What is the best job for a career change?

It depends on your time and your body. For pay without a degree, LPN, electrician, IT support and HVAC all had May 2025 medians above $61,000. For the fastest start, CNA and phlebotomy programs are short. For growth, medical assistant jobs are projected to grow 13 percent.

What career change jobs pay well without a degree?

Licensed practical nurse ($64,400 median), electrician ($63,190), computer user support ($61,860), HVAC technician ($61,010) and commercial truck driver ($58,640), per the Bureau of Labor Statistics for May 2025.

What is the fastest career to train for?

CNA is among the fastest. Federal rules set a minimum of 75 hours of training. Phlebotomy and EMT-Basic programs also take less than a year.

Can I get paid while I train for a new career?

Yes. Electrician apprentices are paid for about 2,000 hours of on-the-job training each year, and some HVAC technicians also train in paid apprenticeships.

How much does career change training cost?

The example costs in this table range from a $525 CDA application fee to $11,467 for an LPN program, at the schools named. Prices differ by state and school, and WIOA can pay approved programs for people who qualify.

Best Career Change Jobs (2026): Pay, Training, Cost

The best career change jobs at a glance

Pay is the median for May 2025, and growth is the projection for 2025 to 2035, both from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. BLS calls 3 to 4 percent growth about as fast as average, 6 percent faster than average, and 7 percent or more much faster than average. Costs are one named school's published price, to give you a real example. Your local price will differ, and WIOA or an employer may pay it.

Job	Training length	Example cost	Median pay	Growth 2025 to 2035	Credential
Medical billing and coding (medical records specialist)	1 to 3 semesters at Austin Community College	$6,385 at Austin Community College	$51,140	8%	Certification, often preferred by employers
Medical assistant	Certificate or associate's degree, about 1 to 2 years; some learn on the job	About $4,300 tuition and fees for the CCMA certificate at Northeast Texas Community College	$45,690	13%	Certification; some states require it
HVAC technician	6 months to 2 years, or a multi-year paid apprenticeship	$4,875 for Level 1 at Southside Virginia Community College	$61,010	11%	EPA refrigerant certification; license in some states
Electrician	4- or 5-year paid apprenticeship, about 2,000 paid hours a year	Apprentices are paid while they train	$63,190	9%	State license in most states
Phlebotomist	Under 1 year	$3,000 at Southside Virginia Community College	$45,230	7%	Certification; some states require a license
Dental assistant	Many programs take about 1 year; some states allow on-the-job training	$8,689 to $9,275 for district residents at Washtenaw Community College	$48,070	7%	Varies by state; some require a license or registration
Pharmacy technician	1 year or less; some train on the job	$2,557 for 135 hours at the Community College of Baltimore County	$45,750	6%	Most states regulate; some require certification
EMT	Under 1 year for EMT-Basic	About $1,600 at Hillsborough Community College	$44,470	6% (EMTs and paramedics)	State license, required in every state
Commercial truck driver (CDL)	3 to 6 months at a community college	$6,000 at Southside Virginia Community College	$58,640	4%	Commercial driver's license (CDL)
Certified nursing assistant (CNA)	At least 75 hours under federal rules	$3,396 at Southside Virginia Community College	$42,260	3% (with orderlies)	State competency exam
Licensed practical nurse (LPN)	About 1 year	$11,467 in-state at Cincinnati State	$64,400	3%	State license
Welder	Technical school or an apprenticeship, then several months of on-the-job training	$1,950 for a welding course at Southside Virginia Community College	$53,750	2%	Certification; license in some states
Childcare worker (early childhood)	120 hours of training plus 480 hours of experience for the CDA	$525 to apply for the CDA, plus the training	$34,980	-2%	CDA credential, the one states most often require
IT support (computer user support)	About 200 course hours to CompTIA A+	$2,195 including A+ exam vouchers at Maricopa Community Colleges	$61,860	-3% (all computer support)	IT certification, such as CompTIA A+

Pay and growth: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (May 2025 wages, 2025 to 2035 projections). Costs: each school's published price, checked October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of the page.

How to pick from the list

Fastest to a paycheck: CNA, phlebotomy and EMT programs are short. A CNA program can be as short as the 75-hour federal minimum, depending on your state.
Highest pay without a bachelor's degree: LPN ($64,400), electrician ($63,190), user support in IT ($61,860) and HVAC ($61,010).
Paid while you train: electrician apprenticeships pay from the start, and some HVAC technicians train in paid apprenticeships too.
Fastest growth: medical assistant (13 percent), HVAC (11 percent) and electrician (9 percent).
Desk work: medical billing and coding. Medical records specialists earned a median of $51,140.

Openings matter as much as growth

Growth shows whether a field is adding jobs. Openings show how many jobs come up each year, mostly from people retiring or moving on. A field with slow growth can still hire a lot of people.

CDL truck drivers: about 214,500 openings a year.
Nursing assistants and orderlies: about 203,300 a year.
Childcare workers: about 150,300 a year, even with a projected 2 percent decline.
Medical assistants: about 109,700 a year.
Electricians: about 72,700 a year.
Computer support specialists: about 48,700 a year, even with a projected 3 percent decline.
Welders: about 40,300 a year.

What the work is like

Pay and training are half the decision. The other half is whether you can do the work for years. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics' work environment notes:

CNA, EMT, HVAC, truck driving and childcare are among the occupations with the highest rates of injuries and illnesses. They involve lifting, kneeling or long hours on the road.
Long-haul truck drivers can be away from home for days or weeks at a time.
Hospitals, labs and pharmacies run around the clock, so CNAs, phlebotomists, LPNs and pharmacy technicians may work nights, weekends and holidays.
Electricians and HVAC technicians work indoors and outdoors, sometimes in cramped spaces, and travel between job sites.
Some computer support specialists can work from home. Medical records specialists mostly work full time, with shifts in hospitals.

Jobs that look like a quick switch but take longer

Cybersecurity analyst is the common one. Information security analysts earned a median of $129,180 in May 2025, and jobs are projected to grow 21 percent. But the typical entry path is a bachelor's degree plus up to 5 years of related work. Most people get there through IT support first.

Registered nurse is the other. The median was $97,550, but the typical entry education is a bachelor's degree. Starting as an LPN or CNA is a common way in.

The guide to moving into IT and the rest of the career change hub cover these paths.

How to get the training paid for

WIOA, the federal job training program, can pay an approved school directly for people who qualify. You apply at an American Job Center. Adults with low income get priority, and laid-off workers are served through the Dislocated Worker program.

Electrician apprentices are paid for about 2,000 hours of on-the-job training each year. Some welding employers pay the cost of training and certification tests for their workers.

The free plan below shows the approved programs near you for the job you pick, and how to apply for the funding.

Next steps

Not sure which job fits? Take the free 5-minute career change quiz.
Ready to plan the move? Read the career change guide and how to switch careers.
Applying soon? Use the career change resume and cover letter guides.

Best Career Change Jobs: 14 Jobs With Short Training or Paid Apprenticeships