How THIS woman makes $140K A Year WITH a 2 year Degree

You thought going back to school would be a step toward a bigger paycheck, but you found out that the idea wasn’t all it was hyped up to be? You’ve got mountains of student debt and degree after degree and you haven’t even cracked 6 figures yet?

As costs of a college education rise and salaries seem to stagnate, many women are realizing that going to school longer for the traditional 4-year degree doesn’t necessarily help them bring in the big bucks. In some cases, it only helps them get into more debt.

LendEdu analyzed a College Pulse survey of 7,000 college students from nearly 1,000 colleges and universities and found that students, on average, expect to earn $60,000 in their first job out of college.

But a recent survey from LendEdu shows actual salaries are closer to $50,000.

Yet, there is hope for those who are looking to follow a less traditional route.

Read the interview below to learn how Neece Lewis, age 32, was able to turn a 2-year degree in Industrial Systems Technology into a $140K a year job in Nuclear Power.

Back to School Divas: Nuclear Power is such a non-traditional field for women. What made you decide to go in that direction?
Neece Lewis: Lol! I get that question more than you know but truth be told…I wanted to try something different. I found no interest in the conventional jobs that were for women.

I loved math but didn’t want to be behind a desk. I loved figuring out things and how they work but absolutely hated the idea of sitting behind a screen all day. So, I actually started off as a mechanic and all of these men thought I was a joke with my nails and hair but I was good… damn good…

Later I had the opportunity to work in the nuclear field. In this field, they usually promote within and I passed every test I sat down to take. So, now I’m here as a Nuclear System Operator and I absolutely love it…

What program did you attend?
I went to a local community college named Wallace Community College (WCC)…I majored in Industrial Systems Technology.
But nuclear power can be so broad that anything in science, technology, engineering, or maintenance can get you a foot through the door.

How old were you when you started the program?
I was 26 when I returned to school (32 now). I graduated when I was 32.

I was the same age when I graduated! What is the best way to get into the field of Nuclear Power?
Experience or a certification/degree that relates to technology, engineering, maintenance, or engineering. They need more women as they are currently trying to make this field more diverse. So, being a woman gets you a leg up.

How is work-life balance?
Ehhh… I personally love it. I do work shift work which I know a lot of people don’t like but my regular work schedule consists of me working only 14-16 days a month (either days or nights…12 hr shifts)…but they give us ample amount of vacation days where I can reduce that if I’d like to and we have extra help on shift if you should have to leave for any emergencies…

Do you have children also?
Yes. Two (a daughter-7, a son-10)

Awwww, how old were they when you started the program?
Lol!! My daughter was 2 and my son was 5.

Oh, wow! Was it hard to manage them and the Industrial Systems Technology program as well?
Yes! I can’t lie. I was a single parent and had no help from their bio fathers. The program work, itself, was pretty easy and it consisted of a lot of hands-on work. Juggling that, working, and my kids is what made it hard. I also received a scholarship that would pay me 11$/hr at 20 hours a week but it wasn’t enough to care for my children so I ended up having to work 2 jobs and go to school.

There are a lot of companies that are invested in these types of programs at community colleges because this field is needed. They paid for all my tuition and school supplies/tools…and when I graduated, they gave me a full-time job with beginning pay at 26$/hr! So it was worth it in the end.

It sounds like it! Do you know if any of those companies specifically?
I don’t…it usually depends on the school so, the admissions department would be a great place to ask for all that info

Anything else you want to add that you think other women might need to know?
There are a lot of unconventional jobs that we can be awesome at. Women are needed! We tend to have a gift of attention to detail! We are more than teachers, social workers, and nurses. We are engineers, we are doctors…we are important. These other industries need us.

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. I’m sure this will help many of our readers!
Thank you ❤️

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