The best-paying jobs in 2014
Be prepared to stay in school for a long time if you want one of these lucrative jobs.
1 of 12
The highest paying jobs seem to go to those who paid high tuitions.
According to CareerCast’s 10 Best-Paying Jobs of 2014, seven out of 10 of the highest paid professions are in the health care industry and require advanced degrees. This means that a six-figure salary can often come at the expense of six-figure debt. For instance, general practice physicians make an average of $187,200 a year, but according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the medical school class of 2013 graduated with a median debt of $175,000, and 86% of all graduates left with some debt.
The highest paid salary on the list went to surgeons, who make an average of $233,150 a year; general practice physicians came in second. In ninth and tenth place were podiatrists at $116,440, and attorneys, at $113,530, who also face a lot of education before they can practice.
There were only two high paying jobs on the list that don’t require graduate degrees: petroleum engineers and air traffic controllers, who on average make $130,280 and $122,530 respectively. The report cautioned, though, that “for those who choose a different path [than graduate education] to attain one of the best-paying jobs, be prepared to exchange paychecks for a high level of stress.” It described air traffic controllers as dealing with “some of the most stressful working conditions.”
Despite stressful working conditions, jobs as air traffic controllers are hardly up for grabs. The industry predicts only a 1% growth outlook by 2022. Petroleum engineers, however, can look forward to a 26% growth outlook in the same period. All of the health care professions on the list anticipate growth of 14% or higher. “As baby-boomer doctors … reach retirement, there often aren’t enough new doctors,” explained CareerCast publisher Tony Lee.
Click through the gallery to see the highest paid jobs and the projected growth of each.
More from Forbes
According to CareerCast’s 10 Best-Paying Jobs of 2014, seven out of 10 of the highest paid professions are in the health care industry and require advanced degrees. This means that a six-figure salary can often come at the expense of six-figure debt. For instance, general practice physicians make an average of $187,200 a year, but according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the medical school class of 2013 graduated with a median debt of $175,000, and 86% of all graduates left with some debt.
The highest paid salary on the list went to surgeons, who make an average of $233,150 a year; general practice physicians came in second. In ninth and tenth place were podiatrists at $116,440, and attorneys, at $113,530, who also face a lot of education before they can practice.
There were only two high paying jobs on the list that don’t require graduate degrees: petroleum engineers and air traffic controllers, who on average make $130,280 and $122,530 respectively. The report cautioned, though, that “for those who choose a different path [than graduate education] to attain one of the best-paying jobs, be prepared to exchange paychecks for a high level of stress.” It described air traffic controllers as dealing with “some of the most stressful working conditions.”
Despite stressful working conditions, jobs as air traffic controllers are hardly up for grabs. The industry predicts only a 1% growth outlook by 2022. Petroleum engineers, however, can look forward to a 26% growth outlook in the same period. All of the health care professions on the list anticipate growth of 14% or higher. “As baby-boomer doctors … reach retirement, there often aren’t enough new doctors,” explained CareerCast publisher Tony Lee.
Click through the gallery to see the highest paid jobs and the projected growth of each.
More from Forbes
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VIDEO ON MSN MONEY
247Comments
Wed 9:47 PM
I wonder how much the out of state protesters in Missouri are making.
Sat 11:19 AM
Best
advice I received regarding career choice was find what you like/love
to do and be happy. The rest will take care of itself. Life is too
short to be toiling in a miserable career choice. Money doesn't buy
happiness.
Thu 10:55 AM
So...
go through med school for 7 yrs making no money, then another year of
internship with no pay, rack up $300,000 in student loans - then you can
start making $200,000 a year with take home pay of $100,000. Break
even after 10 or 15 years?
Then the Democrats try to force you into taking 40% pay cuts for socialized medicine or the Dems won't allow you to see their patients.
Our Healthcare industry is doomed.
Then the Democrats try to force you into taking 40% pay cuts for socialized medicine or the Dems won't allow you to see their patients.
Our Healthcare industry is doomed.
Thu 12:50 PM
They forgot about Congress, CEOs CFO's, Wall Street traders all make much more than many of those listed here.
Sat 9:21 PM
THIS
COUNTRY HAS MADE IT TO WHERE WE THAT WILL WORK OWE THE REST OF THE
LAZY, DOPE HEADS, AND THE MINORITIES A LIVING, WHAT HAPPEN TO IF YOU
DON'T WORK YOU DON'T EAT OR BITCH ABOUT IT. I MYSELF AM SICK AND TIRED
OF SUPPORTING THESE SORRY PIECES OF ----. THIS COUNTRY TAXES ME HALF OF
WHAT I GROSS IN PAY THIS IS A DAMN SHAME.
Thu 9:58 AM
I'm
sure this article will get a lot of hopes up. Bottom line is this
people. Either stand together, rise up and take our nation back from the
greedy evil that has hi-jacked it, or continue to live in an ever
worsening state of financial squalor. Plain and simple.
Sun 1:48 PM
This article seems to have an agenda. With no mention of software engineers, CEOs, Wall Street Tycoons, Financial
"experts," and many others, I think that MSN it trying to stir
resentment against certain groups while deflecting contempt from others
here.
Thu 8:09 AM
All will be well in Ferguson Mo. we have the corrupt kings sidekick going to straighten it all out. Eric Holder should be investigating his own corruption, not our law enforcement.
Sun 2:59 PM
Yaha Yaha Yaha
Thanks so much for enlightening us. BS
My Son completed his 4 year degree. Aggressively looked for work for 2 years. Nothing but Jersey Mikes to get by. Fell back on plan "B". Joined the armed services. And even K Kristofferson's Boy joined. Sorry to hear about the graduates having so much debt. But America thrives on "financial servitude". I think joining the military is a valuable experience. Maybe one day people will realize how corrupt this country is and fight to get it back.
Love my country, fear my government.
Thanks so much for enlightening us. BS
My Son completed his 4 year degree. Aggressively looked for work for 2 years. Nothing but Jersey Mikes to get by. Fell back on plan "B". Joined the armed services. And even K Kristofferson's Boy joined. Sorry to hear about the graduates having so much debt. But America thrives on "financial servitude". I think joining the military is a valuable experience. Maybe one day people will realize how corrupt this country is and fight to get it back.
Love my country, fear my government.
Sat 9:59 PM
I
know a lot of school administrators make high salaries. Many
Superintendents make 150,000 to 200,000 + Why are they worth that???
Sat 10:14 PM
Many
of those poor families have kids that enlist in the military to protect
some of you selfish people and your way of life and freedoms.... They
die for you. When many of the injured troops come back they do not get
the care they need because the VA
is short of funds, YET the VA is building big expensive inefficient
facilities and many military that sat behind a desk for their careers
get nice benefits.
14 hours ago
They left out our politicians. They are raping the taxpayers and reaping the benefits.
Sat 1:15 PM
By Terence P Jeffrey
109,631,000 Americans lived in households that received benefits from one or more federally funded "means-tested programs" — also known as welfare — as of the fourth quarter of 2012, according to data released yesterday by the Census Bureau.
The Census Bureau has not yet reported how many were on welfare in 2013 or the first two quarters of 2014.
But the 109,631,000 living in households taking federal welfare benefits as of the end of 2012, according to the Census Bureau, equaled 35.4 percent of all 309,467,000 people living in the United States at that time.
When those receiving benefits from non-means-tested federal programs — such as Social Security, Medicare, unemployment and veterans benefits — were added to those taking welfare benefits, it turned out that 153,323,000 people were getting federal benefits of some type at the end of 2012.
Subtract the 3,297,000 who were receiving veterans' benefits from the total, and that leaves 150,026,000 people receiving non-veterans' benefits.
The 153,323,000 total benefit-takers at the end of 2012, said the Census Bureau, equaled 49.5 percent of the population. The 150,026,000 taking benefits other than veterans' benefits equaled about 48.5 percent of the population.
When America re-elected President Barack Obama in 2012, we had not quite reached the point where more than half the country was taking benefits from the federal government.
It is a reasonable bet, however, that with the implementation of Obamacare — with its provisions expanding Medicaid and providing health-insurance subsidies to people earning up to 400 percent of poverty — that if we have not already surpassed that point (not counting those getting veterans benefits) we soon will.
What did taxpayers give to the 109,631,000 — the 35.4 percent of the nation — getting welfare benefits at the end of 2012?
82,679,000 of the welfare-takers lived in households where people were on Medicaid, said the Census Bureau. 51,471,000 were in households on food stamps. 22,526,000 were in the Women, Infants and Children program. 20,355,000 were in household on Supplemental Security Income. 13,267,000 lived in public housing or got housing subsidies. 5,442,000 got Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. 4,517,000 received other forms of federal cash assistance.
How do you put in perspective the 109,631,000 people taking welfare, or the 150,026,000 getting some type of federal benefit other than veterans' benefits?
Well, the CIA World Factbook says there are 142,470,272 people in Russia. So, the 150,026,000 people getting non-veterans federal benefits in the United States at the end of 2012 outnumbered all the people in Russia.
63,742,977 people live in the United Kingdom and 44,291,413 live in the Ukraine, says the CIA. So, the combined 108,034,390 people in these two nations was about 1,596,610 less than 109,631,000 collecting welfare in the United States..........
109,631,000 Americans lived in households that received benefits from one or more federally funded "means-tested programs" — also known as welfare — as of the fourth quarter of 2012, according to data released yesterday by the Census Bureau.
The Census Bureau has not yet reported how many were on welfare in 2013 or the first two quarters of 2014.
But the 109,631,000 living in households taking federal welfare benefits as of the end of 2012, according to the Census Bureau, equaled 35.4 percent of all 309,467,000 people living in the United States at that time.
When those receiving benefits from non-means-tested federal programs — such as Social Security, Medicare, unemployment and veterans benefits — were added to those taking welfare benefits, it turned out that 153,323,000 people were getting federal benefits of some type at the end of 2012.
Subtract the 3,297,000 who were receiving veterans' benefits from the total, and that leaves 150,026,000 people receiving non-veterans' benefits.
The 153,323,000 total benefit-takers at the end of 2012, said the Census Bureau, equaled 49.5 percent of the population. The 150,026,000 taking benefits other than veterans' benefits equaled about 48.5 percent of the population.
When America re-elected President Barack Obama in 2012, we had not quite reached the point where more than half the country was taking benefits from the federal government.
It is a reasonable bet, however, that with the implementation of Obamacare — with its provisions expanding Medicaid and providing health-insurance subsidies to people earning up to 400 percent of poverty — that if we have not already surpassed that point (not counting those getting veterans benefits) we soon will.
What did taxpayers give to the 109,631,000 — the 35.4 percent of the nation — getting welfare benefits at the end of 2012?
82,679,000 of the welfare-takers lived in households where people were on Medicaid, said the Census Bureau. 51,471,000 were in households on food stamps. 22,526,000 were in the Women, Infants and Children program. 20,355,000 were in household on Supplemental Security Income. 13,267,000 lived in public housing or got housing subsidies. 5,442,000 got Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. 4,517,000 received other forms of federal cash assistance.
How do you put in perspective the 109,631,000 people taking welfare, or the 150,026,000 getting some type of federal benefit other than veterans' benefits?
Well, the CIA World Factbook says there are 142,470,272 people in Russia. So, the 150,026,000 people getting non-veterans federal benefits in the United States at the end of 2012 outnumbered all the people in Russia.
63,742,977 people live in the United Kingdom and 44,291,413 live in the Ukraine, says the CIA. So, the combined 108,034,390 people in these two nations was about 1,596,610 less than 109,631,000 collecting welfare in the United States..........
Sun 2:15 PM
Many
med students getting ready to graduate this year will find a tougher
job market out there, and lower wages. Very few if any will have any
chance of opening their own office, and most will find work at
hospitals. The thing about hospitals is they now expect the physician
who is also a employee to generate income, whether it is through
surgery's, lab or other diagnostic tests, or just seeing patients. Gone
are the days when the physician was worshiped by adoring administrative
officials, and nurses alike. Today it's all about the money, and how
much did you make for the business today. Under performers are whisked
away, and must start their search all over again.
Sat 10:05 PM
Whine
whine, 62 percent of the people on food stamps are working families.
They work full-time and still do not make above poverty level wages. You
want to trade places with them, since you think they have it so
great!!!
Sun 5:10 PM
dont
forget heavy equipment operators. my base salary is 130000 a year
outside of o t . i work in downtown boston. dont believe me look it up.
Thu 10:53 AM
How dare there be such a salary descrepancy between these jobs and the Wal-mart
greeters. How is that fair. How do you expect the Wal-mart greeters
and burger flippers to live when these people are making such excessive
wages? Shouldn't they be limited to a certain multiple of the Wal-mart
greeters wages?
Now how is this all related to the events in MO?
1) Through the growth of the dependency class and the politicians that cater to their needs require increased taxes to pay for this dependency. Increases in the minimum wage violates the laws of supply and demand and over inflates the cost of unskilled labor and drives up the cost of skilled labor because of the inflated prices of other goods and services.
2) The same decline of moral values that leads to looting and destruction of property and leads also to the loss belief in self responsibility and a need to depend on the federal government for economic and social solution as opposed to family and neighbors. It allows people to exist in a state of contentment without having to work, or improve their skillset.
3) The creation of a special class within US society has led to people that believe they are above the law. This balkanization is facilitated by the federal government treating people differently under the law based on such qualities as race, sex, age, national origin, sexual preference, marital status, and income. Why should any one US citizen be treated differently under the law than any other US citizen? What should be the basis of this treatment difference?
Now how is this all related to the events in MO?
1) Through the growth of the dependency class and the politicians that cater to their needs require increased taxes to pay for this dependency. Increases in the minimum wage violates the laws of supply and demand and over inflates the cost of unskilled labor and drives up the cost of skilled labor because of the inflated prices of other goods and services.
2) The same decline of moral values that leads to looting and destruction of property and leads also to the loss belief in self responsibility and a need to depend on the federal government for economic and social solution as opposed to family and neighbors. It allows people to exist in a state of contentment without having to work, or improve their skillset.
3) The creation of a special class within US society has led to people that believe they are above the law. This balkanization is facilitated by the federal government treating people differently under the law based on such qualities as race, sex, age, national origin, sexual preference, marital status, and income. Why should any one US citizen be treated differently under the law than any other US citizen? What should be the basis of this treatment difference?
Thu 12:22 AM
My
sister in law is a lawyer at a well known firm in Rhode Island and she
makes less then what it said in the slideshow. I believe salaries has
always ranged by states MSN.
Thu 5:55 PM
Go
for Medical Technologist (Clinical Lab Scientist) if you are interested
in biology and chemistry. I graduated with a Biology degree and found
out that the job market is tough for a college graduate first hand. Took
a couple more years of college to finally get the MLS certification and
a decent paying job. I wanted to be able to help people but didn't want
to deal with the constant patient interaction that a nurse deals with.
Albeit
the pay can be considered low (starts at 18-24 dollars an hour in most
areas) for the amount of work that you have to deal with but the ability
to move inbetween different laboratories and the chances of becoming a
lead tech/manager really makes the field seem great. The interaction
between analyzer and hands-on work interaction also means that you will
be busy and that the day flies by. Additionally, clinical lab scientists
should be in higher demand (there is already close to 100% placement
for graduates) in the future as the current work force trends towards an
older employee base.
That's
my recommendation for people interested in healthcare but don't really
want to deal with patients 24/7. You have to start somewhere and with a
high demand for employees it's hard to beat this job and I consider
myself fortunate to be able to help cancer patients on a daily basis in a
job that I truly enjoy.
Thu 11:37 AM
Panhandler,
No student loans, no overhead safe a piece of cardboard and felt tip
pen and your protected under the first amendment because charities and
Washington lobbyists do it all the time and I live in a van down by the
river so no debt. I'm going to start my own think tank which will make
me a small business owner maybe a small business loan or better yet a
government contract. I'll need crowd source funding for my start up?
Let's run this up the flag pole and see how she waves what do say
gang.
