Tuesday, March 17, 2020

35 High Paying Jobs Without Degrees that Pay a Salary of $55,000

35 High Paying Jobs Without Degrees that Pay  a Salary of $55,000 The good news from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is that workers with associate’s degrees or high school diplomas have potential careers to consider that come with  a median salary of $55,000! Here are 35 high paying jobs without degrees you can attain. 35. BoilermakersIf your aptitude runs to mechanical and plumbing repairs, you might enjoy assembly, installation, and repair of boilers and other containers.   The median salary is $56,560, you’ll learn on the job as an apprentice. This high paying job without a degree  has a projected 8,800 job openings in the next 6 years.34. First-line supervisors of correctional officersHave you always had an interest in law enforcement but for whatever reason not pursued the police academy? A supervisory position in a correctional institution may suit you- you’ll work with other officers and jail employers. The median salary is $57,840, training is moderate and on-the-job, and there are 18,000 expected job opening s through 2022.33. Electrical and electronics engineering techniciansThis is a great field for those who like to tinker and rebuild. as an engineering technician, you’d be designing, building, repairing, and maintaining electrical components, circuitry, and machinery for your staff colleagues. The median salary is $57,850, you’ll need an associate’s degree, and the right vocational program will help you hit the ground running with a job placement.32. Real-estate brokersIf you like people (and looking at sale and rental properties in your area!) and have a detail-oriented, organized approach, brokering real-estate transactions (like buying, selling, rentals, and loan arrangements) might be for you. The median wage is $58,350, and there are 16,100 projected job openings in this field.31. Purchasing agents (except wholesale, retail, and farm products)Being responsible for the ordering and acquisition of machinery, equipment, tools, parts, supplies, or services for a business or an organization is a crucial role – the median salary is $58,760, your training on the job would be long-term, and there are 61,600 anticipated positions in the works.30. Computer network support specialistsEverybody loves a competent it person- if coding is your first or second language and you enjoy problem solving and maintenance, this could be a great match. The median salary is $59,090, and there are 39,600 projected job openings through 2022.29.  First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workersIf you have experience with construction sites, supervising them and coordinating employees could net you a median salary of $59,700. There are 187,100 anticipated openings in the next few years.28. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigatorsPut your strong reading comprehension and interest in investigative processes to work as a reviewer of settled claims to against company practices and procedures. The median salary is $59,960, and there a re an expected 80,300 jobs in this field.27. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairersAnother excellent option for those who like to tinker and work with people- as a supervisor in this field, you’ll oversee  and coordinate a team of mechanics, installers, or repairers. Anticipate earning $60,250 in one of the 152,000 projected openings.26. Gas-plant operatorsIf you enjoy maintaining mechanical systems at work, this field would place you with utility companies to control compressors that monitor and support main pipelines. The median salary is $61,140, and in the next few years there should be 4,700 prospective jobs.25.  Aerospace engineering and operations techniciansThese engineers and mechanically-minded  employees operate and maintain equipment for developing, testing, and producing new aircraft. The median salary for a candidate with an associate’s degree is $61,000. More than 2,000 jobs are projected through 2022.24. Petroleum-pump-syst em operators, refinery operators, and gaugersThese positions, which only require a high school diploma or the equivalent, require you to operate or control petroleum refining or processing units. The median salary is $61,850, and there are 15,500 projected job openings through 2022.23. Web developersSpend your life online and think you can design a top-notch site that looks and runs efficiently? If you’re willing to get an associate’s degree, consider this career, where the median salary is $62,500  and there are a whopping  50,700 (!!) projected job openings through 2022.22. Subway and street car operatorsYou’re the one who the little kids will look at and wave to all day! Oh, you’ll technically be in charge of operating subways or elevated trains to transport passengers for a median salary of $62,730. you’ll need a high school diploma.21. Postmasters and mail superintendentsYou’ll be the planner behind the grand machine of the post off ice. in this position, you coordinate operations and  admin for  a post office, or help organize scheduling and duties of post office workers. There are 5,000 projected job openings over the next 6 years, and the median salary is $63,050.20.  Electrical-power line installers and repairersThis job, with comes with long-term on-the-job training, has a median salary of $63,350. It’s in demand, too, because there are a projected 49,900 jobs opening in the next 6 years.19.  Transportation inspectorsYou’re one of the final safety checks of anything from equipment to goods to make sure all is safe for long travel. This job comes with a median salary of $63,680, and you’ll need a high school diploma.18.  Gaming managersDo you look at the chaos of a casino and wonder who makes it run? A gaming manager, that’s who. In this job, you’ll direct and coordinate the workings of a casino. The median salary is $65,220, and you’ll need a high school diploma.17.  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologistsHere’s a great way to be a part of the healthcare industry, help people, and learn the inner workings of a complex system.MRI techs need an associate’s degree and receive a median annual  wage of $65,360. There are 11,300 jobs expected to open in the next 6 years.16.  Registered nurses (RN)Wait for it- there are a projected  1,052,600 (wow!) job openings for RNs expected through 2022! You’ll need an associate’s degree to become a nurse, which can involve anything from patient care to public education about health issues. The median salary is $65,470.15. Diagnostic medical sonographersHere’s another great way to enter the healthcare industry in a tech-forward way. In this job, you use equipment to directs sound waves to  assesses and diagnose patients. You’ll need an associate’s degree for this position, which comes with a median salary of $65,860. There are   35,30 0 jobs projected to open in the next 6 years.14. Power plant operatorsHere’s a position that comes with long-term on-the-job training. You’ll learn how to control, operate, and maintain the machines that generate electric power. Only a high school diploma is required, and this job comes with a median salary of $66,130.13. Funeral service directorsThe opportunity to run your own business (if you have the stomach for funeral services) and provide a valuable service to a grieving community could enable you to earn as much as $66,720; you’ll need an associate’s degree (and some business classes wouldn’t hurt). There may be as many 3,200 job openings available and minimal job training.12. Nuclear techniciansYou’ll need an associate’s degree for this important job, in which you’ll  assist physicists and engineers nuclear research and production. The median salary is  $69,060.11. Farmers, ranchers, other agricultural managersThe one is a job with great prospects- 150,200 are expected to open through 2022! These positions will require you to take a role in the  operation of farms, ranches, greenhouses, aquacultural operations, nurseries, timber tracts, or other agricultural establishments. The median salary is  $69,300.10. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workersThis is a complicated-sounding way of saying middle management of a corporate sales force; your workload would likely include supervision of daily and weekly workforce activity, sales goals and company revenue. The median salary is $70,060, you’ll need a high school diploma or equivalent degree, and you could have more than 50 thousand job openings to choose from, with no necessary training prerequisites.9. Nuclear medicine technologistsThis job comes with a median salary of $70,180 and requires an associate’s degree. In this position, technologists  scan patient’s bodies to create images and administer  radioac tive drugs to patients undergoing scans.8. Dental hygienistsAspiring dental hygienists are required to provide dental cleanings, examine patients for oral ailments, and provide preventative care; they can earn as much as $70k with an associate’s degree (which should include any certifications required). There are more than 113,00 anticipated job openings.7. Power distributors and dispatchersThese positions involve, as you might expect, coordinating, regulating and distributing electricity or steam, which may involve working in a technical facility or plant. The median salary breaks $71k, you’ll be able to get long-term on-the-job training with your high school diploma or equivalent, and there are more than 3,000 prospective openings.6. Commercial pilotsAir travel may not be as glamorous as it once was, but being a commercial pilot- flying and navigating aircrafts on non-scheduled (aka fancy private planes) air-carrier routes, or helicopter trips- is a lucrative and exc iting career. You’ll need a commercial pilot certificate in addition to a high-school diploma or equivalent, but you could earn as much as $73k in any of the 14k positions available in the next few years.5. Detectives and criminal investigatorsAnother job not to go for just because it looks cool on tv- detectives and criminal investigators assist law enforcement and private citizens in tracking down suspected violations of laws, to prevent or solve crimes, or find and recover private property. The median salary is $74k, there will be nearly 28k potential job openings coming, and there’s moderate on-the-job training.4. Nuclear reactor operatorsIt is impossible for me not to acknowledge this was Homer Simpson’s job- but i’m sure smart people will find it challenging and exciting, too. If you enjoy technical and mechanical work around nuclear reactors, monitoring and operating equipment and its controls, and recording meticulous data, this could be a great f it. You should also be comfortable facing and implementing emergency procedures. Median salary is nearly $80,000, and you (and the other 2,299 applicants) will receive long-term on-the-job training.3. Elevator installers and repairersIf you happen to like elevators- or any electric or hydraulic systems maintenance, you could find yourself happy in this job- the $76,650 you could earn with your high school diploma might help too! Typically new repair techs start with an apprenticeship. there are more than 8,000 jobs in the forecast.2. Radiation therapistsIf you’re interested in a career in healthcare without the nearly decade-long investment of time, money, and your sanity, consider a radiation therapy career. You’ll be responsible for checking equipment, observing patients after their treatments, and documentation of sessions. The median salary is $77,560, you’ll need an associate’s degree, and you may find more than 8,400 jobs waiting upon graduation.1. Air-traffic controllersObviously, this is so highly paid because it’s so intense and stressful- you have to be alert and on-task constantly. You’d be monitoring and directing aircraft and earning up to $122,530- the highest of any occupation in which employees don’t have to have a bachelor’s degree. The on-the-job training is long-term and rigorous (but you’ll appreciate it when you can actually save money and retire like an old-school human being).

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Overview of Toltec Gods and Religion

Overview of Toltec Gods and Religion The Ancient Toltec civilization dominated Central Mexico during the post-classic period, from approximately 900-1150 A.D. from their home in the city of Tollan (Tula). They had a rich religious life and the apogee of their civilization is marked by the spread of the cult of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent. Toltec society was dominated by warrior cults and they practiced human sacrifice as a means of gaining favor with their gods. The Toltec Civilization The Toltecs were a major Mesoamerican culture who rose to prominence after the fall of Teotihuacn in approximately 750 A.D. Even before Teotihuacan fell, Chichimec tribes in central Mexico and the remnants of the mighty Teotihuacan civilization had begun coalescing into the city of Tula. There they founded a powerful civilization which would eventually extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific through networks of trade, vassal states, and war. Their influence reached as far as the Yucatan Peninsula, where the descendants of the ancient Maya civilization emulated Tula art and religion. The Toltecs were a warlike society ruled by priest-kings. By 1150, their civilization went into decline and Tula was eventually destroyed and abandoned. The Mexica (Aztec) culture considered ancient Tollan (Tula) the high point of civilization and claimed to be descendants of the mighty Toltec kings. Religious Life at Tula Toltec society was highly militaristic, with religion playing an equal or secondary role to the military. In this, it was similar to the later Aztec culture. Still, religion was extremely important to the Toltecs. The kings and rulers of the Toltecs often served as priests of Tlaloc as well, erasing the line between civil and religious rule. Most of the buildings in the center of Tula had religious functions. The Sacred Precinct of Tula Religion and gods were important to the Toltecs. Their mighty city of Tula is dominated by the sacred precinct, a compound of pyramids, temples, ball courts, and other structures around an airy plaza. Pyramid C: The largest pyramid at Tula, Pyramid C has not been completely excavated and was extensively looted even before the Spanish arrived. It shares certain characteristics with the Pyramid of the Moon at Teotihuacan, including its east-west orientation. It was once covered with relief panels like Pyramid B, but most of these were looted or destroyed. The little evidence that remains suggests that Pyramid C might have been dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. Pyramid B: located at a right angle across the plaza from the larger Pyramid C, Pyramid B is home to the four tall warrior statues for which the site of Tula is so famous. Four smaller pillars contain relief sculptures of gods and Toltec kings. A carving on the temple is thought by some archaeologists to represent Quetzalcoatl in his aspect as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, the warlike god of the morning star. Archaeologist Robert Cobean believes that Pyramid B was a private religious sanctuary for the ruling dynasty. The Ball Courts: There are at least three Ball courts at Tula. Two of them are strategically located: Ballcourt One is aligned to Pyramid B on the other side of the main plaza, and the larger Ballcourt Two makes up the western edge of the sacred precinct. The Mesoamerican ball game had important symbolic and religious meaning for the Toltecs and other ancient Mesoamerican cultures. Other Religious Structures in the Sacred Precinct: In addition to the pyramids and ball courts, there are other structures in Tula which had religious significance. The so-called Burned Palace, once thought to be where the royal family lived, is now believed to have served a more religious purpose. The Palace of Quetzalcoatl, situated between the two major pyramids, was also once thought to be residential but is now believed to have been a temple of sorts, possibly for the royal family. There is a small altar in the middle of the main plaza as well as the remains of a tzompantli, or skull rack for the heads of sacrificial victims. The Toltecs and Human Sacrifice Ample evidence at Tula shows that the Toltecs were dedicated practitioners of human sacrifice. On the western side of the main plaza, there is a tzompantli, or skull rack. It is not far from Ballcourt Two (which is probably not a coincidence). The heads and skulls of sacrificed victims were placed here for display. It is one of the earliest known tzompantlis, and probably the one that the Aztecs would later model theirs upon. Inside the Burned Palace, three Chac Mool statues were found: these reclining figures hold bowls where human hearts were placed. Pieces of another Chac Mool were found near Pyramid C, and historians believe that a Chac Mool statue probably was placed on top of the small altar in the center of the main plaza. There are depictions at Tula of several cuauhxicalli, or large eagle vessels which were used to hold human sacrifices. The historical record agrees with the archaeology: post-conquest sources recounting Aztec legends of Tollan claim that Ce Atl Topiltzà ­n, the legendary founder of Tula, was forced to leave because the followers of Tezcatlipoca wanted him to increase the number of human sacrifices. The Gods of the Toltecs The ancient Toltec civilization had many gods, chief among them Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, and Tlaloc. Quetzalcoatl was the most important of these, and representations of his abound at Tula. During the apogee of the Toltec civilization, the cult of Quetzalcoatl spread throughout Mesoamerica. It even reached as far as the ancestral lands of the Maya, where similarities between Tula and Chichen Itza include the majestic Temple to Kukulcn, the Maya word for Quetzalcoatl. At major sites contemporary with Tula, such as El Tajin and Xochicalco, there are important temples dedicated to the Feathered Serpent. The mythical founder of the Toltec civilization, Ce Atl Topiltzà ­n Quetzalcoatl, may have been a real person who was later deified into Quetzalcoatl. Tlaloc, the rain god, was worshiped at Teotihuacan. As the successors of the great Teotihuacan culture, it is no surprise that the Toltecs venerated Tlaloc as well. A warrior statue dressed in Tlaloc garb was discovered at Tula, indicating the probable presence of a Tlaloc warrior cult there. Tezcatlipoca, the Smoking Mirror, was considered a sort of brother god to Quetzalcoatl, and some surviving legends from the Toltec culture include both of them. There is only one representation of Tezcatlipoca at Tula, on one of the columns atop Pyramid B, but the site was heavily looted even before the arrival of the Spanish and other carvings and images may have been carried off long ago. There are depictions of other gods at Tula, including Xochiquetzal and Centeotl, but their worship was clearly less widespread than that of Tlaloc, Quetzalcoatl, and Tezcatlipoca. New Age Toltec Beliefs Some practitioners of New Age Spiritualism have adopted the term Toltec to refer to their beliefs. Chief among them is the writer Miguel Angel Ruiz, whose 1997 book has sold millions of copies. Very loosely stated, this new Toltec spiritual belief system focuses on the self and ones relationship to things one cannot change. This modern spirituality has little or nothing to do with religion from the ancient Toltec civilization and should not be confused with it. Sources Charles River Editors. The History and Culture of the Toltec. Lexington: Charles River Editors, 2014. Cobean, Robert H., Elizabeth Jimà ©nez Garcà ­a and Alba Guadalupe Mastache. Tula. Mexico: Fondo de Cultura Economica, 2012. Coe, Michael D, and Rex Koontz. 6th Edition. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2008 Davies, Nigel. The Toltecs: Until the Fall of Tula. Norman: the University of Oklahoma Press, 1987. Gamboa Cabezas, Luis Manuel. El Palacio Quemado, Tula: Seis Decadas de Investigaciones. Arqueologia Mexicana XV-85 (May-June 2007). 43-47