Hi there!Accountant
An accountant will perform financial calculations
for individuals, small businesses, and large corporations. Accountants must
know how to examine and prepare a variety of financial reporting forms, helping
customers or businesses remain in compliance with accounting rules and laws.
Accountants may need to work long hours at certain times of the year, such as
during tax calculation time.
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree for
highest paying jobs;, some licensing and certification
Average annual salary: $70,500
Top annual earners: $500,000 plus
The downside: Some of the work is pretty dull. It’s
also rare to reach a seven-figure salary compared to other jobs on our list
Business
Executive
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree for
highest paying jobs, on-the-job training
Average annual salary: $104,980
Top annual earners: $5 million-plus
The downside: Highly stressful jobs, may require
decades or more to reach a lucrative business executive position
Computer
System and IT Manager
A computer system manager or IT manager will oversee
all computer-related systems and processes in a company or organization. This
can include things like planning out hardware purchases, installing computing
software, managing a network, and performing troubleshooting. IT managers need
quite a bit of education, including ongoing education, to stay up to date on
new techniques and tech products.
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or master’s degree,
ongoing education
Average annual salary: $142,530
Top annual earners: $500,000 plus
The downside: Can require long working hours,
extensive education, and rare to reach a seven-figure salary
Engineer
Engineers can design things like aircraft, cars,
boats, spacecraft, satellites, large buildings, bridges, computers, and
infrastructure. Chemical engineers will work with fuel and drugs to solve
problems in the use of these substances. Other types of engineers may try to
solve environmental problems or help people perform jobs more efficiently and
safely. Engineers rely on math, physics, biology, and chemistry to perform
their work.
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree for
highest paying jobs, on-the-job training
Average annual salary: $80,170
Top annual earners: $500,000 plus
The downside: Requires a high level of mathematical
ability, rare to reach a seven-figure salary in this profession versus others
on our list
Entertainment
Professional
Jobs like actor, musician, TV, or radio show host,
producer, and writer can all fit in the entertainment industry. For the most
successful professionals in these areas, this job can be extremely lucrative.
However, a job in the entertainment industry rarely has a lot of stability.
You’re often on your own, working from contract to contract. You’ll also have
to hire an agent to negotiate contracts and help you find work. It can also be
extremely difficult to break into the industry.
Requirements: Mix of schooling and on-the-job
training
Average annual salary: $40,000
Top annual earners: $10 million-plus
The downside: Highly competitive industries, jobs
don’t have much stability, agent fees will eat a percentage of your earnings
Investment
Banker
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree for
highest paying jobs, FINRA licenses
Average annual salary: $64,120, plus performance
bonuses
Top annual earners: $5 million-plus
The downside: Regular 80+ hour weeks, a lot of
stress because of the heavy reliance on performance bonuses
Lawyer
If your idea of a lawyer is someone who is
dramatically arguing cases in a courtroom, as happens on TV, this is only a small part of the work. Most of it is spent in research, document review,
filing motions, and editing contracts.
Lawyers can work in criminal, tax, patent, corporate, or other types of law, so
a lot of specialties exist. Lawyers do have an easier time becoming politicians
than other professions, if that appeals to you.
Requirements: Tons of extra education, including a
law degree, must pass a state bar examination
Average annual salary: $120,910
Top annual earners: $10 million-plus
The downside: Extremely competitive profession that
requires several years of advanced schooling
Pharmacist
A pharmacist works in a hospital, a medical
facility, or a retail store, dispensing prescription medication for customers.
A pharmacist needs quite a bit of training in how different medications work,
including understanding side effects and interactions with other medications.
Pharmacists require formal education and licensing to be able to legally
dispense prescription medication.
Requirements: Doctor of Pharmacy degree, licenses in
the state in which they work
Average annual salary: $126,120
Top annual earners: $250,000 plus
The downside: Pharmacists have little chance of
earning a seven-figure salary unless they own a business, requires quite a bit
of on-going education
Physician
and Surgeon
Doctors in the American medical system have the
ability to make huge salaries, but it can take a while to hit that level. A
physician or a surgeon needs tons of education and on-the-job training. The
learning never ends for doctors. When starting out, doctors can work some long,
strange hours. But once they reach a certain level of expertise, this job is
rewarding financially.
Requirements: Long years of extra education
including a medical degree and a residency, licenses required
Average annual salary: $208,000
Top annual earners: $5 million-plus
The downside: Making life and death decisions on a daily basis is stressful especially in a highly competitive industry with long hours
Professional
Athlete
Requirements: Being selected after a physical
tryout, constant on-the-job training and physical workouts
Average annual salary: $50,650
Top annual earners: $10 million-plus
The downside: Extreme physical stress and injuries
can take their toll on long term health, professional sports careers don’t last
more than a few years for most people
Real
Estate Developer
A real estate developer will purchase property and develop
it with lucrative commercial and residential projects. These purchases are a
bit of a gamble, as a mistake can lead to huge financial losses. You may start
as a real estate agent, learning how the markets work, before making your own
investments or investing on behalf of others.
Requirements: Knowledge of real estate markets and
laws through on-the-job training
Average annual salary: $50,300
Top annual earners: $10 million-plus
The downside: High rewards come with high risks,
choosing the wrong project or making a judgment error about a particular
project’s viability could lead to bankruptcy
Software
Developer
A software developer will write software, or code,
that controls computers and other personal electronic devices. App developers
also can be software developers. In fact, someone who develops a highly popular
app could make millions off one app. This is another fast-growing profession
that will need employees in the future.
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree optional
Average annual salary: $105,590
Top annual earners: $5 million-plus
The downside: Long hours, especially stressful when
trying to complete a project
Picking the Best High Paying Job
Having a list is one thing, picking the right job is
a lot harder.
If I was giving “highschool me” some advice, I’d
tell him to find a high paying job that’s the best fit. Some jobs are extremely
stressful like an investment banker. Others are more routine like an
accountant. There are dozens of different criteria that make up a true dream job.
The best way to figure out which job is the best fit
is to develop friendships with people in that field. If you genuinely enjoy
spending time with them, that’s a promising sign.
Also look for entry-level roles in those fields to
try them yourself. Most of these jobs can be started later on if you discover
that a particular path won’t work out.