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.