How do I break into salaried professional work from hourly jobs?

You have worked hourly your whole life, and the salaried world feels like a door with no handle. That feeling is common and it is not the truth about your ability. It is mostly about unfamiliarity. You have not been inside that world, so it looks sealed. Familiarity, not talent, is what is missing, and familiarity can be gained. The skills that made you reliable by the hour, showing up, working hard, solving problems, are the same ones that matter in salaried work. What is different is the packaging: the words on a resume, the way you talk about what you have done, the confidence to apply before you feel fully qualified. Nobody feels fully qualified. The ones who get in are the ones who knock anyway. Start by writing down what you already know how to do, in plain words, as if explaining it to a stranger. That list is proof the door is not locked. Then knock on one door this month. You belong on the other side more than you think.