SWITCHING careers could be the key to securing a pay rise and the job satisfaction you’ve been crying out for.
The Sun reveals the professions with the most transferable skills that could help you move into a new role, and how you could even get a £20,000 pay rise simply by swapping industries.
So, which roles share similar traits? Based on exclusive data from Totaljobs, we explain the professions with the highest amount of transferable skills.
We then compared average salaries for roles to calculate how much extra you could get by moving.
The switch that came out on top was workers in the customer service industry making a move into a consulting role.
The two industries share the largest amount of transferable skills, including IT and Excel skills, as well as policy understanding, making it the easiest move you could make.
IT consultants saw some of the biggest pay rises over the past year, with average salaries jumping from £36,200 last year to £47,000 this year.
That is considerably higher than the average salary for a customer service agent at around £27,000.
So, utilising these skills could land you in a role with an average pay that is £20,000 higher.
Meanwhile, social care workers share similar skills to someone working in HR – with a need for people with good people management, communication and coaching skills in both roles.
The average HR manager earns around £37,500 – a substantial £17,000 more than a typical social care worker.
Meanwhile, logistics managers – who organise storage and distribution of products – could instead be suited to working in social care.
That’s because driving, recruiting and leadership are useful attributes that help with success in these jobs.
The amount you can earn in logistics can vary hugely so this one could go either way, depending on how high up you are.
Some logistics jobs can earn an average of £37,500 across the UK – a solid £17,000 more than the average social care job.
Logistics managers usually oversee projects or supply chains, helping to ensure efficient work flows and save money while social workers usually help vulnerable people with non-medical support, such as helping with housing issues.
Both these roles share similar skills, such as having a driving licence and possessing good leadership skills.
As with all these comparisons, some roles may have much lower salaries.
I earn over £60k doing job I learned online for free
MUM-OF-TWO Rhea Freeman earns £60k a year doing a job she learned online for free.
After quitting school at 16, Rhea, now 39, tried out loads of jobs– before landing a place on a course with Meta Blueprint, learning social media, digital business and marketing.
The course was free and aimed at people interested in entry level marketing, including students and job seekers.
You do have to pay a fee to sit the exam after completing the course – but this is much cheaper than paying to study a degree.
She then spent 10 years building up experience and in 2015, she became a coach and mentor, helping other people change careers.
Rhea, who lives in Worchestershire, said: “There are lots of opportunities available and many free or subsidised schemes, it’s just a case of doing the research”.
“Some training is free with certifications being paid for, some cost hundreds, some costs thousands – but there’s something to suit everyone.”
How to cut the cost of getting new skills
Of course, some of these career moves may require you to do additional training or get qualifications.
The government offers hundreds of free courses that you can apply for to improve your chances of changing careers. More information on the national careers website.
Google offers thousands of free training programmes through Coursera and LinkedIn Learning is also a good place to find free training courses.
It may also be possible to get funding to take courses, a good resource to check is Enterprise Nation and Help To Grow.
The Kings Trust also offers support for people aged 16 to 30 to gain new skills, take courses or get mentoring for free.
How to find the right job
CAREERS expert Shoshanna Davis, known as the @thefairyjobmother, on Instagram shared her top tips for finding the right job.
I urge people to work part-time, earn money, gain some experience in whatever field they can and show their determination while trying to find a job in their desired industry.
There’s a lot of publicity for glam degree apprenticeships, where you can study for a degree while working.
Lower-level apprenticeships may not be as talked about, but they are way less competitive and the perfect way to get into an industry.
Many people want to work for big organisations, but consider thinking small and focusing on networking.
I always tell people they can find companies on their doorstep. Even if they don’t have an opening, get in touch — what have you got to lose?
Jobs with the highest wage increases
We recently revealed the job roles that saw the largest pay increases in the past year, and some may surprise you.
The workers who saw the highest wage increase last year were “intervention tutors”, teachers who typically work with children with behavioural issues, who saw their salaries jump 81.39% to £48,425.
Barristers also saw huge pay rises this year of over £16,000, with average salaries climbing from £33,644 in 2024 to £50,098 – a 48% increase.
