Jobs that pay well aren’t just a “nice to have” — they can be a real need if you’re looking to afford rent, adapt to the cost of living, pay off debt, support your family, and more. While high-paying jobs can be more competitive, there are many opportunities to land a job that pays well, regardless of the industry you’re interested in or your skillset. You have to know how to position yourself and where to look.
So, what jobs pay well, and how can you land one? Here’s your go-to guide.
What Are Jobs That Pay Well?
What qualifies as “jobs that pay well”? It can depend on who you’re asking!
Jobs that pay well tend to have high salaries, but what a “high salary” means can vary from person to person. For example, a salary of $100,000 might be very high for a recent graduate but low for a working professional with 15 years of experience.
What you consider a high-paying job may also depend on your location; some companies offer different salary ranges depending on where you’re located to factor in tax rates and the cost of living.
Ultimately, what constitutes a job that pays well is totally up to you, your budget, and your desired income.
Entry Level Jobs That Pay Well
Some career paths may lead to large salaries later on, but there are also some roles where you can start earning more in your first few years.
Information Security Analyst
Estimated entry-level total salary: $96,652
Projected job outlook: 32% (much faster than average)
Information security analysts, sometimes called cybersecurity analysts, protect an organization’s computer systems from cyberattacks and data breaches. They monitor for potential cyber threats, identify system vulnerabilities, and respond if a breach occurs.
Cybersecurity
Craft a phishing email to train your teammates and help identify and prevent security risks.
Avg. Time: 1-2 hours
Skills you’ll build: Technical security awareness, problem solving, design thinking, data analysis, data presentation
Software Engineer
Estimated entry-level total salary: $104,863
Projected job outlook: 25% (much faster than average)
Software engineers build, test, maintain, and release software, which is a set of instructions for a computer that creates applications and websites. There are a wide variety of types of software engineers depending on the part of the software you work on; for example, a front-end software engineer works on the user side of the software, also known as the front end. A quality assurance (QA) engineer tests the software to ensure it works correctly.
Software Engineering
Learn how to use software engineering skills to build a system to help financial advisors better manage their customers' portfolios.
Avg. Time: 3-4 hours
Skills you’ll build: Data modeling, system design, Java, Spring
Project Management Specialist
Estimated entry-level total salary: $104,920
Projected job outlook: 6% (faster than average)
Project management specialists ensure that projects are completed efficiently, effectively, and on time. They often work with clients to coordinate project goals, ensure the right staff is available to complete the work and monitor the project’s progress, budget, and timeline.
Project Management
Understand a client's requests and draft initial project planning to help meet their goals.
Avg. Time: 1-2 hours
Skills you’ll build: Critical thinking, risk analysis, project organization, time management, Excel
Computer Hardware Engineer
Estimated entry-level total salary: $145,500
Projected job outlook: 5% (faster than average)
Computer hardware engineers design, develop, test, and troubleshoot the physical components of a computer system, also known as computer hardware.
Data Scientist
Estimated entry-level total salary: $165,018
Projected job outlook: 35% (much faster than average)
Data scientists work on analyzing, interpreting, and modeling data so companies can make better business decisions. These professionals are forward-thinking and focused on creating predictive models to help decision-makers understand potential risks.
Jobs That Pay Well That Don’t Require a Degree
You don’t always need postsecondary education (like an associate’s or bachelor’s degree) to land a high-paying job.
Signal and Track Switch Repairers
Estimated total salary: $81,810
Projected job outlook: 1% (little or no change)
Signal and track switch repairers ensure the safe and efficient operation of trains. They regularly inspect and test railroad components, perform maintenance tasks, and may even install new systems.
Detectives and Criminal Investigators
Estimated total salary: $95,930
Projected job outlook: 3% (as fast as average)
Detectives and criminal investigators help solve crimes by investigating cases and crime scenes, interviewing suspects and witnesses, conducting surveillance, and managing casework. They may specialize in specific areas, such as homicide, narcotics, or financial crimes.
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
Estimated total salary: $100,060
Projected job outlook: 1% (little or no change)
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers are professionals who install, maintain, and repair elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and dumbwaiters. These professionals often learn the skills needed for their roles in an apprenticeship.
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
Estimated total salary: $111,870
Projected job outlook: 8% (faster than average)
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers, also known as logistics managers, oversee how products move from supplier to customer. Their work often involves planning, coordinating, and executing all activities that help goods move.
Commercial Airline Pilots
Estimated total salary: $138,010
Projected job outlook: 4% (as fast as average)
Commercial pilots fly aircraft like airplanes and helicopters. While airplane pilots typically need a bachelor’s degree, commercial pilots typically only need flight training.
Jobs That Pay Over $100K
While a “job that pays well” might mean different salaries to different people, six-figure salaries are often considered a career milestone. If you want to make $100,000 or more, here are jobs with six-figure salaries.
>>MORE: 10 Jobs That Pay $100K a Year
Postsecondary Teachers
Estimated total salary: $96,570
Projected job outlook: 8% (faster than average)
Technically, the annual wage for postsecondary teachers is just below $100k, but many make more than $100k, depending on their specialty (for example, business teachers make an average of $113,240, and physics teachers make an average of $106,950).
Civil Engineer
Estimated total salary: $101,160
Projected job outlook: 5% (as fast as average)
Civil engineers design, develop, and oversee the construction and maintenance of infrastructure projects. They plan projects, including structural analysis and design, and collaborate with contractors, architects, and other engineers to oversee construction projects.
Engineering Consulting
Work on a rail project where you'll learn how to read and understand design briefs, develop cost and construction time estimates, investigate stakeholder and environmental impacts, assess design outcomes, and report on all the findings from your investigation to make clear recommendations to clients.
Avg. Time: 3-4 hours
Skills you’ll build: Planning, estimating, decision-making, estimating, Microsoft Excel
Investment Banker
Estimated total salary: $112,950
Projected job outlook: 8% (faster than average)
Investment bankers work for banking institutions to help decision-makers make smart economic decisions. They primarily work with financial data to analyze the potential impact of various financial activities; for example, they may advise on whether a specific large corporate transaction, like an acquisition or merger, would be a good investment for a company.
Investment Banking
Evaluate a prospective acquisition target for your client, Big Box Retail.
Avg. Time: 5-6 hours
Skills you’ll build: Financial modeling, forecasting, enterprise value, comparison analysis, Excel
Sales Representatives
Estimated total salary: $113,520
Projected job outlook: 1% (little or no change)
Sales representatives, particularly those selling products in the biology, engineering, chemistry, and electronics fields, can make well over $100K in base pay. These professionals work on identifying potential customers, building relationships with them, and eventually pitching and trying to sell products to them.
On-Premise Sales
Analyze sales data and handle customer objections to meet your targets as an on-premise sales specialist at Red Bull.
Avg. Time: 1-2 hours
Skills you’ll build: Data analysis, data presentation, overcoming objections, strategy, communication
Consultant
Estimated total salary: $115,530
Projected job outlook: 10% (much faster than average)
Consultants provide expert guidance that helps companies solve problems. There are a few main types of consultants that provide different types of guidance. For example, a management consultant works on a company’s organizational strategies, while a technology consultant works on improving a company’s technology and how it uses that technology.
>>MORE: What Consulting Careers Are Right for Me? Quiz
Art Director
Estimated total salary: $125,920
Projected job outlook: 6% (faster than average)
Art directors work on visual style and design for various forms of media, including print, video, and film. They act as the creative leader that helps professionals like designers, illustrators, and photographers come together to produce a cohesive visual experience.
>>MORE: What Creative Career Is Right for Me? Quiz
Actuary
Estimated total salary: $132,500
Projected job outlook: 23% (much faster than average)
Actuaries use mathematical and statistical expertise to assess financial risk. These professionals often work in the insurance or financial industries and use data analysis and modeling to help companies understand potential risks, benefits, and outcomes of different products or ventures.
Actuarial
Work on the day-to-day responsibilities that an actuary would perform at Standard Bank.
Avg. Time: 3-4 hours
Skills you’ll build: Actuarial techniques, Excel, critical thinking, mathematical proficiency
Cloud Architect
Estimated total salary: $133,930
Projected job outlook: 4% (as fast as average)
Cloud architects are technical professionals who work on a company’s cloud computing systems, which provide networking, storage, servers, and analytics. They’re responsible not just for creating these networks but also for testing and ensuring their security and performance.
Cloud Platform
Learn how to use Python skills to secure a new cloud-based application.
Avg. Time: 2-3 hours
Skills you’ll build: Agile environment, internal communication, concept demonstration, research, coding
Pharmacists
Estimated total salary: $134,790
Projected job outlook: 3% (as fast as average)
Pharmacists help patients get the medications they need and provide information about them. They may also work with physicians to ensure they give the patient the right type of medication and dosage.
Marketing Manager
Estimated total salary: $166,410
Projected job outlook: 6% (faster than average)
Marketing managers help generate interest in products and services by promoting them through various channels. For example, a marketing manager may work on digital channels like email or social media, host events, or take a data-driven, experimental approach known as growth marketing.
>>MORE: What Marketing Careers Are Right For Me? Quiz
Lawyer
Estimated total salary: $176,470
Projected job outlook: 8% (faster than average)
Lawyers advise and represent clients in various legal matters. They may research applicable laws and legal precedents, negotiate settlements, and prepare for trial. Lawyers can work for various types of clients and in different fields. For example, a corporate lawyer will focus on the law surrounding companies and their formations and operations, while a criminal lawyer focuses on crimes and the people who commit them.
Ready, Set, Law
Get an introduction to what it's like to be a lawyer and help the team navigate commercial issues affecting the future of the law.
Avg. Time: 5-6 hours
Skills you’ll build: Legal analysis, research, presentation, drafting, problem-solving, communicating
How to Land Jobs That Pay Well
Now that you know what kinds of jobs pay well, how can you land one?
Do Your Salary Research
If you want a job that pays well, applying to jobs that you know pay well is crucial! The best way to do this is to understand the salary of the jobs you’re applying to before you submit your application.
Lisa Dupras, career coach, resume writer, and former compensation analyst in HR, recommends researching pay transparency laws in your state and performing salary research.
Pay Transparency Laws
For example, New York City has a pay transparency law that requires employers to include the maximum allowed salary in any job posting.
“New graduates are usually hired near the lowest value of the range, but it gives a starting point that job seekers can use to evaluate the competitiveness of the position,” Durpas says. “If your state has such laws, you are within your rights to ask for a posted job’s salary range. If your state doesn’t have transparency laws, still check the job postings, as some companies voluntarily share this information.”
Salary Research
When you can’t find a salary on a job posting, Dupras suggests using sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, and O*net to find average salaries for the types of roles you’re applying to. However, Dupras warns that if you’re looking for a job that pays well, it’s better to avoid jobs that may offer lower salaries because it’s less likely that you’ll be able to negotiate higher.
“If you are considering applying for a job and there is no posted salary range, and your salary survey research shows the minimum of the range to be low, you may not want to apply,” Dupras says. “New graduates have less bargaining power for salary counteroffers, so the salary attached to your job offer may not change much. Your research will help you get a feel for which companies are competitive for new graduates and which are not. It’s much better to apply to companies where your research shows the starting salary is competitive rather than go through the interview process and find out the salary isn’t competitive.”
>>MORE: Wondering how much money you’ll actually take home after taxes? Calculate your take-home pay with our calculator.
Find Growing Industries
While salary is arguably the most important factor in finding well-paying jobs, the career path’s job outlook is also crucial.
“For students who want to find a career path that pays well, my number one piece of advice is to align your passion with market demand,” says Stephanie Alston, CEO of BGG Enterprises and HR and recruitment expert. “Research industries and professions experiencing growth and high demand for skilled professionals, such as technology, health care, finance, and engineering. Conduct thorough market research using resources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics, industry reports, and job market analyses.”
Understanding what industries are in high demand can ensure not only that you have more job opportunities down the line but also that you earn higher salaries in the future.
Be a Problem-Solver
Why do companies hire people? Yes, to help them get work completed, but also to help them solve their problems. Employees who can help a company innovate, find solutions, and grow are extremely valuable.
“Companies don’t hand out opportunities to people who can merely check off a list of tasks,” says Jon Morgan, CEO and editor-in-chief of Venture Smarter, a business consulting firm. “They are looking for individuals who can identify problems, analyze situations, and devise innovative solutions.”
Yet, how can you become a problem-solver? Morgan has suggestions for building this mindset even while you’re still in school or doing an internship.
“Don’t just memorize facts for exams,” he says. “Ask yourself, ‘How can I apply this knowledge to a real-world problem?’ Look for opportunities to take on projects or participate in research that allows you to tackle complex issues. This mindset of problem-solving is not just for your academic life; it extends into the workplace. For example, when you land a summer job, don’t just show up and complete the tasks you’re assigned. Look for ways to improve processes, spot inefficiencies, or even suggest new marketing strategies. This approach shows initiative and a proactive mindset. It demonstrates that you’re not just there for a paycheck, but that you’re genuinely interested in making a positive impact. Remember, companies are willing to pay a premium for those who can solve their toughest problems, not just complete their basic tasks.”
Network
No matter what job you’re trying to land, networking is always a critical tool. Networking is vital for landing high-paying jobs because these roles can be extra competitive.
“Building a robust professional network can open doors to opportunities that may not be publicly advertised and provide valuable recommendations and insights,” Alston says. “Attend industry events, participate in conferences, seminars, and networking events related to your field to meet industry professionals and learn about job opportunities. Utilize social media platforms like LinkedIn to build a professional online presence, connect with industry leaders, join relevant groups, and actively engage by sharing content and commenting on posts. Request informational interviews with professionals in your desired field to gain valuable insights and potentially lead to job referrals.”
Build Your Brand
Even if you have yet to land your first role, building your brand is crucial so employers understand your experience, skillset, and what kind of work you’re interested in. Go beyond traditional requirements and find opportunities to build upon what you’ve already learned.
For example, Mark Hirsch, a personal injury lawyer at Templer & Hirsch, says he didn’t rely solely on his law degree when he started out.
“I looked for a mentor, competed in moot court competitions, and did internships at well-known law companies. Not only did these events help me improve my skills, they also helped me meet more professionals.”
Are you looking to build your brand and gain more on-the-job skills? Forage job simulations show you what it’s like to work at top employers — while ramping up your professional skills and showing companies you’re dedicated to your career.
Jobs That Pay Well: The Bottom Line
Jobs that pay well aren’t limited to a specific field, type of company, degree requirements, or skill set. If you’re looking for a high-paying job, be sure to research salary requirements and job outlook data for your desired roles, network and build your brand, and position yourself as a true asset to the company — a problem-solver who is definitely worth paying a high salary.
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