Even if you are a real enthusiast and you are genuinely passionate about what you do, you can’t say you don’t care about money at all. We all have bills to pay and a mouth (or even mouths) to feed, not to mention that a steady job provides you with health care and other necessities and benefits.
Some people can be satisfied with the bare minimum that will keep them going, while others seek higher positions, responsibilities, influences, and money. If you think you are the latter, you will surely be eager to discover what are some of the highest-paying jobs of 2020.
Health Care Is Where the Money Is
It is probably not surprising that health care is the most promising industry that holds all the top 10 best-paying professions. However, a good salary definitely comes with a price in this case; you need to spend a lot of time and money in order to become a widely respected, specialized doctor. First of all, you have to hold a doctorate of medicine (MD), which adds several years to your education. Of course, you are obligated to practice and gain experience in the meantime, but you will have to wait before you start making significant money.
What is more, medicine-related studies are among the most expensive degree programs in the United States – the costs vary between $250,000 and $330,180 for a four-year medical school, which is not even the end of a future doctor’s education. Not everyone is ready or can afford such a long-term commitment in terms of time and money. Although, your efforts will pay off eventually.
Business Is the Way
In some business fields, you can try your luck and determination and follow a career path with no higher education, though it is not recommended. Especially that for most job opportunities in business, it is enough to get a bachelor’s degree in the desired field (e.g., marketing, sales, business administration). If you are a holder of a doctoral degree, it certainly is a great asset that may increase your salary and chances of jumping to the management much faster. The executive level is where the actual money in business is.
Sales, finance, and marketing departments keep growing in the world we live in today – the world of selling and buying products and services, where it is very often more about the right marketing strategy than quality.
The top industries that pay the most to their sales and marketing managers include scientific research, programming, motion picture/video, oil and gas extraction, and manufacturing.
Financial managers, on the other hand, are still in growing demand, even though there are more and more online brokers and self-guided financial systems available. Popular movies may present most accountants as incredibly boring, but working in finance is actually pretty stressful and requires a certain set of skills apart from the obvious financial ones, e.g., attentiveness, patience, or the ability to work under pressure.
It is the Future
IT-related fields are actually among the fastest-growing industries right now. Of course, job offers depend on the exact area you choose to specialize in; for example, the cybersecurity industry is twice as big as it was several years ago. When it comes to computer engineering, it is not rare for specialists to get six-figure salaries from the very start.
Due to the increasing digitalization, most companies need IT workers who will manage their computer-related activities on a daily basis. This may include various responsibilities: from systems management and every support to cybersecurity searching for new technologies.
However, becoming a good, employable IT specialist requires you to get at least a bachelor’s degree if you want to follow a narrow specialization.
25 Highest-Paying Jobs in 2020
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- Anesthesiologist – $267,020
- Surgeon – $255,110
- Oral and maxillofacial surgeons – $242,370
- Obstetrician and gynecologist – $238,320
- Orthodontist – $225,760
- Psychiatrist – $220,380
- Physician – $196,490
- Prosthodontist – $191,400
- Pediatrician – $183,240
- Dentist – $175,840
- Nurse anesthetist – $174,790
- Petroleum engineer – $156,370
- IT manager – $152,860
- Podiatrist – $148,220
- Marketing manager – $147,240
- Financial manager – $146,830
- Pilot – $146,660
- Lawyer – $144,230
- Sales manager – $140,320
- Business operations manager – $123,880
- Pharmacist – $123,670
- Financial advisor – $121,770
- Optometrist – $119,980
- Actuary – $116,250
- Political scientist – $115,300
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Final Thoughts
It’s true that you can make money on basically anything in today’s world, but some professions make it more possible than others. Becoming a medical doctor will get you a generous salary in the end, but you will need to work for it.
If you don’t think doctoral degrees are for you, you may try your luck and skills in business, computer, or social sciences. If you are truly committed to your dream of earning big money, you will surely need to sacrifice a lot on the way, but it will pay off.
