Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Zety.com.
Landing one of the six-figure jobs can help you make your dreams come true. And let’s face it: who doesn’t dream of sitting comfortably in a heated pool while sipping on wine that’s five grand a bottle? And now you can have this sort of lifestyle, too. Just one thing stands in the way—a higher income.
Learn what the top six-figure jobs are and start working on getting one.
This guide will show you:
- What the best six-figure jobs in various industries are.
- If it’s possible to get a six-figure job without a degree.
- Which jobs with six-figure salaries will matter in the future.
Let’s get started.
What Is a Six-Figure Job?
A six-figure job is a term that describes professions paying between $100,000 and $999,999 per year. You may find the most jobs in this salary range in the technology, healthcare, and business sectors. These high-paying jobs usually require a college degree.
But hey, don’t get discouraged if you don’t have a bachelor’s or a master’s. Some six-figure jobs don’t need a degree. Continue reading to find out what they are.
The Top 20 Six-Figure Jobs
It’s not a secret that some jobs pay more than others. However, if you expect that only CEOs and engineers can make a lot of money, you’re mistaken! According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top occupations with the highest median annual pay are mostly within the healthcare sector.
Let’s see what the highest-paying occupations in America are:
- Family medicine doctors
- Oral and facial surgeons
- Orthodontists
- Physicians and ophthalmologists
- Anesthesiologists
- General internal medicine physicians
- Gynecologists and obstetricians
- Surgeons
- Psychiatrists
- Airline pilots
- Nurse anesthetists
- CEOs
- Specialist dentists
- Pediatricians
- General dentists
- Information systems managers
- Physicists
- Managers in architecture and engineering industries
- Judges and magistrates
- Podiatrists
Is your career on the list? Well, don’t worry if it’s not. These aren’t the only jobs with six-figure salaries out there.
Why Are There So Many Six-Figure Public Health Jobs?
The jobs in the healthcare sector indeed occupy the most places on the list of the top highest-paying jobs. Generally, managers in medical and health positions get the highest median pay among all professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also expects continuing demand for healthcare jobs.
Here are some factors that contribute to high wages for medical professionals:
- Many years of study: It takes more than eight years to study for a medical degree, and it doesn’t end there, as doctors must complete a residency that may take up to seven years.
- High education cost: The cost of entering the medical profession is enormous. Most medical school graduates are $200,000 in debt.
Residencies are limited: In 2022, over 47,000 applicants registered with the National Resident Matching Program, while only 39,000 residency positions were available. - High demand: Physicians are much needed in society, and increased demand for their services results in competitive salaries.
- Job difficulty: It’s not easy to enter the medical profession, and it’s not easy to stay in it. Doctors are under constant stress. They work long hours, have a huge responsibility, and often experience burnout. They should be compensated for that.
Six-Figure Jobs Without a College Degree
It’s true that college education opens the door to new opportunities. But the real downside is that it costs a lot of money. If you still haven’t decided on your future career and don’t want to start your adulthood with massive debt, you might consider jobs that don’t require a college degree. And guess what? It is possible to earn a six-figure salary without one.
This list includes some six-figure jobs without a college degree:
- Nuclear power reactor operators
- Transportation and distribution managers
- Supervisors of police
- Detectives and criminal investigators
- Commercial pilots
- Elevator installers and repairers
- Power distributors and dispatchers
- Ship engineers
- Water vessel captains
- Funeral service managers
- Air traffic controllers
- Dental hygienists
Of course, you need to complete some courses to learn the ropes and become qualified for these jobs. But it won’t take as many years and as much money as getting a Bachelor’s at Harvard or Princeton.
The average cost of college in the US is $35,331 per year, so it’s over $140,000 for a whole undergraduate program. In comparison, getting a commercial pilot’s license, which is considered expensive, costs between $30,000 and $90,000. So it’s still cheaper than a college degree.
Remote Jobs With Six-Figure Salaries
Big city life has many things to offer: exciting nightlife, great restaurants, diverse culture, and many job opportunities. But living in a city also means being stuck in traffic jams, paying high rental costs, and breathing exhaust fumes. Not ideal.
Wouldn’t it be great to find six-figure jobs away from the city, and even better—while working from home?
Here’s a list of six-figure remote jobs that you can have anywhere in the world:
- Software engineers: Is anyone surprised? Software engineers can easily find jobs paying over $100K a year, and many are remote.
- Sales executives: Experienced salespeople can count on high commissions for their valuable skills and knowledge.
- Campaign advisors: And not just political campaigns, but also those spreading awareness of charity programs.
- Project managers: Large-scale projects with big budgets need experienced PMs, so companies offer very competitive salaries for their work.
- Research analysts: Researchers with highly developed analytical skills are much in demand not only at educational institutions but also in private companies.
- Business analysts: Designing business processes, facilitating team productivity, overseeing multiple projects, resolving complex issues … It’s all worth six figures.
- Executive assistants: CEOs are busy people, and they need someone reliable to help them manage business travel, calendars, and other responsibilities.
- UX specialists: Working with designers, engineers, customers, and data to achieve great results is a complex piece of work easily worth $100,000+.
- Training & development specialists: Companies that want to invest in their employees need learning & development pros to recognize talents and design in-house training.
- Product owners: Experienced managers can lead a company’s flagship product to wide recognition and financial success.
What’s the common denominator here? Experience and knowledge. You can easily find high-paying jobs when you become a real specialist in your field.
Do Easy Six-Figure Jobs Exist?
We’ve all seen countless stories about people getting paid big money for jobs like house sitting, dog walking, and traveling. It seems that it’s all that the gig economy is about. Everyone wants a high-paying job with the minimum hassle involved.
Unfortunately, most six-figure jobs are highly specialized and require years of training and experience. Even those without a college degree requirement involve some sort of training and qualification. And truthfully, these jobs aren’t easy.
But don’t get discouraged. It all depends on how you define “easy.” Is it a job that doesn’t require sitting in an office? Or maybe a job with little responsibility? Or flexible working hours? It’s all a matter of personal preference.
There are a few relatively easy jobs that can pay six-figure salaries. Here they are:
- Travel writers: Instead of spending your savings on travel, monetize your trips and become a travel writer. Find a niche in which you can specialize and write content for new businesses in this field. It will take some time to get the credibility and convince others that you’re a professional, but once you’ve done it, the dream of becoming a digital nomad will come true.
- Multimedia artists: There’s high demand for creatives who know how to use contemporary media to produce viral marketing content. You don’t need a degree to become one. You can even learn the software using free YouTube tutorials.
- Real estate agents: Those dealing in luxury homes and apartments can count on huge commissions. But you need to build a brand for yourself first, so wealthy clients know they can count on you to find the best properties for them. Once you gain recognition, you won’t have to sit in a boring office ever again.
- Influencers: Getting paid for promoting products? That sounds awesome. And it’s a reality for many YouTubers and Instagram influencers. However, you must learn how to create engaging content and start building your audience from scratch before you can get income from advertising.
Key Takeaways
We’ve uncovered the secrets of six-figure jobs for you. Need a reminder of the key points? Here goes:
- Most are in the healthcare industry.
- Remote jobs often involve data analysis, new technologies, and consulting services.
- You don’t need a college degree.
- Among the easiest jobs with high salaries are travel writers and multimedia artists.
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