Preparing for the Highest-Paying Careers

Preparing for the Highest-Paying Careers Source: http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2006/04/preparing_for_t.html If you haven't started your career yet (or are thinking about a change) and want to make some good money, this article from Encarta is for you. It lists the highest-paying careers and starts with the following introduction: When it comes to the careers with the highest salaries, one very clear fact emerges: We Americans value our health, our computers, and our money. The professionals who safeguard them are earning the heftiest salaries. The piece then goes on to tell about the great-paying careers available in healthcare, computer science, and law. Here's a summary of each section: The 77 million baby boomers in this country are aging, which is why eight of the ten fastest-growing careers and nine of the ten highest-paid ones are related to health care. Topping all scales are surgeons and anesthesiologists, who both may earn upward of $190,000 or more, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Many top tech professionals would consider a 40-hour week a vacation, and they're the ones called at midnight on New Year's Eve to come to work and fix stuff. These managers earn this responsibility with a bachelor's degree and an MBA or other graduate degree with a core technology component. They usually earn management status through years of on-the-job training as a programmer or systems analyst. But the benefits include comfortable working conditions and a salary that averages around $85,000 per year. It's a sad but true aspect of American society: We'll sue you faster than you can say "dollar signs." Lawyers are popping up on every corner, and the trend shows no signs of slowing. That's because they make really great money earning their clients really great money. The BLS says the average attorney in private practice makes about $90,000 a year. Lawyers are both advocates and advisers in our society and, as such, don't always work in the courtroom (although Hollywood would have you believe otherwise). Many lawyers specialize in matters of international, intellectual property, tax, or other law, and spend 99 percent of their time outside the courtroom, in libraries or business offices. And if you like the idea of high pay/low hours, here's an idea for you: Dentists have the distinction of being the only health care professionals on that list who work, on average, fewer than 40 hours per week. Yet they continue earning between $85,000 and $120,000 per year, according to the BLS. The other bonus? A whole lot less time in school. Most dentists complete a bachelor's degree, four years in dental school, and a licensing exam. Lots to say on this one: 1. A friendly reminder that your career is your most valuable financial asset and you need to manage it accordingly. 2. Once again, we see that education is the key to getting a good job. Notice how all of these jobs need a good amount of post-high school learning? 3. I have another idea to add to this list -- go into business and get your MBA. You can make as much (or more) as any of these jobs. 4. Don't forget being a pharmacist as a great-paying job option. 5. Also, don't forget the list of hot jobs for 2006 and beyond and the list of jobs that pay well because no one wants to do them. 6. Here are some more career-related posts for those of you looking to maximize your greatest financial asset: Seven Ways to Start Your New Job Right Review: Career Intensity by David Lorenzo New MBAs Finding Education Pays Off Big Time Want More Pay? Here are Some Tips