Finding a high paying job is a goal for many people. Who wouldn’t want to earn a large salary and have financial security? But what are actually the highest paying jobs in the world right now in 2023?In this blog post, I’ll go over the top 10 highest paying jobs globally, including typical salaries, responsibilities, and how to get into each field. I’ll also provide a comparison table summarizing the key info.
The Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs in 2023
1. Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Typical Salary: $200,000+
- Responsibilities: Oversee company operations, make major corporate decisions, develop strategies, manage objectives and policies.
CEOs are in charge of entire organizations and corporations. They have a bird’s-eye view of the company and make the big picture decisions about its direction. Becoming a CEO requires substantial experience in your industry, leadership capabilities, and skills in areas like strategic planning and resource allocation. Many CEOs have an MBA degree.
2. Investment Banker
- Typical Salary: $140,000+
- Responsibilities: Provide financial advisory services to businesses and high net worth individuals, analyze financial information, develop client relationships.
Investment bankers help companies and institutions raise capital through activities like issuing bonds or selling stock. They provide strategic advice on mergers, acquisitions, and corporate restructuring. Most investment bankers have a finance or business background. Getting hired by top firms like Goldman Sachs is highly competitive.
3. Management Consultant
- Typical Salary: $120,000+
- Responsibilities: Analyze clients’ businesses, identify issues, and propose solutions to improve performance and efficiency.
Management consultants work with companies to solve complex business problems in areas like operations, corporate strategy, technology implementation, and more. They often travel to client sites. Becoming a management consultant requires analytical skills, business and finance knowledge, and the ability to think critically. Many have an MBA.
4. Software Engineer
- Typical Salary: $110,000+
- Responsibilities: Design, develop, and test software applications, improve systems, troubleshoot issues.
Software engineers create applications, programs, and operating systems that run on computers and mobile devices. They build and iterate on software using programming languages like Java, JavaScript, and Python. Most software engineers have a computer science or programming background. High demand makes this one of the top paying tech jobs.
5. Lawyer
- Typical Salary: $100,000+
- Responsibilities: Represent clients in court, draft legal documents like wills and contracts, advise clients on legal rights and obligations.
Lawyers advocate for their clients using their knowledge of the law, regulations, and the judicial system. Becoming a lawyer involves earning a law degree and passing the bar exam. Lawyers often specialize in areas like criminal law, corporate law, family law, patent law, etc. The highest paid lawyers work at large law firms and focus on corporate clients.
6. Data Scientist
- Typical Salary: $100,000+
- Responsibilities: Collect, analyze, and interpret large data sets, develop models, algorithms and systems to extract insights and enable strategic decision making.
Data scientists utilize their statistical, programming, and analytical skills to help businesses make data-driven decisions. They communicate findings to stakeholders using data visualization. Most data scientists have a background in a technical field like statistics, computer science, applied math or economics. As data becomes increasingly important, demand for data scientists grows.
7. Physician
- Typical Salary: $100,000+
- Responsibilities: Diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries, prescribe medication, advise patients on health and wellbeing.
Physicians assess patient symptoms and order tests to determine conditions. They develop treatment plans which can involve medication, therapy, surgery, and other interventions. Becoming a physician requires extensive training including medical school and a multi-year residency. Those who specialize in a field like surgery, anesthesiology or oncology earn the highest pay.
8. Dentist
- Typical Salary: $90,000+
- Responsibilities: Diagnose and treat oral health issues, perform procedures like teeth cleanings, fillings, extractions, and dental surgery.
Dentists care for patients’ teeth and gums to prevent and treat problems. Most dentists run their own private practices. Becoming a dentist involves completing dental school and passing board exams. Those who specialize in areas like orthodontics or oral surgery earn even higher salaries.
9. Pharmacist
- Typical Salary: $80,000+
- Responsibilities: Fill prescriptions, verify instructions, review potential drug interactions, provide patient counseling on medications.
Pharmacists dispense medications according to prescriptions, while ensuring proper dosages and checking for risks. They advise both patients and doctors on medication issues. Becoming a pharmacist requires completing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD) and passing licensing exams. Those working in clinical settings tend to earn higher pay.
10. Pilot
- Typical Salary: $70,000+
- Responsibilities: Fly and navigate aircrafts, conduct pre-flight checks, communicate with air traffic control, transport passengers or cargo.
Pilots operate planes and helicopters to transport people and goods. Commercial airline pilots need a high school diploma plus extensive flight training and certification. Those flying international or large jets earn the highest salaries. Military pilots gain flight experience through officer training programs.
Comparison of the Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs
| Profession | Typical Salary |
|---|---|
| Chief Executive Officer | $200,000+ |
| Investment Banker | $140,000+ |
| Management Consultant | $120,000+ |
| Software Engineer | $110,000+ |
| Lawyer | $100,000+ |
| Data Scientist | $100,000+ |
| Physician | $100,000+ |
| Dentist | $90,000+ |
| Pharmacist | $80,000+ |
| Pilot | $70,000+ |
Getting Hired for the Top Paying Jobs
While the salaries may be high for these professions, getting hired can be very competitive. Here are some tips for landing one of the highest paying jobs:
- Get the right education and training – Most of these roles require extensive schooling and credentials. For example, complete medical school to become a doctor, get a law degree to be a lawyer, obtain your MBA to be a CEO or investment banker.
- Gain relevant experience – Build up your resume with internships, fellowships, work placements, and entry-level jobs in your field. This shows you have practical skills.
- Develop key soft skills – Besides technical expertise, employers want strong communicators, relationship builders, problem solvers and strategic thinkers.
- Ace the interview process – Prepare to showcase your qualifications, background, motivations and fit for the role. Interviewing well is crucial.
- Consider specializing – Specialists in things like surgery, data science, corporate law tend to earn higher pay than generalists.
- Be willing to relocate – The top salaries may require moving to major metro areas like New York, San Francisco, Chicago.
- Network and make connections – Leverage professional associations, alumni groups, conferences and informational interviews to build your network.
- Negotiate your compensation – Don’t be afraid to negotiate salary, benefits, bonuses, stock options and other perks.
Conclusion
While it takes hard work and perseverance, the jobs on this list offer the highest earning potential globally. Whether you pursue a career as a CEO, physician, lawyer or software engineer, you can earn a top salary if you have the right mix of education, skills, experience and motivation. Just be prepared for competition at the highest levels!
