7 Of The Best Paying Jobs In Consumer Non-Durables [2024]

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Consumer non-durables are products that are expendable and consumed in one use. They include products like food and cosmetics. The best-paying jobs in consumer non-durables are available in a variety of industries like manufacturing, cosmetics, oil and gas, and more.

In this article, you’ll read about the consumer durables vs consumer non-durables market, the best-paying jobs in consumer non-durables including job growth prospects, salary, education, and the number of jobs available.

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If you want to land a job in consumer non-durables, start your search on ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter is free for job seekers and you can apply to jobs with a single click!

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What Are Consumer Non-Durables?

Consumer non-durable products are final products that can be used or consumed in a short time. They don’t last and are not designed to be used over the long run.

Examples of consumer non-durable products include:

  • Food
  • Medication
  • Cosmetics
  • Paper

Consumer non-durables are produced in many industries and by a variety of different companies. Here are some examples of companies that produce consumer non-durable products:

  • Procter & Gamble
  • PepsiCo
  • Adidas AG
  • Estee Lauder
  • Nivea

Consumer Durable Goods vs Consumer Non-Durable Goods

Consumer durable goods are reusable. They can be used over and over again. Examples of consumer durable goods include:

  • Furniture
  • Appliances
  • Cars
  • Electronics

Consumer non-durable goods are the opposite. They are designed for one-time use. One consumer market isn’t better than the other, they’re just different and serve different purposes.

The consumer non-durable goods industry is huge. If you’re considering a career change or entering the workforce for the first time, looking at a consumer non-durable career is a smart move. This industry comes with lucrative careers, competitive benefits packages, and other perks of the job, which will be covered down below.

7 Of Best Paying Jobs In Consumer Non-Durables

These are 7 of the best-paying consumer non-durables careers:

1. Pharmaceutical Sales Representative

Median National Salary: $67,750/year

Education Required: No degree is needed

Number of Jobs: 1,649,900

Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 1% (Little or no change)

Job Duties: Pharmaceutical sales representatives meet with healthcare professionals to demonstrate and sell pharmaceutical products. This job requires frequent travel. It’s great for people who are sales-driven and self-motivated.

The income potential is high and it’s one of the fastest growing careers.

Pharmaceutical sales representatives sell pharmaceutical products to health care professionals. Job duties include traveling to health facilities like clinics and doctors' offices to demonstrate products, educate providers about the benefits, and sell pharmaceuticals.

2. Pharmaceutical Financial Analyst

Median National Salary: $96,220/year

Education Required: Bachelor’s degree

Number of Jobs: 376,100

Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 8% (Faster than average)

Job Duties: Financial analysts in pharmaceuticals are responsible for reviewing and analyzing financial data and reports for the organization. Your role is to provide support and guidance to the leadership team about operations.

You will review and lead areas of the business in:

  • Financial decision-making
  • Process improvement
  • Business development

Pharmaceutical financial analysts help leadership make decisions.

  • Overseeing financial planning and budget planning efforts
  • Review business performance
  • Reporting

3. Creative Director

Median National Salary: $85,320/year

Education Required: Bachelor’s degree

Number of Jobs: 175,300

Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 7% (Faster than average)

Job Duties: Creative directors can work in various industries from apparel, film and TV, arts, and more. You’ll be responsible for business decisions related to advertising and marketing channels. You will create and design the project, oversee the execution, and monitor its progress.

The day-to-day work duties of a creative director include:

  • Supervising and providing support to the creative team including the advertising and marketing departments
  • Approving and revising presentations
  • Monitoring campaigns
  • Media planning

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4. Geoscientist

Median National Salary: $87,480/year

Education Required: Bachelor’s degree

Number of Jobs: 26,300

Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 5% (Faster than average)

Job Duties: Geoscientists study the earth. They work in a variety of different industries including renewable energy and oil and gas.

The job duties of a geoscientist include:

  • Identifying and developing energy sources
  • Studying the earth’s natural resources

5. Chemical Engineer

Median National Salary: $106,260/year

Education Required: Bachelor’s degree

Number of Jobs: 20,800

Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 8% (Faster than average)

Job Duties: Chemical engineers work with chemical manufacturing processes, applying multiple sciences to solve problems in their industry. They may combine principles and practices from psychics, chemistry, and biology to aid in the development and testing of chemical production processes.

Chemical engineering is a STEM career. This role can work in consumer non-durable industries like cosmetics manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, energy industries like oil and gas, and more.

Chemical engineers work with chemical processes in a variety of roles, to measure, test, and create processes for food testing, medication, and more.

Related: Best STEM Careers

6. Environmental Scientist

Median National Salary: $76,480/year

Education Required: Bachelor’s degree

Number of Jobs: 80,500

Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 6% (Faster than average)

Job Duties: Environmental scientists work with natural scientists to study and monitor environmental conditions. They can work in fields like energy, such as oil and gas.

Environmental scientists work to preserve the earth’s natural resources and preserve human health. They research, review, and analyze sites to ensure it is optimal for energy production.

7. Paper Chemist

Median National Salary: $81,810/year

Education Required: Bachelor’s degree

Number of Jobs: 95,000

Job Growth 2022 – 2032: 6% (Faster than average)

Job Duties: This is a chemist who works in the paper manufacturing industry.

Paper chemists work in the industrial paper-making manufacturing industry. They do work tasks like:

  • Producing and analyzing the paper-making process for efficiency and environmental friendliness
  • Conduct applied research in a lab setting

Pros and Cons of Consumer Non-Durables

The pros of working in the consumer non-durables industry include:

  • High salary: Many careers in this field are high-paying including a competitive total compensation package that includes benefits, bonuses, and more.
  • Career advancement: Opportunities for upward mobility exist.
  • Growing industry work: Working in a growing industry that will continue to change and evolve can be very exciting.

The cons of working in the consumer non-durables industry include:

  • High qualifications for many careers: Most of the consumer non-durable jobs shared are professional careers that require a college degree and/or work experience. While entry-level jobs do exist in this career field, the top-paying careers are going to be reserved for experienced professionals.
  • Non-flexible work options: Many careers in consumer non-durables are centered around working in a manufacturing facility, plant, or office setting. There may be limited options for remote work.
  • Stressful work in a high-pressure environment: High salaries in this industry can come at a price, which can be work stress and working in a high-pressure setting, two unsettling considerations which can lead to job dissatisfaction and burnout.

You’ll have to look at the entire picture to figure out if the consumer non-durable career you’re aiming for has desirable benefits that outweigh the drawbacks.

Requirements And Skills To Work In Consumer Non-Durables

To work in consumer non-durables, you should:

  • Have a high school diploma or higher
  • Be able to work well with others
  • Be self-motivated

Here are some soft skills that would be great to have, working in this industry:

  • Excellent communication skills: You will be working with peers and management so having strong communication skills are important.
  • Emotional intelligence: This is about being able to manage your emotions and develop interpersonal relationships with others.
  • Leadership ability: If you can lead others in a management-based position or not, that’s a great skill to have, especially if you’re considering a leadership position within the organization now or in the future.

Where To Find The Best-Paying Jobs In Consumer Non-Durables

Find the best-paying jobs in consumer non-durables by using online job search and job bank websites:

ZipRecruiter

ZipRecruiter is an online job search site that lets you browse and apply for jobs, read salary and employee reviews, plus a lot more. ZipRecruiter is free to use and you can apply for jobs with just one click!

For more information, check out our ZipRecruiter review.

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Simply Hired

Simply Hired is an easy-to-use job search site where you can search for and apply to consumer non-durable jobs online. Their job tools can be helpful, too, like their salary estimator and sample resumes portfolio.

Visit Simply Hired to check it out.

Before you start your job search, be sure to have your resume ready.  Check out these top resume writing services, available to help you create a professional resume fast.

The Bottom Line

The consumer non-durable industry is a great career field to work in. It’s experienced a ton of growth in recent years and it offers a wide variety of careers to choose from.

Once you’ve chosen your career path of interest, visit ZipRecruiter to start your job search!