What are the highest paying careers in the US?

Answer 1

Here are the top 10 highest-paying jobs in the U.S.

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.

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… 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. 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 planesposition 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. 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…

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.

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. 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… 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. 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.
Some high paying careers include being a doctor, an airline pilot, or a flight engineer. Lawyer and marketing managers make a nice salary too.