+54 votes
by (1.2k points)
I hope it’s okay to ask this here  Does anyone have any suggestions on jobs that work for single mom’s and pay at least $40, 000 a year? I am trying to separate from my husband (hopefully just temporary) and I want to be able to pay the bills without his help. I just want to be financially independent in case it becomes permanent. I have almost 4 years of office experience and I just graduated college with a B. S. in HR Management. I have 3 kids and myself to take care of. I just feel a little lost, any suggestions will help!  
I hope it’s okay to ask this here  Does anyone have any suggestions on jobs that work for single m

40 Answers

+48 votes
by (5.1k points)
 
Best answer
Any position with Bank of America. Minimum wage is $20 an hour. We have daycare reimbursement programs, and the benefits are as good as my husband's job with the city.  
by (1.2k points)
I am watching the job openings! Thank you!  
by (5.1k points)
@domingodominguez591 Absolutely, good luck! I am coming up on my one year mark and love the company and culture!  
+15 votes
by (620 points)
Retail Management
+10 votes
by (1k points)
Look at hospitals or get on indeed for HR jobs. should be able to find something that pays well.  
by (1.2k points)
I have definitely been watching the local hospitals! I would love to work in healthcare.  
+46 votes
by (760 points)
USAjobs. gov
by (760 points)
I work for the DoD as a Civilian and they are very family oriented and pay is decent. I get discount daycare and work from home and lots of room for growth
by (1.1k points)
@gies287 what type of work do you do?  
by (760 points)
I do HR and run intern and leadership programs for a department within the DOD. I started out as a Accounting Technician and worked my way around and up. Been there 6 years
by (5.7k points)
Mt husband and I have been trying to get gov jobs for years. great once your in but not sure she would get in fast enough towards her husband
by (760 points)
@gauss2946 I think a lot depends on where you live also. We have a big base near us with lots of Civilian jobs.  
by (5.7k points)
@gies287 maybe we are both veterans and I have a degree and was disappointed how difficult it has been. We were definitely willing to relocate anywhere basically and nada.  
by (760 points)
@gauss2946 oh that’s a bummer, I work in hiring some. Feel free to PM if you have questions. Also we have a program called Hire a Hero you may want to google
by (1.2k points)
@gies287 what is DOD?  
by (760 points)
@domingodominguez591 Department of Defense
+36 votes
by (4.6k points)
You could look at the call center for dell computers. The starting rate is great and so are the benefits. I dont work there but a friend of ours does. He started out in the call center.  
+44 votes
by (2.7k points)
With HR degree and experience, you could make more than that I bet. I would look into a medicinal insurance company if you have one in the area. They pay great and offer great benefits.  
by (2.7k points)
Medical not medicinal. Lol
by (4k points)
@kofu9891 basically this, yes
by (1.2k points)
@kofu9891 do you mean something like Anthem?  
by (2.7k points)
@domingodominguez591 yes. Or Even One America!  
0 votes
by (1.3k points)
Have you tried obtaining a raise at your current job? Not sure what you’re doing now for work, but if you’re currently in an office and just graduated with your bachelors, you are now more valuable, and should try to use that to leverage a pay increase. I make $19/hour and before taxes i come in at just a few hundred dollars shy of $40k/year so I’d shoot for at least that.  
+14 votes
by (530 points)
Insurance. starting salary usually around 30k+ commission. Took me about 4 weeks to get my license.  
+22 votes
by (540 points)
Look up state jobs in your area! They are pretty decent pay
by (4.3k points)
@penstemon43 yeah I agree, looking for a state job would be amazing! They have super great benefits too
by (280 points)
What's a state job please?  
by (4.4k points)
@mckay a job working for your state. The hiring process tends to be longer, but the benefits are good.  
+7 votes
by (1.8k points)
Any job in HR will pay more than 40k. Find a career coach who will help you focus on a few HR positions that’ll help build your career.  
by (2.7k points)
@graniah6720 this!  
+21 votes
by (7.5k points)
I work for a nonprofit as the executive assistant and would make more than that if I was full time. So I'm guessing exec assistant at regular places would pay even more.  
+23 votes
by (3k points)
Hospitals always need HR people. Also try your local city HR departments.  
by (4.4k points)
@latish4 with covid, most hospitals have put hiring freezes on till next year. Otherwise I would agree with you!  
by (3k points)
@alisun true, didn’t even think about that. I know the one I retired from has even being doing that, but great to work for in the good times.  
+12 votes
by (5.7k points)
EMT/911 dispatch.  
+22 votes
by (570 points)
Insurance claims adjuster. Started out making 41k about 6 years ago.  
by (2.1k points)
@panpipe699 Adams I agree insurance pays well and pretty secure
by (310 points)
@panpipe699 Adams hi do you need experience of this type of job?  
by (570 points)
@shirlyshiroma352 Not entry level, usually just normal customer service. They train you.  
+41 votes
by (560 points)
If you are having a tough time finding an HR job you could start working as a recruiter and then transition into HR. Depending on where you are located typically the base starting salary is around $40k and then you earn commission on top of that. I started at a smaller firm and they are super flexible in terms of me working from home and what not.  
+18 votes
by (1.2k points)
Try looking into Executive Assistant or Office Manager as well. Often these pay more than HR
+45 votes
by (6.5k points)
I tell anyone who will listen the insurance industry is a great place for women. Try your hand at being an insurance agent or underwriter.  
by (3.4k points)
What is an underwriter?  
by (6.5k points)
@ween286 underwriters determine if a risk meets guidelines and can be insured. They work on the insurance carrier side.  
+1 vote
by (4k points)
Most HR jobs will pay more than that. Our HR Generalists at my company start at 50K minimum I believe, it might depend on what you want to do in HR with your background. I worked in payroll many years and even in payroll made more than 40K for the last 5+ years of it
+44 votes
by (6.9k points)
Does the school you recently graduated from offer job placement assistance? I would talk to them if they do.  
+18 votes
by (890 points)
HR person here ☺️. If you do not have any direct HR experience but some exposure and now your degree, I would suggest going for a HR Coordinator, Recruiter or a non-profit HR role. Those are good ways to get your foot in the door. Office Manager of course is another one unless you want to stay only in the HR lane. Check out any HR business Advisor roles too (not partner but Advisor) - my company ADP hires a lot of entry level roles for HR!  
by (890 points)
I’ll add that if you really want to further your career in HR based on your degree, I would try to stick to a relevant career path. HR is hard to get into so some of the other suggestions while good jobs will further push you away from a HR career. Also consider Benefits/open enrollment type jobs or even operational jobs for facilities that require you to wear the HR hat.  
+3 votes
by (3k points)
I would be difficult to start as an exec admin if you do not have any admin experience. However depending on where you live you could be an Hr admin or regular admin for 40k pretty easy I would think. Also look at bank jobs. Corporate jobs - larger corps.  
+7 votes
by (940 points)
Non-profit HR role would be over 40K more than likely. MANY non-profits do not have experienced or trained HR coordinators/managers/administrators so it falls to other staff members (ex. I'm Director of Education but handle soup to nuts hiring/on-boarding and my Senior Director does background checks and payroll). Good luck!  
+24 votes
by (4.4k points)
I am a lifeguard and earn around 50K every year. I work for a municipality and have a union job with benefits. Plus I get to teach kids a valuable skill that will save their lives.  
+36 votes
by (5.2k points)
HR entry level, to stay with your line of education. i work in quality assurance and have a starting salary of $48k. if you have any interest in construction, estimators can start at $70-80k where i live (dallas, texas). it’s smart to become financially independent, regardless of how your relationship turns out. you have so many more options for relationships once you can live independently- your choices expand so much!  
+12 votes
by (3.4k points)
Claims adjuster. Some company need no experience, mine required any kind of bachelors degree but they since dropped the requirement. Trained me on the job, my company does not need a license for my state. Our starting is around 50K
by (760 points)
With no experience how, how do you go about becoming a claims adjuster? Is this something you can work from home and do?  
by (270 points)
@domingodominguez591 Rose my boyfriend is one. He applied for several companies, but most companies will actually train you for the job and how they like it done ☺️
by (3.4k points)
@fisk7674 Fitzgerald agree! My coworker has been in claims for over 20 years with a diff company and had to still learn “our ways” and lots are different between companies.  
by (3.4k points)
@domingodominguez591 Rose I work at farmers and I’m an injury adjuster. We have to be in the office and sometimes out in the field meeting people who are claiming injuries, taking photos of their injuries, scene investigations. Right now I’m working at home 100% due to the pandemic but usually we only work from home once a week. Some of my coworkers who are outside the main city (2 hour away) work remotely completely and come in for big meetings
by (810 points)
@reste I fell into claims myself. I’m currently in work comp. how do you like the injury side of it?  
by (3.4k points)
@ladysmith876 I haven’t worked in any other department but it’s not so bad. We have to try and meet with injured parties which I really did not enjoy (part of our metrics) but we can utilize facetime so that has helped me a lot. It’s definitely interesting, sometimes upsetting to see what people claim  but I can say I like it. I like not being micromanaged and my opinion being appreciated
by (810 points)
@reste Yeah, it’s always crazy to see what people try to sneak past. I work for a municipality now so it’s not as crazy since everyone has good benefits, but my last job was with a lot of mom and pop shops, construction workers, and delivery drivers. so a very different client.  
by (3.4k points)
@ladysmith876 we have a lot of non citizens who do not speak English which pushes them to attorneys who push them to seek treatment bumping up the claim value even for low velocity minor accidents. It’s really interesting to see how different venues have different type of claims
by (810 points)
Yeah, we would see that a lot too! They don’t realize it really pushes things back, they don’t get the full value of what they’re entitled to and a lot of attorneys don’t have their best interests. On the work comp side, different states have different regulations as far as what’s considered perm total and some people WORK the system  
+22 votes
by (3.8k points)
My friend makes $43k as a 911 dispatcher in Texas. I made $46k as an C-level executive assistant in Boston. With a degree in HR, I’d look for hospitals, they usually have good wages and benefits.  
+23 votes
by (1.1k points)
I’m an HR coordinator and make 50k. ☺️
by (1.1k points)
In DFW, TX. Also a good industry unaffected by COVID.  
+44 votes
by (2.8k points)
Maybe not the best time for hiring but look at municipal jobs in administration.  
+46 votes
by (940 points)
Where do you live?  
+47 votes
by (690 points)
Look into Insurance Adjusters I know it’s not HR, but make $50k +and so much room for growth. Work from home opportunities, weekends off and holidays, excellent benefits and vacation
+11 votes
by (1.2k points)
Ahh! you are all so amazing! thank you for all of the suggestions! I should mention a few things. my school does not offer placement assistance unfortunately. I live in a small rural town near Indianapolis. I currently work for an eye doctor, but it is a very small business with no room for growth. I don't think there is even an option for more hours. (I am still on unemployment because there is no work). I have been on LinkedIn and indeed and any other job search site I can find looking for full time HR positions. Unfortunately, my background is not HR. I am an office assistant with the eye doctor, and I was a front desk person for a community mental health facility. I am trying to be hopeful and remember that we are going through a global pandemic so maybe things will get better soon!  
by (770 points)
@domingodominguez591 will you send me a message regarding your exact location & I may be able to point you in a good direction. I work for a large onsite workforce management company and we have several plants in the Indianapolis & SW Indiana area. Many of our sites are considered essential so they are still operating.  
by (2.7k points)
@domingodominguez591 so I work for an Insurance Company called One America. They are located in Indianapolis. I happen to work in one of the sales offices in Pittsburgh, PA. You should check out there website! They pay well and are a very family friendly company. I have worked for them for over 5 years and see myself retiring with them.  
by (2.7k points)
I should also mention that they love promoting from within the company.  
by (860 points)
@domingodominguez591 look for jobs that require a BS degree. Don’t limit yourself to HR. There’s companies out there that hire as long as you have a BS degree for ANY position. Once you are there you can work your way towards the HR department.  
+36 votes
by (4.8k points)
What state do you live in? Some states let you teach as long as you have a degree just with a test. Then you are on the same schedule as your kids.  
+15 votes
by (5.1k points)
Claims adjuster here in Florida you can take a class and not have to sit for the state test.  
by (1.9k points)
Janet Lashaye what do you have to do to become a claims adjuster?  
+48 votes
by (610 points)
Maybe state HR jobs are available? also hospitals need HR people all the time. just a thought.  
+7 votes
by (1.8k points)
Check your local county jobs board and LinkedIn.  
+32 votes
by (5.7k points)
I work at the power company and make about 65 a year, as a single mom. we have lots of great jobs— now, however, we are down to like 2 postings company wide, but typically we have 50+ all the time
+7 votes
by (3.6k points)
I’d depends on where you live. Here are some job boards I followed regularly. Higheredjobs. com for jobs at colleges and universities Idealist. org for jobs in nonprofit and adjacent. USAjobs. gov for gov based work. Also look at your city and county websites and look to see if your state has its own nonprofit job board. Example: Minnesota has MN Council of Nonprofit network. Lastly. look at organizations in your area and just cruse their websites. Most will have a careers section you can check to see if there are openings a available. Good luck!  
+4 votes
by (6.7k points)
Registered Nurse
+19 votes
by (2.5k points)
Project Manager
+18 votes
by (13.8k points)
You should be able to get an HR job. However there is also jobs like insurance where there is no ceiling. However it's commission.  
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