Veterinarian Researcher
Mean Income: $68,170 Top 10%: $117,150
This is a job for people who absolutely love animals, but prefer to research and test new medications and treatments rather than be the ones administering them. It’s a perfect gig for the creative scientific personality types, and it helps that you never have to wrestle with large dogs and feisty cats.
Lots of adults once had the fleeting (or long-term) childhood dream of becoming a vet, but this job takes real grit, perseverance, and stamina. Research veterinarians have the option to be regular veterinarians as well, but they prefer to be on the research side testing new products, medications, and treatments for various animal diseases, which means less wrestling with stubborn 100 lb. dogs, and more experimenting.
Technical Lead
Mean Income: $107,657 Top 10%: $209,000
Imagine being the quarterback of a winning NFL team. Add a lot of nerdiness, and you’ve just become a technical lead. This is an extremely complicated job, and it requires both a mastery of programming and highly developed leadership skills. This is a very rare combination, which is why they get paid so well.
Tech leads are also often guaranteed stocks and shares in companies, which is why many of them end up very rich despite not being the founders of a given company. While a master’s degree is often required for the job, you might still get by without one in a field as dynamic as tech, assuming you’ve can truly impress and actually deliver the goods.
Elevator Installers and Repairers
Mean Income: $73,560 Top 10%: $105,750
If you’re not claustrophobic, don’t mind crawling in tight spaces, and are great at fixing electrical systems, this might be the perfect job for you. By the way, many elevator technicians work as freelancers and get paid a monthly retainer for their services.
One of the most obvious qualifications for the job is being certified as a professional technician. Hiring an amateur for such a job is extremely dangerous. It’s best if you own your tools and are able to work at any random hour of the day, but that’s up to you!
Broadcast News Analysts
Mean Income: $76,370 Top 10%: $159,530
It seems that almost everyone considers themselves a new pundit or sports analyst these days. However, sometimes people prefer to just get a job in the field. This can take anywhere from five to seven figures, depending on your network.
To be considered a broadcast news analyst, you’ll need to have a Bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field. Being a great public speaker, having a presentable look, and developing your own cool catchphrase can all help you get the job. Don’t forget that the cameras are rolling and that what you say can and will be used against you in the court of Twitter.
Loan Officers
Mean Income: $67,960 Top 10%: $115,450
Loan officers are tasked with collecting important information, analyzing it to draw a conclusion, and making the final decision on whether someone is eligible for a loan, and on which terms. It’s a very complex subject, but if you love numbers, finances, and are great at reading people, this might be a perfect career path for you.
Common qualifications obviously include some sort of a degree in business, finance, or economics. You’ll also need proper certifications to become a loan officer, and having experience always helps. Another great skill is having thick skin, as you’ll often have to turn down people that are either really charming, dominant, or just really need your help.