In today’s job market, having a certain business skill can be the key to landing a promotion, getting your dream job, and even unlocking thousands of dollars worth of wage premiums. In fact, PayScale has released a list of the skills that lead to the biggest increase in paychecks. Below are five skills that can lead to big bucks and how you can learn them!
Java
Wage Premium: 9%
Average Increase in Paycheck: $4,200
Java is one of the most popular programming languages which makes designing apps, games, and tools simple. A versatile tool, it can run on any browser, and a large amount of online applications use Java. It’s a great introduction to programming; it has many immediate uses (and is demanded by employers), as well as being a good building block for learning new programming languages. You can get started with Java Programming for Beginners or explore all of OpenSesame’s java courses. Learning java can be fun and easy and will make you significantly more valuable in almost any profession.
Project Management
Wage Premium: 7%
Average Increase in Paycheck: $2,100
Project management is the skill of planning, implementing, and completing a project. It includes managing team members, planning and executing organizational strategy, and effective time management. Being skilled at project management leads to more challenging and engaging work experiences, as well as more frequent promotions. If you’re inexperienced, then A Crash Course in Managing Projects is a great introduction to the skill. Know the theories behind project management, but haven’t put them into practice? Try Practical Approaches to Project Management, an implementation-centric course that focuses on practical applications of project management. Courses like PMI Agile Certification will fully prepare you to earn a certification from the Project Management Institute. A certification from PMI will increase your reputation as well as your worth!
Data Modeling
Wage Premium: 5%
Average Increase in Paycheck: $2,600
Data modeling is a process that analyzes business data, system requirements for data systems, or the results and processes of any IT project. Understanding data models leads to better analytics and statistics, and employees who knows how to model data will understand much more about the projects that he or she is working on. If you’re ready to learn data modeling, try Modeling, Analyzing and Improving Business Data and Processes which focuses on data modeling in a business context. With Fundamentals of Financial Modeling you can improve both your project management skills and your data modeling skills!
Spanish
Wage Premium: 5%
Average Increase in Paycheck: $1,900
Fluency in a different language can be incredibly helpful in many areas, from interacting with potential clients to delivering better customer service. People are often intimidated by the idea of learning a new language, however. OpenSesame’s multiple spanish classes make it easy and convenient to get started, with courses such as Beginner Spanish offering comprehensive, fun, and engaging entry level spanish classes. If you’re looking for more specific or advanced courses, check out all of our spanish courses and improve your value and communication skills at the same time. Everybody from healthcare professionals to bank tellers can gain an edge from being multilingual.
Negotiation
Wage Premium: 4%
Average Increase in Paycheck: $1,600
Skills in negotiation can be applied to nearly any profession. From sales to HR, a strong foundation in negotiation gives you an advantage in every interaction. Moreover, those with strong negotiation skills typically get bigger raises and faster promotions and can help their company gain a competitive advantage. Get started learning negotiation with Introduction to Negotiations or 5 Rules for A Successful Negotiation. If you’re looking for specific situations, OpenSesame has hundreds of courses that will give you the edge you need.
Any major money-making skills we missed in this list? Let us know what’s worked for you in the comments!