34 Best-Paying Occupations For 2019

Trista September 1, 2019

Many actuaries work for insurance companies.

28. Actuaries Made Upwards of $114K

Actuaries are professionals whom asses risk, as well as try to develop plans to manage risk and uncertainty. Many actuaries work for insurance companies and help the companies determine the risk of individuals or companies so that the proper premium can be determined. Actuary is a highly desirable career field and consistently ranks high on surveys.

To become an actuary, you need to have a knack for mathematics, as actuaries frequently have to use calculus and statistics, as well as economics and finance, to help businesses asses risks. Becoming an actuary requires that you pass a series of exams, which can take several years. If you already work for an insurance company and want to become an actuary, the company may provide support and on-the-job training as you progress through the licensing and exam requirements.

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Want a lucrative job that could take you to the Hill? Consider political science.

29. Political Scientists Made $112,250

With a pretty hefty take-home pay, if you are interested in politics but more inclined to the academic side of understanding social structures that underlie political systems, you may want to look at becoming a political scientist. Political scientists analyze trends and make forecasts based on their knowledge and current affairs.

Political scientists may work for universities, political campaigns, or companies that need a lobbyist. Sometimes they develop their own consulting firms to advise politicians and campaigns on different issues. They can also become professors or work for periodicals, like Newsweek or major newspapers that try to understand and analyze political trends.

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Medical and health services managers oversee the business side of healthcare.

30. Medical and Health Services Managers Made Nearly $110K

If you have a knack for business but want to work in healthcare, you may want to look at becoming a medical and health services manager. People in this position direct health offices and medical systems to oversee the business affairs of medical practices. They may have offices inside nursing homes, hospitals, and group practices.

Being a medical and health services manager doesn’t require any specific degree. Instead, it requires an individual whose personality is suited to both business and healthcare. Successful medical and health services managers are adventurous, entrepreneurial individuals who look for ways to grow businesses. They are also caring, compassionate people who are concerned about providing high-quality care to patients.

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Plenty of jobs require raw talent, not a formal degree.

31. Some Well-Paying Jobs Do Not Require Degrees

Yes, the vast majority of the top 25 best-paying jobs are in healthcare. As such, they require extensive academic and on-the-job training before individuals can become fully licensed. However, there are plenty of jobs on this list that do not require a particular degree.

If you are looking to enter a high-paying field, the best course of action is to first asses your own personality and what you want out of a job. If all that you want out of a job is financial security, then you are probably best suited for something business-related. However, if you want to grow personally while developing a career, you may want something either in healthcare or that combines business with another field.

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Entrepreneurs can strike it rich.

32. Don’t Forget Entrepreneurship

If you are interested in starting your own business, there is no guarantee of success. You haven’t assured a particular salary, and you don’t even know if your business will succeed. However, many of the wealthiest people in the world began their own businesses.

Consider Bill Gates, who was the wealthiest person in the world for many years after starting Microsoft. Or Steve Jobs, who, with his partner Steve Wozniak, revolutionized computing by beginning Apple. Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos are both household names. While you may not become as fantastically wealthy as these individuals, if you become a successful entrepreneur, you can have financial security while setting your own hours. No degree required.

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Can writing pay? Ask Stephen King.

33. Authors Can Make a Good Living

Do you have a book idea that you have never sat down to write out? Successful authors can become incredibly wealthy. Keep in mind, though, that becoming a successful author is actually a form of entrepreneurship. If all you do is write the book, you probably won’t make much money off of it.

However, if you are willing to treat your writing like it is a business to be promoted, then if you are a good enough writer, you stand a chance at making a decent living. Whether you self-publish or get a contract with a traditional publisher, you will have to be able to market your book to a target audience. Your efforts could pay off, as the most successful author can make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

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You don’t necessarily need a degree to work in Silicon Valley.

34. Tech Jobs Can Have Stratospheric Salaries

Many companies in Silicon Valley aren’t necessarily looking for people with formal degrees. What they want are individuals who are innovative and possess the raw talent necessary to be successful in computing fields. If you are skilled at coding and have created your own software, you may be able to get a high-paying job at a tech company in Silicon Valley.

There are a lot of highly talented programmers and coders; the ones who are successful in Silicon Valley over the long run are those who remain innovative and stay on top of new trends. If you want a Silicon Valley job, make sure that you can continue learning so that you can dedicate yourself to remaining a top programmer.

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