Highest Paying Occupations

While choosing an occupation, self-assessment is very important. It is your personal interest, skills and personality that play a major role in deciding a suitable career path. Keeping these considerations in mind, you may come up with many possibilities from which you have to choose the most suitable occupation.

Gather information about the different professions and plan your career accordingly. You can research about the level of education and training needed, career opportunities, employment outlook and salary offered in the career option that you are interested in pursuing. In case, you are not able to decide on your own, you can opt for career counseling and seek advice from a career development professional. He/she will analyze your skills and help you plan your career.

Spend quality time to decide your career and ascertain, whether in the long run, you will be satisfied with your choice. You should always opt for an occupation you are interested in, so that down the line, you will not regret being in that particular line of work. If monetary issues are keeping you from pursuing a particular career, then you can always check for scholarships and student loans.

Highest Paying Occupations: With Degree

According to a survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only one of the twenty-five highest paying occupations do not require a degree or equivalent qualification. Among the highest paying jobs, air traffic controller is the only occupation which doesn't require a college degree. Here is a list of the highest paying occupations for degree holders, along with their average salary.

• Physicians and Surgeons - $181,850
• Lawyers and Judges - $140,880
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) - $140,880
• Engineering Manager - $140,210
• Aircraft Pilots - $134,090
• Dentist - $132,660
• Electrical and Electronic Engineers - $112,000
• Computer and Information Systems Manager - $108,100
• Marketing Manager - $104,400
• Natural Science Manager - $104,000
• Petroleum Engineers - $104,000
• Pharmacist - $100,500
• Astronomers - $99,000
• Education Administrators - $95,300
• Financial Analysts - $94,000

Highest Paying Occupations: Without Degree

Though, it is a fact that majority of the highest paying occupations require a bachelor's degree, there are some who earn a hefty income without having a degree qualification. The job market fluctuates from time to time and things don't remain the same. What is in demand today may not be a best option after ten years. It is also to be noted that not all degree holders have a good job in hand. Let's go through the list of the highest paying occupations (without a college degree) along with their average salary.

• Air Traffic Controller - $105,820
• Real Estate Agent - $76,930
• Transportation Manager - $75,130
• Non-Retail Sales Supervisor - $73,670
• Nuclear Power Reactor Operator - $66,900
• Gaming Manager - $65,920
• Power Distributor - $59,510
• Detective - $58,750
• Elevator Repairer - $58,580
• Chemical Supervisor - $57,472
• Ship Engineer - $57,290
• Home Care Aid Supervisor - $56,157
• Medical Facility Housekeeping Manager - $55,368
• Flight Service Manager - $54,350
• Locomotive Engineer - $54,084

In order to work in the highest paying occupations, having a college degree is a must. However, you can still have a well-paying job without a college degree, provided that you undergo proper training in the relative field. Some companies prefer to hire only those candidates who have a degree, whereas some hire based on the experience. Whatever the situation, try your level best and do justice to your occupation. This way you can get job satisfaction and enjoy what you do in life.