You think that in order to make the big bucks, you have to get involved
in the glamor professions, such as acting or professional athletics.
You might be surprised to learn, however, that none of those
professions made the top 10 or even the top 25 list of highest-paying
jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. It should be
noted that, according to the Department of Labor, 8 of the top 10
highest-paying professions were in the medical field. To avoid
monotony, we excluded most of the medical professions and included the
U.S. Department of Labor official list at the end of this article.
Here are the top 10 highest-paying jobs in the U.S.
Number 10
Natural Sciences Manager
Highest salary: $97,560
Training time: 6 years
Natural science managers
oversee the work of other scientists, such as agricultural scientists,
chemists, biologists, and geologists. Natural science managers are
commonly employed in the research and development field and work in
pharmaceutical and environmental consulting or municipal organizations.
Natural science managers often own their own consulting or testing
firms, and can serve as expert witnesses in court hearings.
A bachelor’s degree is absolutely required, and to work your way up the ladder, an MBA
or doctorate is strongly encouraged. Fortunately, many employers will
pay for educational costs. The best and highest-paid natural science
managers have an aptitude for key business functions, such as
marketing, sales and finance. This is common, as it often takes a
combination of business acumen and specialized knowledge to present and
communicate ideas and concepts in a sophisticated sales environment.
Number 9
Marketing Manager
Highest salary: $100,020
Training time: 4 to 6 years
Marketing
managers, like CEOs, span all sorts of industries and levels of
responsibility. A small accounting firm may have a marketing manager to
help coordinate Yellow Page advertisements and chamber appearances,
while this marketing manager’s Fortune 500 peer is responsible for the
complete tactical execution of a multimillion-dollar marketing budget
that encompasses a plenitude of marketing media. Marketing managers can
be expected to handle items such as public relations, brand
development, media buying, collateral and promotions development, and
even the financial metrics and analytics.
The responsibility
scope is a function of the organization’s size and the outward focus of
the company. For instance, a marketing manager at a Fortune 500 company
serving the consumer audience will have a far larger task than the
marketing manager at a small, niche business-to-business consulting
firm. Communication skills, marketing prowess, and basic management
skills all come into play. In most cases, marketing managers have a
four-year degree, and an MBA will definitely help in higher-level
executive marketing positions.
The highest paying jobs might have you crashing planes or defending criminals…
Number 8
Computer and Information Systems Manager
Highest salary: $100,110
Training time: 4 to 8 years
Computer and information systems managers are responsible for the
overall strategy and direction of the company’s information technology
(IT) and systems plan. Many start out as programmers or data analysts,
but as experience and conceptual knowledge
is acquired, one can become capable of overseeing the information
systems management of an entire enterprise. In today’s technological
environment, most companies regard this as a highly valued position and
pay accordingly. Elements of the job include overseeing a company’s IT
security, information management, information technology deployment,
software and application selection, revenue assurance, and compliance.
When the field was relatively new, there were stories of incredibly
gifted programmers who rose to top positions without any formal
training or education. Today, however, with the wide corporate
acceptance of information technology, more of an emphasis is placed on
new candidates having a four-year degree in computer science, computer
engineering or mathematics, and even advanced degrees.
Number 7
Air Traffic Controller
Highest salary: $100,430
Training time: 9 years
Employed almost exclusively by the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA), air traffic controllers are responsible for the safe operation
of private and commercial aircraft.
Responsibilities include coordinating movement of air traffic to keep
planes at safe distances from one another and to minimize traffic
delays. Typically, a team works together to help planes position for takeoff and landing, taxi to the gate, and to communicate with pilots and warn about weather patterns.
To become an air traffic controller, you must enroll in an FAA-approved
program and pass an aptitude test. Exceptions may be made for those
with military or aviation experience. A four-year degree and three
years of work experience are typically required, and you must apply to
take the exam. If you are selected and you pass, you’ll have to attend
a 12-week training session before working as a development controller
for two to four years, and after that, you’ll be ready to be hired as
an air traffic controller.
Number 6
Lawyer
Highest salary: $110,590
Training time: 7 years
The legal system affects nearly every aspect of our society — and
there is no shortage of attorney classifications that you can aspire
to. We are all familiar with the personal injury and criminal
attorneys, but the scope goes far beyond that. Environmental law,
entertainment law, family law, real estate law, intellectual property,
and civil law are a handful of the fields that need legal
representation. Some attorneys choose to specialize in a particular
industry, such as construction, waste management, securities, or
insurance, while others will review agreements, represent the court or
mediate.
The industry is highly regulated and adheres to a
very stringent code of ethics. Lawyers must pass the bar examination
offered by the state they wish to practice in. However, in most cases,
to be eligible to sit for the bar, you must have a four-year degree and
have graduated from an ABA-accredited law school, which takes about
three years.
Flying could earn you six figures, and the quality of life is plush…
Number 5
Dentist
Highest salary: $132,660
Training time: 8 years
There are quite a few specialties — orthodontics, oral surgery and pediatrics to name a few — within the dental field,
although many opt to become general practitioners. Dentists in private
practice will commonly oversee business operations, including
administration and bookkeeping. All states require dentists to be
licensed, so candidates must graduate from one of the 56 dental schools
accredited by the ADA. Graduates must also pass both written and
practical exams. While most dental schools require only two years of
college-level education, most candidates obtain their bachelor’s
degree. Dental school for general practitioners takes three to four
years, and if you wish to specialize, you can plan on an additional two
to five years of training.
Number 4
Airline Pilot
Highest salary: $134,090
Training time: 5 to 10 years
A pilot
can not only captain a commercial airliner, but he can also fly
helicopters, test aircraft, serve as an aviation director, crop dust,
monitor traffic, and pilot cargo planes.
While everyone has heard
of the grand benefits enjoyed by commercial airline pilots — they fly
only 100 hours per month due to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
regulations — it is not easy to obtain that status. Becoming certified
as a pilot is not too stringent — you need to be at least 18 years
old and have at least 250 hours of flight experience to obtain the
basic licenses. Commercial airline pilots need to be at least 23, have
at least 1,500 hours in the air, and pass an array of FAA tests
(written, flight and instrument).
A four-year degree is not
necessary; however, the increasingly competitive landscape is making
many airlines require a bachelor’s degree. Due to the number of
required — and generally expensive — flight hours, many airline
pilots have earned their experience in the military. There are,
however, many private flight training schools. After being hired by an
airline, it can take 5 to 15 years to become a captain and reap the
rewards in terms of pay, benefits and choice of routes.
Number 3
Engineering Manager
Highest salary: $140,210
Training time: 6 to 7 years
Engineering managers
are responsible for plans, coordination, research, design, and
production activities. Frequently, engineering managers oversee natural
science managers and information systems managers — two professions
that also made this list.
Typically, engineering managers
determine specific technical or scientific goals, provide broad
outlines, plan the execution and, in some cases, are responsible for
the financial viability of a project. For example, engineering managers
may be actively involved in the development of a real estate community,
or they may work in the manufacturing space to solve technical
problems. However, managers who deal with semiconductors and electronic
components manufacturing are among the highest paid.
Most
engineering managers have bachelor’s degrees, and many will pursue
post-graduate degrees, such as an MBA, a Master of Science or a
doctorate.
Earning the big bucks will require 10 to 15 years of training…
Number 2
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Highest salary: $140,880
Training time: Varies
A CEO is the highest ranking official within a company (and often the
highest paid), and they’re responsible for the strategic direction and
day-to-day operational performance of the company. The CEO usually
answers to the board of directors, which is elected by the
shareholders. In smaller companies, however, the CEO is not only the
Chairman of the Board, but he can also be the entire board of directors.
There are many paths to becoming a CEO. In large Fortune 500 companies,
you are just as likely to see an employee with more than 30 years
become the head honcho as you are to see the company hire a seasoned
executive manager. It is also possible to form your own company and
simply name yourself CEO and build your company until you are actually
overseeing many levels of management and development.
In the
corporate world, a bachelor’s degree is almost ubiquitous and it is
encouraged to obtain an MBA, though it’s not necessary — we all know
that Bill Gates is an inspirational dropout.
Number 1
Surgeon
Highest salary: $181,850
Training time: 10 to 15 years
While many medical professions are high on the pay scale, those who perform surgery are the highest paid — specifically, surgeons who specialize in the treatment of illness or injury. As such, most surgeons opt to specialize in a specific area, like the heart or the brain.
Even for general surgeons, the very granular knowledge required to
effectively perform an operation can only be obtained through
additional formal training and many years of hands-on experience. Of
course, a four-year degree is required to go down this path, and
biology or other sciences are preferred because these provide access to
basic knowledge that will be applied in medical school. After college,
plan for four years of medical school — the first two years will be in
classrooms, and the last two will involve working with patients under
the direction of physician educators. A residency is the next step, and
this can last from three to seven years, depending on the candidate’s
desire to specialize. A candidate must also pass a licensing
examination.
While the profession can be lucrative, it is
certainly not easy or cheap: More than 80% of medical-school graduates
carry a debt.
earning six digits
To make the most
money, your best bet is to go down the medical path, provided you are
willing to participate in the many years of required training and
education. Also, before getting too green-eyed,
realize that one year in school is one year taken away from building
your career. Overall, to do well, note the specialization of each of
the top 24 highest-paying careers per the U.S. Department of Labor –
finding your niche and becoming the best certainly pays dividends.
The top 24 according to the U.S. Department of Labor:
- Surgeon: $181,850
- Anesthesiologist: $174,610
- OB/GYN: $174,610
- Oral and maxillofacial surgeon: $169,600
- Internist: $156,790
- Prosthodontist: $156,710
- Orthodontist: $153,240
- Psychiatrist: $151,380
- Chief Executive Officer: $140,880
- Engineering Manager: $140,210
- Pediatrician: $140,000
- Family or general practitioner: $137,980
- Physician/surgeon, all other: $137,100
- Airline Pilot: $134,090
- Dentist: $132,660
- Podiatrist: $111,130
- Lawyer: $110,590
- Dentist, any other specialist: $106,040
- Air Traffic Controller: $100,430
- Computer and Information Systems Manager: $100,110
- Marketing Manager: $100,020
- Natural Sciences Manager: $97,560
- Sales Manager: $96,950
- Astronomer: $96,780
Resources:
www.bls.gov
http://billinman.wordpress.com
www.streetdirectory.com
www.healthprofessions.ucr.edu
www.stetson.edu
http://en.wikipedia.org
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