We spend a proportion of our lives at work, and although there indeed is more to life than your job, it certainly helps to make your experience better if you can find some meaning in what you do for a living! Human beings naturally want to feel that they are helping other people and making a difference, and because of this, some of the most rewarding careers are those where we get to spend our days doing this.

Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor

Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors are mental health professionals who work with people struggling with alcohol and drug addiction, or who have an eating disorder or behavioral problem.

You will be working with people to help them to put their lives back together, and often carrying out outreach work to help prevent people from developing these issues. To get into the field, you will usually need a mixture of real-life experience and academic qualifications, and the median salary is $44,630.

Mental Health Counselor

Mental Health Counselors work with people from all walks of life who are struggling with their mental health, often drawing on real-life experiences to allow them to connect with clients. Mental Health Counselors will often work in collaboration with Psychiatrists to provide an effective treatment plan for their client.

The median salary for Mental Health counsellors is $44,840, and there are opportunities to open up your own practice once you have established a name for yourself.

Nursing

Nurses can specialize in several different branches of medicine and will work with people from all sorts of backgrounds. Nursing for training is becoming more accessible, with many renowned institutions now offering accelerated nursing programs online, where you can gain your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in a year.

The median salary for Registered Nurses was $73,300 in 2019, with scope to earn more depending on your level of experience, your specialism and which state you are working on. See the Registered Nurse career guide on nurse.org for more information.

Speech and Language Therapist

The part of a speech and language therapist is to diagnose and treat issues with communication and with swallowing in children and adults. They predominantly work in healthcare facilities, but some work in schools, too.

The average salary for a speech and language therapist is £79,120 per year, and generally, you will need a master’s degree to be licensed, although the requirements do vary state by state.

Physical Therapist

Physical Therapists work with people to improve movement and manage pain. They may work with people who are suffering from an illness or be helping people with their rehabilitation after a surgery or injury. They also frequently work with patients who have chronic conditions, to help them to improve their quality of life.

To be a physical therapist, you’ll need a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from a program that is accredited by CAPTE (Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education). The median salary for a physical therapist is $89,440.

911 Dispatcher

To become a 911 dispatcher, you will need to identify a dispatcher employer that is local to you and then identify their requirements. Generally, it is a good idea to have a college degree in a related field, such as criminology or communications.

You will not only be assessing emergencies and dispatching the relevant emergency personnel, but you will be helping to keep the person on the phone calm and providing them with potentially life-saving advice. The salary for a 911 dispatcher varies by state, but the average is $40,660.

Have you considered pursuing a career that makes a difference?

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