If you hate school as much as I do, you’ll be glad to know that if you can stand a few days in class, you can walk away with a license that will earn you a nice chunk of money. If you want to stick with them for a career, that’s your choice. I recommend doing one or more of these things to raise money to use in starting your own business. If you happen to love one of these things, then you might be able to make your own business out of that! Remember, the sky is the limit.

Personally, I loathe listening to most teachers. By far the majority aren’t teaching because they feel all warm and fuzzy about molding young minds. They’re there because they spent all that money on a college degree and need a job. After high school and a stint in the Army, I was on a job hunt. Apparently, there isn’t much need for heavy artillery in the civilian world.

I started searching for jobs accepting people with a high school education other than bagging groceries and shoveling fries. I scoured the local paper, the free employment papers, the internet, and I knocked on doors of places with now hiring signs, but I had no luck. I thought to myself that maybe I just had to put up with college for a few years before I was going to get anything decent. No. It can’t be that way. If a college degree was marketable to employers, then what about other licenses? How hard are they to get? How much money can you make with one? What licenses are available?

Here are the top 5:

1. Real Estate Agent

I can really only tell you about Texas requirements for real estate agents, but most other states are similar. Please post a comment if there is a significant difference in your state.

Pros:
Classes are 2-3 weeks long in Texas and the total cost is from $1,000 - $2,000.
Earn $20k - $30k for part time work.
Make $30k - $80k with little or no experience.
Average $40k - $150k depending on experience, sales ability, and more.
Top salary? If you work with celebrities, large estates, high dollar or commercial properties, agents have been known to make several hundred thousand dollars and even millions of dollars a year. Don’t expect that much by any means…but it can be done with the right connections.

Cons:
Lots of driving and appointments.
Payment is generally commission based.
You must work for a broker. (However, you can become a broker after several years of experience and some hefty financial requirements.)
Market cycles and conditions can severely hurt or help your income.

2. Loan Officer

I believe there are still a few states where you don’t have to be licensed for processing loans. Usually these states require that you just work for a licensed mortgage broker who is responsible to ensure that you comply with the rules that regulate lending in your state. However, I can’t foresee a time where no one will ever need a loan again, so you’ll almost always be able to find work.

Pros:
Class is only 3 days in Texas. (It’s fairly short elsewhere, too.)
Tuition generally ranges from $500 - $1,000.
Earn $20k - $30k for part time work.
Make $30k - $50k average full time work to start.
Experienced loan officers can make $50k - $100k or more in bigger loan situations like commercial real estate.

Cons:
Lots of math. If you don’t like numbers, this is not the license for you.
Market rates and trends can seriously affect your income with little or no notice.

You can become a mortgage broker, but the requirements are pretty hefty (like becoming a real estate broker) and mainly require many years of experience and some large financial backing. I currently hold a loan officer’s license in Texas. I process loans for people wanting to buy my investment properties. It’s really not that difficult.

3. Mold Remediation Contractor

As a contractor, you’ll be bidding on mold remediation jobs. There are several related licenses including Mold Consultant, Mold Analyst, and more. If you aren’t afraid of attics, basements, and rotten buildings…this is a great license for you to get.

Pros:
Class is 1-3 days usually.
Cost ranges from $500 - $2,000 depending on state fees.
Income ranges depending on the number of jobs you contract, but with an advertising budget of $2k to start, you can expect to make 30k - 80k your first year and hover between 80k - 120k after that. Want more money? Expand your company.

Cons:
Lots of health hazards. As a matter of fact, in Texas the mold licensing is done through the Department of Health.
Dirty work often involving crawling in attics and basements.

4. Process Server

Deliver court documents. That’s it. Subpoenas, notices, child support paperwork, and more.

Currently in Houston, the going rate is $65 a delivery. How many deliveries can you make a day?

Pros:
Easy to start your own business with little overhead. (All you need is a vehicle that you probably already own, some business cards, and an ad or two in the local legal newspaper or website.)
Licensing takes 1-3 days class time and costs $100-$200.

Cons:
Must have clean criminal record.
Lots of driving and the occasional irate recipient.

5. Well, how about a list of more easy licenses you can get from the state.

Property Tax Consultant
Auctioneer
Auctioneer’s Assistant
Barber
Licensed Court Interpreter
Court Reporter
Air Conditioning and Heating
Electrician
Land Surveyor
Real Estate Appraiser
Home Inspector

and much more.

Just Google your state and “Department of Licensing” or “Licensing and Regulation” and you’ll find a lot of information on some easy licenses you can get that you can use to make money without going to college.

- John