Millions of Americans sit behind a computer screen, chained to their desk all day because the vast majority of stable, high-paying professions are “office jobs”. However, having a successful career does not require you to sit behind a desk and plug away at a computer all day.
In fact, there are a large number of non-desk jobs in a variety of industries that are growing and offering workers a direct path to the middle class, according to a new analysis of labor market information from CareerBuilder. While most of the highest-paying non-desk jobs are medical professions that require a doctoral or professional degree, there are 170 non-desk professions that pay $15 per hour or more, do not require a bachelors degree for a typical entry-level position, and have seen at least 6 percent job growth over the last four years.
The US workforce has gradually changed to office-based work because of the rise of the professional service economy and productivity gains associated with information technology,” Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources Officer at CareerBuilder, said in a statement.
But some of the healthiest areas of job growth year after year are in middle-skill professions that don’t require workers to sit in front of computer monitors and phones for 40 hours a week.”
Here are the top-paying jobs that don’t require you to work at a desk in various kinds — none of which require a four-year college degree — and their hourly salary and growth rate since 2010: professional assistants : $26.57, 14 percent; elevator repairers: $37.81, 6 percent; mechanical engineering technicians: $25.19, 10 percent; and electromechanical technicians: $24.68, 8 percent.
While they tend to pay less than traditional office jobs, non-desk professions provide a variety of benefits. Haefner points to a 2014 CareerBuilder survey that discovered workers who don’t work at a desk all day are less likely to complain about their work environment and less likely to report being overweight.
26. What does the underlined phrase “plug away” in the first paragraph probably mean?
A.Turn off a switch. | B.Look for a job. |
C.Keep on working. | D.Give up working. |
27. What conclusion can we draw from the second paragraph?
A.A non-desk job may provide you with a middle-class life. |
B.The last four years has seen an increase in desk jobs. |
C.The college degree is the ticket to a position. |
D.A non-desk job cannot offer you a secure life. |
28. What is the key reason for the US workforce to change to office-based work?
A.High salary. | B.Medicine. |
C.Information technology. | D.Work environment. |
29. The writer attempts to tell us that _________.
A.“office jobs” are appealing to the middle class |
B.non-desk jobs are a good choice for us |
C.office jobs” are secure and high-paying |
D.non-desk professions are better than office jobs |