Advancing your career from the comfort of your home has never been easier. Getting a degree online gives you the flexibility to set your schedule. Best of all, online degrees are more affordable than in-person ones.
The career opportunities associated with online degrees have grown with the number of offerings, making it difficult to figure out where to start. Search for online degree programs to see which one works best for you.
What to Consider
Once you’ve decided to pursue an online degree, there any many factors you need to consider. Where you want to live can determine which degree or career is best. Your desired salary is important to consider. Most of all, be mindful of what you’re passionate about.
All these factors should be top of mind when you search for online degree programs. They might not lead to an answer right away, but they are important in guiding you down the right path. This is your future you’re considering – it’s important to do it thoughtfully.
While there is no guarantee that a degree will automatically lead to a great career and the salary you were hoping for, it will put you in the best possible position.
Best Degree Options
Now that you’ve organized yourself around your passion, salary, and location, here are some of the best online degrees and the careers they can provide.
Accounting
This is the perfect degree for people who love crunching numbers and tieing out balance sheets. All businesses and industries need accountants, cementing job security no matter what economic downturns happen.
Better still, accounting jobs are expected to continue to grow over the next decade. An accounting degree gives people the flexibility to work for a corporation, start their own company, or go back to school to become a Certified Public Accountant.
Median annual salary: $75,150.
Business
One of the more versatile options, an online business degree opens up the doors to many options. Business degrees are great launching pads for careers as human resource managers, accountants, sales managers, and marketing managers.
There’s no shortage of jobs either, with business positions expected to grow 5% over the next 10 years.
Median annual salary: $69,820.
Criminal Justice
The best way to translate your passion for crime documentaries and series is to channel it into pursuing an online criminal justice degree.
This could help in an application to become a police officer, or could lead to a job as a probation officer or legal assistant as well. There are plenty of options in a field expected to grow 5% over the next decade.
Median annual salary: $54,290.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity may sound like a lofty degree, but it is a guaranteed way to increase your career mobility, earning potential, and job security exponentially.
As more and more companies do business online, the threat of hackers and theft grows. This means that the global economy is expected to create 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs over the next few years.
Median annual salary: $125,00.
Data Science
A degree in data science teaches students the field where statistics, math, science, and programming come together. Every business today depends on large amounts of data, whether it be in media, entertainment, technology, or government.
The fast-growing field of data science is reflected in the jobs available to those with online degrees in data science. Workplace data aggregator Glassdoor recently placed it as number 2 on their Best 50 Jobs in America list.
Median annual salary: $113,736.
Healthcare Administration
Healthcare Administration is the perfect degree for people who have a passion for medicine and the healthcare industry but don’t have the skills or interest to pursue a medical degree. This degree can lead to a meaningful career managing the day-to-day operations of a hospital to ensure everything runs according to plan.
A career in healthcare administration can lead someone to operate local clinics, care facilities, nursing homes, or hospitals. The projected growth rate through 2029 is expected to be 32%, making it a hot field to enter.
Median annual salary: $100,980.
Nursing
Nursing can be a difficult path for people who don’t like the sight of blood. For those who can get past that, it can be a stimulating career path. The desire to care for people in need is important in pursuing an online nursing degree, so it’s a natural fit for caregivers.
The nursing profession is one of the most diverse in healthcare, offering a graduate to pursue career opportunities as a certified nursing assistant, licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, nurse educator, or advanced researcher.
The earning potential of a nursing degree depends on the career path chosen. With a projected job growth rate of 45% between now and the end of the decade, there will be no shortage of options.
Median annual salary: $115,800.
Paralegal
This is a great degree alternative for someone unsure about pursuing a law degree. Paralegals are just as involved in the process of the law as lawyers are, while also gaining valuable on-the-job experience. There is also the option to specialize in fields of interest, whether it be bankruptcy law, criminal law, family law, or estate law.
As in accounting, the demand for paralegals is expected to grow 10% over the next decade, so there will plenty of opportunities for someone with an online paralegal degree.
Median annual salary: $51,740.
Psychology
One of the more difficult degrees to attain, it comes with its rewards. This degree is perfect for people with a driven passion to help people. If that sounds like you, then this is a great degree to pursue.
The types of jobs for graduates with a psychology degree are vast and diverse, including psychologists, therapists, and psychiatric interns and aides. The high level of difficulty of study leads to a loftier career.
Median annual salary: $80,730.
Teaching
Teaching is a noble profession. The patience required to deal with children is long, but so are the summer breaks. Though it may seem easy, it requires a lot of training to get good at it.
There are a variety of online teaching degrees to choose from, focusing on elementary education up through secondary education. Teaching jobs are always in high demand, making for good prospects upon graduation.
Median annual salary: $65,218.
If you are looking to take control of your career and any of these degrees sound interesting, search for online programs that work for you. You control your future, so take command by searching for online degrees and follow your passion today.
