8) Education
Starting salary: $38,100
Mid-career salary: $54,600
Annual online job postings: 19,627
Related job: High school teacher
Projected 10-year job growth: 8.9%
Teachers are notoriously undervalued for all the priceless work they do guiding future generations. Preschool teachers typically earn about $27,250 a year, despite being in high demand, with a projected growth rate of 14.9%. High school teachers stand to earn more—their typical median income is nearly $55,290 a year—but the expected growth in this field is below average. Special-education majors tend to fare even worse, pay-wise: The median annual salary with this degree is $34,500 to start and $46,800 at mid-career.
