1. Surgeon Annual average salary: $233,150 Projected growth by 2022: 18 percent While surgeons are the top-earning workers in the analysis, the trade off is often a staggering amount of student debt. Graduates in the class of 2013 left medical school with a median debt of $175,000, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Still, some surgeons can far exceed the average, with about 6 percent of general surgeons bringing home at least $500,000, according to a Medscape report last year. 2. General Practice Physician Annual average salary: $187,200 Projected growth by 2022: 18 percent General practice physicians rank as the second highest-paid career. Like surgeons, the profession is forecast to have an above-average rate of growth through 2022. One reason is that baby boomers are starting to retire from their medical practices, but an aging population is keeping demand high for medical professionals. Yet not enough students are enrolling in medical school to make up the shortfall, causing the Association of American Medical Colleges to estimate a shortfall of more than 65,000 primary-care doctors by 2025. Some medical students are preferring to enroll in training for medical specialties such as cardiology, given higher pay for specialists and the often stressful role of a general practitioner. 3. Psychiatrist Annual average salary: $178,950 Projected growth by 2022: 18 percent Becoming a psychiatrist also requires years of training. After medical school, students enroll in a residency program before getting licensed to practice. While they earn less than some other medical specialists, psychiatrists enjoy higher job satisfaction than others in the medical field. 4. Orthodontist Annual average salary: $149,310 Projected growth by 2022: 16 percent Orthodontists attend dental school before enrolling in either a Doctor of Dental Surgery or a Doctor of Dental Medicine. The next step is to enroll in a post-doctoral orthodontics program. Overall, training can take 10 years from bachelors degree to the final specialty program. 5. Dentist Annual average salary: $146,340 Projected growth by 2022: 16 percent Getting into dental school can be competitive, notes the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While they often earn high salaries, the downside is that the profession comes with a high level of stress, partly from dealing with fearful patients. 6. Petroleum Engineer Annual average salary: $130,280 Projected growth by 2022: 26 percent Some petroleum engineers are nearing retirement, which is opening up opportunities to younger workers. Thats also helping the growth rate for this industry, as well as demand from the growing oil and gas exploration sites. 7. Air Traffic Controller Annual average salary: $122,530 Projected growth by 2022: 1 percent While a high-paying job, working as an air-traffic controller carries a high level of stress. Because of this, some workers burn out while still young. Its also facing a below average growth rate because some functions of air control are being automated, requiring fewer workers. 8. Pharmacist Annual average salary: $116,670 Projected growth by 2022: 14 percent Like other medical professions, becoming a pharmacist also requires years of training. Pharmacists earn a four-year Doctor of Pharmacy degree, and must become licensed by passing two exams. 9. Podiatrist Annual average salary: $116,440 Projected growth by 2022: 23 percent This medical specialty is projected to grow faster than the average U.S. profession, thanks to the aging American population. Podiatrists will be increasingly in demand to treat patients with foot and ankle problems created by chronic illnesses such as obesity. 10. Attorney Annual average salary: $113,530 Projected growth by 2022: 10 percent Last but not least, lawyers still rank among the top 10 paying professions in the U.S. Following a downturn after the recession, the job market for attorneys is improving. Some Baby Boomer attorneys will be retiring, opening up more demand for younger legal eagles.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 06:07:46 +0000
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