Finding a job with a six-figure salary may not be easy because most require prior education and experience, but there are some six-figure jobs that require little education and with a few years of experience can pay six-figure salaries.
Remember that six-figure salaries can vary greatly from city to city and a six-figure salary in a big city may not be as valuable as one in a small city due to the cost of living differences. All jobs are based on the average (mean) salary in the field, which includes both new and experienced workers in estimates, and some of these positions do not start out in the six-figure range.
Six-Figure Careers that Do Not Require Prior Education
Occupations in management pay well, but not all management positions guarantee a six-figure salary. Most management positions require experience (but not necessarily education) before yielding six-figures a year.
Jobs in the management field vary greatly since managers are required in just about every field. The management positions that are most likely to pay well include:
- Chief executives
- General and operations managers
- Marketing managers
- Sales managers
- Computer and information systems managers
- Financial managers
- Human resources managers
- Natural sciences managers
An often-forgotten career field that has a few high-earners is the air transportation field. While these careers do require prior education and experience, they do not require as much as many six-figure jobs. Air transportation jobs that can pay up to six-figures include:
- Airline pilots
- Copilots
- Air traffic controllers
Remember that most of these jobs do require some prior education, but usually not years of education as some of the more popular six-figure careers often do. Some of these positions do require years of previous experience.
High-Earning Careers Straight Out of School
The medical, legal and engineering fields are notorious for high-paying jobs, but they are also notorious for longer, more difficult schooling. There are many medical field professionals that can expect to earn close to six-figures just out of school, including:
- General dentists
- Oral and maxillofacial surgeons
- Orthodontists
- Prosthodontists
- Optometrists
- Pharmacists
- Anesthesiologists
- Family and general practitioners
- Obstetricians and gynecologists
- General pediatricians
- Psychiatrists
- Physicians
- Surgeons
Legal professionals can expect to earn a high salary just out of law school, and some of the higher-paying legal careers include:
- Lawyers
- Judges
- Magistrates
Similarly, engineers usually earn well just out of college, although it might take a few years to reach six-figures, depending on the field of engineering. Engineering careers that yield the higher salaries include:
- Computer hardware engineers
- Petroleum engineers
- Airplane engineers
- Engineering managers
A less popular, but still high-paying career field, is the research science field. These careers still require much schooling, but are often less competitive and include research computer and information scientists and physicists.
The key to enjoying a six-figure salary is finding a field one is genuinely interested in and enjoys working in. Remember that some seemingly low-paying fields may include bonuses and raises that could lead to more money down the road.
Source
US Dept. of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics
Please note that all above careers are based on the average salary in the field from the 2008 business year, and current pay rates are dependent on many things, including location, experience, company size, and competition. Many of these professions require previous education or experience and may not pay six-figures to entry-level employees.
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Megan B. Wyatt - Megan B. Wyatt has a BA in English, edits fiction manuscripts and currently works as an entertainment reporter in Lafayette, Louisiana.
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