About 8 percent of the workforce is self-employed, and this number includes workers who are highly skilled in numerous, diverse fields. Laurence Shatkin, Ph.D., says in the new edition of his book, 150 Best Jobs for Your Skills, that management skills are most common among this group.
“This may say something about the kinds of people who are able to start their own business,” Shatkin explains in the book. “Older workers and women make up a rapidly growing part of the self-employed population. For example, some highly experienced older workers set up consulting and other small businesses following a layoff or as an alternative to full retirement. Large numbers of women are forming small businesses or creating self-employment opportunities as an alternative to traditional employment.”
Here are details on the top five high-skill jobs with a high percentage of self-employed workers:
Management Analysts
- Top skills: communication, mathematics, thought-processing
- Percent of self-employed workers: 25.8
- Annual earnings: $78,160
- Percent growth: 23.9
- Annual openings: 30,650
Construction Managers
- Top skills: management, mathematics, social
- Percent of self-employed workers: 60.9
- Annual earnings: $83,860
- Percent growth: 17.2
- Annual openings: 13,770
Lawyers
- Top skills: communication, social, thought-processing
- Percent of self-employed workers: 26.2
- Annual earnings: $112,760
- Percent growth: 13
- Annual openings: 24,040
Personal Financial Advisers
- Top skills: communication, mathematics, thought-processing
- Percent of self-employed workers: 29.3
- Annual earnings: 64,750
- Percent growth: 30.1
- Annual openings: 8,530
Optometrists
- Top skills: mathematics, science, thought-processing
- Percent of self-employed workers: 24.6
- Annual earnings: $94,990
- Percent growth: 24.4
- Annual openings: 2,010