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TL;DR - I'm evaluating the option of going back to school for a career change. Possibly for physical therapy. Any suggestions on other in demand careers I should consider? Engineering/programming don't appeal to me.
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Hello, first post here and I'm hoping to get some advice from the board about a potential career change.
First, a few stats for background:
34 years old, single, no kids.
$170k net worth, only debt is my mortgage
LCOL midsize city with a lagging economy
$47k salary, between $5k to $10k of side income.
Saving about $25k right now annually.
I originally went to school for a masters in public administration, wanting to work for a nonprofit. When I graduated the job market was awful and I was fighting it out for $14 an hour nonprofit jobs. I eventually went to work for a huge corporation where I forecast staffing needs and report on performance for a somewhat inglorious but necessary side of the business.
I like my job pretty well. I have low stress, a good work environment, and a great boss. The downside is that any career progression would require a move across the country and I can really only count on 3% raises annually. I don't see a future there. I also don't really see many other jobs outside the company I am interested in with my current qualifications.
So, I'm considering potential career changes. I don't enjoy engineering/IT/programming. I love fitness, nutrition, and art. It is very important to me that a new career is in pretty high demand after my last awful experience on the job hunt. The salary needs to be decent at least, but I'm more concerned about being in demand and feeling good about what I do. I don't want to move, although would consider moving temporarily for training/schooling.
I'm considering physical therapy, but would appreciate any other suggestions. I don't want to get in massive debt and it would be great if I could work my current job while becoming qualified for the next, but not totally necessary. I have some down time at work that could be spent studying for classes.