4 careers with surprisingly good salaries – MyFox Washington DC

The U.S. economy has become decidedly stagnant in recent weeks, as particularly slow growth during the second financial quarter has stalled job creation and facilitated a rise in unemployment. With 8.2% of the U.S. population now without a job, and in the light of conservative growth estimates for the remainder of 2012, the majority of citizens are braced for a period of sustained austerity.Those who work within the wider cleaning industry are often undervalued, especially when you consider the diversity of tasks performed and their importance. For example, in 2009 neweconomics.org commissioned a report into evaluating the social capital generated by specific U.K. jobs in relation to the respective salaries of employees. The results of this study found that while hospital cleaners were often rewarded for their efforts with around minimum wage, the individual tasks that they performed generated a staggering 10 British Pounds of social value for every pound that they earned directly. With this in mind, it may comes as something of a surprise that sewer and drainage cleaners buck this trend, offering a starting wage of about $34,960 and higher salaries of up to $61,000 for skilled operatives. While mechanics are not typically associated with six-figure salaries or being especially well paid, they operate in a diverse and specialized industry that rewards some technicians more than others. For example, elevator mechanics in the U.S. earn an average annual salary of more than $70,000, while those within the top 10% of workers can claim a staggering yearly wage of approximately $109,000. Part of the reason for this sizable salary is the unique technology applied in elevators, while workers in this niche are also less affected by economic downturns due to the fact that the primary demand is for repair and maintenance work. The BLS also reports that elevator mechanics belong to an established union, which ensures good healthcare benefits and holiday pay for employees.

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4 careers with surprisingly good salaries – MyFox Washington DC