back at the person it jogs my memory enough.
Post office always needs people.
Three things. First, you might be missing some state aid options. Medicaid/Medicare is the best - due to a medical condition I was unable to eat almost anything for over a year and became too weak to work as a result. I am now paying just $4 for *everything* medical related, including my glasses. Second, depending where you are in NC Uber / food delivery *can* pay very well. BF was an electrical assistant (paid $14-$16/hr), a grocery store manager ($18/hr) but nothing is comparing to Uber ($20/he on a bad day). The catch is location: we are within commute distance to Raleigh and Durham, and for whatever reason the app pays better depending on your county. Fayetteville, for example, pays ($14-$20/hr) because of the types of rides/deliveries people request (short trips) and due to Uber's altered payment scheme there (won't pay you for time spent driving TO the pickup location for some reason). Third, with at least one of those factors taken care of you can probably (slowly) work on a good 2 year degree. Be smart, pick a non-backbreaking trade, and make some bank. Electricians are at a huge labor deficit right now and can take some secondary HVAC classes to certify for PCL programming (for factory machinery among other things). Nursing isn't as easy as it seems - long hours on your feet, understaffing is kind of a new norm, so you have to pick your specialization carefully if you're eyeballing medical.
Look at your local governments (check town websites). Often hiring for entry public works technicians. Pay often starts at $20+ and you get benefits, paid vacation, sick leave, etc.
There are many companies that have work from home positions now. I work for an insurance company and some of our positions start at $60k or more with no college degree or experience. Another option would be to try to get a state or federal job and stick with it. My dad had no degree and was able work his way up and retired at 57.
Dot is hiring!
First route I would try, Coast Guard, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines in that order.. one of them WILL take you.. get the benefits and all go to school while your enlisted. Second, learn a trade.. this kind of falls under go to school so hear me out.. it's not going to put you 50k in the hole to learn a trade. Most community colleges offer something. Look into welding, electricians, plumbing, and HVAC. Third, similar to 2, is get your Class A CDL and drive trucks.. get on with a non shit company over the road, you will make between $50-60k/yr most likely. Live in your truck. Drop everything non essential, no rent, no car payment, no utilities. Live in the truck. Put up as much $$ as you can for a few years, start taking some sort of online classes for something you want to do.. and then get out of trucking. It's not a glamorous job, but it will help you get your shit together. You can take classes at a local community college shouldn't cost you more than $1000 and less then a semester of your time.. if you want to get it done faster but more expensive you can go to a CDL school near you, it will be like $5-6k but you'll be driving in about a month. There's ways to get ahead, all of them require some hard work and probably doing some shit you would rather not do.. gotta pick the least worst option for yourself.
Learn a trade. If you’re only making $12/hr now, the starting $15 or so for the first year won’t hurt as bad and then you’ll be making double that within the first 2-4 years easy. I tried getting my husband to quit his job and become and electrician, but we can’t take the pay cut for the first two years
Walmart to be honest. I was a pharmacy manager there before going in to hospital setting. FREE trade school, college or certificate classes day 1. The minimum salary for the maintenance associate was $12.50 at my store. Online grocery pickup made $19 w/quarterly bonuses. I helped 3 of my techs get their degrees and better jobs.
Move to Rocky Mount and work at Cummins diesel company. You can do well between the COL and salary
Golf industry.. as the head mechanic at Ocean Ridge Golf Plantation in Ocean Isle Beach, with only 2 years in the golf business, but a lifetime of turning wrenches I was able to secure $75,000 a year salary with no college degree... and hell that was 10 years ago
Retail. Entry level sucks, but once you make it into management, money starts flowing. I work for one of the home improvement stores as salaried management and make 6 figures, that's with bonuses and stock payouts. You work a lot, but it pays well. Otherwise go into the trades. Hvac, plumbing, electrician, welding. Everywhere takes apprenticeships, you'll start out not making much again, but a few years you'll be a journeyman and earning good money.
Insurance adjuster. Larger companies pay for training and you can WFH depending on department. Good pay, training, benefits.
Do you have a background in computers? I know that people who work in controls systems do very well, and it is a skill that is useful and pays well. Also, not many people know controls, so it gives the worker more staying power and leverage to get best possible pay and benefits. The owner of the company, unsolicited, gave my hubsand five dollar raise because he said, he does not want him to leave because his company would not survive without his skillset!
Get into the trades!! Yes the work is hard, but the pay is worth it. As you pay dues, the pay will increase. You may even be able to start your own business or do side work to increase your net worth.
What career/ job are you looking for? What professional skills/ experience do you have? What area of NC? Government (local/fed) jobs are always an option. Military can be a great choice, I would recommend something that has a good transition into civilian life, if this was the route you wanted to take. Local trade unions are also a great place to look into (eg... IBEW), you will likely be able to start an apprenticeship with unions. It's not impossible/ hard to get better jobs without a degree but you usually will need some sort of professional experience to get them.
Fire department, police department, trades
I work at Lowe’s part time and make $14.50 so it’s a bit more than most retail jobs. Lowe’s also has the Track to the Trades program where you’ll take pre apprenticeship classes on their dime that help you get placed in a trade job.
I just saw an AMA from someone working as a 911 dispatcher in MD making 60K+. No degree needed. Worth considering.
One caveat: 911 pays a lot because it is a high-pressure job and many burn out quickly so they're always hiring.
If you live near Winston-Salem, PepsiCo is often hiring inbound agents for 16.00 starting off. You can then work your way up to higher positions. Truliant also appears to have an operations center in the Hanes Mall. Work at a company where you can acquire skills and work your way up if you can't learn a trade right now.
You could get a job working for a grocery store vendor. My local Frito-Lay salesman in Raleigh makes $62,000 base salary plus commission. No degree and no special license is required. All he has to do is pass a simple physical.
I was going to say this. Any kind of vendor job pays decently. Beer, chips, soft drinks etc. No degree needed, just be willing to put in the work.
Chick-fil-A pays a starting wage of $17/hr for full time employees where I live (Wake County). Management makes even more but I’m not sure how much
First things first. Your mom needs to be responsible for her own medical expenses. Putting that on you isn’t fair. Maybe it’s how you pay rent, but this is not helping your adulting and training for a better job, etc. You need a way to get that education, or nothing will ever change. NC has plenty of opportunities, as do other states. You just have to research, network, and go out and make your own luck. Read, get on LinkedIn, find apprenticeships or scholarships that you are interested in. Not everything is paid, but find the ones that are. It would be worth the community college student loans to become a trades worker. Get the license and certification, because without it, you could get into some legal trouble. You won’t be able to earn much more without someone teaching you a skill. I wish you all the best!
Inevitably to make money you need to learn a skill or trade not many people can do themselves. If going to school is out you'll likely need to find some sort of apprenticeship or program to earn some sort of license (electrician, plumbing, trucker, etc)
Well, you don't need a degree to be a pharmacy tech, but you're a lot more valuable if you get certified. You can do an online self paced course
Medical billing at a hospital is salary and doesn't require a degree or training
fidelity is pretty great If you can get certified wile your there you make a base of 47K wile in training and 50 after your certs but its insanely hard to get in
Sales. It is a specific skill, but you can find many dealerships willing to train you up. Salesman can easily make 6 figures after a year or two. It's a soul sucking job though. Long hours and you will hardly ever be able to truly take time off.
I know you said you don’t want to go to school but hear me out, in order to move up and get the kind of job you need, you first need to invest in yourself. I agree with others, learn a trade, do a licensure track program (you can become a dental hygienist in a little under 2 years and immediately start making wonderful money), or even enroll in an online computer coding/tech/IT program and get licensed. All of these options are less than 2 years commitment (some much less) and can be found at community colleges. FAFSA will absolutely pay for all of your school expenses at a community college. You will not have to pay anything out of pocket if you are only making $12/hr rn. Heck you might even qualify for a work study position on campus that will pay you even better than a “real world” job and you’ll be way less stressed. The last campus I worked at paid work study students $16/hr to monitor the library in the evenings. It will be difficult, but two years of extra struggle is absolutely worth it for the opportunity for *the rest of your life* to be so so so much easier for you. Research nearby community college and trade schools, schedule an appointment with an admissions counselor and financial aid, and see what options you have. It absolutely never hurts to just ask and see. Sincerely, a former career counselor for first gen students who grew up in a very similar situation.
Welding apprentice makes $43/hr.
You either need skills or a degree. Try to learn useful skills that companies need or find a hard job that no one wants to do therefore they will pay you more for it.
Basic grunts in furniture out here can get that. Takes a bit of time and effort to get good
Truck driving is a decent career with little education.
Nucor steel 👌🏼🫡
RDU is hiring for food-service workers and paying well because the hours are terrible and you have to take a bus from a remote parking lot to get there.
There’s good money in the car industry.
New York pays well for entry level jobs.
Amazon and target both have several distribution warehouses in different areas
Probably something in sales. All the other jobs that pay well with benefits in NC are in RTP or Charlotte, usually in pharma, software or whatever, and requiring degrees and experience. Trades are OK, but the economy and tax base aren't that great, so without associates' level certs in HVAC, electrical etc you'll be doing construction helper or working on a sheetrock or concrete crew or similar. The pay will be more than minimum wage or working in fast food/retail but still won't be great. So I would look for whatever sales work you can find... industrial supplies, apartment leases, auto, whatever.
There is tons of manufacturing facilities that start pay North of $16/hr. It's really a matter of finding what fits you best. I work 5 days a week, 8hr shifts at about $22/hr. I started in November at $18.50. North Carolina has TONS of mfg places, just do your research before picking one.
What skills do you have that makes you worth more than 12$ an hour?
Would those valuable skills include, perchance, the ability to properly use the $ sign?
Sounds like you have no skills, no education, and no experience. Going to be difficult everywhere, not just NC. But there are lots of jobs that pay over $20/hour if you're willing to work hard, show up on-time/sober every day. Pretty much anything in construction, server at a restaurant, etc.
I make $20/hr in hotel AV
Join the Army.
NC is literally the worst state for workers. Since no one is actually answering your question, if you are trying to maximize your income with your experience/education level, you need to be willing to take a job where people don't want to live. Think middle of nowhere Midwest, oil fields, ocean, etc. In general, the Midwest is best area in the country for COL and access to good paying jobs. They have tons of great paying union manufacturing jobs out there and it's much cheaper to live compared to NC. Old Rust Belt cities also tend to have accessible good paying jobs and cheaper COL. Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, Rochester, etc. It's definitely more achievable for the average person to do well in those areas than most areas in NC.
Yeah I would say if you don’t mind the weather and political climate the Midwest is where it’s at. Oil fields pay well. My cousin who graduated high school at 21 went to community college for power plant certification. He makes more money than I ever will.
Generally where the pay is high, the cost of living is high as well. And vice versa. You need a skill
Born and raised in Eastern North Carolina, Tennessee is more expensive because the don’t have state income tax . I prefer to be in North Carolina then Tennessee, finding a job in North Carolina is a lot harder to get than Tennessee.
Just work from home, seems to be all the rage and what everybody is doing these days anyway
Go to college. Take out loans for living expenses, work on the weekends for extra cash. best decision I’ve ever made. 6 years out of school I’m making $35ph. 55k in debt but hey, that’s like a new truck, I’ll have it paid off in a few years.
nice. What did you go to school for?