Working for the CIA

Have you ever thought about getting a job with the CIA? Of course you have! Every person has thought about working for the FBI, CIA, DEA, NBC, XOXO, ROFLMAO…I'm getting side tracked. I was just saying that we have all though about working for a big government agency at some point in time. Most of us just never go through with that idea. If you are serious about learning how to become a CIA agent, you may want to get a better feel for this career. That is what this article is all about. Let's take a look at the work of a CIA agent so you can figure out if you would do well as one.

What Do CIA Agents Do?

We've all heard about the CIA, but do you know what it is actually designed for? The CIA monitors all forms of communication coming from and into the country to detect possible threats and shady business deals. It is in charge of protecting citizens by working in the background. Here are some examples of work you may do in the CIA:

• Assist government officials
• Collect evidence
• Conduct investigations
• Evaluate paper documents
• Monitor telecommunications
• Oversee foreign communications
• Speak to international agents
• Work undercover

If you think a job like that sounds like something you can handle, you may do just fine in the CIA.

What Positions Are Available at the CIA?

There are many different positions in the CIA, and some of them are more specialized than others. Before you decide to become a CIA agent, you may want to decide what kind of agent you want to be. Possibilities include:

• Arabic translator
• Criminal investigator
• Data analyst
• Database administrator
• Detective
• Intelligence analyst
• Intelligence officer
• Nuclear engineer

Where Do CIA Agents Work?

CIA agents work in a variety of government offices, even if they do the same work at the end of the day. You may be asked to work in a business undercover during your time in the CIA, or you may just work at an office like anyone else would. Here is a list of employers you may work through as a CIA agent:

• CIA agencies
• Companies
• Government offices
• Investigation firms
• Law enforcement offices
• Law offices
• The White House

What Do CIA Agents Make?

As a whole, CIA agents have the chance to make some pretty good money during their careers. They may not make as much as some other government employees, but they can definitely hold their own. Enough of my chit chat though. Here is a look at what you can make as a CIA agent:

Salary by Experience

• Less than 1 year of experience: $55,330 per year
• 1-4 years of experience: $59,413 per year
• 5-9 years of experience: $87,250 per year
• 10-19 years of experience: $89,500 per year
• 20+ years of experience: $134,846 per year

Salary by Company Size

• 200-599 staff members: $103,000 per year
• 2000-4999 staff members: $97,000 per year
• 5000-19999 staff members: $61,000 per year
• 20000-49999 staff members: $128,658 per year
• 50000+ staff members: $127,447 per year

What Does It Take to Become a CIA Agent?

In order to become a CIA agent, you have to be arrest free and physically fit. On top of that, you need to have a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited university. Some god options to consider include:

• Bachelor of Science in Sociology
• Bachelor of Science in Psychology
• Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
• Bachelor of Science in Accounting
• Bachelor of Commerce in Criminal Justice
• Bachelor of Arts in Social Work
• Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
• Bachelor of Arts in Criminology
• Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
• Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration

You can check out the CIA's website for more information about the requirements you have to fulfill for the CIA, but one of the degrees above should give you a good foundation to work with. Think about whether or not this is the career for you, and you should be able to go through whatever you need to start your life as an agent.

Make Big Bucks with Fast Typing Skills

Are you a really fast typist? Can you process information quickly and type it with accuracy? Do you know a little bit about how the court system works? If so, you may be able to make some good money as a court reporter. For this job, all you basically have to do is type up what you hear in a court case so that other people can read the minutes later on. You don't have to have a college education to become a court reporter, and you can make a lot of money doing this. It's a win-win situation.



The information below highlights the average earnings for court reporters in the country, just to show you how great your salary could be in this profession.

Salary by Years of Experience

The more experience you have as a court reporter, the more money you can make. People will be willing to pay for your services because they will have a clear view of what you can do. The average salary for court reporters based on years of experience will fall in this range:

• Less than 1 year: $35,000 - $65,000 per year
• 1-4 years: $24,311 - $61,042 per year
• 5-9 years: $30,563 - $92,130 per year
• 10-19 years: $31,262 - $107,235 per year
• 20+ years: $24,511 - $92,279 per year

Salary by Degree

You don't need a college education to work as a court reporter, but having one may help you get a job easier in the future. The average salary for court reporters based on degree will fall in this range:

• Associate's Degree: $14,203 - $87,784 per year
• Bachelor's Degree: $41,845 - $78,611 per year

Salary by Employer Type

Some employers pay their court reporters better money because they expect more out of them. If you type quickly and accurately, you should be able to land a job with a high paying employer over time. The average salary for court reporters based on their employers will fall in this range:

• Company: $25,181 - $159,785 per year
• Federal Government: $49,910 - $65,000 per year
• Private Practice: $23,091 - $345,666 per year
• Self-Employed: $23,270 - $98,920 per year
• State and Local Government: $28,883 - $87,828 per year

Salary by Company Size

You may see a difference in your pay rate based on the size of the organization you work in. Larger companies tend to pay more money, but that is not always the case. The average salary for court reporters based on company size will fall in this range:

• 1-9: $23,901 - $97,313 per year
• 10-49: $23,270 - $83,141 per year
• 50-199: $45,201 - $85,459 per year
• 200-599: $39,996 - $90,000 per year

Salary by Location

Some areas of the country have a higher demand for court reporters than others. Those are the ones that usually have the best paying positions. The average salary for court reporters based on location will fall in this range:

• California: $23,672 - $145,437 per year
• Florida: $29,590 - $79,189 per year
• Georgia: $40,521 - $49,627 per year
• Indiana: $27,514 - $50,868 per year
• Louisiana: $34,392 - $51,275 per year
• New York: $58,000 - $112,260 per year
• Texas: $36,000 - $70,000 per year

The court reporter salaries above show that these men and women do in fact make great money without much of any education. If you know your way around a keyboard and don't mind a fairly monotonous job, this could definitely be a great career for you. Explore your options a little bit and see where they take you. You might be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Becoming a Forensic Psychologist

Forensic psychology has become a popular career pursuit over the years because it combines traditional psychology practices with criminal justice. This creates an interesting field to work in, and it opens the doors for many different career opportunities in the future. Becoming a forensic psychologist is no easy task, and some people say that they pay they get in this field is not worth the time it takes to train in it. Before you jump to that conclusion though, you may want to review the process yourself. Then you can determine if you have enough passion for it to go through 10+ years in college to obtain your forensic psychology degree. Here is an overview of what it takes to become a forensic psychologist.

Getting an Education

In order to become a forensic psychologist, you actually need the same education as a clinical psychologist. You will take courses related to criminal justice as well, but those will mainly be supplements to your psychological training. At the core of your job, you will need to tap into the human mind. Thus that is what the core of your education will revolve around. Common courses in a forensic psychology degree may include:

• Cognitive and Affective Aspects of Behavior
• Court Processes
• Developmental Psychology
• Ethical and Legal Issues in Psychology
• Forensic Interviewing and Evaluation
• Forensic Populations
• Human Sexuality
• Intellectual and Cognitive Functioning
• Introduction to Forensic Psychology
• Psychology and Law
• Social Psychology
• Statistical Application in Forensic Psychology
• Therapeutic Interventions in Clinical Psychology

Most of these will occur at the graduate level of study, since you will have a full four to seven years there, on top of the time you spend getting a bachelor's degree. This degree is time consuming, which is why some people do not think it is worth the effort. If you have a true passion for this field though, you should have no problem justifying your reasons for going through the process. Getting Paid Once you have your degree out of the way, you may have to get certified in forensic psychology. This will depend on the laws in your state. After the certification process though, you can begin working with courts, crime labs, psychology firms, and any other venues you may use for employment. Most forensic psychologists are self-employed, and they work on an on-call basis with the criminal justice system. The rest of the time they spend working with clients just as any other psychologist would. The salary of an average forensic psychologist could be any of the following: By Experience

• <1 year: $36,000 - $70,000 per year
• 1-4 years: $31,123 - $88,569 per year
• 5-9 years: $33,840 - $102,824 per year
• 10-19 years: $29,900 - $242,395 per year
• 20+ years: $50,335 - $248,323 per year

By State

• California: $30,639 - $144,414 per year
• Florida: $33,971 - $115,888 per year
• Georgia: $36,000 - $80,108 per year
• Illinois: $45,781 - $90,000 per year
• New York: $29,590 - $100,189 per year
• Ohio: $40,545 - $101,703 per year
• Texas: $20,134 - $99,329 per year

If you like psychology and criminal justice, you may enjoy working as a forensic psychologist. Only you can determine if the pay is worth the educational effort, but this could turn into a rewarding career if you give it a chance. Think about your options and figure out if this is in fact the path you want to go down. Then you can make an effort to find a school that is right for you.

The Benefits of Becoming a Nurse Practitioner Instead of an RN

Nurse practitioners are men and women that work in the highest levels of nursing. When most people think about becoming a nurse, they think about working as a registered nurse or RN. They don't consider the career that lies beyond that as an NP. This is not a career for everyone, but it is one that comes with significant rewards in the long run. If you can make it through the extra education it takes to become a nurse practitioner, you may be much happier with your life in the end. Here is a look at some of the benefits that may come along with being a nurse practitioner instead of a register nurse.

Higher Positions

When you take on the work of a nurse practitioner, you get the opportunity to manage teams of nurses that you would otherwise be a part of. You also get the chance to act as a doctor in many ways, examining patients, prescribing medications, and even performing minor surgeries in some cases. You don't get that kind of responsibility as an RN. You just get the chance to take care of patients…nothing more. If you go all the way with your career though, you could play a much larger role in the medical community.

Higher Demand

RNs are a dime a dozen, but NPs are much rarer to find. That is why most employers will seek out good practitioners, even if they already have a job. You will have much more job opportunities as an NP than you will as an RN, mainly because there are so many more RNs in the world than there are NPs. You may still face competition when you apply for a job, but you will have a better chance of getting hired as a whole. In this kind of economy, that can make a big impact on your life in the future.

Higher Pay

In most cases, nurse practitioners make significantly more money than registered nurses. That is because they are more educated and carry higher roles within their places of work. If you are looking for a truly lucrative career for the rest of your life, the few years you spend in grad school to become an NP will be well worth the effort in the end. Here is a look at how salary rates vary between registered nurses and nurse practitioners:

Registered Nurse Salary by Years of Experience

• Less than 1 year: $29,220 - $64,297 per year
• 1-4 years: $34,330 - $68,737 per year
• 5-9 years: $39,936 - $77,749 per year
• 10-19 years: $40,373 - $84,371 per year
• 20 years or more: $41,553 - $91,733 per year

Nurse Practitioner Salary by Years of Experience

• Less than 1 year: $59,335 - $86,215 per year
• 1-4 years: $59,520 - $91,952 per year
• 5-9 years: $59,969 - $97,079 per year
• 10-19 years: $59,485 - $104,689 per year
• 20 or more years: $55,261 - $104,588 per year

Conclusion

Becoming a nurse practitioner may be a little tougher than becoming a registered nurse, but it will lead to a much better life as a whole. If you have been debating between these two career choices now, you may want to lean towards the higher paying one. With a little education and a second certification, you could be well on your way to an exciting and rewarding career. You just have to take the time to be a part of it.

The Work of an Executive Assistant

An executive assistant is a high-end administrative assistant that works with officers at the corporate level. Executive assistants are often responsible for caring after one or two professionals in an office, not a huge set of them like administrative assistants. This line of work comes with immense responsibility, and it is certainly not for everyone. Before you consider becoming an executive assistant, you may want to figure out if this job is right for you. Listed below are some common job duties and pay rates that you can use to figure out the appropriateness of this job for your life.

Job Duties of an Executive Assistant

Executive assistants are the go-to workers at the corporate level. They take on the roles that most other people do not have time for at the executive level, and they are often in charge of all the leftover duties for one specific board member in a company. The job duties that you may have to tackle as an executive assistant will vary based on the specific employer you work for. Here is an overview of some of the basics:

• Doing whatever the boss needs done (literally)
• Managing administrative assistants in an office
• Preparing the minutes at corporate board meetings
• Performing all the clerical duties for an executive's office
• Organizing paperwork for the office
• Scheduling appointments with executive officers

You may have to take on many other job duties as an executive assistant, so be prepared to learn a lot in a short period of time. If you can be flexible enough to pick up on new skills at all times, you should do quite well in executive assistance.

Salary Levels for Executive Assistants

Executive assistants make more money than administrative assistants, but that does not mean they are rolling in the dough. Most of them do not make really good money until they have been in their positions for a long time, and even then, they may be under paid for their work. There are tons of different factors that go into determining a person's executive assistant salary, like location, education, experience, industry, and employer type. You will not know how much you can make in this position until you actually get into your career. Here are some average pay rates that you can use to approximate your future salary.

Salary by Years of Experience

• Less than 1 year: $25,145 - $48,693 a year
• 1-4 years: $28,219 - $54,890 a year
• 5-9 years: $31,588 - $64,390 a year
• 10-19 years: $36,261 - $70,030 a year
• 20 years or more: $37,128 - $73,352 a year

Salary by Company Size

• 1-9: $27,599 - $59,233 a year
• 10-49: $29,348 - $65,872 a year
• 50-199: $32,018 - $65,722 a year
• 200-599: $34,937 - $66,901 a year
• 600-1999: $35,785 - $69,815 a year
• 2000-4999: $36,925 - $71,868 a year
• 5000-19999: $38,240 - $72,353 a year
• 20000-49999: $40,144 - $74,584 a year
• 50000+: $41,818 - $71,872 a year

How to Become an Executive Assistant

To become an executive assistant, you must first learn how to become an administrative assistant. You can get a business administration degree of some sort, or you could just start working as an administrative assistant and move up from there. The college degree will give you the best possible chance at finding a job quickly, especially if you have a master's degree. With the right education, all you will have to do is apply for work and hope you are selected for the position. Think hard about whether or not this is the right career for you, and then do whatever it takes to get the job done in the end.

Making Money as an Article Spinner

Article spinning is a unique sector of article marketing that takes regular articles and "spins" them so they can generate different versions of the same content time and time again. An article spinner is a person that can manipulate articles to produce these different versions in a natural-sounding way. This is not an easy task to do, but it is something that can lead to a decent paycheck if you know what you are doing. If you have a firm grasp on the English language and a desire to earn some extra cash, article spinning may be a great career opportunity for you. Here is a look at how the process works so you can determine if it is a good path for you.

The Basics of Article Spinning

Article spinning all happens through the use of spintax and article generators. A writer takes and article and converts it to spintax, and then his or her spintaxed article is put into a generator to produce hundreds or even thousands of articles for the web. Here is an example of spintax:

Original sentence – "Article spinning is great."
Spun sentence – "Article spinning is {great|awesome|terrific}."

The spun version could go into an article generator to produce "Article spinning is great," "Article spinning is awesome," and "Article spinning is terrific." The changes can grow exponentially based on the number of words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs you spin . Nevertheless, that gives you a brief idea of how the job works.

The Pay of Article Spinning

The amount of money that you can make as an article spinner will depend on what someone is willing to pay you. If you decide to work by the hour, you can probably expect to make $10 to $20 an hour, depending on how experienced you are. If you work in a fixed price situation, then it is really hard to say what you can make as a spinner. I usually figure out how many extra words I'm going to be adding to a piece, and then I charge 25% higher than my normal per word rate to accommodate for the time I spend actually spinning the article. You can try to figure out how much time it would take for you to spin an article to your client's specifications, and then you can determine how much your time is worth.

The Craziness of Article Spinning

Some clients expect their work to be more spun than others, so you have to expect to come across some complicated projects if you make this a career. Here is a short sample of an article I had to do for a client once, just to show you the complexity you could run into:

{On the other side of the {fragrance|aroma|scent} spectrum is the powerful aroma of vanilla.|Vanilla{, on the other hand,|} is {desired|wanted|preferred} for its {high potency|potency|strong smell}.|Vanilla is {quite|} the {opposite|contrast}, {desired|wanted|preferred} for its {high level of aroma|potency|powerful aroma}.} {Vanilla has a lot more {kick|power |strength} to it than lavender, and its {fragrance|aroma|scent} is more associated with cooking than serenity. |Vanilla is much {stronger|more powerful|more potent} than lavendar and far less calming.|Vanilla is the {powerful big {brother|sibling}|big {brother|sibling}|older {brother|sibling}} to lavender, much {stronger|more powerful|more potent} and demanding than the little purple flower.} {Vanilla candles are just as {desired|wanted|preferred} as lavender candles, but for {different|other|differing} reasons.|Vanilla candles are {desired|wanted|preferred} {just|} as much as lavender ones, but for different reasons.} {The {scent|oder|aroma|fragrance} of vanilla is {universally|widely|internationally} accepted and is used in lotions and perfumes as well.|Vanilla has not only been used in candles, but {its|it is|it's} also employed in {lotion and perfumes|perfumes and body wash|bath products and body spray} as well.} Vanilla candles though seem to {turn|come|show} up in every {household|home|house}, and {they have a timelessness about their {scent|oder|aroma|fragrance} that is pure {intoxication|utopia|perfection}.|they {are seemingly|seem to be|are almost} everlasting.|they are more {recognized|recognizable|accepted} than a lot of other candles.}

Is your head spinning yet? Yes that was a pun. Now you can laugh and contemplate if you are fit for this job. Sound like a plan? Good. See you later!

Can You Make a Lot of Money on eBay?

eBay used to be a site where people could put up their old junk and hope other people would bid on it. Nowadays though, it is actually a venue for money making online. If you have been looking for a new career at home, you may think about selling products on eBay. There are pros and cons that come along with this, so you need to be really careful about jumping into that kind of work. It may not be as profitable as you think it is. Here is an overview of the money you could logically make on eBay, courtesy of someone who has gone through this process herself.

The Fees on eBay

There are tons of fees on eBay any time you make a post, more so than most people realize. Here are just some of the many fees that you could come across with your eBay business:

• Posting fees: you have to pay a certain amount of money for posting an item on eBay, regardless of whether or not it sells. The more you do with the posting, the more money you will have to pay. Little things like adding a purple border to it or adding a Buy It Now option will boost the cost of your posting. If you consistently struggle to make a sale, you will be forced to pay out without making any money in return.
• Selling fees: If you happen to sell an item on eBay, you will be charged with a percentage of the sale price. This is a sum of money on top of your posting fee. The value of your selling fee will depend on the cost of your item, but it will quickly eat away at your profits.
• PayPal fees: If you manage your money through PayPal, you may have to pay a fee for the money you transfer. This will depend on the type of PayPal account you have and the amount of money that you are transferring from place to place. For instance, you may have to pay a fee to send your money to your bank account if you need it sent instantly. You can look into PayPal's terms of use for more information on that regard.
• Shipping fees: You will obviously have to pay money to ship out whatever item you sell. This will probably cost more than you think it should. My husband and I once sold a single trading card, and it cost more to ship the damn thing than it did for someone else to buy it from us. All of this adds up over time.
• Taxes: On top of all of the fees above, you will have to pay taxes on the amount of money you make from eBay, assuming you turn this into a career. Self-employed taxes are 15.3%, so kiss 1/6 of your money goodbye from the start.

As you can see, there are a ton of costs that come along with selling items on eBay. You have to factor in all of those fees in order to make anything close to an executive assistant salary in the future.

Can You Make Money on eBay?

Yes, you can make money on eBay. You just have to buy items at a really low price so you can sell them high enough to still make a profit. If you overprice the items, you will lose the customers. If you underprice them, you will lose your revenue. Keep all of this in mind, and you can determine if you want to venture into eBay sales or not.

Is the Risk of Being a Corrections Officer Worth the Reward?

A corrections officer is a law enforcement official that works within the prison system. He or she is in charge of protecting workers from inmates and inmates from one another. This can be a highly dangerous job, especially in maximum security prisons. Very few people are willing to go through the training and the risk to become a corrections officer, mainly because they don't think the money will be worth it in the end. Before you rule out this career entirely, you may want to figure out if the money you could be paid within it would be worth the risk you have to go through for it. Here are some corrections officer salary statistics to keep in mind.

Salary by Years of Experience

• Less than 1 year: $20,401 - $48,479 per year
• 1-4 years: $23,030 - $49,090 per year
• 5-9 years: $26,094 - $58,065 per year
• 10-19 years: $27,894 - $62,167 per year
• 20 years or more: $33,739 - $85,791 per year

Salary by Industry

• Armed Forces: $25,000 - $41,584 per year
• Government: $27,807 - $63,679 per year
• Law Enforcement: $23,299 - $57,709 per year
• Public Law Offices: $20,635 - $32,556 per year
• Secure Correctional Facility: $23,764 - $58,424 per year
• Security Guard Services: $32,526 - $43,281 per year
• Security: $29,385 - $59,764 per year

Salary by Degree

• Associate's Degree: $27,139 - $60,300 per year
• Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice: $24,483 - $72,744 per year
• Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice: $20,426 - $48,936 per year

Salary by Employer Type

• Company: $25,838 - $51,177 per year
• Contract: $25,549 - $40,695 per year
• Federal Government: $23,535 - $59,549 per year
• State and Local Government: $24,209 - $58,726 per year
• Other Organization: $24,000 - $30,723 per year

Salary by Gender

• Male: $29,881 - $49,025 per year
• Female: $27,452 - $36,001 per year

Salary by Company Size

• 10-49: $19,200 - $50,000 per year
• 50-199: $24,893 - $55,985 per year
• 200-599: $25,438 - $59,154 per year
• 600-1999: $26,833 - $61,480 per year
• 2000-4999: $22,429 - $86,088 per year
• 5000-19999: $28,626 - $80,497 per year
• 20000-49999: $29,457 - $73,456 per year
• 50000+ $28,500 - $53,112 per year

Salary by Location

• California : $31,540 - $75,961 per year
• Florida: $28,666 - $59,628 per year
• Georgia: $23,504 - $42,188 per year
• New York: $36,503 - $64,635 per year
• North Carolina: $21,297 - $36,746 per year
• Texas: $23,368 - $40,264 per year
• Virginia: $27,957 - $52,357 per year

Salary by the Hour

• Less than 1 year: $8.31 - $17.00 per hour
• 1-4 years: $9.77 - $19.48 per hour
• 5-9 years: $11.92 - $25.06 per hour
• 10-19 years: $12.83 - $28.61 per hour
• 20 years or more: $14.77 - $37.87 per hour

As you can see, corrections officers make pretty good money as a whole. They definitely make more money than police officers, but they don't earn as much as some other members of the criminal justice system. The main reward that may come from this profession is knowing that you are protecting other people in a time of need. If you enjoy that idea, this could be a great career for you. It is taxing, stressful, and dangerous, but it does have its perks in the long run. Think long and hard about your situation, and determine if you may make a good corrections officer in the future.

Forensic Science: The Money behind the Lucrative Career

Forensic science is a branch of criminal justice that involves the scientific evidence that go into committing crimes. There are many different kinds of forensic science jobs out there, and each of them has a different set of responsibilities that go along with it. If you decide to become a forensic scientist in the future, you should be pleased to learn that your salary levels will be high on an annual basis. You just have to go through a little bit of training to get to those salary levels. Here are a few charts to show you just how much money you could earn in this profession. You can use them to determine if the education is worth the effort for you.

Salary by Employer Type

• State and Local Government: $30,670 - $85,402 per year
• Federal Government: $29,087 - $128,763 per year
• Company: $34,179 - $109,262 per year

Salary by Company Size

• 10-49: $40,724 - $81,716 per year
• 50-199: $37,000 - $83,500 per year
• 200-599: $37,340 - $81,389 per year
• 600-1999: $54,000 - $123,992 per year
• 50000+: $22,500 - $146,000 per year

Salary by Experience

• Less than 1 year: $27,404 - $76,596 per year
• 1-4 years: $29,905 - $79,678 per year
• 5-9 years: $32,787 - $123,138 per year
• 10-19 years: $39,149 - $124,757 per year
• 20 years or more: $75,000 - $112,000 per year

Salary by Gender

• Male: $40,525 - $93,598 per year
• Female: $37,151 - $62,713 per year

Salary by Location

• Washington, D.C.: $48,980 - $213,500 per year
• Chicago, Illinois: $54,045 - $63,879 per year
• Seattle, Washington: $41,437 - $56,810 per year
• Lost Angeles, California: $39,305 - $68,163 per year
• Atlanta, Georgia: $30,167 - $110,055 per year
• New York City, New York: $30,000 - $140,000 per year

Salary by Degree

• Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry: $39,500 - $180,000 per year
• Bachelor of Science in Biology: $29,669 - $79,713 per year
• Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science: $34,000 - $97,000 per year
• Master of Science in Forensic Science: $30,201 - $74,710 per year

Salary by Industry

• Government: $33,072 - $98,436 per year
• Law Enforcement: $32,288 - $99,091 per year
• Professional, Analytical and Laboratory Services: $30,139 - $88,951 per year
• Public Law Offices: $28,993 - $84,327 per year
• Science and Engineering Services: $29,694 - $93,196 per year

Forensic scientists may not make as much as some other people, but they certainly hold their own when it comes to criminal justice careers. They provide the foundation for many criminal trials in the modern world. That is why they make the money that they do. If you have been looking for a profitable and exciting field to pursue a life in, this could certainly be an option for you. You just have to put the time and effort to get the degree you need for forensic science. With the way this career is growing, you should have no trouble finding a job within it in the future. Research the education it may take to get involved with this lucrative career, and you could be well on your way to a successful profession in the future.

Fixed Price vs. Hourly Jobs – Which Ones Pay the Most?

In the world of freelance writing, you have the option of getting paid by the hour or by the article. There are pros and cons to both options, so you have to figure out what the best one is for you specifically. I tend to make more money working by the article than I do by the hour, but that is because I can work quickly. Some other people would lose a ton of money in the day if they got paid by the article. Let's take a look at both of these options more closely so you can determine how you want to get paid in the future.

The Pros and Cons of Hourly Pay

The best part about getting paid by the hour is that you will earn the same money no matter how long it takes you to write an article. If you have to research one article extensively, you will be paid for your research time. With fixed price work, you don't have that opportunity. You just have to eat up the time and hope you can make up for it with other work.

The reason I don't like hourly pay rates is because I get a lot more done in an hour than most other writers do. Thus I am working my buns off without getting compensated for it. It takes me 15 to 20 minutes to write a 600 word article, including research time. It takes some people an hour or more to do the same thing. Thus I am actually losing money by getting paid hourly, and I have no motivation to get through my work quickly. Because of all of that, I just prefer to work by the article.

The Pros and Cons of Fixed Price Jobs

The best part about fixed price work is knowing what you will be paid from the start. You have a certain word count to abide by and a certain pay rate per word. If you get paid $.02/word and you have to write a 600 word article, you know you will be paid roughly $12 for your article – no matter how quickly you get it done. If you get three or four of those articles done an hour like I do, you can quickly see where the profits come from.

The problem with fixed price work is that it doesn't take into account the time you spend outside of writing. Some articles only take a couple of minutes to research, but others may take a half hour or more. In those situations, I usually charge a higher rate per word or ask the client if I can get paid some form of compensation for my efforts. Most people are willing to work around that to make sure I get paid for my time.

Choosing the Right Jobs for You

Only you know what sort of pay you should be getting for your work. If you are a quick writer who has a firm grasp on writing for the web, you may want to look into fixed price work. If you are more of a slow and steady kind of writer, you might fare better with an hourly paying job. As long as you find good clients to work with, you should be able to secure the pay you need no matter what. Do a little calculating to find out where you are going to make the most money, and then you can adjust your work plans to make the most money possible in freelance writing.

Do You Need a College Degree to Make Money as a Freelancer?

Whenever I tell people that I make money writing online, most of them ask if I have a degree in English, journalism, or something along those lines. I actually don't have a college degree at all, even though I make more money a year than most people that have college degrees. That is just because I'm dedicated to my job, and quite frankly, I'm good at what I do. Nevertheless, it seems that most people assume that you have to have a degree in order to work in this kind of profession. That couldn't be further from the truth.

You don't need to have a college degree to make money as a freelancer. In fact, freelance writing is a great way to supplement your scholarships and grants so that you can get through school without having to worry about finding a job. Let's take a look at how that balance works so you can figure out how to potentially use this career path to make money without a college degree.

Most Job Postings Ask for College Degrees

If you like to look for jobs on Craigslist, you have probably seen a ton of employers asking for at least a bachelor's degree in a certain subject for applicants to be considered for a job. While it is nice to have a degree to apply for those positions, you should not be discouraged by the fact that you don't have one. I usually write something at the very beginning of my cover letter that says…

"I realize that I do not meet the degree requirements that you outlined in your job posting, but I have been writing online for three years now. I have a significant amount of experience to back my application, and I would like to be considered for this position."

It doesn't always sound just like that, but you get the idea. I let employers know that I have read the posting and that I am aware of the requirements they have set forth. Then I explain what makes me a worthy candidate despite the fact that I do not meet all the requirements. If you do the same, you may be able to woo someone to see past your lack of a degree.

You Can Make a Lot of Money without a Degree

When you work online, you aren't limited to the employers in a certain area. I have had clients from literally all parts of the world – Australia, Germany, South Africa, India, Bangladesh, Canada, Mexico, and the good old USA. Because of this trait about freelance writing online, you can make more money than you may be able to make in your home town. I live in the Midwest, which is known for having low standards of living. My clients in California pay twice as much for my services as other clients do, just because that is what they expect to pay in their area. You don't have to have a degree to get connected with this kind of money. You just have to have access to the internet.

You Can Pay for Your Degree While You Freelance

You can make a ton of money as a freelance writer just in your spare time, and then you can use that money to pay for your college degree. I actually started this career because I was going to school for an architecture degree. I was in studio for roughly 40 hours a week, and I was still able to make a couple grand a month working part time. If you go to school online, you may be able to schedule your work and your education to all come from your computer. That will give you the most flexible schedule possible, and it could lead to quite an exciting life if you develop the right plan. Check out your career and college options and you should be able to find a good balance of the two.

Using Autocorrect to Speed Up Your Work

The term "autocorrect" is most often associated with the iPhone, and it is known for producing funny messages like these…

Those are courtesy of DamnYouAutocorrect.com, which is one of my favorite sites to go to when I need a good laugh. For this post though, I'm not going to be talking about autocorrect on an iPhone. I'm going to refer to the autocorrect on Microsoft Word, which I encourage every freelance writer to get familiar with. It can greatly speed up your writing time, which will improve your freelance writing pay rates and reduce the amount of work you have to do in a day. Here are some tips to help you use autocorrect effectively in your work.

What Is Autocorrect?

Autocorrect is a program in Microsoft Word that will automatically correct a word that you type incorrectly into a document. When I type the word "dificult" into a Word document, it is autocorrected to say "difficult" when I put a space after it. A lot of words are already built into the autocorrect system, but you will have to input others as you go. In time, you can customize your autocorrect to fix most of your typos for you.

How to Add Words to Autocorrect

Every person has a different set of typos that he or she makes on a regular basis. I tend to type the word "the" as "teh" or "hte," so I have my autocorrects set to fix those mistakes as I type. You are going to have to add words to your autocorrect database so your MS Word will correct your specific typos. Here are two ways to add words to autocorrect:

• Right-click mistyped words: One of the easiest ways to add words to autocorrect is to click on them as you type. If you see a word underlined in red, you can right click on it and go to "Autocorrect." Then you can click on the word that you want to replace it with in the future. I do this all the time, and I rarely have mistyped words now.
• Manually add words: The right click option doesn't always work if MS Word doesn't have a word suggested for your typo. In that case, you will have to manually add the word to the database. Click the "File" tab and go down to "Options." Then go to the "Proofing" section and select "Autocorrect Options." That will display a bar that you can enter the typo and correction into. Save your changes, and you won't have to worry about that specific typo in the future. You can also find this in the right click option at the bottom of the list of suggested words, if a list comes up.

Try to add as many words to your autocorrect system as possible, even if you think you will never come across them again. You never know when you may get a new client that needs you to write about the same information in the future.

Be Careful about What You Add

Think about an autocorrect word before you set it up because there may be two different autocorrect options that you would use on a regular basis. For instance, the autocorrect suggestions for "situatin" are "situation" and "situating." If you use both options on a regular basis, you need to make sure you avoid autocorrecting a word incorrectly. Just watch what you type and you should be able to get a custom autocorrect dictionary that is perfect to your style of typing.