It’s never too late to make a new start or make a change. That’s why many people over forty decide it’s time to finish or start their bachelor’s degree online. Whether to raise their earnings potential, or to switch careers, or simply to increase their knowledge and complete a personal goal of achieving a degree, there’s no time like the present, no matter what your age.
Another thing to consider about going back to school as an older student is that people are working longer than they used to. Even the official age to receive social security retirement benefits has gone up from 65 to 67, and depending on which expert you ask, that retirement age may continue to creep up. After all, people are living longer. So while you may not have the same amount of time to make a new degree payout that you would have if you completed it in your twenties, chances are you’ve got at least a couple decades to reap the rewards of your new degree.
This begs the question, which online degrees may work better for older workers? We’ve put together a list of online degrees that pay well and aren’t too physically demanding — perfect for a student over forty.
Management Information Systems
Yes, your grandma probably told you to get a degree in “computers” twenty years ago, and she was right! It would have paid off. Don’t feel bad about waiting until you’re older, though, that degree can still pay off for you. With a degree in Management Information Systems, you’ll manage information systems which is a combination of managerial work and technical knowledge. While you may have to work your way up to the high paying positions, even median pay for a Computer or Information Systems Manager is high at $142,530 per year salary. Ok, grandma, you win!
Human Resources
Human resources is a great place for an older college grad to make a new career start. One of the reasons is that almost any company or government agency of a certain size has to have a human resources department. The jobs are available anywhere. And growth in the industry always remains steady. If you’re an older student looking for a degree that leads to a steady paying desk job with good growth outlook, human resources may be perfect for you. And with a median salary of $60,880/year you’ll probably start seeing the benefits of that pay bump from your bachelor’s degree right away.
Healthcare Administration
If you’d like to get into the healthcare field, but don’t necessarily want to have to do any sort of clinical work, the clerical and administrative side of healthcare may work better for you. While you’ll probably have to begin your career with a lower level desk or clerical job, Medical and Health Services Managers do very well for themselves, with a median salary of $99,730 per year.
