How happy are you with your salary? The average employee in Britain earns £13.03 per hour – but there are plenty of people earning much more than that. If you fancy earning £20-£25 per hour, here are eight roles to consider in your job search.
1. IT project manager
Average earnings: £24.69 per hour (£48,144 per annum)
Job description: IT project managers oversee the planning, development and installation of computer systems to meet clients’ business needs. Clients can range from private companies to the NHS and government departments.
Entry requirements: A proven track record of successfully leading or working on projects as part of a project support team. Most employers ask for a PRINCE2 certification. Many IT project managers will have a degree in computing, information systems, project management or business management.
2. Public health service managers and directors
Average earnings: £24.56 per hour (£47,894 per annum)
Job description: Health service managers oversee the non-clinical operations of a public health organisation such as a hospital, health department, or community facility, and are responsible for its day-to-day running. A wide range of managerial roles are available in the NHS, including finance, human resources (HR), clinical management, staff management, project management and procurement, information management, facilities management, and operational management.
Entry requirements: The NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme is open to graduates of all disciplines. In England, there are four specialist areas: general management; human resource management; health informatics management; and finance management. Each requires a minimum 2:2 degree in any subject or an alternative equivalent health or management-related qualification.
3. Train driver
Average earnings: £24.15 per hour (£47,101 per annum)
Job description: Train drivers operate trains on local and national rail networks, making sure that passengers and freight reach their destination safely and on time. They also communicate with the control centre, follow signals, perform safety checks, open and close doors and make passenger announcements.
Entry requirements: Most employers ask for GCSEs (including maths and English). If your application is accepted, you will be tested on your basic mechanical knowledge, reaction times and concentration skills. If you pass, you will be invited to interview. Those selected must pass a medical and fitness check.
4. Insurance underwriter
Average earnings: £22.30 per hour (£43,487 per annum)
Job description: Insurance underwriters decide if applications for insurance cover should be accepted and, if so, what the terms, conditions and cost of the insurance policy would be for a particular person or company. Working closely with actuaries, risk and claims managers, insurance underwriters seek to attract customers through competitive insurance premiums, while being able to cover potential losses from claims.
Entry requirements: Most underwriters either work their way up from an assistant role (for example, working in a call centre) or complete a graduate training programme in underwriting. There are also Apprenticeship schemes available.
5. Quantity surveyor
Average earnings: £21.07 per hour (£41,086 per annum)
Job description: Quantity surveyors manage and seek to minimise costs relating to building and civil engineering projects while adhering to statutory building regulations. Working for either the client or contractor, surveyors carry out feasibility studies to estimate materials, time and labour costs, negotiate and draw up bids for tenders and contracts, and monitor each stage of construction to make sure costs stay on track.
Entry requirements: A degree or professional qualification accredited by the Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Graduates from other degree subjects can take a postgraduate conversion course accredited by RICS. Some people study part-time while employed as a surveying technician.
6. Dental practitioner
Average earnings: £20.65 per hour (£40,268 per annum)
Job description: Most dentists work as self-employed practitioners in general practice, educating and treating a wide range of private and NHS patients, from children to the elderly. Others are employed on a salaried basis, in specialisms ranging from hospital and community dentistry to the armed forces and university teaching.
Entry requirements: A Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree, which typically takes five years to complete. Those with a degree in biology, chemistry or a biomedical subject, at 2:1 or higher, can apply for an accelerated four-year dental degree course. General dental practitioners do a further year of postgraduate training, sometimes more, depending on the type of dentistry they wish to specialise in.
7. Advertising accounts manager
Average earnings: £20.77 per hour (£40,510 per annum)
Job description: Advertising account managers provide the link between the advertising agency and its clients, acting as both the salesperson for the agency and as their client’s representative. They are responsible for drawing up a well-targeted brief, managing client budgets, overseeing the work of the agency team, and ensuring projects are delivered on time.
Entry requirements: Most of the big agencies expect candidates to have a degree or HND in a relevant subject, such as advertising, marketing, communications, business/management, or English. Smaller agencies may consider non-graduates if they have a proven track record of relevant work experience, but they will generally start a more junior level. Higher Level Apprenticeships are also available.
8. Higher education teacher
Average earnings: £20.54 per hour (£40,054 per annum)
Job description: Higher education lecturers teach undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18 plus in universities and in some colleges of further education.
Entry requirements: You need a 2:1 or first degree that is relevant to the subject you want to lecture, as well as a relevant PhD or be working towards one. You’ll also need to have had academic work published and be able to demonstrate experience of (or clear potential for) teaching.
Note: Average salary information taken from the 2014 ONS annual salaries survey. Hourly pay based on working 7.5 hours a day, 5 days a week.
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