With all that's going on with COVID-19, many have decided to begin paying closer attention to their health and wellness. And sis, the wellness industry is now worth an estimated $40 billion, making it one lucrative industry to get into. With trends like at-home fitness, digital detoxing, and cannabis infusion, there's an open avenue to break into or level up for finding the best careers in health and wellness.
Here are 10 opportunities that are not only growing in demand but are bringing in a nice chunk of change:
1.Registered Nutritional Therapist
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The median income for a Registered Nutritional Therapist is a little more than $60,000 annually, and it's definitely a career that is in common demand. Becoming registered gives you a bit more credibility, and many schools offer programs to get the credentials you'll need. Nutritional therapists typically have their own practices and offer luxury or alternative health plans to ensure their clients health and wellness goals are met. Some also work for clinics and organizations to serve their patients' needs.
2.Wellness Literary Agent
You can make an average of $59,000 as a wellness literary agent, and if you're up on wellness industry trends and news and have experience in publishing, PR, or sales, it's a gig you might be great at. You'll have to get your clients' books in front of publishers and sometimes you'll even be part of the edit and update process of a work. You'll also be handling contracts and making sure your clients get the best deal. And don't sleep on the book industry: More than 60 billion units of actual print books are still being consumed by Americans and the audiobook industry continues to show strides at more than $1 billion in revenue last year.
3.Nutrition Influencer and Blogger
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If you're passionate about all things nutrition and are a great writer, this is a great fit. The starting annual salary for a nutrition influencer and blogger is a little above $33,000 but can grow to more than $80,000, especially if you write for your own website and create your own brand. You can take it to the next level and either run a YouTube channel or blog for a major food, wellness, or healthcare brand (which can bring in an average of $50,000 per year) or start one of your own and join the ranks of influencers making six figures or more.
4.Corporate Wellness Administrator
You can make a median income of $63,000 per year doing a job that involves managing the administration of wellness benefits for employees of a company or corporation. You'll need a bachelor's degree for this job and a few years of experience, and if you have a passion for finding the best options for others to ensure their ultimate wellness, the role of a Corporate Wellness Administrator is worth a try.
5.Virtual Fitness Trainer
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Though some gyms have reopened, many are still taking hits due to many fitness buffs and budding health enthusiasts doing more of their workouts at home. Health and fitness equipment sales more than doubled between March and October of last year, according to research, and trainers have began going virtual, offering classes, one-one-one training and boot camps that people can do from the comfort of their own homes. The virtual fitness market is set to hit more than $59 billion by 2027, and if you can cater to a niche and get certified, you could potentially become a self-employed, very wealthy phenom. If entrepreneurship is not your thing, you can still work as a trainer for a major gym or other organization making a starting average of at least $46,000 a year, a number that goes up substantially based on your experience, certifications, and caliber of client.
6.Wellness App Creator
Wellness apps are reportedly booming and set to bring in more than $14 billion in revenue within the next seven years. If you have great ideas, are in the tech industry already, or simply have an eye for app savvy, get on the train, sis! Creating an app is not as hard as one might think, but it does require quite a bit of planning, research and marketing in order to get it off the ground. You can also work for a tech company and make an average of $64,000 to $96,000 developing mobile apps. Having a bachelor's in computer science, programming, or software engineering is great (especially if you're into the traditional job of working for another company), but a few app creators simply took courses, hired outside vendors to build it, or worked with partners to bring their wellness apps to life.
7.Massage Therapist
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Jobs as a massage therapist are set to grow by 21 percent into 2029, and the median salary is almost $43,000 per year. Depending on your location, you'll need certain certifications and hours of experience in order to legally practice as a massage therapist, and you can even build your own practice of clients. Even in pandemic times, massage therapists are finding unique ways to offer services like expert virtual stretch sessions, massage instruction for people with special needs, and one-on-one personal sessions within sanitized environments like clients' homes or doctor's offices.
8.Virtual Therapist
You can choose to get licensed (as a licensed practical counselor or LPC) or become a non-licensed practitioner (who has a master's degree and can offer lay counseling for life coaching and services of that nature) who helps people in the area of mental wellness. Some licensed counselors work for schools, nonprofits or corporations, while some have their own practices with specialties in EMDR methods or psychotherapy. Some non-licensed counselors lead church ministries, counsel women in nonprofit programs or have their own coaching programs. Online therapy services are charging upwards of $100 per hour, and the average salary for a therapist stands at $69,000 for those with licensure and $64,000 for unlicensed counselors.
9.Personal Wellness Chef
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Starting at an average of more than $44,000 per year (with an increase potential of up to $62,000), this job is a great one if you're well-informed (in some cases, certified) in nutrition or a niche like vegan, raw, cannabis-infused, or gluten-free dishes. Some chefs focus in on certain client goals (ie.. weight loss, weight gain, muscle building, diabetes maintenance, or hypertension control) while others specialize in creating plans for people with allergies or other disorders. You can start your own mobile or personal chef business or work for restaurants and even food brands, creating menus or tailored dishes for mass production.
10. Longevity Wellness Specialist
This gig allows you to focus in on creating plans for people to not only live long lives, but the best version of that. You'll teach clients or groups how to sustain a healthy lifestyle, what supplements and other resources they should tap into to boost quality of life and incorporate management of sustainability of wellness. The average salary is $44,000 per year but salary potential can increase to up to $90,000.
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Exclusive: Melanie Fiona On Making High-Vibrational Music & Saying Yes To Partnership
Melanie Fiona is back! After taking a little more than a decade-long hiatus, she has officially made her return to music and blessed us with two singles, “Say Yes” and “I Choose You.” While both singles are very different from each other, they both reflect who she is today and the type of music she wants to make. In our conversation, the mom of two expressed what she learned during her time away.
“It's interesting, even when I said it is like coming back, I don't ever feel like I really left because I was always still performing. I've still been public. It's not like I went into being this recluse person or version of myself, but the thing that I really learned in this process is that I think things take time,” Melanie says in a xoNecole exclusive.
“I think often we're so caught up in it, being on the timing of demand or popularity, or, like, striking while the iron is hot and the thing that I've learned is that everything is on God's time. That's it. Every time I thought I would have been ready, or, like, things were taking too long, I had to reship some things, personally, professionally, in my life. I also gave myself permission to make a living, not just make a living, but make a life for myself.”
Making a life for herself included getting married to Grammy-nominated songwriter Jared Cotter, starting a family, and embracing new landscapes, such as podcasting as a co-host of The Mama’s Den podcast. She also began doing more spiritual work and self-care practices like meditation, sound healing, Reiki, acupuncture, and boundary setting, which allowed her to get in touch with her inner voice.
“I wasn't putting out music, and I wasn't experiencing a number one record, but I was being a number one mom,” she says.
“I was experiencing things that were allowing me to heal and get in touch with myself so that I could make new music from a space of joy and freedom, and excitement again because I definitely feel like I did lose some excitement because of just politics and industry and what it can do to your mental health and even your physical health. So giving myself the space to really just say, ‘Hey, it's okay. Everything's right on time.’”
The joy and excitement are felt in one of two new singles, “I Choose You,” which is more of a lovers rock vibe, a tribute to Melanie’s Caribbean roots. While the Grammy award-winner is known for ballads like “It Kills Me” and “Fool For You,” she is becoming more intentional about the music she makes, calling it high-vibrational music. She says her music is a “reflection of my life,” as it captures every facet, from hanging out with friends to riding around in her car.
“Say Yes” has the classic R&B vibe Melanie is known for. However, both songs are inspired by her relationship. Melanie and Jared got married in December 2020, and the Toronto-bred artist dished on their relationship. Fun fact: he is featured in the “Say Yes” music video.
“When we first started dating, I had come into that relationship post a lot of self-work. I had gotten out of a long-term relationship, I had a year and a half to date and be by myself and do a lot of work on myself alone. And when we met, I remember feeling like this has to be my person because I feel it,” she says.
“And so when we went into that relationship, and we started dating, I was very clear. I was like, I know what I want. I'm very clear on what I need, and I'm not going to withhold my truth about myself in this process because of pride or fear of rejection. I know you love me, but I'm coming with my heart in my hand to let you know that if we're gonna get there, we have to put fear aside and say yes. So that was kind of like my open letter to him, which is why the video is us having a conversation.”
Melanie also shares that saying yes to her partner has empowered her in many ways, including motherhood and showing up for herself. Her new EP, also titled Say Yes, will be available at the top of 2025.
Check out the full interview below.
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Serena Williams Hits Back At Skin-Bleaching Accusations: 'I’m A Dark, Black Woman, And I Love Who I Am'
Serena Williams is clapping back at skin-bleaching accusations. During a makeup tutorial for her beauty brand, Wyn Beauty, the tennis legend took the opportunity to address the "haters."
“And then I put just that neutral color, that is actually my skin color, and no, for you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin,” she said. “There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors.”
The rumors started after the mom of two posted a video of herself and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, at their daughter's school play. In the video, she appeared to look a few shades lighter. During her response, she revealed that she was volunteering at the play and wore stage makeup.
“Yes, I’m calling you out on this because it is ridiculous that everyone’s like, ‘Oh, she bleached her skin,’" she said. "I’m a dark, Black woman, and I love who I am, and I love how I look and that's just not my thing.”
The 23-time Grand Slam champion also said that she doesn't judge anyone who bleaches their skin as she "stays in my lane."
Serena has always had style on and off the court, and even collaborated with Nike with her own collection Serena Williams Design Crew. However, the tennis champ has now pivoted into beauty.
Wyn Beauty was launched in April 2024 with at 10-piece collection of lip, eye, and complexion products. The brand was inspired by Serena's time on the court and the packaging is reminiscent of a tennis ball due to its chartreuse color.
“Throughout my career, I was always searching for makeup that looked good after hours on the court, mixing products myself and creating my own formulas while traveling the world,” she said in a statement. As she continues to make a name for herself in the beauty industry, I'm sure we will see a lot more looks from the tennis star.
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