10 Top High Paid Jobs Off The Desk

All those years of training and long shifts at the ER do pay off. The average annual pay of a doctor is $191,880. Besides enjoying a high salary, doctors also get to do something meaningful and praiseworthy – healing people from illnesses and saving lives. 

And, if doctors actually specialize in a field, such as a gynecology or endocrinology, they can make a lot more. 

In fact, the highest paid specialist is an anesthesiologist, who makes an average annual salary of $235,070, according to BLS.

2. Nurse Anesthetist

The next on the list are nurses, who have the responsibility of using medications to put people to sleep before their surgeries. This field requires skill and the average annual pay scale of $157,690 is a testimony to this fact. 

Even if the nurse just assists an anesthetist, he or she still enjoys a large pay check every month. To become an anesthetist nurse, you would need to successfully complete specialized graduate studies.

3. Petroleum Engineer

Considering oil is one of the most valuable hydrocarbons in the world, it is understandable why petroleum engineers draw an average annual salary of $149,180. 

Besides coming up with cheaper and simpler ways to extract oil from the depths of the Earth, petroleum engineers also design innovative tools and software to make the extraction process quicker and more cost-effective. They are hands-on professionals, who are a valuable part of the on-site drilling team.

4. Pilot

It does not matter that a pilot is confined to a small space in the cockpit, as the annual average salary of $129,600 more than makes up for this discomfort. 

Furthermore, a pilot gets to fly to new cities and countries as a part of his or her job. Now, who wouldn’t love to get paid to do this job?

5. Law Professor

If you are going to be teaching future lawyers and judges, you do need to be appreciated for this effort. Perhaps that is why law professors enjoy getting an average annual pay of $122,280. 

And, if you were to go by the trend set by Bill Clinton and Barack Obama who were also law professors before becoming Presidents of the United States of America, you too could someday hold this highly coveted position!

6. Geoscientist or Earth Scientist

There are so many openings in various fields for geoscientists. They are highly sought-after by environmental firms, mining companies, consulting firms, engineering firms and government agencies. 

Such professionals usually have to visit the site and give their inputs. For the skill they bring to a project, geoscientists enjoy an average annual pay of $108,420.

7. Medical School Professor

Who would have thought teaching future veterinarians, dentists and doctors would be a lucrative job. Well, the statistics show that a medical school professor’s annual average salary is $105,880. 

While the salary may not be as high as what qualified and specialized physicians earn, it is definitely enough to take a second look at this career option.

8. Aerospace Engineer

All little boys (sometimes even girls) love making models of airplanes and spaceships. And, sometimes, these little kids go on to design and build these craft in real life. It is like a dream-come-true and these professionals actually get paid an average annual salary of $105,450. 

Not bad, considering some spend time in their offices pouring over designs, while others actually go and check out the airplane or spaceship that is being constructed.

9. Chemical Engineer

A chemical engineer works with chemicals and helps to make many things, including medicines, dyes and fuel. As a chemical engineer, you can work from an office, laboratory or research facility and get paid an average annual pay of $104,340.

10. Engineering Professor

Whether you decide to teach engineering students or get into research, you will enjoy a high paying job off the desk. Engineering professors in the United States attract an average annual pay of $102,880.