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Best Big Data Mining & Analytics Small Business Ideas For 2020.There is no doubt that data analytics is a big business. Data analytics exists because all our digital activities create electronic records. They include everything we do online, like every Facebook ‘likes’ we give, every online purchase, and the blogs we get to read daily etc – everything.Data analytics business opportunities?It is predicted cloud-based ‘predictive analytics’ software will be where the money is going forward – in other words, software that not only makes sense of existing data but uses it to learn and accurately predict future trends.Retail and e-commerce is a particular industry that is set to benefit from big data analytics. Research by MGI and Mckinsey’s Business Technology office claims a retailer using big data could increase its operating margins by more than 60% compared to one that does not.Why Start a Data Mining & Analytics Company?As hundreds of terabytes of this information continue accumulating on a daily basis, organizations are increasingly looking for how to use this data/information to help them to better understand their markets and customers, and even predict what is coming up next.This big data revolution represents a goldmine for companies, from improving their internal efficiency to managing supply-chain systems and targeting consumers. The problem for them is that old ways of sifting through data just cannot handle the sheer amount of information, and most do not have the internal resources required.According to research first quarter of 2015 was the most funded data analytics/big data quarter since 2000, with $13.4 billion being given out in 1,020 deals making this sector very ripe for both investment and starting a business.According to the market research firm IDC, “big data” companies that use data analysis to solve problems and do business had sales of $3.2 billion in 2010. Total industry revenue reached nearly $17 billion by 2015, growing about seven times faster than the overall IT market.If you want to start a business that leverages on data analytics to come up with something unique, then here are businesses you should start looking into.Data Analytics Business ideas for 2020Data mining and analytics consultancy serviceThere is a lot of untapped potential around big data consulting services and hardware. The trick is uncovering the business problems big data solves. If you are quite knowledgeable in the workings of big data, you can set up a data mining company that provides data mining consulting services.You can work with company executives involved in strategic and tactical decision making as well as line-of-business managers responsible for cost reduction initiatives.You also get to consult for marketing managers who need to gain insights on competitive intelligence, to explore untapped customer and market opportunities. Data mining consultancy service is a huge business that is very much sought after in the marketBusiness Intelligence consultingBusiness intelligence is a method of utilizing a wide variety of tools, applications and methodologies to help organizations to collect data from internal systems and external sources; prepare it for analysis; develop and run queries against that data; and create reports, dashboards and data visualizations to make the analytical results available to corporate decision-makers, as well as operational workers.This is another data analytics related business one can start and would not want for clients as businesses would always be after your servicesSet up a scientific computing serviceScientific computing is the utilization of mathematical models and simulations to solve a scientific problem (usually) on a high-performance computer. This is a rapidly growing multidisciplinary field that uses advanced computing capabilities to understand and solve complex problems in the tech and business world. As a well-grounded person in this discipline, you can set up a scientific computing service to provide help to companies that would need your service.Fraud detection servicesFraud detection is one data analytics business one can start. The PwC global economic crime survey of 2016 suggests that more than one in three organizations experienced economic crime in that year, thus making fraud detection a billion-dollar business.Traditional methods of data analysis have long been used to detect fraud, but the first industries to use data analysis techniques to prevent fraud were the telephone companies, the insurance companies and the banks.Fraud that involves cell phones, insurance claims, tax return claims, credit card transactions etc. represent significant problems for governments and businesses. You can start a fraud detection agency to help businesses and organizations better protect themselves.Create and sell Data management softwareData management software is software that merges files from several databases, extracts, filters, and summarizes the data without loss of integrity and without interference, and presents it in an easy to use format. This software would enable organizations to better analyze and interpret their data without maybe needing external help. With everything data being at the front burner now, you would surely get big bucks for your software.Create and sell Security softwareSecurity software is a general phrase used to describe any software that provides security for a computer or network. Security software can refer to virus protection software, as well as software to remove unwanted adware and spyware.There are many types of security software including antivirus software, encryption software, firewall software and spyware removal software. You can start creating security software for sale and this industry relies heavily from data analytics.Start an advanced analytics companyAdvanced analytics refers to a broad range of analytics that is intended to give businesses greater insight into their data than they could ordinarily. Some of these techniques include machine learning, data mining, predictive analytics, location analytics, big data analytics and location intelligence.These technologies are widely used in industries including marketing, healthcare, risk management and economics. You can start an advanced data analytics company that would specialize in one or more of these fields.Start a personal data protection agencyPersonal data means data relating to a living individual who is or can be identified either from the data or from the data in conjunction with other information that is in, or is likely to come into, the possession of the data controller.In many countries, data privacy is not highly regulated, so by extension, there are no strict data protection laws in those countries. Even though this trend is gradually changing, but you can still take advantage of it to set up your own personal data protection agency.Build and sell self-sufficient data mining and analytics toolsData mining is a popular technological innovation that converts piles of data into useful knowledge that can help the data owners/users make informed choices and take smart actions for their own benefit.The elements of data mining include extraction, transformation, and loading of data onto the data warehouse system, managing data in a multidimensional database system, providing access to business analysts and IT experts, analyzing the data by tools, and presenting the data in a useful format, such as a graph or tableYou can create data mining and analysis tools that can make data mining easy even for a non-professional. You can create technologies and tools such as OLAP, data cubes, pivot tables, and other advanced algorithms.Start a data analytics blogIf you are quite interested in data analytics but do not have the capacity to go into other aspects of data analytics, you can equally start a related blog where you get to keep readers up to date on every issue that borders around data. You need to be quite knowledgeable on the subject of big data and analytics because your visitors would likely be professionals seeking new updates on the subject. You risk losing their readership if you slacken.Start a financial service firmFinancial Services is a term used to refer to the services provided by the finance market. Financial Services is also the term used to describe organizations that deal with the management of money. Examples are the banks, investment banks, insurance companies, credit card companies, stock brokerages, accountancy companies, consumer-finance companies, investment funds and individual managers. This business is quite capital intensive but it is quite profitable if properly harnessed.Start an online data protection firmOnline and mobile products and services are increasingly being used for our daily activities such as shopping, banking, social networking, dating, etc. In doing so, we reveal personal data to different parties, which can be used to construct detailed profiles and track us through the different web sites we visit. In order to avoid situations like that, online users need to be protected especially people who do business online. Online data protection is one niche that makes use of data analytics and it could net the owner good profits.Start an eCommerce platformAt its simplest form, an e-commerce platform enables a business to sell products and services online. Ecommerce has emerged as the single biggest growth driver in the worldwide marketplace. Setting up this platform requires a lot of data analytics especially when it comes to marketing the platform, its products and services.Start a data monetization businessAs business executives continue to recognize the value of data, and as the world continues to be instrumented with sensors and real-time analytics, data will continue to be a booming business. Perhaps the most obvious way to monetize data is simply to sell it to other organizations.But that isn’t the only data monetization path, nor is it the most likely one for companies that aren’t information services providers at heart. For such businesses, the more common approach is embedding data along with tools for analyzing it in the products and services they sell.Start a marketing and sales businessBig Data is the biggest game-changing opportunity for marketing and sales since the Internet went mainstream almost 20 years ago. Organizations today face overwhelming amounts of data, organizational complexity, rapidly changing customer behaviours, and increased competitive pressures. The explosion in data and digital technologies has opened up an unprecedented array of insights into customer needs and behaviours.By analyzing all these data, and using them to predict consumer behaviour, you can offer organizations a whole new and personalized way of marketing their products and services to get to their intended customers or audience. While utilizing this method, your marketing and sales business would surely be a high flyer.Start a customer relationship management (CRM) serviceCustomer relationship management (CRM) is a term that refers to practices, strategies and technologies that companies use to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer’s lifecycle, with the goal of improving business relationships with customers, assisting in customer retention and driving sales growth. As a customer relationship management service, you can mine communications data within a company, automating the process to improve customer relationships.Develop ML or NLP tools for writing/improving new algorithmsThe field of study that focuses on the interactions between human language and computers is called Natural Language Processing or NLP for short. NLP is a way for computers to analyze, understand, and derive meaning from human language in a smart and useful way.By utilizing NLP, developers can organize and structure knowledge to perform tasks such as automatic summarization, translation, named entity recognition, relationship extraction, sentiment analysis, speech recognition, and topic segmentation. Here, your target customers will be those who need to mine massive amount of data. Think of it as a B2B product.Start a dating service for geeksDating sites have come a long way, and now there are hundreds of alternative services beyond the very popular ones we know. But you can take it a step further by starting a geek dating site for people that are not into very conventional things.You can start a dating site dedicated to sci-fi, horror, fantasy, animation, anime, and comics, video games, conventions and cosplay, books etc. lovers. Being successful in this business would require you to pay careful attention to the loads of data that has already been generated in the industry so as to know how to modify your services.Start an uber serviceUber is a convenient, inexpensive and safe taxi service. Passengers get to hire a private driver to pick them up and take them to their destination with the tap of a button on any smartphone device. The Android, iOS and Windows Phone app connects riders with drivers using their phone’s GPS capabilities, letting both parties know one another’s location and removing the question of when the ride will actually arrive.Uber uses big data in incredible ways to streamline and optimize its business operations. Through data analysis, Uber can predict where passengers want to go, allowing them to staff more efficiently. Another fun example of the way the company uses data comes from its recent analysis that showed that Uber drivers can optimize their earnings by staying in one place rather than driving around hoping to be near potential customers.Start a credit card analytics businessCredit card analytics business is another business that makes use of data analytics. Here, you get to work with merchants and payment systems to extract and analyze proprietary data from credit card purchases. This information can then be used to measure sales performance, evaluate customers and customer segments, improve promotions and loyalty programs, launch more effective marketing campaigns, write better business plans, and perform other tasks that lead to smarter business decisions.Private Cloud Servers businessAs a private cloud server provider, you should be well trained to help companies to fight against data insecurity using project management and collaboration software on secure private cloud servers. Private cloud servers are built to deliver high performance, faster data access and upload. It’s multitude of features include task management, file sharing, business communication, mobile collaboration and much more. This business can only be made possible by data analytics.Start an online learning platformOnline learning platforms that are directed at helping students academically are really increasing exponentially on the internet. But you can carve a safe niche for yourself in this competitive business by looking out for those niches that are not so saturated yet.Niches like online platforms targeted at children with learning disabilities or children struggling with their school work, are still coming up. You can utilize data analytics to interpret the volumes of data in the industry so as to know what people are demanding more for.Start a music streaming websiteMusic streaming business is another data analytics business idea an entrepreneur can start and make loads of profits from. A music streaming service allows its users to access songs for a set subscription fee and play them on demand with no adverts. This service relies heavily on usage-based algorithms to connect users to their preferred music.Start virtual reality sports training programsYou can start a virtual-reality simulator that creates soccer-training programs based on real-world match data. This innovative use of available data allows an athlete to train not only based on his or her performance, but based on the performance of the major soccer stars he or she wants to emulate. You can apply this technology to various sports such as football, cycling, field hockey and ice hockey.Utilize data analytics solution for hiringHiring is a huge challenge for big and small companies alike. Hiring the right candidate is a tricky task and can go wrong many a times. The blame for a bad recruit usually goes to the HR. Creating a HR solution that works on big data and predictive analytics can solve this problem to a great extent and help companies save costs associated with bad hiring.The portal should extract all the available data about the candidate from the web and the predictive analytics system can assess candidate’s skill set against a given organization/job profile and provide the organization with valuable inputs on how good the hire would be. This can help companies improve the quality of their hires and thus move towards higher efficiency.Start a text mining businessText mining can be used to determine what the original author was trying to say or to learn something completely new. Typically, the goal is to identify the topics or categories in the text such as products, service problems, etc.Taking it a step further, it’s also possible to use “sentiment analysis” to determine whether written text has a positive, negative, or neutral tone. Other sources of text feedback include call center agent logs, transcripts from recorded phone calls, mobile (SMS) text messages, email messages, chat sessions and posts on discussion forums or blogs.Start a social network that recommends pubsA social network is a website that brings people together to talk, share ideas and interests, or make new friends. Social media sites contain content created by hundreds or even millions of different people, and this is one business that generates lots of big data in a while. Social networking can occur for social purposes and business purposes etc. You can pick a niche where you want to cover and market your site accordingly.Start an Analytics, Prediction and Visualization serviceRather than a generic tool, you’ll work on specific requirement of your clients. If you are good with networking, marketing and finding new people, and you are good at what you do; this can be a good model to start with. You can start by engaging in small freelance projects within this model. You can later slowly form a team and get people with deeper expertise into Visualization or Optimization. This service is usually carried out as a B2B service.Become a cognitive scientistA rapidly increasing amount of research is now capitalizing on large-scale and real-world digital data to solve world problems. One of such areas is that of cognitive science. Cognitive scientists study intelligence and behavior, with a focus on how nervous systems represent, process, and transform information. Cognitive science is a discipline where you study how human brain behaves and can be imitated.In order to do this, software is used to prepare a model. This model is continuously trained on huge amount of data. In addition, you can veer into cognitive computing where you will make use of a lot of analytics to learn easier ways to communicate with machines.Build data analytics softwareData analytics is the process of examining data sets in order to draw conclusions about the information they contain, increasingly with the aid of specialized systems and software. Modern data analysis software empowers users to retrieve, combine, interact with, explore, and visualize data from any combination of sources, providing them with greater insight into their business processes, industries, and customers. You can create data analytics software and sell to companies and businesses that make use of big data in their work.Build and market enterprise content management softwareAn enterprise content management software is a set of related programs that are used to create and manage digital content. An enterprise content management software facilitates collaboration in the workplace by integrating document management, digital asset management and records retention functionalities, and providing end users with role-based access to the organization’s digital assets. This is another lucrative niche in software production that utilizes a lot of workplace data analytics.Build a dedicated server hosting companyWeb hosting is a service that allows organizations and individuals to post a website or web page onto the Internet. Dedicated Server Hosting companies occupy an important spot in the big data storage and analysis process, by frequently providing that space where the data is stored.Because big companies tend to generate huge piles of data frequently, so they need to host their data on frameworks that can carry it. As a dedicated server hosing company, you can provide your clients with business packages that include unlimited disk space, high volume storage email accounts and monthly data transfer.Build universal payment gatewayA payment gateway is a merchant service that is provided by an e-commerce application service provider that authorizes credit card or direct payments processing for e-businesses, online retailers, bricks and clicks, or traditional brick and mortar businesses.This business niche is still upcoming and you can build a universal payment gateway that not only supports credit/debit card processing and bank transfers but also alternative payment methods like mobile carrier billing and prepaid cards.Start digital marketing serviceDigital marketing is the marketing of products or services using digital technologies, mainly on the internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising, and any other digital medium. Digital marketers, using data analytics monitor things like what is being viewed, how often and for how long, sales conversions, what content works and doesn’t work in order to proffer better solutions to product marketing.Start a market research companyMarket research is any organized effort to gather information about target markets or customers. Market research provides important information to identify and analyze the market need, market size and competition. This is one business that makes use of a whole lot of data to arrive at viable conclusions. A lot of companies these days always require market research and you can set up a market research company to meet this need.Customer intelligence analytics serviceCustomers are more empowered and connected than ever before because they have access to information anywhere. They now know where to shop, what to buy and how much to pay. Brands realize it is increasingly important to predict how customers will behave in order to respond accordingly.This business requires that you use data, analytics and insights on prospects and customers to create relevant, individualized experiences in real time. You can start a customer intelligence analytics service to provide a platform that can help businesses to engage with their customers when it matters.Start a survey businessA survey business carries out research for other organizations into factors such as attitudes, preferences, beliefs and satisfaction levels. Business, political, government, not-for-profit organizations, design professionals, attorneys, developers, real estate professionals, local agencies and other sub-consultants use survey results to plan or modify their operations. You can equally start a survey company if you want to take advantage to the data analytics industry.Start a machine learning, data science and artificial intelligence trainingModern technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science and big data have become the buzzwords which everybody talks about but no one fully understands. They indeed seem very complex to a layman. People often get confused by words like AI, ML and data science. If you are an expert in this area, you can start training people in this area because data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence is now the in-thing in business.Start a text mining businessThe purpose of text mining is to process unstructured information, extract meaningful numeric indices from the text, and thus make the information contained in the text accessible to the various data mining (statistical and machine learning) algorithms.Text mining can help an organization derive potentially valuable business insights from text-based contents such as word documents, email and postings on social media streams like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. You can set up a business that would be concerned with solely mining information from text to make it usable for the advancement of the company.Start a sports betting platformSports betting is a form of gambling that entails placing a wager, also known as a bet, on the outcome of a sporting event. As one of the most popular forms of gambling in the world, sports betting typically involves wagers being placed on football, basketball, baseball, hockey, rugby, boxing, horse racing, car races, tennis, and more.In recent years, it has extended to other events that are not sports-related, such as elections, reality shows, interest rates, beauty contests, and who the next American Idol will be. This business is very profitable if you are able to break into the market.Mine cryptocurrencyOver the past several years, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have been quietly growing in popularity, with an ever-larger number of people buying and selling them. Now that Bitcoin has hit the mainstream and become a worldwide phenomenon, more people than ever are looking to get into the cryptocurrency game. You can get in on the cryptocurrency rush if you take the time to learn the basics properly. The key to success in this game is to properly research crypto that is deemed to have good potentials in future and dig in.Build and sell robotic process automation softwareRobotic process automation is the application of technology that allows employees in a company to configure computer software or a robot to capture and interpret existing applications for processing a transaction, manipulating data, triggering responses and communicating with other digital systems.Any company that uses labor on a large scale for work, where people are performing high-volume, highly transactional process functions, will boost their capabilities and save money and time with robotic process automation software. You can thus manufacture and sell this software.Manufacture commercial UAVsAn unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without a human pilot aboard which is either controlled by a remote or an app and uses aerodynamic forces to navigate and perform desired functions.When being utilized for commercial purposes, drones can be used carry small payloads, perform delivery and minor services, carry video and static cameras for photography and videography, and perform commercial, military inspections and operations. You can take advantage of this emerging market to build commercials drones which you can sell or rent out.Start an intelligent customer acquisition service for businessesAs an intelligent customer acquisition service, you get to deliver more personalized experiences with a renewed approach to customer acquisition, retention and revenue optimization. You would also be able to leverage artificial intelligence and analytics to achieve your clients customer-centric vision in a very short while.Start a search engine analytics serviceSearch engine analytics is the use of search data to investigate particular interactions among web searchers, the search engine, or the content during searching episodes.The resulting analysis and aggregation of search engine statistics can be used in search engine marketing (SEM) and search engine optimization (SEO). Search analytics helps website owners understand and improve their performance on search engines. You can set up a search engine analytics service if you have the capacity and this may not cost much to start up.Manufacture intelligent toysToys for kids have come a long way from morbid plastics to toys that exhibit quite some high level of intelligence. In order to fit in with the times and make loads of cash while you are at it, you can start an intelligence toy manufacturing company.Toys that spark curiosity and build foundational knowledge of programming and problem solving come in the form of robots, circuit boards, and computer kits. These toys not only get kids thinking about complex problems, they are collaborative, engaging, and build technical skills.Business Matching ServicesAnother lucrative business idea is to set up a business matching service. You know how in the past, people used the trade by barter system to get items that they want because the hard currency system wasn’t in place at the time, well, that system is back.Here, business owners who require a service are linked up with other business owners who can provide the service without taking cash. Payments are normally in the form of service exchange.You can start a service like this, and help business owners to reduce the costs of doing business.Manufacturer medical fitness wearablesFitness wearables are not new to us and they are connected to the Internet as they communicate with our smartphones. The easiest and the most obvious ability of such devices is to pass data about your heartbeat to a medical establishment or to a doctor in an emergency occasion.These devices also perform a lot of other useful functions like diet management. A lot of sports people are currently using these devices to protect themselves while they train. This is one business you should get into right now.Start a podcast on data analyticsA podcast is an episodic series of digital audio or video files which a user can download and listen to. You can start a podcast stream that features conversations on topics related to data science, statistics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.In conclusion, there are plenty of innovative and interesting ideas that rely on big data and data analytics, but it is fair to say that this sector is still developing. The high priority of gaining more and more precise insights about how processes work is sure to continue as businesses go beyond the constraints that are holding them back from being fully attentive and analytical about all of their operations.It has been noted that startups that use data analytics effectively are the ones that will gain profitability over the next several years.Social media and mobile devices are driving a veritable explosion in the amount of readily-accessible information. Meanwhile, increasingly sophisticated information gathering techniques store the data on countless hard drives and servers around the world.

1 IntroductionThe four items in the Answer of Russell Boone below are the four great Chinese inventions generally accepted in the West. But from my viewpoint there appear to be two insufficiently recognised advances which the Chinese civilisation made during the heydays of the Song and Ming Empires and which need to be re-interpreted and more fully acknowledged by the West. These advances had and continue to have an enormous impact on world history. These major developments wereThe advance in economic understanding by the first investment credit economist, the transcedental Wang Anshi (1021–1086) who created many aspects of the welfare state in the Northern Song Empire (960-1127) where he was Chancellor then Prime Minister and a personal friend of Emperor Shenzong - see Wang Anshi - Wikipedia andThe improved design of the Zheng He Great fleet which I illustrate below - this fleet was funded in the Ming Empire using Wang Anshi’s investment credit creation understanding and had a positive effect on Chinese GDP in the Song Empire and on the design of the European ships which made voyages of discovery, exploration and colonisation of America.2 The Invention of Credit Creation For Productive Investments in the Northern Song Empire (960-1126) by Wang Anshi (1021–1086).The historical importance of the Chinese master economist Wang Anshi is partially recognised in the entries made in Wikipedia (Wang Anshi - Wikipedia) and in the Encyclopedia Brittanica (Wang Anshi | Chinese author and political reformer) and in many other academic articles.Wang Anshi’s significance on the creation of a competent Chinese bureaucracy has been discussed in recent academic articles such as Wolfgang Driesler’s three articles published in Public Money and Management about public management in the Northern Song Dynasty, which areWang Anshi and the origins of modern public management in Song Dynasty China (published 1 July 2013) seehttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09540962.2013.817125?src=recsys&journalCode=rpmm20Towards Understanding Wang Anshi and Confucian Public Management (published online 11 June 2014)https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540962.2014.920195Debate: Once again on Wang Anshi and Confucian public management (published online on 13 May 2015)https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540962.2015.1047264But while Wang Anshi is recognised as a great innovative economist who used his power to limit the exploitation of the poor by the rich and establishing the first rudiments of the Welfare State in the Southern Song Empire, by establishing a basic income for the unemployed and the old, and hospitals for the poor and homes for orphans, the modern Western recorders of these actions list what he did, but fail to understand how he did it.2.1 Wang Anshi (1021–1086) Was The First Investment Credit EconomistThe issue which modern interpreters fail to understand in the actions of Wang Anshi is the creation of no-cost credit creation by the central monetary authority in the Northern Song Empire. That investment credit creation was the basic driver of the emergence of the Northern Song Empire as the first high-investment, high growth, widespread prosperity, industrial economy in the world. SeeWhy Western-Trained University Economists Are Almost Completely UselessLet me illustrate precisely what I mean. When the superstrong Graphene (see Graphene - Wikipedia) was discovered in 2004, some scientists thought it did not exist in nature because it seemed such a peculiar arrangement of carbon atoms. Then more insightful scientists examined the carbon residues at the chimney edges of steel furnaces and noted that graphene was there, as it had been for hundreds of years. But they could not have previously noted it was there, because previous to its discovery they did not know it existed, and even if they had found it they would not have recognised what they were looking at.Everyone understands their perceptions through the lens of their existing education and their “knowledge”. If they do not think that a procedure - like high-growth, no-cost investment credit creation - exists, then they will be incapable of noticing it. That is why the Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Brittanica entries about Wang Anshi are not adequately informed - their authors do not have mindsets that encompass the possibility of investment credit creation. Because they do not recognise that principle, they cannot understand the higher economic growth and more full social and cultural development of the Song and Ming Empires. See the reprint ofThe Most Successful Macroeconomic Policy Of All TimeThat’s also why most learned Western comments about China are entirely wrong. Even the economists of the CIA seem incapable of reading the public debt financial data about Japan and China the right way up - that’s why they can’t perform basic accounting correctly, and can’t tell a bank liability like a bill from an asset like a mortgage, and they do not seem to be keen on having their understanding improved. SeeThe Public Debt of Japan and China – George Tait Edwards – MediumWherever Milton Friedman looked, he thought he saw the triumph of Western neo-liberalism, as in such books as Capitalism and Freedom - Wikipedia. When Francis Fukayama believed in the triumph everywhere of Western liberal values and wrote The End of History and the Last Man - Wikipedia - the problem was with his mindset and his conclusions were not supported by the reality of the world. The pre-existing beams in the eyes of these authors loomed larger in their minds than their unobserved realities of the world. So their works are dated and now largely invalid.2.1.1 The Mandate of HeavenNearly all modern economies have become, through the passage of time, captured by, dominated by and run for the benefit of their rich and privileged. Yet truly outstanding economies and nearly all world-dominating countries have grown to greatness through the inclusion of nearly all of their people in the process of economic development.The Chinese appear to understand this issue. Five thousand years of Chinese history illustrates it. When the Empire is ruled in the interests of all its people, the Emperor is obeying the The Mandate of Heaven and the Empire is much greater - culturally, economically, socially, and innovatively - due to that.See Mandate of Heaven - WikipediaThe concept of the Mandate of Heaven is not, as it is usually represented, a theoretical concept. As Wikipedia points out“….Mencius, a great philosopher who many thought was the successor to Confucius proclaimed [2]‘The people are of supreme importance; the altars of the gods of earth and grain come next; last comes the ruler.’ ”Previously world-dominating hegemonic nations can be turned into much lesser powers- culturally, economically, socially, innovatively - by politicians running their economies only in the interests of their rich elites. This is not a theory but an explanation of what has happened to the UK and USA.Read The United Kingdom and the United States of America Have Both Lost “The Mandate of Heaven”The previous hegemonic leading nations of the UK and the USA have been converted into more minor states by political leaders elevating their rich above their people. It’s like turning two cultural billionaires, which had massive innovative, economic and social talents in their people into much more minor players (but still multi-capable mainly militarily millionaires) on the World stage. The rich everywhere press for the economy to serve mainly their interests, to grant taxes and higher profits from the impoverishment of the workers. Where this comes to pass, the country loses its previous prominance.2.1.2 Wang Anshi’s Effect on Three Chinese DynastiesThe Three Chinese Empires of the Northern Song (960–1127) , the Southern Song (1127–1279) and the first Ming Dynasty (1328–98) became the greatest in the world during the 11th to the 14th centuries - culturally, economically, socially, and innovately. Wang Anshi as Chancellor and then as Prime Minister Minster operated the investment-credit-creation key under the Emperor Shenzon of the Northern Song Empire.https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjNxpO_6PjaAhUCvBQKHSV1C4EQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Fslideplayer.com%2Fslide%2F4239505%2F&psig=AOvVaw3mE8_b7Vc35GBnHuKu6FcI&ust=1525961511993141The Chinese used that key to establish prosperity in these three Empires all of which were operated in the interests of all of their people while the intervening Mongol/Yuan Empire (1279–1368) did not understand the Mandate of Heaven and ruled China in the interests the Mongols, so their rule was for less than a century. The Yuan Empire, having no interest in investment credit creation for the Chinese people, created vast amounts of consumption credit for the Mongols, which caused massive inflation and widespread discontent which was one major factor in ending their Empire.2.1.3 Wang Anshi Macroeconomics and the Mandate of HeavenWang Anshi continually acted to ensure the prosperity of all the Chinese people. Some insight into Wang Anshi’s character through the 1994 research of Susan Elizabeth Edmonds is provided below, where her MA Dissertation states:“Although Wang’s character is hard to evaluate at such a distance, evidence of his moral fiber can be found in Mei Yaochen’s poem, “Seeing Off Wang Jiefu [Wang An-shih]——on his Departure to Become Prefect of Piling”. Written in 1057 A.D., this five-syllable gushi (ancient-style poem) describes Prefects as people lacking in humanity who exploited the peasants. Coming from a family of humble non-aristocratic means, Wang’s desire for political and economic change shaped his life and career. On the occasion of his promotion, Mei suggests that Wang would be a different kind of Prefect because he did not value silver and silk, but instead had an unusual compassion for the impoverished peasants. In Mei’s experience, Wang was a man who put his concern for others above personal benefit and comfort. In this respect, he was uncommon because be “never follow[ed] the world’s fashions.” Mei’s opinion is relevant and useful to include in this analysis of Wang’s character. The following excerpt comes from his poem:”From Wang Anshi’s (1021-1086) seven-syllable jueju on nature themes, p 5, Edmonds, Susan Elizabeth, 1994 Dissertation as part of MA Studies, University of British Columbia Library, available on the internet atWang Anshi’s (1021-1086) seven-syllable jueju on nature themesSo Wang Anshi was a humble man, considerate and compassionate in his behaviour towards the poor, yet he had a steely resolve in his determination to destroy monopolies and replace them with several suppliers, to tax the rich appropriately, to improve the output of farms (and doubtless small enterprises) through low interest loans, to “stop the rich from grinding the faces of the poor into the dust”, and thus to create a more fair and stronger economy. Which he did.Investment credit creation by the Northern Song when Wang Anshi was Chancellor and Prime Minster produced the world’s first industrial economy in the 11th century.2.2 The Significance of What Wang Anshi DidThe same basic macroeconomic technology of no-cost investment credit creation is responsible for the high investment and rapid growth of the Chinese economy from 1975 to the present day. The economic understandings which I christened as the Shimomuran Macroeconomics of the Tokyo Consensus Zone have a long parentage, and a more full name for the many sources of these economic insights might beWang Anshi-Keynesian-FDRooseveltian-JohnKennethGalbraithian-Shimomuran-Wernerian Macroeconomics.See my Answer at How did Wang Anshi contribute to the economic world?See “Why do you refer to “Investment Credit Economics” as ‘Shimomuran Economics’ if it was first…and FDR’s American Economic Miracle 1938-44, or the First Economic Bomb - The USA from 1938 to 1944 (Part 1)http://londonprogressivejournal.com/article/view/1513/the-master-economist-dr-osamu-shimomura-probably-the-greatest-economist-of-the-th-century-after-john-maynard-keynesSee An Extended Review of Princes of the YenWestern economists raised in the mindset of WashingtonConsensus Economics/Monetarism/ NeoclassicalEconomics/Neo-Liberalism/Austerity do not have an understanding of no-cost credit creation in their education, because no Western universities teach that alternative capitalism. SeeWhy Western-Trained University Economists Are Almost Completely UselessWestern economists are often puzzled by how such massive capital expenditures on social facilities in the Southern Song Empire or in the Zheng He great fleets could be implemented without causing inflation and social unrest.The comments made by some sources - that Zheng He’s seven Great Fleets were constructed and fitted out and manned with no deleterious effects on the Chinese economy of the great Ming Dynasty - can only be understood from the mindset of a full appreciation of the use of Wang Anshi’s no-cost Credit Creation by the post-Mongol Ming Empire in order to fund the construction and operation of these Great Fleets.It now seems nearly certain that the World’s first great industrial revolution in the Empire of the Southern Song was financed and grew to greatness through the same government technique of targeted investment credit creation funding the commercial development of small and medium sized industry that is currently the source of much of the rapid growth of modern-day China. If the Chinese Empire of the Southern Song had not been divided, if the Jurchen-Jin had not detached the northern provinces of China from the Southern Song, a unified Chinese Empire using gunpowder technology could have defeated the Mongols, with incalculable consequences for the alternative history of the world.There would have been no Yuan Dynasty, no Mongol domination of a literate China by the militarily great but culturally defective and comparatively illiterate Yuan Dynasty of Kublia Khan, no Silk Road, no stimulation of the European Renaissance through the export of the four great Chinese inventions of gunpowder and all its metal-based munitions (the iron bombs, cannon, fire lances and better weaponry), paper, printing and the compass. If the later Ming emperors had not been so afraid of another Mongol invasion they would not have diverted China’s energies into the repair and extension of the Great Wall.The Conservatives and their usual promotion of the interests of the rich and their traditional xenophobic philosophy of fear of outsiders and the elevation of tradition above innovation, and isolation above development, dominated the actions of the late 15th century Ming court. As The Ming Voyages | Asia for Educators | Columbia University records under the heading “The Fateful Decision”“The Ming court was divided into many factions, most sharply into the pro-expansionist voices led by the powerful eunuch factions that had been responsible for the policies supporting Zheng Ho's voyages, and more traditional conservative Confucian court advisers who argued for frugality. When another seafaring voyage was suggested to the court in 1477, the vice president of the Ministry of War confiscated all of Zheng He's records in the archives, damning them as "deceitful exaggerations of bizarre things far removed from the testimony of people's eyes and ears." He argued that "the expeditions of San Bao [meaning "Three Jewels," as Zheng He was called] to the West Ocean wasted tens of myriads of money and grain and moreover the people who met their deaths may be counted in the myriads. Although he returned with wonderful precious things, what benefit was it to the state?"Linked to eunuch politics and wasteful policies, the voyages were over. By the century's end, ships could not be built with more than two masts, and in 1525 the government ordered the destruction of all oceangoing ships. The greatest navy in history, which once had 3,500 ships (the U.S. Navy today has only 324), was gone.”The Great Zheng He Fleets could have formed the foundation of the Sea Silk Road covering almost precisely the same sea “road” routes of the modern OBOR development. China had the option of becoming the world-leading hegemony based on its industrial strength and the high levels of wealth and welfare of its people soundly based upon the towering levels of invention and innovation in its people. The dominance of China's Conservatives resulted in the destruction of their great navy and Chinese decline.Just as the dominance of the 1980s Conservative agenda of Reagan and Thatcher - and their promotion of the interests of the rich above the majority of their people, along with the continual destruction (from 1880 onwards) of the local banking systems which created the economic miracles of the Scottish and English industrial revolutions and FDR’s 1938–44 economic miracle - generated the economic decline of the West, so the turning inward of the Ming Empire under the Chinese Conservatives ended the potential Chinese domination of the world economy and its retreat into isolationism.As the great Quora Answerer Hoang Nghiem (严黄) has argued in his usual encyclopaedic detail, the Zheng He fleet was a Chinese Ming Empire response to China’s dimunition by the Mongols. SeeSee Why are Zheng He's voyages considered one of the most grand accomplishments of the Ming Dynasty?If the Chinese had kept turning outward, China could have remained the paramount world-connected culture exceeding all others. But the dominance of the Conservatives turned Chinese policies inward, into a Sinn Fein “Us Alone” isolationist culture of “we don't need anything outside of China” which policy has never worked anywhere, as again Hoang Nghiem has argued.At present the very rich Chinese outside China -their foreign billionaires - appear to be trying to convert the Government of China into a country that serves the interests of the Chinese rich, just like what happens in the rest of the world, in the Western Washington Consensus/(Etc) Zone. If that well-funded attempt to change Chinese Government policy ever succeeds, then Chinese economic growth would fall to about a third of its current level, and China would join the rest of the world with the increasing impoverishment of its people. This appears to have historically occurred in China whenever the leadership of China fell to its Conservatives.See 500 years ago, China destroyed its world-dominating navy because its political elite was afraid of free tradeThere are modern echoes and interesting parallels to modern times in that Independent article.Wang Anshi was the first investment credit economist. He not only produced, through no-cost credit creation, the world’s first industrial industrial revolution in the Southern Song Empire but also after the fall of the Yuan/Mongol Empire, which fell partly due to untargeted credit creation which caused inflation, and after the Mongols were ejected, Wang Anshi’s insights during the succeeding Ming Dynasty funded the Great Fleet.The entries in the various encyclopaedias need to make the investment credit connection between Wang Anshi’s 11th century understandings as the foundation for the current great growth of China. Their editors may ultimately get around to doing that.3 The Better Design of the Ming Dynasty Zheng He Ships in the Great Fleet3.1 The New Zheng He Design of Ships The outstanding aspect of the design of the Zheng He Fleet was the raised fore and aft decks. That design made the ships more stable as ocean-going vessels. See the three examples below and the many more at the Google images section of The Zheng He FleetSketch of Zheng He Great Fleet Ship Design 1 - the largest treasure ships.The small ship in the above drawing appears to be one of Columbus’s ships, the Santa Maria, drawn to scale for comparison purposes. According to Wikipedia, the Santa Maria was 62 feet long and had a keel length of 41 feet, but Encyclopedia Brittanica states that ship was 117 feet long. No matter whatever source is correct, the flagship of the Columbus voyages was much smaller than the largest Chinese treasure ships, which were 440 feet long.See Section 3.2 The Echo Of That Design In The Three Ships Used By Columbus below.Modern precise re-creation of the Zheng He Fleet Design 2As History of the Ming dynasty - Wikipedia reports“To service seven different tributary missions abroad, the Nanjing shipyards constructed two thousand vessels from 1403 to 1419, which included the large Chinese treasure ships that measured 112 m (370 ft) to 134 m (440 ft) in length and 45 m (150 ft) to 54 m (180 ft) in width. [102] The first voyage from 1405 to 1407 contained 317 vessels with a staff of 70 eunuchs, 180 medical personnel, 5 astrologers, and 300 military officers commanding a total estimated force of 26,800 men. [103]”Same Ship, from a different angle.The Great Fleets had seven voyages,of which two were voyages of discovery and two for revisiting. The leaders and ambassadors were so impressed by these fleets that they often visited China by joining the fleet and some subsequent voyages (numbers five and six) had the objective of returning heads of state and ambassadors to their home countries.Source: Derived from the Seven Voyages section ofThe Ming Voyages | Asia for Educators | Columbia University3.2 The Echo Of That Design In The Three Ships Used By ColumbusThat design of raised fore and aft decks is obvious in the three ships Columbus used in his journeys to America (of course, he insisted it was India he had “discovered” and had a gibbet mounted on the deck of his ship to kill sailors who disagreed).The ships Columbus used on his voyage of “discovery”Encyclopedia Brittanica Image of the Santa MaríaSanta MaríaReplica of the Santa María, Funchal, Madeira Islands.Dietrich Bartel3.3 Raised fore and aft decks on Magellan’s Ship of Discovery, the Nao VictoriaHere is an image of a modern reconstruction of Magellan’s ship, which illustrates that it was similarly designed3.4 The Same Kind Of Ship Design in the Mayflower.4 Conclusions4.1 The Great Significance of Wang Anshi’s Invention of Investment Credit Creation EconomicsWang Anshi’s invention of investment credit creation was (and is) the way forward for mankind, enabling the first industrialisation in the Song Empire and the rapid rise in living standards in 11th century China, and many similar results more recently.The same macroeconomic technology has caused all of the major economic miracles of the 20th century, from the Japanese colony of the South Manchurian Railway to the leading edge economies of the Tokyo Consensus Zone (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China)The partial use of investment credit economics by the countries of India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand indicates that this economic innovation is unlikely to be confined to the Tokyo Consensus ZoneThere is a direct link between high economic growth and the use of investment credit economics and the subsequent adoption of an independent central bank and much lower economic growth with the stagnation in living standards. That’s too large a topic for here, but is amply illustrated in the countries of Japan and South Korea, and appears relevant to the economic histories of four out of the the five nations where investment credit has never been fully implemented (it seems to have been continuously implemented in Singapore).4.2 The Raised Fore and Aft Decks on the Zheng He ShipsThis was the key innovation which created the massive superiority of the Chinese navy in the 11th centuryThis Chinese improvement in ocean-going ship design enabled the successful Columbus “voyages of discovery”The same design feature is obvious in the Mayflower and is present in many of the ships which carried colonists4.3 ObservationThe Zheng He fleets were like an entire Chinese village going to sea. These ships carried large amounts of fresh water for drinking and washing and a wide range of foods and seeds which prevented scurvy in their crews.Scurvy was the scourge of the European “voyages of discovery.” It is a pity that the Chinese understanding of the protection against scurvy did not travel along the land based Silk Road and the cure had wait for James Lind’s discoveries in the 18th century and their application in the British Navy after 1800. As James Lind - Wikipedia records“Vitamin C is necessary for the maintenance of healthy connective tissue. In 1740 the catastrophic result of Anson's circumnavigation attracted much attention in Europe; out of 1900 men, 1400 had died, most of them allegedly from having contracted scurvy. According to Lind, scurvy caused more deaths in the British fleets than French and Spanish arms.[6]”Decades ago, when I first visited New York two taxi drivers called me a “limey” because lime juice was used in the British Navy to avoid scurvy.

This post:1. Associate degree cost (public school and online), average earning2. Trade school degree cost, average earning3. Top 10 earning associate degree fields (2016–2017)4. Top 25 earning associate degree fields5. Top 20 high paying vocations6. Top 23 high paying tradesAverage tuition for public two-year colleges costs $2,963. Online associate degrees can cost between $25,000 and $30,000. (Kaplan University charges $353 per credit hour for most associate degrees, so a 90-hour associate degree will cost $31,770). Community college graduate median annual earnings of $39,000.The average trade school degree costs $33,000. Trade school jobs have median annual earnings of $35,720.___________________________________________________University, Community College, or Trade School: Which Makes the Most Economic Sense?___________________________________________________Best Associate Degrees by Salary | PayScale.com (2016–2017)A 4-year degree isn't a requirement for a successful career — many associate degrees can help set you up for high-paying roles with solid job meaning. Just choose your major wisely. Here are the best associate degrees ranked by earning potential to get you inspired:1. Computer Engineering (CE)Early Career Median Pay: $41,000Mid-Career Median Pay: $77,300Percent High Job Meaning: 41%If you want to work as a Computer Network Technician or Computer Network Support Specialist, an associate degree in Computer Engineering is a way to get there. This degree is also the highest paying on our list by mid-career, when the median annual salary tops $77,000.2. EconomicsEarly Career Median Pay: $36,500Mid-Career Median Pay: $76,500Percent High Job Meaning: 41%Surprised to see a major from the usually lower-paid social science family on this list of high-paying associate degrees? Economics majors study the fundamentals of business and learn invaluable critical-thinking skills that make them a good fit for management roles, even if they don't have a four-year degree. It is important to note that this is a population where pay comes with experience — early career salaries for workers with an AA in Economics is only $36,500.3. Management Information Systems (MIS)Early Career Median Pay: $43,600Mid-Career Median Pay: $76,400Percent High Job Meaning: 41%We all know that management is a fast track to the corner office, so it isn't exactly surprising that studying Management Information Systems has serious salary potential. Workers who study Management Information Systems learn how to build and manage teams effectively, and these skills pay off big time in a business environment.4. Construction ManagementEarly Career Median Pay: $44,500Mid-Career Median Pay: $73,400Percent High Job Meaning: 64%Getting an associate degree in Construction Management can pay off big-time (literally, the median mid-career salary for workers with this degree is $73,400) because it sets you apart from other potential hires in an industry where college degrees are less common.5. Electrical EngineeringEarly Career Median Pay: $42,200Mid-Career Median Pay: $70,800Percent High Job Meaning: 56%Electrical Engineering Technicians assist engineers in designing electronics devices and equipment, and earn good money doing it—over $70,000 by mid-career. An associate degree in Electrical Engineering will get you started.6. Electronics & Communications EngineeringEarly Career Median Pay: $43,100Mid-Career Median Pay: $70,700Percent High Job Meaning: 60%In today's economy, the ability to communicate easily and instantly with anybody anywhere is vital to the success of almost any business. So is it any surprise that Electronics and Communications Engineering is one of the best associate degrees you can earn in terms of salary potential? Median mid-career salaries for graduates with this degree reach $70,700.7. EngineeringEarly Career Median Pay: $37,800Mid-Career Median Pay: $70,500Percent High Job Meaning: 62%Engineering Technicians don’t necessarily need a bachelor's degree; an associate degree will qualify you for a job that pays a median annual salary of $37,800 to start and over $70,000 by mid-career.Photo credit: UFV / Flickr8. Dental HygieneEarly Career Median Pay: $62,100Mid-Career Median Pay: $69,100Percent High Job Meaning: 79%Not only do more than three-quarters of workers with an associate degree in Dental Hygiene say that their work makes the world a better place, they also clean up financially. Salaries for workers who study Dental Hygiene at a career college or community college earn a median salary of more than $69,100 by mid-career.9. Computer ProgrammingEarly Career Median Pay: $42,900Mid-Career Median Pay: $68,800Percent High Job Meaning: 48%Everybody knows that Software Developers are in hot demand. But did you know that you don't necessarily need a four-year degree to get hired as a Programmer? Workers with an associate degree in Computer Programming pull upward of $42,000 a year to start, and those with 10 or more years of experience report a median salary of $68,800.10. Occupational Health and SafetyEarly Career Median Pay: $52,700Mid-Career Median Pay: $68,700Percent High Job Meaning: 71%Did you volunteer to be a hall monitor in elementary school? Then maybe studying Occupational Health and Safety is a smart move. It certainly pays off—the median mid-career salary for workers who hold an associate degree in this subject is over $68,000, and they have the second-highest sense of job meaning on this list of top associate degrees by earning potential.25 Top High Paying Jobs with an Associate’s Degree - CollegeQuest.comContrary to popular belief, you do not have to spend many years in school to qualify for a high paying job. By pursuing an associate’s degree instead of attending a four-year college, you could spend as little as two years in school and get a great job after graduation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average weekly salary for all workers in the US was $827 in 2013, which amounts to an annual income of $43,004. Below we have listed 25 high-paying jobs that require only an associate’s degree. Each of the featured jobs garnered a median annual income above the 2013 national average.1. Air Traffic ControllersJob Summary- Air traffic controllers coordinate the movement of air traffic to ensure that aircraft remain a safe distance apart and to minimize delays. They issue take-off and landing instructions, monitor and direct the movement of aircraft, and so much more.Median Annual Wage- The median annual wage for air traffic controllers was $121,280 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of air traffic controllers is expected to show little or no change from 2012 to 2022.2. Radiation TherapistsJob Summary- Radiation therapists administer radiation treatments to patients with cancer and other diseases. They operate machines called linear accelerators, which are used to deliver radiation therapy.Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for radiation therapists was $79,140 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of radiation therapists is expected to grow at a much faster than average rate of 24% from 2012 to 2022.3. Nuclear TechniciansJob Summary- Nuclear technicians work in nuclear power production or assist engineers, physicists, and other professionals in research. Their role is to monitor the performance of equipment used in power generation or nuclear experiments.Median Annual Wage– The median annual wage of nuclear technicians was $72,610 in May 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Projected Growth– The employment of nuclear technicians is projected to grow 15% from 2012 to 2022.4. Nuclear Medicine TechnologistsJob Summary- Nuclear medicine technologists create images of various parts of a patient’s body using a scanner. They also prepare and administer radioactive drugs for patients who undergo the scans so that the abnormal areas of the body can be differentiated from the normal areas.Median Annual Wage– The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wage for nuclear medicine technologists was $71,120 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of nuclear medicine technologists is projected to grow 20% from 2012 to 2022, which is a rate that is faster than average.5. Dental HygienistsJob Summary- Dental hygienists clean patients’ teeth and examine their teeth and gums to check for signs of disease. Dental hygienists also provide preventive dental care and teach patients good dental hygiene habits.Median Annual Wage- The median annual wage of dental hygienists was $71,110 in May 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Projected Growth– The employment of dental hygienists is expected to grow 33% from 2012 to 2022, which is a much faster than average rate.6. Funeral Service ManagersJob Summary- Funeral service managers organize and manage all of the details of funerals. Their duties may include preparing remains, providing emotional support to the bereaved, and filing death certificates.Median Annual Wage- The median annual wage of funeral service managers was $68,420 in May 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Projected Growth- The employment of funeral service managers is expected to grow 12% from 2012 to 2022.7. Diagnostic Medical Sonographers and Cardiovascular Technologists and TechniciansJob Summary- Diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians operate special imaging equipment to create images or conduct tests. These images and test results help doctors assess and diagnose medical conditions.Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for diagnostic medical sonographers in 2013 was $66,410. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians earned $53,210.Projected Growth- The BLS reports that the employment of diagnostic medical sonographers is expected to grow 46% from 2012 to 2022, which is much faster than average, while the employment of cardiovascular technologists and technicians should grow 30%.8. Registered NursesJob Summary- Registered nurses provide and coordinate patient care. They also educate patients, their families, and the general public about health conditions, as well as provide emotional support and advice.Median Annual Wage- The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wage for registered nurses was $66,220 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of registered nurses is expected to grow at a faster than average rate of 19% from 2012 to 2022.9. Web DevelopersJob Summary- Web developers design and build websites and web applications. They are responsible for determining the technical features, as well as the look and feel of websites and web apps.Median Annual Wage- The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wage for web developers was $63,160 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of web developers is expected to grow 20% from 2012 to 2022, which is a rate that is faster than average.10. Aerospace Engineering and Operations TechniciansJob Summary- Aerospace engineering and operations technicians operate and maintain equipment used to develop, test, and produce new aircraft and spacecraft. They often use computer-based modeling and simulation tools in their work.Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for aerospace engineering and operations technicians was $62,680 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of aerospace engineering and operations technicians is projected to show little to no change from 2012 to 2022.11. Computer Network Support SpecialistsJob Summary- Computer network support specialists support IT employees within their organization in the use of computer software or equipment. They may test and evaluate network systems, perform maintenance, and troubleshoot network problems.Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for computer network support specialists was $60,180 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of computer network specialists is projected to grow 7% from 2012 to 2022.12. Electrical and Electronics Engineering TechniciansJob Summary- Electrical and electronics engineering technicians help engineers design and develop computers, navigational equipment, communications equipment, and other electronic equipment. They evaluate and test products with diagnostic and measuring devices.Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for electrical and electronics engineering technicians was $58,540 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of electrical and electronics engineering technicians is expected to show little or no change from 2012 to 2022.13. Respiratory TherapistsJob Summary- Respiratory therapists care for patients who have trouble breathing. They use tests to evaluate patients, perform chest physiotherapy to remove mucus from the lungs, connect patients to ventilators, and more.Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage of respiratory therapists was $56,290 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of respiratory therapists is projected to grow 19% from 2012 to 2022, which is a rate that is faster than average.14. Aircraft and Avionics Equipment Mechanics and TechniciansJob Summary- Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians repair and perform scheduled maintenance on aircraft. They may also perform inspections required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for avionics technicians was $55,990 in 2013. Aircraft mechanics and service techniciansearned $55,980.Projected Growth- The employment of aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians is projected to show little or no change from 2012 to 2022.15. Radiologic and MRI TechnologistsJob Summary- Radiologic technologists perform diagnostic imaging exams, such as X-rays, on patients. MRI technologists operate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners to create diagnostic images.Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for radiologic technologists was $55,200 in May 2013. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists earned $66,050.Projected Growth- The employment of radiologic and MRI technologists is projected to grow 21% from 2012 to 2022, which is a rate that is faster than average for all occupations.16. Geological and Petroleum TechniciansJob Summary- Geological and petroleum technicians support scientists and engineers in exploring and extracting natural resources, such as gas, oil, and minerals. They analyze samples of soil and minerals with the goal of finding these valuable resources.Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for geological and petroleum technicians was $53,410 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of geological and petroleum technicians is projected to grow 15% from 2012 to 2022.17. Mechanical Engineering TechniciansJob Summary- Mechanical engineering technicians help mechanical engineers design, develop, test, and manufacture mechanical devices, including engines, tools, and machines. Their duties may include making sketches and layouts, analyzing data, and making calculations and estimates.Median Annual Wage- The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wage for mechanical engineering technicians was $52,390 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of mechanical engineering technicians is expected to grow 5% from 2012 to 2022.18. Electro-mechanical TechniciansJob Summary- Electro-mechanical technicians work closely with electrical and mechanical engineers. They install, troubleshoot, repair, and upgrade electronic and computer-controlled mechanical systems.Median Annual Wage- The median annual wage for electro-mechanical technicians was $51,330 in May 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Projected Growth- The employment of electro-mechanical technicians is projected to grow 4% from 2012 to 2022.19. Industrial Engineering TechniciansJob Summary- Industrial engineering technicians work with industrial engineers, helping them implement designs to effectively use personnel, materials, and machines in various settings, such as healthcare organizations, factories, and stores. Industrial engineering technicians prepare diagrams showing how machines are used and materials are handled.Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for industrial engineering technicians was $52,020 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of industrial engineering technicians is projected to decline 3% from 2012 to 2022.20. DraftersJob Summary- Drafters use software to convert the designs of architects and engineers into plans and drawings. Drafters may specialize in electrical, mechanical, civil or architectural drafting.Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for drafters was $49,630 in May 2012.Projected Growth- The employment of drafters is expected to show little or no change from 2012 to 2022.21. Civil Engineering TechniciansJob Summary- Civil engineering technicians assist civil engineers in planning and designing the construction of utilities, bridges, highways, and other major infrastructure projects. They also assist with commercial, residential, and land development.Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for civil engineering technicians was $47,780 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of civil engineering technicians is expected to show little or no change from 2012 to 2022.22. Paralegals and Legal AssistantsJob Summary- Paralegals and legal assistants perform a variety of tasks to support lawyers, such as maintaining and organizing files, drafting documents, and conducting research. They help lawyers prepare for trials, hearings, and meetings.Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for paralegals and legal assistants was $47,570 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow 17% from 2012 to 2022.23. Environmental Engineering TechniciansJob Summary- Environmental engineering technicians are responsible for carrying out the plans that environmental engineers develop. Their responsibilities may include collecting samples for testing; mitigating sources of environmental pollution; and testing, operating, and modifying equipment used to prevent and clean up pollution.Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for environmental engineering technicians was $46,160 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of environmental engineering technicians is expected to grow 18% from 2012 to 2022.24. Medical Equipment RepairersJob Summary- Medical equipment repairers install, maintain, and repair equipment used for patient care. They may replace and repair parts, test and calibrate parts and equipment, and perform preventive maintenance, among other tasks.Median Annual Wage- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage of medical equipment repairers was $44,180 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of medical equipment repairers is projected to grow 30% from 2012 to 2022, which is a much faster than average rate compared to all occupations.25. Chemical TechniciansJob Summary- Chemical technicians use special lab equipment and techniques to help chemical engineers and chemists research, develop, and produce chemical products and processes. Their duties may include preparing chemical solutions, setting up and maintaining lab instruments and equipment, and compiling and interpreting test results.Median Annual Wage- The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wage for chemical technicians was $43,310 in May 2013.Projected Growth- The employment of chemical technicians is expected to grow 9% from 2012 to 2022.Start Pursing Your Associate’s DegreeEarning a college degree is not a decision to take lightly. It requires years of time and effort and can be expensive. Skyrocketing tuition and high unemployment rates have led many families to rethink their plans of sending their kids to four-year colleges and universities. As the above list demonstrates, earning a bachelor’s degree is not the only way to get a high-paying job. Oftentimes, it is possible to achieve a higher return-on-investment by pursuing a two-year degree and entering the workforce sooner. An associate’s degree in the right field can open doors to a number of well-paid job opportunities. Now that you know more about the available jobs with an associate’s degree, consider pursuing an associate’s degree to start on the path to a fulfilling and lucrative career.Related Articles:How to Become a Software Engineer Software engineering is a fast-growing occupation with a high salary potential. From computer operating systems to...What Do Graphic Designers Do? Through hand drawings or computer software, graphic designers convey concepts visually with strategic use of images,...Does Education Pay? 2010 Bureau of Labor Statistics Research: Unemployment and Salary As a potential student, you may be...How to Become a Business Analyst Business analysts, also known as management analysts, analyze an organization and propose ways to improve its...20 Additional High-Paying Vocations in AmericaSome people consider a trade to be any occupation that requires a very specific set of mid- to high-level skills. So by broadening the definition beyond areas like construction, mechanical repair, and industrial work, it quickly becomes apparent that many of the highest paid trade jobs can be found in other sectors such as technology and health care. Plus, like the occupations listed above, the following examples also tend to involve a lot of deeply engaging (and often hands-on) tasks.1. Computer Network ArchitectAverage hourly pay—$49.57Top-end hourly pay—over $74.64Main tasks—Designing efficient and secure networks for data communications and putting them into action2. Applications Software DeveloperAverage hourly pay—$49.12Top-end hourly pay—over $73.90Main tasks—Overseeing the creation of new computer programs or mobile apps (or modifications to existing ones)3. Logistics ManagerAverage hourly pay—$45.74Top-end hourly pay—over $72.00Main tasks—Coordinating activities related to the storage, transportation, and distribution of physical goods4. Computer ProgrammerAverage hourly pay—$40.56Top-end hourly pay—over $62.89Main tasks—Generating, testing, or changing the code that makes software work the way it's intended to5. Database AdministratorAverage hourly pay—$40.51Top-end hourly pay—over $61.09Main tasks—Managing and implementing changes to information systems that store, organize, and provide select access to data6. Funeral Service ManagerAverage hourly pay—$40.61Top-end hourly pay—over $68.63Main tasks—Coordinating the resources and activities of facilities that provide funeral and memorial services for the families and friends of recently deceased individuals7. Film or Video EditorAverage hourly pay—$38.61Top-end hourly pay—over $74.92Main tasks—Choosing and arranging sequences of film or video clips for movies, TV shows, or similar projects8. Fashion DesignerAverage hourly pay—$35.18Top-end hourly pay—over $60.23Main tasks—Creating original clothing designs and fashion accessories9. Dental HygienistAverage hourly pay—$34.96Top-end hourly pay—over $47.33Main tasks—Examining and cleaning the teeth of dental patients while educating them about good oral hygiene and looking for signs of problems that a dentist may need to address10. Multimedia Artist or AnimatorAverage hourly pay—$33.80Top-end hourly pay—over $54.62Main tasks—Creating animations, special effects, or visual enhancements for projects like movies, video games, television shows, or advertisements11. Web DeveloperAverage hourly pay—$33.97Top-end hourly pay—over $56.07Main tasks—Creating or modifying functional and user-friendly websites using the most appropriate programming languages and graphics, multimedia, or database tools12. Diagnostic Medical SonographerAverage hourly pay—$34.08Top-end hourly pay—over $46.82Main tasks—Using ultrasound technology to capture images of what's occurring inside a patient's body13. Engineering TechnicianAverage hourly pay—$30.20Top-end hourly pay—over $45.24Main tasks—Assisting engineers with the development and testing of design solutions to various real-word problems14. Electrical or Electronics DrafterAverage hourly pay—$30.24Top-end hourly pay—over $45.84Main tasks—Producing drawings and diagrams of wiring or circuit board layouts15. Sound Engineering TechnicianAverage hourly pay—$30.45Top-end hourly pay—over $56.99Main tasks—Recording or mixing sound in settings like live music venues, theaters, sports arenas, recording studios, or film sets16. Respiratory TherapistAverage hourly pay—$28.67Top-end hourly pay—over $38.67Main tasks—Evaluating and providing therapeutic treatments for patients who have medical conditions that make it difficult for them to breathe17. Radiologic TechnologistAverage hourly pay—$28.13Top-end hourly pay—over $39.26Main tasks—Using X-ray technology to obtain diagnostic images of a patient's internal anatomy18. Cardiovascular TechnologistAverage hourly pay—$26.97Top-end hourly pay—over $41.91Main tasks—Using special equipment such as electrocardiogram (EKG) machines to test the heart and lung functions of medical patients19. Physical Therapist AssistantAverage hourly pay—$26.56Top-end hourly pay—over $36.99Main tasks—Carrying out treatments, as directed by a physical therapist, that help people regain or improve their strength and range of motion after injury, surgery, or other physical impairment20. Occupational Therapy AssistantAverage hourly pay—$28.05Top-end hourly pay—over $37.54Main tasks—Helping people improve their ability to lead normal day-to-day lives in spite of limitations caused by illness, injury, or disability.23 Trade School Jobs Among the Highest Paying TradesHere's why it can pay to attend a trade school: Jobs that provide good incomes are often more easily obtained after training at one. The simple fact is that many of the highest paying trades in America are filled with people who began their careers with a short skills-based education from a vocational or technical college.And the potential benefits don't stop there. Beyond just being among the highest paying, trade jobs are also frequently some of the most satisfying. After all, they often involve a lot of physical, hands-on work while still being very mentally engaging. Just think back to the joy you felt as a kid when you got to help build, create, or fix something tangible. It probably gave you a real sense of pride, achievement, and confidence.So by pursuing this type of path, you give yourself an opportunity to gain more financial prosperity, as well as true enjoyment while earning it. Plus, many of the best trade school jobs offer something else: a genuine chance at career security and advancement.The following trade school jobs list features many occupations for which training programs are often easy to find. However, it doesn't include some of the jobs for which it may be more common to begin training as an apprentice directly with an employer.An example would be a trade such as electrical power line repair since many energy utilities provide their own in-house programs. Other high-paying examples might include areas like elevator repair, structural ironwork, rail car repair, or telecommunications repair. Even so, many people pursuing those types of careers still find it beneficial to get a pre-apprenticeship education from a trade school before approaching potential employers.So here are some of America's highest paying trade school jobs. (The cited wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2015 estimates.**)1. Construction ManagerAverage hourly pay—$46.88Top-end hourly pay—over $74.61Main tasks—Planning, overseeing, and handling the coordination of construction or maintenance activities (including budgeting and scheduling) related to specific building projects2. Rotary Drill Operator for the Oil and Gas IndustryAverage hourly pay—$29.03Top-end hourly pay—over $44.65Main tasks—Extracting oil or natural gas (or core samples) from underground sources by setting up and using large drilling equipment3. BoilermakerAverage hourly pay—$29.16Top-end hourly pay—over $41.49Main tasks—Assembling, installing, or fixing very large containers or vessels designed for holding liquids or gases (such as closed vats, steam boilers, and boiler furnaces)4. Aircraft MechanicAverage hourly pay—$28.92Top-end hourly pay—over $42.81Main tasks—Inspecting, repairing, adjusting, or overhauling airplane or helicopter engines and other important systems5. Avionics TechnicianAverage hourly pay—$28.94Top-end hourly pay—over $42.10Main tasks—Installing, testing, and fixing high-tech equipment used in space vehicles or aircraft for purposes like navigation, radar detection, weather tracking, radio communications, and weapons control6. Pile-Driver OperatorAverage hourly pay—$26.51Top-end hourly pay—over $44.58Main tasks—Using large pile-driving machines that are mounted on barges, cranes, or skids to hammer long beams of steel, wood, or concrete into the ground as part of a big construction project7. Plumber, Pipefitter, or SteamfitterAverage hourly pay—$26.49Top-end hourly pay—over $43.13Main tasks—Putting together and installing, adjusting, or repairing pipes and related equipment used for liquid or gas distribution8. ElectricianAverage hourly pay—$26.73Top-end hourly pay—over $42.37Main tasks—Wiring buildings for electrical power, lighting, or communications systems (and maintaining or repairing those systems)9. Crane OperatorAverage hourly pay—$26.23Top-end hourly pay—over $39.79Main tasks—Lifting and moving construction materials, manufactured products, or machinery using mechanical beam and cable equipment10. Wind Turbine TechnicianAverage hourly pay—$25.50Top-end hourly pay—over $34.53Main tasks—Installing, inspecting, fixing, and maintaining large wind turbines used for generating electricity11. MillwrightAverage hourly pay—$25.31Top-end hourly pay—over $36.71Main tasks—Assembling industrial machines, performing maintenance or repairs on them, and dismantling them when necessary12. Brick MasonAverage hourly pay—$24.88Top-end hourly pay—over $38.85Main tasks—Constructing or fixing walls or other structures by placing and binding bricks, cinder blocks, structural tiles, or other similar materials13. Commercial DiverAverage hourly pay—$26.27Top-end hourly pay—over $42.53Main tasks—Using various construction tools and scuba diving gear to help build, assemble, inspect, or fix components of large structures under water14. Industrial Machinery MechanicAverage hourly pay—$24.75Top-end hourly pay—over $36.22Main tasks—Fixing, maintaining, or putting together machines used for industrial processes like manufacturing or oil, gas, or chemical refining and distribution15. CNC Machine Tool ProgrammerAverage hourly pay—$24.82Top-end hourly pay—over $36.43Main tasks—Giving instructions to computer numerically controlled machinery for making objects like tools, molds, and dies16. Mobile Heavy Equipment MechanicAverage hourly pay—$24.08Top-end hourly pay—over $34.41Main tasks—Troubleshooting, adjusting, and fixing large mobile equipment used for construction or natural resource excavation (such as bulldozers, road graders, cranes, and conveyor systems)17. Construction Equipment OperatorAverage hourly pay—$23.61Top-end hourly pay—over $37.25Main tasks—Controlling various kinds of heavy construction machines like front-end loaders, tractors, bulldozers, graders, and derricks18. HVAC TechnicianAverage hourly pay—$22.78Top-end hourly pay—over $34.47Main tasks—Repairing or installing systems for the heating, cooling, and ventilation of buildings19. CarpenterAverage hourly pay—$22.49Top-end hourly pay—over $36.90Main tasks—Constructing or fixing the wooden frameworks or foundation forms for buildings and related structures20. Diesel MechanicAverage hourly pay—$22.17Top-end hourly pay—over $32.18Main tasks—Troubleshooting and repairing larger vehicles with diesel engines such as trucks, buses, and, in some cases, marine vessels21. Auto Body RepairerAverage hourly pay—$21.44Top-end hourly pay—over $33.42Main tasks—Refinishing or repairing the bodies and structural frames of cars and trucks22. WelderAverage hourly pay—$19.70Top-end hourly pay—over $28.85Main tasks—Joining metal pieces together using handheld welding torches or related equipment23. Automotive MechanicAverage hourly pay—$19.58Top-end hourly pay—over $30.45Main tasks—Inspecting, troubleshooting, and repairing motor vehicle engines and other important systems and componentsBig Demand for Many of America's Highest Paid TradesOver recent years, several employer surveys have found that skilled trade jobs are some of the hardest to fill. And in many regions throughout the U.S., a shortage of qualified tradespeople is becoming the new norm, especially as a lot of older workers from the Baby Boomer generation begin retiring.In fact, in 2015, half of all American tradespeople in the repair and maintenance sector were above the age of 42.5. In the construction sector, half were over the age of 42.7. In the manufacturing sector, half were above the age of 44.4. And in the utilities sector, half were over the age of 46.1.*As a result, employers in many growing industries are actively recruiting the next generation of tradesmen and women. High-tech manufacturing, construction, and oil and gas extraction companies are just a few examples.And you can probably imagine what would happen if America didn't have qualified people in the trades. Everything that we rely on for our way of life would begin to crumble. From roads and bridges to pipes and electricity, almost our entire modern infrastructure is built, maintained, and repaired by skilled tradespersons. It's the type of work that cannot simply be outsourced overseas. It must be done locally.That's why a lot of the highest paying trade school careers also have bright outlooks going forward. The market for people with these skills is expected to be very large for decades to come.