Are We Working For Free On Frebruary 29th

Author Aimee Thomas

February 21st 11:56 AM

February is coming to an end and we get an extra day this month! Some employees are finding themselves in a some what interesting situation – they are working an additional day without an extra pay? 2024 is a Leap Year, meaning February gains an extra day, the 29th.

According to London Loves Business if you are salary you aren’t getting paid any extra money for the extra day because your salary is already factored in annually. Essentially you are working for free on this additional day if you are salary.

If you are an hourly employee then you will get paid for the hours you work that day. At the end of the year you will see that extra 8 hours on your W2. Salaried employees will not see it because they get paid the same regardless of the hours or days they work in the year.

For some, the extra day in February is exciting, especially for those born on February 29th, known as “leap day babies.” These people, whose birthdays occur only once every four years, finally get to celebrate their real birthdays on the actual date. Some people take this time to get married or celebrate special things because it only happens once every 4 years.

Working For Free!

However, some people, especially those who just realized they are essentially working for free on February 29th may be a little upset. I guess I go back to the question – Why do we only have February 29th every 4 years? According to Wikipedia, it is added to the calendar in leap years as a “corrective measure because the Earth does not orbit the Sun in precisely 365 days.” If we didn’t add the extra day every four years then the seasons would eventually fall out of place. This is beginning to make more sense to me. I hope you too.

So Leap Year can be exciting for some people and annoying to others. If you are a leap day baby – happy birthday! If you are a salaried employee thank you for your charity on leap day!

Aimee Thomas is the morning show co-host of Aimee + Shawn on 102.7 VGS. She has been VGS since the birth of the station in 2022 and has been with Beasley Media Group for nine years doing mornings at various stations in the cluster. Before working in radio Aimee was a bartender at a local restaurant in Las Vegas when a local radio veteran thought she would be perfect in radio because of her crazy stories, knowledge of pop culture, and contagious laugh. Aimee loves writing about new recipes she creates in her kitchen, her favorite artists and actors, and being a mom of two boys.

Jobs That Pay Over $100K Without a Degree

The traditional bachelor’s degree just isn’t for everyone. In fact, there are a big group of people who opt to skip the traditional college route and still make very good money. There are plenty of jobs out there that don’t requite a four-year bachelor’s degree but still make $100K or more per year. No, it’s not too good to be true. Let’s get into some of these high-paying jobs that pay over $100K without a degree.

Before we get into those high-paying jobs, let’s talk about how to land your dream job. Indeed.com has a great checklist of things to do when you’re on the job hunt. One major thing is to create a good resume. They suggest to tailor that resume to every job to which you’re applying, so that it fits the job perfectly. Make one “master” copy of your resume, and then use that as a template to create special resumes for each of the jobs for which you’re applying. So, how do you tailer for resume? “When deciding what to include in your resume, choose actionable items that would capture an employer’s interest,” they suggest. “Along with including qualitative results in your work experience section, you can also add in some quantifiable data.” They also say that numbers and statistics and numbers look good on a resume, so include those.

FlexJobs.com suggests to “research companies, rather than jobs.” They say to “pursue companies that mirror your values to narrow your search, and to, “seek out organizations with a strong culture fit and a mission that aligns with yours.” That’s a great tip so that you’re finding a company with the same values and ethics that you possess. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to look for actual jobs on search sites such as FlexJobs.com and Indeed.com, too. Keep an eye out for opening at your desired company that pop up.

Now, let’s get into some high-paying jobs that pay over $100K without a degree.

Technology Sales Manager
Careerkarma.com has Technology Sales Manager listed as the job without a college degree that makes the most money. Average salary is $161,920. Sound good, right? Minimum job requirements are, “Experience as a sales representative and a high-school diploma.”

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Computer and Information Systems Manager
Another high-paying job without a degree, according to Careerkarma.com, is a Computer and Information Systems Manager. They make an average of $159,010 a year. You need computer science knowledge and 5 to 10 years of management experience, they state.

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Fire chief
Here’s an interesting one. A fire chief is on Indeed’s list of high-paying jobs without a degree. They state, “Fire chiefs are responsible for overseeing and managing fire departments, which involves supervising personnel, developing budgets and planning emergency responses.” National average salary is $105,287 per year.

Getty Images / NazariyKarkhut
Product Manager
Another job on Indeed list of high-paying jobs without a degree is Product Manager. So, what is that? “They may develop and implement the large and small business strategies that fuel the product development process and manage the launch of the product’s features,” they explain.

Getty Images / Thank you for your assistant
Professional Sports Referee
This is a really interesting one: Professional Sports Referee. The top salary per year is $210,000. But, they can make as little as $21,000 per year, too, as that’s the average salary. So, you have to get a bigger gig to make more than 100K for this job. This is according to Resumeviking.com. They state, “No academic background is necessary, apart from obtaining a referee certification in the sport you want to referee. The stakes are high, but so is the return if you have the nerves for putting it all out there with no guarantees of ever gaining enough recognition to join in on this multi-billion-dollar industry!”

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Senior Real Estate Manager
The national salary for a Senior Real Estate Manager is $133,076 per year,” according to Indeed. They state, “Senior real estate managers oversee the daily operations of a property like an apartment complex or commercial building. They typically manage maintenance teams, ensure tenants pay rent on time and fill vacancies.” They suggest to “gain experience in entry-level positions and work your way up to this job.”

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Court Reporter/Typist
A Court Reporter makes an average salary of $103,270, according to Careerkarma.com. The job is to take notes on legal proceedings in court. “To land a court reporter job with no degree, you’ll need to take the exam for Registered Professional Reporter certification,” they note. “This requires good listening skills, the ability to type quickly, and some knowledge of common legal terms.”

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Executive Assistant
Executive Assistant is No. 1 on US News and World Report’s list of the highest-paying jobs without a degree. “Executive assistants support high-level executives in public offices and private companies,” they state. “They may manage the executive’s schedule, make travel arrangements, prioritize the executive’s emails, and sometimes act as a receptionist or gatekeeper, serving as the liaison between the executive and anyone who wishes to meet with them.”

Getty Images / AntonioGuillem