Where to turn when a natural disaster upends your finances
Natural disasters can upend lives in an instant, but unwinding the financial damage can take many months. Still, those affected have many sources of help.
Here’s how you can get help and be strategic with your resources as you begin to rebuild after a disaster.
Deal with immediate needs first
First things first: Contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency to get help via a disaster recovery center by texting your ZIP code and “DRC” to 43362. Texting “Apple” or “Android” to that same number will give you a download link for a mobile app from FEMA with additional resources, such as shelter locations.
Local and state agencies and nongovernmental groups such as the Red Cross also can also help; call 211 from any phone or visit 211.org to get information.
Check your credit card or hotel loyalty accounts as well. You might have points or a free night certificate. Most hotel loyalty programs have offered generous expiration date extensions for certificates that have gone unused due to the pandemic. And some general rewards credit cards allow you to use points to book hotels directly through their own travel portals or let you transfer points to a specific hotel loyalty program.
Next, tend to financial issues
As soon as possible, turn to handling your finances. FEMA offers unemployment assistance, rental assistance, legal services and much more. You have several ways to register, including online at DisasterAssistance.gov, via the FEMA app, at a disaster recovery center or by phone at 800-621-3362.
Nonprofit credit counseling agency Money Management International has a free program called Project Porchlight that offers disaster victims support for up to a year. The program helps people navigate an unfamiliar process, stay on top of deadlines and address the trauma that makes handling tasks harder.
And you do have several tasks to handle:
Contact insurers as soon as possible
Act quickly so you can get the most out of your home insurance, renters coverage or auto insurance.
Review your policies for types of damage covered, coverage limits and deductibles. Home and renters insurance policies typically do not cover flood damage, so check for flood insurance as well. Flood and wind damage to your car are covered as long as you have comprehensive insurance on your auto policy.
Call your mortgage company and other creditors
If you’re worried about your ability to make monthly mortgage payments, contact your mortgage servicer as soon as possible — before missing a payment — to discuss mortgage forbearance options.
Forbearance is a way to avoid foreclosure, and may allow you to make partial payments or pause payments entirely for an agreed-upon period of time.
Seek a pause in student loans, contact your college for aid
Federal student loan payments remain paused through January. But several private student loan lenders have natural disaster forbearances for these situations.
Be strategic with aid, credit and debt as you dig out
“Rebuilding and repairing after a disaster can be incredibly expensive, even for those with insurance,” says Kate Bulger, senior director of business development for MMI. “Applying for as much aid as possible and preserving cash today means that consumers will have more funds left when they are ready to rebuild.”
When you exhaust aid and your emergency fund, you’ll likely need to rely on credit to afford necessities or repair damage. Lately, some major card issuers are making it easier (and cheaper) to turn your available credit line into an installment loan, often at a lower ongoing interest rate. Or you might be allowed to break up a large emergency purchase into predictable monthly payments.
When your debt picture becomes clearer, consider strategies for paying balances back down. The debt snowball, where you focus your efforts on the smallest debt first while maintaining minimum payments on others, can give you some quick wins and motivation.
Finally, be aware of debt relief options for contending with amounts that are beyond your ability to repay.
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Viktor Gladkov // Shutterstock
Career choices are often based on personal interests, experience, and potential income—and more and more, they require at least a college degree. What undergraduates choose to major in during college can be a strong indicator of what an individual's financial future looks like—and it’s not always rosy news.
Stacker researched the 50 college majors that earn the least money, using PayScale's 2020 College Salary Report. This report, released in 2021, surveyed 3.5 million college graduates and 835 bachelor degrees ranked by mid-career median salary, or the fitted salary one makes after working in the field for over 10 years. By definition, a fitted salary combines the base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime, and other forms of cash earnings.
Stock compensation was not included when considering the annual salary of each college major, but can be a significant portion of pay for specific executive and high-tech jobs. Further, a wage for the noted college major does not include the cash value of retirement benefits or the amount of other noncash benefits, including health care and other ancillary benefits. PayScale's salaries do not directly reflect those of the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS). For most of the majors, BLS salaries are higher, even though the level of education required is the same.
Additionally, several low-paying teaching majors on the list confirm the plight of educators who graduate but can't make ends meet on a minimum salary. Between rising student debt and inflation, it is likely many who majored in the noted subjects have second jobs to pay the bills.
Read on to find out the 50 college majors that earn the least money.
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Ivan Chudakov // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $34,100
- Mid-career pay: $55,700
Rehabilitation services salaries may be low, but part of these numbers include very low average pay for rehabilitation aides. These workers make an average of just $10 an hour, which is much lower than the higher end of the spectrum for the profession—occupational therapists, who top out at approximately $46 an hour.
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Anastazzo // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $35,100
- Mid-career pay: $55,700
While senior pastors can expect to earn more than those just starting out, some in the biblical studies and practical ministries professions are impacted by the type of church they work for. Many religious organizations are nonprofits and face intrinsic caps on how much they are likely to earn, limiting the amount they can pay their staff, and to make sure they do not run afoul of U.S. laws prohibiting “excessive” salaries at nonprofits.
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Hotaik Sung // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $37,300
- Mid-career pay: $55,600
Pastoral ministers help people in times of spiritual distress and lead religious organizations. But people don’t pay for spiritual counsel, other than tithes, and therefore there are no typical ways to drive up earnings.
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Orhan Cam // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $40,600
- Mid-career pay: $55,600
Parks and recreation workers typically work for the government, which means they may see fewer pay raises than other workers. Some government workers just received their first pay raise in over a decade in 2019.
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PhuShutter // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $36,400
- Mid-career pay: $55,500
Legal assistants may hope to become lawyers, who typically earn significantly higher salaries. However, without a law degree, legal assistants are only legally allowed to perform certain tasks, which caps the value of their services.
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $43,600
- Mid-career pay: $55,400
Applied management workers evaluate the success of different business practices and work to implement better and more efficient modes of decision-making and operations. While some who work in this profession may assist corporations like banks or tech firms, others may assist nonprofits or companies in industries that tend to pay less.
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DGLimages // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $38,900
- Mid-career pay: $55,300
While some vocal performance majors may go on to perform in sold-out arenas, many end up working in less lucrative careers. These include positions at churches, such as worship pastors and directors of music ministry, which come with decidedly lower salaries.
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $40,600
- Mid-career pay: $55,300
California State University touts high figures when promoting its travel and tourism major, including that one in every nine U.S. jobs depends on the industry, and that travel and tourism support over 8 million jobs nationwide. According to the school, some in management positions have the potential to earn more than $100,000 annually, including those working as a convention and visitors bureau director or a wedding planner. But typical pay is closer to half that figure.
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Spencer Platt // Getty Images
- Early career pay: $44,900
- Mid-career pay: $55,300
Social welfare salaries are low in part because of the needy populations they serve. Professionals in this field experience limited opportunities to earn higher salaries.
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Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $43,700
- Mid-career pay: $54,700
While some high-flying audio producers may rake in significant amounts of money overseeing the creation of records, such a career is dependent on people actually making music, movies, and other entertainment. When surprise events like COVID-19 impact production, the earnings of an audio producer are similarly affected.
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Freedom Studio // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $38,100
- Mid-career pay: $54,700
All jobs depend on having clients, and this includes religious jobs. Bible studies and theology professionals face challenging headwinds in the United States in this respect. Fewer Americans than ever report themselves as religious.
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wideonet // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $38,100
- Mid-career pay: $54,600
Careers in church ministry are diverse, ranging from pastorships to technician jobs, overseeing the production of services. But the common denominator influencing pay is that joining a church is free, which limits the financial base of each church to pay its workers high salaries.
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Olesia Bilkei // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $39,200
- Mid-career pay: $54,500
There are several special education career paths to take after majoring in the subject, aside from teaching. Prospects of becoming a residential manager, preschool director, or direct support professional is why some choose the undergraduate major, then get their master's degree. Working with the disabled is in high demand, due to teachers retiring and more students needing help.
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Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $35,900
- Mid-career pay: $54,500
Family studies professionals help tutor, develop, and supervise children. Some competition they face in commanding high salaries? Teenage babysitters, whom parents may feel more comfortable paying lower wages.
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DGLimages // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $38,500
- Mid-career pay: $54,400
Family and community services careers often involve helping people with little capital or power, including the impoverished and disabled citizens accessing social services. Because these services are offered free of charge, there is a limited capital base with which to reward workers.
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Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $40,900
- Mid-career pay: $54,400
Communications sciences and disorders specialists address an array of issues that technology may be rendering less reliant on therapy. For example, cochlear implants for deaf children and babies can now be purchased for as low as $530 with insurance, reducing the need for hearing therapy, as a greater number of patients can hear via the technology.
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Viktor Gladkov // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $39,900
- Mid-career pay: $54,400
Students looking to major in ceramics will learn about the science behind materials, plus sculpture and drawing skills. Courses in personal style development, wheel-throwing techniques, firing and kiln operation, oxidation, ceramic murals, mixed media, and slips and glazes are usually required to graduate. Many with a degree in ceramics become professional potters, teachers, artists, or sculptors.
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Africa Studio // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $41,400
- Mid-career pay: $54,300
Speech and hearing professionals’ salaries suffer from improved technology. Hearing aids have become increasingly sophisticated, reducing the need for much administrative assistance after purchase.
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Pormezz // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $42,100
- Mid-career pay: $53,900
Community development workers perform a wide array of tasks, from zoning and building inspections to budgets. However, they are typically paid by the government, so their salaries are capped within a certain range.
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $41,500
- Mid-career pay: $53,700
Health and human services encompasses a vast array of jobs. On the higher end of the pay scale, these include jobs such as public health directors. But many other jobs included in health and human services typically have lower pay rates, such as social workers and correctional treatment specialists.
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fizkes // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $37,800
- Mid-career pay: $53,400
Manager may sound like a high-ranking title, but an office manager’s responsibilities are inherently clerical. This means they oversee other administrative activities in an office, and even when supervising, act in an assistant capacity to the executives and other workers in an office.
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fizkes // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $35,000
- Mid-career pay: $53,300
While some therapists and life coaches might charge high prices for deep-pocketed clients who can pay out of pocket, many who work in psychology and human services have salaries constrained by the settings in which they work. Those who work in community rehabilitation centers, for example, make an average of just $30,350 a year, compared to over $75,000 a year for those who work for the government.
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Kucher Serhii // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $45,400
- Mid-career pay: $53,000
Majoring in history teacher education likely means most graduates will teach the subject in elementary, secondary, or postsecondary schools. Being a history teacher, like other instruction degrees, requires those who major in the subject to become state-certified after student teaching. History teachers may work with special education teachers to make learning more accessible for students with learning difficulties, and can work with debate teams, for example, because of their knowledge of current events.
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XArtProduction // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $37,700
- Mid-career pay: $52,300
Therapeutic recreation specialists work with patients to improve the minds, bodies, and spirits of those with disease or disability. This demographic may be less likely to have resources to pay therapists significant sums, which may play a role in driving down salaries.
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Africa Studio // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $35,300
- Mid-career pay: $52,300
Youth ministers work with children and teens to coordinate related activities at a church or religious organization. Churches typically operate as nonprofits, and therefore the salaries of their workers, including youth ministers, lack the ability to respond to the market and offer higher salaries.
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fizkes // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $40,500
- Mid-career pay: $52,100
Community and Human Services workers endeavor to improve the lives of their communities and the individuals who work in them. And even though salaries are not as high as those from other majors, the BLS has noted that job growth in this field is projected to remain high in the next decade.
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pixelheadphoto digitalskillet // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $35,500
- Mid-career pay: $52,000
Christianity has been on the decline in the United States for years. This means that fewer Americans are attending church, or giving to their churches, which means fewer resources to supplant the salaries of Christian ministry workers.
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $36,600
- Mid-career pay: $51,600
Although social work jobs may not have the highest starting salaries, job prospects for social workers are actually quite positive. As health care spending continues to increase, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that social work jobs in clinical settings in particular will continue to enjoy a rise in demand for workers.
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $37,700
- Mid-career pay: $51,600
Majoring in elementary education means teaching and instructing young students. Majors in the program must choose a specific subject to study, including either math, history, science, or English. Some who major in the subject consider careers as guidance counselors, juvenile correction officers, long-term substitute teachers, online instructors, preschool teachers, or adjunct professors.
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Gaudilab // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $38,200
- Mid-career pay: $51,200
Graduating with a major in office administration opens doors to many career paths, including medical office manager, staff specialist, executive assistant, management secretary, and purchasing consultant. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics details other career opportunities that do not require a degree but have comparable and higher annual salaries for those who major in the subject. Among those occupations are police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers, who make $40,660, and administrative assistants, who make $38,880.
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Igor Bulgarin // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $32,900
- Mid-career pay: $50,800
Voice and opera students preparing to perform on a professional level after graduation must learn theatrical techniques and stage repertory through courses including diction, foreign languages, music theory, and humanities. While receiving private instruction during the undergraduate curriculum, students also perform in choral ensembles. Students who choose not to sing opera after studying the major can easily transition into other careers, including teaching art, drama, or music, or becoming a musical director or composer.
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YP_Studio // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $36,600
- Mid-career pay: $50,700
Although careers in human services vary widely, their common denominator is that they help people who would likely be unable to help themselves. As such, these jobs, which range from family court advocates to crisis support workers, serve overall a population with limited resources who may not be able to compensate them highly.
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $34,400
- Mid-career pay: $50,700
Elementary teaching majors will teach kindergarten through eighth grade. Courses in classroom management and curriculum and instruction help prepare future graduates to teach. A core group of classes, including English, mathematics, history, social studies, foreign languages, and science are required for all elementary teaching majors, who must become certified in the state they work in.
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hryshai olena // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $36,000
- Mid-career pay: $50,600
These days, it seems that everyone is a food blogger. And this means that more people than ever are likely to be trying their hands at baking and pastry-making at home, reducing the need for specialized bakers.
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fizkes // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $43,500
- Mid-career pay: $50,500
Human services management jobs are a specific role for those interested in helping or managing others in social work or related fields. Although the average salary is not extremely high, these positions pay more than nonsupervisory roles in the same field. Many of these roles require additional licensing.
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fizkes // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $37,100
- Mid-career pay: $49,300
Similar to therapists, those who specialize in counseling suffer in part from competition. Wages are lower than they might otherwise be because of the sheer number of people offering counseling services.
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belushi // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $36,400
- Mid-career pay: $49,200
Recreational therapists help many Americans, especially older adults, deal with disabilities, injuries, and illnesses—typically via arts and crafts, aquatics, games, and other activities. Although the pay is not high, these professions are projected to increase in demand, as an aging generation of Americans looks to the future.
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New Africa // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $35,500
- Mid-career pay: $49,100
Child care workers have an average hourly wage of just $10.31 an hour. Some advocacy groups and politicians have advocated paying a higher wage to these groups to meet growing demands for a $15 minimum wage these groups are demanding.
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SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $39,000
- Mid-career pay: $48,300
After majoring in middle school education, graduates go on to teach students in grades 5 through 9. Teaching that specific age group entails taking undergraduate courses in a breadth of subjects, including English, science, mathematics, and social studies. Washington University in St. Louis suggests those majoring in middle school education may consider adding a concentrated study in their curriculum, since middle schools are interdisciplinary and teachers who have expertise in more than one content field may have an advantage in the job market.
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VH-studio // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $34,600
- Mid-career pay: $47,600
Educational psychologists typically work with schools to support the education and development of children. While some may be employed by private schools that draw from a significant tuition and donor base to pad staff salaries, others may work for public schools, which typically have more limited resources to draw upon.
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Iam_Anupong // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $36,200
- Mid-career pay: $46,500
Students who major in early childhood and elementary education prepare to teach in both preschool and after-school programs, as well as kindergarten through sixth grade. Graduates must become certified to instruct students in whatever state they choose for work. With further schooling, some graduates of the major go onto to become administrators, such as principals, superintendents, directors of curriculum, and college deans.
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Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $38,000
- Mid-career pay: $46,100
Rehabilitation counselors typically work to serve people living with disabilities. These services can range from mental health to physical health to practical life-skills training, and can be performed everywhere from detention centers to unemployment offices. Recipients typically do not pay for such services, and as such the salaries of rehabilitation counselors are limited.
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Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $36,300
- Mid-career pay: $44,800
Addiction studies majors can typically expect to work as addiction counselors or drug or alcohol treatment specialists. There is a large pay range for those who work in the field, with salaries dependent largely on level of education attained, geographic location, and the type of setting in which treatment is performed.
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $35,800
- Mid-career pay: $44,200
Outdoor education professionals help people enjoy the great outdoors. However perfect they may be for the outdoors enthusiast, some of these jobs are run by the government, which means they are capped within a certain pay bracket.
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MiniStocker // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $34,100
- Mid-career pay: $43,600
Childcare is one of the lowest-paying professions in the United States. One reason may be that many teenagers and other younger adults will work as babysitters and tutors to make side money, which makes it more difficult for professionals to demand higher wages.
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $34,100
- Mid-career pay: $43,300
A child's cognitive, emotional, and language development occur in the first five years of life, making early childhood education critical in an adolescent's academic career. However, it is one of the lowest-paying majors on the list, further proving that those who enter the field are likely more concerned about the community than salary.
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fizkes // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $35,200
- Mid-career pay: $42,500
Mental health is a field that encompasses many different settings. Some mental health specialists may work in assisted living facilities, helping residents with dementia, while others may work with working professionals stressed and depressed about their jobs. Those working in private practice theoretically have no caps to their salaries, while those working in institutions may be more constrained by salary caps.
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Stock-Asso // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $35,100
- Mid-career pay: $42,300
One issue that may be keeping medical assisting wages low is an oversupply. Some argue that too many qualified medical assistants are currently searching for work, keeping salaries low.
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Motortion Films // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $38,800
- Mid-career pay: $42,200
Addiction counselors work to help those who are struggling with alcohol and substance abuse disorders. While some counselors may work at private rehabilitation clinics where fees allow the clinics to pay staff generously, many others work in the public sector, helping people in facilities run by state, local, and federal government.
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Martinez Studio // Shutterstock
- Early career pay: $38,300
- Mid-career pay: $38,400
Many workers with degrees in metalsmithing find work as jewelers. Those working in the retail trade tend to make the most.
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David J. Phillip
Jeremy Hodges climbs up the side of his family's destroyed storage unit in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Houma, La. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David Grunfeld
Christopher Atkins, left, helps his friend, George Soloman, remove a TV and other items from his Banks Street home Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, after a wall collapsed and roof was damaged during Hurricane Ida in New Orleans. (David Grunfeld/The Advocate via AP)
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Scott Clause
Downed power lines are shown in Houma, La., after Hurricane Ida blasted ashore, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via AP)
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Scott Clause
A trailer is upside down in Houma, La., after Hurricane Ida blasted ashore, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via AP)
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Scott Clause
A boat lies on it's side in Houma, La., after Hurricane Ida blasted ashore, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via AP)
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Scott Clause
Damage is seen at the Chabert Medical Center after Hurricane Ida in Houma, La., on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via AP)
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Scott Clause
Damage caused by Hurricane Ida in Houma, La., on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via AP)
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Scott Clause
Wreckage of a building from Hurricane Ida is shown in Houma, La., Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via AP)
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Scott Clause
Fran Tribe and her dog, Dave, sit outside home destroyed by Hurricane Ida in Houma, La., on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via AP)
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Scott Clause
Damage caused by Hurricane Ida in Houma, La., on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via AP)
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Steve Helber
Vehicles pass through a flooded street after Hurricane Ida moved through Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in LaPlace, La. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
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Steve Helber
A damaged home is shown after Hurricane Ida moved through Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in LaPlace, La. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
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Steve Helber
Flooded streets and homes are shown in the Spring Meadow subdivision in LaPlace, La., after Hurricane Ida moved through Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. Hard-hit LaPlace is squeezed between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
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Steve Helber
Flooded streets are shown in the Spring Meadow subdivision in LaPlace, La., after Hurricane Ida moved through Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. Hard-hit LaPlace is squeezed between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
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Steve Helber
A truck drives through the flooded streets of Indigo Estates after Hurricane Ida moved through Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in LaPlace, La. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
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Gerald Herbert
People are evacuated from floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in LaPlace, La., Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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Gerald Herbert
Jerilyn Collins returns to her destroyed home with the assistance of the Louisiana National Guard to retrieve medicine for herself and her father, and a few possessions, after she evacuated from rising floodwater in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in LaPlace, La., Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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Gerald Herbert
Galen Bell sits with his dog, Mason, after being rescued from floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in LaPlace, La., Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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Eric Gay
Cyclists peddle through floodwaters caused by the effects of Hurricane Ida near the New Orleans Marina, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in New Orleans, La. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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Chris Granger
People get a lift along the Mississippi River levee in Destrehan, La., on the morning after Hurricane Ida on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
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Chris Granger
Surveying the damage for the first time, Sharon Orlando tries to hold back tears on the morning after Hurricane Ida hit her Destrehan, La., home on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
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Chris Granger
Mickey Landry, the owner of Revolution Auto Brokers, walks through what was once his showroom floor on the morning after Hurricane Ida hit St. John the Baptist Parish, La., on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. This indoor area was covered by a roof that was ripped off during the storm. Landry said he will likely lose about $100,000 in car inventory. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
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Chris Granger
Chris Holbrook and his neighbor, William Martin, top, survey their homes near LaPlace, La., on the morning after Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
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Chris Granger
Family members reunite on a flooded roadway in Louisiana's St. John the Baptist Parish during an evacuation on the morning after Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
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Chris Granger
Brian Reed, 13, carries his brother, Carter, 6, who wears a life jacket, as they move through their flooded neighborhood in LaPlace, La., on the morning after Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
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Chris Granger
Surrounded by floodwater, a homeowner sits on his front steps after Hurricane Ida destroyed part of the mobile home near LaPlace, La., on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
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Chris Granger
Homes near Norco, La., are surrounded by floodwater as chemical refineries continue to flare the day after Hurricane Ida hit southern Louisiana, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
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David J. Phillip
Destruction is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Houma, La. The weather died down shortly before dawn. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David J. Phillip
Boats are seen lying on the earth in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Lafitte, La. The weather died down shortly before dawn. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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Eric Gay
A man sits on sandbags placed to protect a business from the effects of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in downtown New Orleans. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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David J. Phillip
Roof damage is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Houma, La. The weather died down shortly before dawn. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David J. Phillip
Homes are flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Lafitte, La. The weather died down shortly before dawn. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David J. Phillip
A destroyed hanger lies on the earth in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Houma, La. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David J. Phillip
Damaged homes are seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Houma, La. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David J. Phillip
A damaged home is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Houma, La. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David J. Phillip
A submerged boat lies in water in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Lafitte, La. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David J. Phillip
An Airboat glides over a city street in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Lafitte, La. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David J. Phillip
A flooded city is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Lafitte, La. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David J. Phillip
A barge damages a bridge that divides Lafitte, La., and Jean Lafitte, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in La. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David J. Phillip
Damge is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Houma, La. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David J. Phillip
A flooded city is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Lafitte, La. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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Dominic Gwinn
The steeple of the First Baptist Church in Lumberton, Miss., rests on the ground in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Dominic Gwinn/Hattiesburg American via AP)
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Dominic Gwinn
Kiln, Miss., resident Dennis Mayfield waits to help his family and neighbors with a small boat after Hurricane Ida flooded their neighborhood on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. "You need to prepare for anything," Mayfield said as he dragged his boat into more shallow water. (Dominic Gwinn/Hattiesburg American via AP)
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Dominic Gwinn
A boat rests on the beach along N. Beach Drive in Bay St. Louis, Miss., following Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Dominic Gwinn/Hattiesburg American via AP)
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Dominic Gwinn
Tony Stewart, of Hattiesburg, Miss., wades through a flooded road in an attempt to inspect his vacation home, following Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Kiln, Miss. "I've seen it worse," Stewart said before turning back as the water reached his waist. "It's not worth the risk." (Dominic Gwinn/Hattiesburg American via AP)
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Chris Granger
Candace Turley, left, carries her dog, Bella, as she and her family, Corey Carter, center, Mi'Kayla Thomas, 7, and Michael Thomas, carrying Malik, 2, walk through a yard covered in roof tiles as they evacuate from their flooded LaPlace, La., house on the morning after Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
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David J. Phillip
Damage is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Houma, La. The weather died down shortly before dawn. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David J. Phillip
Buildings and damaged boats are seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Lafitte, La. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David J. Phillip
A damaged home is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in Houma, La. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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David J. Phillip
A barge damages a bridge that divides Lafitte, La., and Jean Lafitte, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, in La. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)