Top Career Domains to Venture into After Class 10th: Streams, Qualifications, Salaries [Updated Guide 2024]

While pursuing further education after class 10^th is one of the most commonly pursued academic pathways, the trend is quickly shifting with the rising importance being given to hands-on skills and professional experience for career scope. As a result, many students are now turning to professional options and careeristic upskilling courses to start a career soon after completing their senior secondary education. 

If you are an aspirant looking for some of the options to kickstart your career right after class 10^th, then you can find detailed answers to all your questions, whether it be the stream you should go ahead with for starting your career, government job roles available right after class 10^th or the careers in offbeat domains that you can consider venturing into. 

So continue reading to find out more about the best career options to go for post class 10^th education!

What to do after Class 10^th: Educational & Vocational Pathways to Consider

If you are someone who is wondering about pursuing a career right after class 10^th, you might be perplexed with the question about whether going for higher education or starting a job is the right choice. 

Since your academic and career decisions constitute one of the most important irreversible decisions of your life, you must consider all the prospective pros and cons of going for higher education or going for a career option. Some of them have been listed below. 

Pros & Cons of Pursuing Higher Education After 10^th

Pursuing higher education in the form of higher secondary schooling (i.e. class 11^th and class 12^th education) followed by graduation is the most common trajectory pursued by Indian students after completing class 10. This academic pathway forms a strong base for foundational knowledge in a given domain, since education up to class 10^th focuses on basic primary education without providing advanced learning in any specific domain. Post class 10^th education, students get the opportunity of choosing a subject stream, with the prominent options in India being humanities, commerce or science. Thus, higher education in school and at the college levels is indeed a compelling option for developing a sound basis for a career in the long run.  

Summarised below are a few of the pros of pursuing further education after completing your class 10^th education:

• Pursuing higher secondary education after class 10^th allows for specialised knowledge building in the domain of science, humanities or commerce to students. 
• Pursuing further education helps to build a foundation for a specific career since it provides a direction in which to explore further studies and job options, which is not available up till class 10^th education. 
• Since further education in class 11^th and class 12^th followed by graduation garners specific skills and competencies to students, it offers better career opportunities than those that can be garnered after class 10^th. 

The cons of going for higher education after class 10^th include those mentioned below.

• Pursuing higher education after class 10^th is a time-taking process, requiring the investment of at least 5 years (2 years for higher secondary studies followed by 3 years of undergraduate studies) which can be unfeasible for those looking to start garnering hands-on professional experience right from class 10^th. 
• Further, if a student has some further constraints such as financial limitations or other personal commitments requiring them to take up a professional role, then investing the financial resources and time into higher education may become a cumbersome process for such students.
• Those students who wish to acquire the maximum years of professional experience to heighten their future educational opportunities for a better career, may not be able to do so if they invest their time into further education over years.

Pros & Cons of Pursuing a Career Option After 10^th

While pursuing further education comes with its limitations and pros, the option of going for a career right after class 10^th education is also a choice requiring sufficient consideration of its pros and cons, a few of which we have enlisted below. 

Find mentioned below a few of the pros that you can benefit from if you choose to go for a career after class 10^th: 

• Firstly, choosing a career right after class 10^th can provide you a great advantage of entering the workforce early on in your career journey. It can provide you with invaluable field experience, which is considered quite essential for career escalation in recent times. 
• Furthermore, venturing early on into the field of a professional career allows you to gain years of work experience which can be quite helpful for growing your professional skills and competencies. 
• Going for a career right after class 10^th can allow a student financial independence as well as meet any financial commitments that they might have. Considering that a large number of students often take up a job after class 10^th to support financial constraints, it is one of the biggest advantages of going for a career after class 10^th. 
• Lastly, another great advantage of venturing into professional fields early into your career journey is that you get a vast time period to explore all your career options, and find your calling and area of aptitude. This kind of trial and error decision may be tough to take if you choose to pursue a career after Bachelor’s or Masters. 

A few of the cons of taking up a career after class 10^th include those mentioned below:

• Pursuing a career after class 10^th only allows the student to explore menial or entry level career options considering that education up to class 10^th only provides basic primary learning to students. 
• The salaries and compensation one is likely to get after class 10^th, especially if they want to venture into the private sector, are limited as only low to moderate salaries within the range of INR 2 to INR 3 LPA are offered to professionals with senior secondary level of education. 
• Further, the scope of career escalation and career mobility is constrained manifold if you venture into the professional field without going for further education or upskilling. Especially in the long run, without due upskilling and qualification can limit the long-term prospects that one can garner.

Hence, while deciding whether to go for a career opportunity right after class 10^th or pursue higher education, you need to take into account the pros and cons of each of the options to make an informed decision. There are limits to going for a job opportunity after completing senior secondary education, but it also comes with a number of advantages and practical solutions for students with varying financial and personal needs and goals. 

Career Options After Class 10^th 

There are a number of career directions and trajectories that a student completing class 10^th can consider. While there are career opportunities in the conventional streams of science, commerce and humanities, there are a number of unconventional career options and government sector jobs which provide appealing prospects to students right after completing class 10^th education.

However, please note that the career options and trajectories mentioned herein for each stream require the candidate to pursue further education in addition to qualifying their class 10^th board successfully. These are career directions that a class 10^th graduate can consider for further career development and higher education. 

1. Career Options in Science

Science stream is one of the most popularly chosen streams in India as it offers a number of well-established career domains with excellent scope for growth and escalation. The science stream consists of subjects like physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and elective subjects like biotechnology etc. The field can be further envisioned as having two distinct paths- pure science stream (physics, chemistry, mathematics) and biological science stream physics, chemistry, biology) which students can consider pursuing.   

Enlisted below are a few of the career options and the pertinent details related to them.

1. Engineering 

Engineering is undoubtedly one of the most popular career choices among students in India. As a career field, engineering indeed offers a multitude of lucrative job options to graduates. Not only is the field filled with meaningful job opportunities in the private and public sectors, it is also one of the most handsomely compensated domains for a job opportunity. Since this is a highly technical field, venturing into engineering requires the student to have at least obtained a diploma or a B.Tech degree. Thus, while it is an excellent field to venture into, foundational education in the domain engineering is needed after class 10^th, without which career options in the domain are not available. 

Find more relevant details about engineering as a career field below: 

2. Medicine or Nursing 

Medicine and nursing are two of the popular career fields chosen by students interested in the domain of healthcare and caregiving. For venturing into this field, one needs to take up higher secondary education in the stream of life sciences, i.e. with a physics+chemistry+biology combination. Higher education is extremely important for venturing into the field of medicine and healthcare, especially if you want to become a medical professional like a doctor or a surgeon in the future. For nursing, basic training courses as well as B.Sc Nursing courses are available which can be taken up by students to get professional training in this domain for future career prospects. The field of medicine is prestigious, respected and highly compensated as well, making it an excellent career domain to go for, especially if the human body and life sciences fascinate you.

Find more details about the field below. 

3. Computer Science & IT

A raging professional field in the world of technologically driven professional solutions, computer science and information technology come with a plethora of career options in fields like artificial intelligence, software engineering, data science, computer application, web development, coding and programming, graphic designing and more. A few of the key advantages of this field is that being highly skill-driven, students who have completed their class 10^th and have the requisite skills in the IT domain can get appealing career options, especially as freelancers. The field is diverse in its scope and comes with appealing compensation. With the future scope of computer science and IT only expected to grow further, a career in this field can provide up and coming opportunities in both well-developed fields and unconventional domains of IT and CS. 

Find further pertinent facts and details about the job roles in this field given below.

4. Physiotherapy 

Physiotherapy, also known commonly as physical therapy, is a form of supportive healthcare system in which bodily problems, diseases and injuries are treated through techniques like massage, heat, exercise and so on. Physiotherapists often work in collaboration with doctors, especially orthopaedic physicians and surgeons to provide post-injury/surgery care and rehabilitation. Physiotherapy is a well-paid field and  can be taken up by completing an undergraduate course in physiotherapy. Students interested in healthcare but not desirous of working as a medical professional can venture into this field, as it offers decently high salaries and a number of job opportunities in both the private and the public sectors. 

Further details about the field and its career opportunities have been provided below. 

5. Architecture 

Architecture as a field can be of great satisfaction and engagement for students who are interested in design and have an acumen for mathematics and physics. To develop a career in architecture, a student has to take up higher education with mathematics as one of the subjects in class 11^th and 12^th and further pursue a B.Arch degree from a recognised institution. The job scope in this field is prosperous and handsomely compensated, with a diverse scope for future escalation. 

Learn more about the various key details related to the field  below.

2. Career Options in Commerce

The stream of commerce is concerned with the study of business growth, commercial dealings, accounting, finance etc. and offers great scope in the current professional realm to students. There are a number of lucrative and prospective career opportunities available in the field of commerce ranging from accounting, banking, investments and stocks, business growth and management.

A few of the prospective career options available in the commerce field are mentioned below. One can note that a few of the career options mentioned herein can also be taken up by students who do not have a conventional background in commerce in the higher secondary level.

1. Accounting & Banking

Accounting and banking are two of the most popularly chosen fields in commerce since it offers a host of prestigious services and job options in the public and private sectors. The compensation offered in this field often attracts students to take it up as a career after class 10^th education.

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Furthermore, there is quite a vast scope of exploring diverse job options in the field of accounting and finance, making it quite a strong contender for a career choice after class 10^th. 

Further details about the field have been mentioned her. 

2. Business Development 

Business development is one of the fields in which a student can start exploring right after class 10^th for lucrative career opportunities. Considering business development requires certain business skills and an acumen for the field, it is a well-suited field for students who have the knack for persuasion, business growth and an entrepreneurial vision.

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A major advantage of looking into this field for a career is that one needn’t necessarily belong to a commerce background to pursue this field, although a knowledge of the commerce subjects at the higher secondary level is definitely helpful for achieving the goals of the field. The field is diverse in both the career opportunities available to students and the scope of job responsibilities as it is quite a dynamic field with a number of options. 

Find further details about the career field of business development given below. 

3. Digital Marketing 

Digital marketing is a field related to commerce that is experiencing quite a flourishing growth in the current times and is diversifying with flair into various forms. There are various roles that can be available for digital marketing enthusiasts, provided they grow their skills and proficiency in the relevant domain. You Can Enroll | Digital Marketing Certification Online!

Some of the prosperous domains to venture into in digital marketing include those like SEO execution, paid marketing, PPC,  social media content, content creation etc. Students who have qualified the class 10^th board examinations can find quite a lot of digital marketing prospects in the part-time or freelancing mode. 

Find more relevant details about the career domain of digital marketing mentioned below. 

4. Chartered Accountancy 

Chartered accountancy or CA is a field of commerce that includes a number of domains including auditing, taxation, accountancy etc. The field requires rigorous education in commerce in class 11^th and 12^th followed by which aspirants need to complete the CA degree offered by the ICAI in India.

To practise as a CA, a student must qualify the three levels of the exam. The professional scope of this field is quite prosperous as students can get recruited in top banks, private financial firms, investment funds, financial consultancies and public banks as well.

Further details about this career field have been enlisted below:

5. Business Administration 

Business administration is a field related to commerce that is concerned with the various aspects of a business or enterprise venture and its smooth functioning. The education that a student must pursue for a career in this field is a BBA followed by preferably an MBA degree. Conversely a BMS course can also be taken up to develop a career in business administration and management.

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This field is well-suited for those students who have a keen interest and aptitude in management. Not only are there a multitude of domains within business administration such as sales, marketing, finance, HRM etc. but also this is one of the most lucratively compensated professional domains to venture into. Those envisioning a future for themselves in management after completing class 10^th can benefit much from taking up the commerce stream in the higher secondary level followed by formal education in BBA/BMS and an MBA. 

More details about business administration and its career prospects have been dwelled upon herein. 

3. Career Options in Humanities

Humanities as a stream is currently coming up as one of the top fields with career options that can interest students in diverse domains. The prominent subjects included in the study of humanities include psychology, political science, history, philosophy, languages etc.

Career domains in humanities can also be taken up by students from other streams such as sciences or commerce as per the guidelines of national educational bodies. The fields related to humanities are well-paid, offer an appealing scope for career escalation and are diverse. 

Find further details about a few of the most commonly pursued careers in the field of humanities that offer appealing career prospects to students.

1. Journalism 

Journalism is one of the most popular career choices in students completing their higher education in humanities. There are a wide variety of job options available in the field which are diverse and offer significant scope of career growth. Journalism requires some basic training and vocational qualification to start professionally in a journalism firm.

For this, it is preferable that the student pursue humanities as their stream of education in class 11^th and class 12^th followed by a Bachelor’s in Journalism and Mass Communication. While the initial salaries offered in the domain are within a low-moderate range, the scope of growth with respect to compensation hikes manifold for a candidate with professional experience. 

Further relevant details about the field of journalism have been mentioned here. 

2. Elementary School Education 

Teaching is a profession desired by many students as their own future considering the prestige and convenience of the job role of a teacher. Furthermore, the recognition and opportunities available in the educational sector are growing. Students after class 10^th can focus on their vision of becoming an elementary school teacher if they want to establish a successful career in a short span of time.

The earning scope as an elementary school teacher is decently high, and students who complete school education, graduation followed by a degree/diploma in elementary school education (such as B.El.Ed) can take up this career. 

Further details about this career domain have been elaborated upon below.  

3. Hotel Management

Hotel management is a lucrative career domain with opportunities in a number of related aspects of hospitality such as cooking, financial management, logistics management, travel and tourism and more. Students having a qualification of B.Sc in Hotel Management or a Bachelor’s in Hotel Management (BHM) in addition to class 10^th and class 12th qualifications, can venture into this career.

The pay is quite appealing in hotel management and the field can be well-suited for those having an acumen for communications, public relations and hospitality. 

Explore further details about developing a career in hotel management as enlisted below. 

4. Psychology and Mental Health Services

Psychology and mental health services is a field of social sciences that is suitable for candidates who have a background in Psychology in the form of school education with psychology as one of the subjects or a B.A or M.A in Psychology. The field has many mental health domains to venture into like counseling, clinical psychology, social work, rehabilitation services, industrial psychology etc.

The pay in psychology is moderately high with a scope for career escalation with years of experience. Appealing public and private sector jobs are available in the domain of psychology and mental health care services. The field is well-suited for candidates who have skills like self-awareness, empathy, communication skills, critical ability, analytical acumen and persistence. 

Key details about this career domain have been mentioned below. 

5. Fine Arts & Design 

Fine arts and design can make up for a lucrative offbeat career especially for those students seeking to build a livelihood out of their skills for fine arts and designing. Career options in fine arts are in the form of practising as an independent artist (this can be started at any age by a fine art enthusiast), practising as a professor of fine arts, as an art director, a designer in an architectural field and much more.

The scope for this profession in India is currently on the growth and can resultantly provide competitive compensation rates to students in the near future itself. 

Further details about the professional field of fine art and designing have been provided below. 

Other Vocational Options

In addition to career options specific to a domain of a career, there are also other career options which are common and open for pursuing to students irrespective of their educational backgrounds.

These career domains can be ventured into by students right after class 10^th education provided they seek a basic diploma or an elementary upskilling program like a certification in these domains to acquire the requisite working skills as a professional. 

Some of the key careers offering appealing vocational opportunities to students after completing class 10^th education have been enlisted upon below. 

• Nursery Teacher Training
• Digital Marketing 
• Content Writing
• Graphic Designing 
• Information Technology 
• Library and Information Sciences 

Offbeat Career Options After Class 10^th

When it comes to selecting an appropriate career for oneself, one often limits their available options by considering only the conventional choices popular song students or in professional trends. However there are a number of off-beat or unconventional job domains which are still underexplored in India, offering a humongous potential for growth and popularity in India in the near future.

If you are someone whose interests and skills do not align with the  conventional career options and directions available to pursue in the mainstream options, then considering a career in areas like fashion technology, interior designing, gaming, animation, food-tasting etc. are some of the fascinating options for you to explore. 

Enlisted below are some of the career domains that you can choose if you want to venture into a field which is unconventional and full of future scope of growth.  

• Fashion Technology 
• Interior Designing 
• Voice-Over Art 
• Gaming 
• Sommelier 
• Pet Grooming 
• Social Worker 
• Photography 
• Event Management 
• Culinary Arts 

Government Job Options After Class 10th

A job in the government or public sector offers a great deal of stability in one’s career as well as job security, both of which can be quite desirable to a candidate searching for a professional opportunity right after class 10th. Government sector jobs in the “E” and “D” grades are available for students who have obtained their matriculation education. However, it must be noted that a large number of these job roles are menial and may require the use of physical labour and skills which may not be suitable for all students, especially those seeking jobs providing intellectual exposure. The pay offered in these government jobs lies in the low-moderate range as well. 

Here are a few of the major government job sectors along with the list of potential job openings available for students who have qualified their matriculation. 

1. Railway Job Options

Jobs in the railway sector can be quite lucrative to candidates who have completed their class 10^th education and are now looking for a stable source of income and secure job role. The career opportunities available in the railway sector include those related to physically demanding job roles like cabin man, constable, loco pilots etc. The salary in this job sector varies from INR 20,000 per month to INR 30,000 per month on an average. 

Enlisted below are some of the job roles open to matriculation pass candidates in India in the railway sector.

• Cabin Man 
• Track Man 
• Constable 
• Trade Apprentice 
• Leverman 
• Crewman 
• Locopilots 

2. SSC Job Options 

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) of India hires candidates who have qualified their class 10^th education from a recognised board. Both desk jobs and field jobs are available for students at these levels and can offer some of the most competitive salaries available in the public sector in India after matriculation. The salaries can range from INR 15,000 to INR 30,000. 

Enlisted here are a few of the job openings under SSC to which candidates can apply. 

• Peon 
• Junior Gestetner Operator
• Field Attendant
• Receptionist
• Telephone Operator
• Electrician
• Forest Guard 
• Clerk 

3. Defence & Paramilitary Services

The defence and paramilitary services in India provide job opportunities to candidates with a valid class 10^th qualification from a recognised board in India. The job options offered in defence and paramilitary departments include those like mechanic, electricians, cooking, gardening etc. Here is a list of a few of the job openings for which candidates with a class 10^th certificate can apply in the defence and paramilitary sectors. 

• Electrician 
• Mechanic
• Machinists
• Peon 
• Tradesmen
• Constable 
• Cook 
• Gardner 

4. Other Domains & PSUs

In addition to the aforementioned sectors, a few of the other government sectors and undertakings that provide job openings to students from class 10^th include those like banking and the police department. While the nature of these job roles are mostly basic and designed to meet the lower rank needs of the services, they can be a good source of job stability and income for those looking for a secure job. 

Conclusion

Thus, it can be seen that there are a number of prospective career options available for students who complete their class 10th in vocational domains as well as in the major streams of science, commerce and humanities. While a large chunk of the career options and job opportunities available to students with matriculation level of education are basic and offer limited scope of career escalation, they are quite helpful in providing a supporting income to students who can further look for higher education options whilst pursuing their job role. With this, students can enhance their qualifications while gaining valuable professional experience that can provide a career boost.