What Would You Change About Your Job?

See how the right degree can help you make the career change you're craving.

By Yahoo! Education Staff

If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?

• The bad pay?
• The tedium of every boring day?
• The part where you slave away for no perks, promotions, or raises?

If you want to make a change in your career, we can help.

Keep reading to see your career options if you want to change what you make, what you do, and how much you get praised (and paid) to do it.

Do you want to make more money?

If a better paycheck is what you're after, know that some careers just make more than others. Want to upgrade to a career that pays? Consider these options…

• Paralegal. Start a great-paying career in law without going to law school by earning a two-yearassociate's degree in paralegal studies or a one-year certificate. As a paralegal, you'll help lawyers prepare for corporate meetings, hearings, and trials. The average annual salary for paralegals is $46,120, though the top 10 percent can average more than $73,450 a year.

[Click here to find Paralegal schools and training programs]

• Accountant. Accountants make their living by managing money - both for individuals and companies. Sound like your type of job? Most accountants need at least bachelor's degree in a subject like accounting or finance. The average annual salary of accountants is $59,430. The top 10 percent can average more than $102,380 a year. Now that's a pretty paycheck.

[Start training for a better-paying career. Find Paralegal and Accounting schools now!]

Do you want to jump-start a new career fast?

If the one thing you hate about your job is - well...your job - odds are you can't wait to get out. You'll want to look into jobs that require a short stint of training. A good place to look is health care. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, health care is one of the fastest growing industries in the country.

• Medical Assistant. With as little as one year of training in a certificate program, you could land a new career as a medical assistant. You may schedule appointments, take medical histories, and even record patient's vital signs. Medical assistants have an average annual salary of $28,300. The top ten percent can average more than $39,570 per year.

[Find quick Medical Assistant career training programs]

• Medical Biller and Coder. Medical billing and coding is another fast-growing field you can get into quickly. As a medical biller and coder, you may work in hospitals or doctor's offices, assigning codes to each diagnosis and procedure to ensure doctors are reimbursed for their services. A certificate should take you about a year to earn. The average annual salary for medical billers and coders is $30,610. The highest 10 percent can average more than $50,060 per year.

[Find a Medical Billing and Coding school near you now]

Do you want to get promoted?

Tired of getting passed over for promotions? Your education (or lack of higher education) may be what's keeping you low on the totem pole. While it's true that you can get a job with an associate's degree, there are some instances where a higher degree is necessary.

Here are a few ideas for additional training that might help you secure that next promotion:

• Master's of Business Administration. If you want a promotion, earning an MBA may be one of the smartest moves you make. That's because MBA degree programs teach you critical thinking skills to help you identify business opportunities and offer solutions to corporate and organizational problems. With an MBA (on top of a bachelor's), you can qualify for a wide range of management level jobs. The average starting salary for MBA grads is $78,820 per year.

[Find MBA schools and degree programs now]

• Health Care Administration. As a health care administrator and manager you'll help plan, coordinate, and supervise the delivery of health care at your facility. Consider earning your bachelor's or master's degree in health care administration to get in on this booming field. The average annual salary for health care administrators is $80,240. The highest 10 percent can average more than $137,800 per year.

[Search for Health Care Administration schools now]

• Computer and Information Systems. If you're technically savvy and ready to move into management, studying computer and information systems might be the way to go. You'll need at least a bachelor's degree for a management position, though some employers prefer a graduate degree. Computer and information systems managers have an average annual salary of $112,210.

[Find IT and Information Systems schools and degree programs now]

Starting salary for MBA grads comes from a 2010 study by the Graduate Management Admission Council. All other salary information is provided by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2008.