What are the best paying jobs in America in 2014? If you are constantly short on cash or simply want to make enough money to live in one of the 10 most expensive real estate cities in America, then maybe switching jobs might be the option. The question remains, what jobs come with the best salaries and how can one get the desired position? Well, one thing is certain: education is the key.
Yet a simple college education is sometimes not enough to land the best-paying jobs, where advanced studies are required and specific knowledge is highly valued. The good news? If you already have a college degree, further specialization is right around the corner and it could really be worth reaching for!
Especially for lawyers and doctors, all that hard work is bound to pay off, as the following list of the 10 best-paying jobs of 2014 in America will demonstrate. Yet there are also other options to explore and a closer look at the following employment options might just lead you in the right direction.
10) Best Paying Jobs: Attorney
In 2014 an attorny will make an average of $113,530 a year, allowing lawyers to position themselves amongst the 10 best-paid in the USA. Despite what you might know from movies or TV shows, these guys don’t spend their time defending on trial law, but rather on managing business contracts and corporate deals.
9) Best Paying Jobs: Podiatrist
Feet might not be sexy, but earning $116,440 a year by taking care of people’s feet sounds quite good. Apart from a healthy salary, experts project an industry growth of 23% over the next eight years, meaning job opportunities are abundant.
8) Best Paying Jobs: Pharmacist
Getting people their medicine is serious and important business, which is why pharmacists made $116,670 on average in 2014. With the specialized medicine industry growing, pharmacists are very sought-after since they are the only ones qualified to handle the new prescription drugs.
7) Best Paying Jobs: Air Traffic Controller
This complex job not only requires attending and graduating from an FAA Academy, but also passing a number of medical evaluations and security clearances. If you manage to get through all that, you can apply for this very lucrative job, which reported an average salary of $112,530 in 2014.
6) Best Paying Jobs: Petroleum Engineer
Despite global warming and the constant search for renewable energy sources, oil still dominates the energy market. Hence, as petroleum engineers are in high demand, salaries are elevated: in 2014 the average salary broke the $130,000 mark.
5) Best Paying Jobs: Dentist
Hitting off the top 5 are dentists, which made $146,340 on average in 2014. Apart from a college degree, dentists must attend an accredited dental program and then become licensed to practice. If all goes well and people’s teeth are still in pain, your money problems are solved.
4) Best Paying Jobs: Orthodontists
Much like dentists, orthodontists are teeth specialists. Much unlike dentists, they are known for putting correctional devices in mouths, rather than pulling teeth. If you want to make $3,000 more than a dentist, an additional two to four year degree is necessary.
3) Best Paying Jobs: Psychiatrists
Dealing with mental illness might not sound like much fun, but it sure does pay well! Psychiatrists earned $178,950 on average in 2014, yet this was surely hard-earned money, since much like other medical specialties psychiatry requires advanced degrees in very specific fields.
2) Best Paying Jobs: Physician
Doctors who practice general medicine are not only in high demand, but are expected to continue being sought-after well throughout the decade. With average salaries at $187,200 a year in 2014, sticking to a general medicine might just serve you better than an advanced degree.
1) Best Paying Jobs: Surgeon
If you want to go the full length, then studying to become licensed in a highly specialized field of surgeory will definitely pay off. These highly trained doctors earned $233,150 on average in 2014, while saving numerous lives on the operating table. Apart from the highest paying job, it is surely also the most prestigious career mentioned in this list.
