America’s fastest-growing job offers six-figure pay, doesn’t require a degree – and you’ll even get some peace and quiet

America’s fastest growing job sector offers generous salaries well above the national average – and you do not even need a college degree to apply.

Technicians working on wind turbines in Bee County, Texas, can rake in as much as $100,000 a year, CNBC’s Make It reported earlier this month. 

Employment in the sector is also expected to double over the next decade as demand for clean and renewable source of power continues to soar.  

However, the role does require a head for heights. A typical day involves arriving at 7am and scaling a narrow metal ladder that at times stretch 350 feet into the air, one worker explained. Once up there, you then make the necessary repairs. 

Vestas technician and mom-of-four Jessica Jackson, 37, said: ‘It isn’t as scary as you’d think. Once you’re up there, you get to see the best views. You’re watching birds fly, eagles, hawks. You get to see planes fly by. You get to see as far as you can see. It’s beautiful.’

Vestas technician Jessica Jackson, 37, this week urged onlookers to consider taking up wind turbine repairs in Bee County, Texas – a job that eventually offers a six-figure salary

Jackson explained that she began working in the industry in February 2020 after a decade as a stay-at-home mom – and has yet to look back. 

She currently finishes work by 5:30pm so can still make it home in time for dinner at her home just a few miles away. 

She said the tallest turbine she works on towers 35 stories above the ground overlooking a particularly picturesque slice of South Texas.

It takes her a mere 10 minutes to climb the turbines she’s tasked with maintaining – a trip she typically only takes once a day.

That said, certain days call for more, she explained – as malfunctions are inherently unpredictable and may occur at any moment.

‘It [feels] good knowing that when a turbine was fixed or ran more smoothly, you did that, just seeing the immediate results of your efforts,’ she said of the satisfaction she gets with each repair.

‘It [feels] good knowing that when a turbine was fixed or ran more smoothly, you did that, just seeing the immediate results of your efforts,’ she said of the satisfaction she gets with each repair

It’s hard to believe that Jackson was once afraid of heights. 

But over her time in the role she has conquered her fear and is no longer afraid to look down. 

‘[I’ve] got a lot more comfortable climbing such high heights,’ she told CNBC.

‘I’m extremely grateful for my job, I love what I do.

‘If I was doing something else, I probably would not be as happy’.

The downside is that the Labor Department ranked wind turbine technicians as having one of the highest rates of injury and illness of all occupations, CNBC reported.  

Speaking of the risks she said: ‘Cutting any corners with safety could be the reason why I don’t go home that day.

‘Once you’re up there, you’re in your office and ready to work. Everything else is easier.’

Jackson is now hoping to continue climbing the ranks, quite literally, in order to pocket a more sizeable salary. 

Jackson was scared of heights when she signed on at first – a fear she has since conquered during her daily sky excursions

‘Having this job has given me financial stability and freedom, enabling me to afford activities that will make my children happy, like signing up for a basketball league, while still saving money every month,’ she told CNBC’s Make It

Comparing the occupation to other odd jobs she did while a stay-at-home mom, she said: ‘Not having a college degree [yet] and being a single mom was hard.

‘I was getting passed up for jobs that I had the experience and skills for only because I didn’t have that degree,’ she recalled.

‘Having this job has given me financial stability and freedom, enabling me to afford activities that will make my children happy, like signing up for a basketball league, while still saving money every month.’

Jackson has four children between the ages of 10 and 21, all of whom live comfortably thanks to her hard work.

Right now, she is making $73,000 a year – but is working towards becoming a level-three technician which pays about $80,000 a year.

After this, she will be able to train to become a lead technician, which pays about $100,000.

The average salary in the US is $63,795, according to the latest data from the Social Security Administration. 

Her employer, Vestas, has 66 turbines on the farm in need of regular maintenance, Jackson explained

She plans to work as a wind turbine service technician until she retires in her 70s, she said – after which she will enjoy fruits of her efforts and a soon-to-come six figure salary

While physically taxing, the job allows her to spend a great deal of time outside, she said – describing how it has left her feeling ‘stronger and healthier.’ 

While you may not need a bachelor’s degree to get a job at Jackson’s employer, some companies still require you to complete a two-year technical course or apprenticeship.    

Others, like Vestas, provide on-site training, during which they show new hires the best practices for repairs to the turbine’s electrical equipment, along with technical procedures like bolt torque and tensioning, she said.    

This comes in addition to rundowns of the proper first aid and safety protocols, she added. 

Vestas has 66 turbines on the farm that are in need of regular maintenance. 

Jackson said she is usually responsible for one turbine per shift – but as she stated, some days there is a demand for more repairs.

Until then, she will continue to enjoy the peace and quiet that each trip to the top of these turbines brine, while taking home a respectable paycheck

She has four children between the ages of 10 and 21, all of whom live comfortably thanks to her

Jackson plans to continue working as a wind turbine service technician until she retires in her 70s, she said – adding how she will then enjoy the fruits of her efforts and that soon-to-come six figure salary.

Until then, she will continue to enjoy the peace and quiet that each trip to the top of these turbines bring, while taking home a more than respectable paycheck.