and others by figuring out what skills they already have and how to upgrade them or add new ones to work into higher-paying jobs. He said about half of the programs at SLCC require two years or less but can lead to high pay.

"For example, nursing is a two-year program and is a $30-an-hour job," he said. But he adds that it is currently so popular that the waiting time to get into the programs at local colleges can be up to two years.

He said as people review lists of occupations for ideas, they sometimes see possibilities they never considered. "For example, our chef program has become popular" with people who like to cook but never considered it as a career.

He said many careers may be completely new, such as hologram technicians, so people have never considered them.

To help people explore new possibilities, Rizzuto has designed his own Web site called tonysgetajob.com. It has information ranging from which careers have the brightest outlook to personality tests, lists of new occupations, how to get financial aid and even how to convert degrees in one area to high-paying jobs in other fields.

For example, he discusses a page showing atypical possibilities for people with English degrees. "Most think you can just teach English with that, right?" he said. But the page shows how with some training or internships, it can be used for professions ranging from advertising to marketing, promotion, law, business management and more.

Five-star jobs

The Utah Department of Workforce Services issues regular predictions about which jobs will be most in demand in the future, and also which will pay the most. Those expected to have both the most openings and pay well for the training required are called "five-star jobs" in its rating system.

"The two occupations with the most future openings in Utah always tend to be cashiers and retail sales clerks. But they don't pay that much. Five-star jobs are the ones that pay well and have bright job outlook," said Langston, who has worked on job outlook reports.

She said good bets for plenty of openings and high wages tend to be "in technical or computer training, or in health care."

For example, the top five-star job that requires more than high school but less than a bachelor's degree is for registered nurses, who earn an average pay of $54,590 a year.

Some other five-star health occupations that also require less than a bachelor's degree include dental hygienists, $61,580 average; radiologic technologists, $44,740; and respiratory therapists, $30,710.

Some five-star technical occupations requiring less than a bachelor's include: electrical and electronic engineering technicians, $46,160 average; and civil engineering technicians, $37,350.