There are millions of jobs in the world, but some are just more rewarding and enjoyable than others. Here are ten of the best jobs in the world, ranked by their ability to make money and also because they’re just plain fun!
1) Air Traffic Controller
Despite long, erratic hours and stressful working conditions, Air Traffic Controllers have some of the best job satisfaction. You get to travel all over, you’re well respected by your peers, and there’s virtually no limit to what you can earn with experience. No wonder it ranks as one of U.S. News & World Report’s top 10 jobs for 2013! The median annual salary for an Air Traffic Controller is $121,860 (source: BLS), and it's one of those rare careers that is growing faster than average (7% from 2012-2022). Plus—as I learned when I took a tour of DFW Airport—you get to wear cool glasses!
2) Military General
In tough economic times, what could be better than a job that protects your country while still earning you a pretty penny? The average salary for military generals is $181,000 per year, with some making well over $200,000 annually. Generals have a lot of freedom when it comes to their schedule (as long as they get their job done). Most of their time is spent at meetings where they discuss operations and strategy; however, once that's done for the day, generals are free to go about their business. If you like people but hate working 9-to-5 jobs with strict deadlines and quotas, being a general may be just what you're looking for.
3) Astronaut
Ever wanted to blast off into space? Now you can—sort of. If you’re a pilot, engineer or technology specialist, an astronaut may be your ideal job. High salaries, traveling to exotic locations and making a difference are just some of the perks that come with helping NASA explore new worlds and push back our boundaries. There are also fewer than 200 astronauts working today so competition for jobs is steep. Before applying for an astronaut position, get your degree in aerospace engineering and learn how to fly planes if possible. Always apply directly through NASA; sending them your resume won’t do much good unless they decide they want to hire you as a civilian employee (which has never happened before).
4) Football Player (American)
No surprise here. Football players might not get paid as much as their professional baseball and basketball counterparts, but they can earn millions during their careers thanks to a steady influx of revenue from endorsement deals, appearances and more. Add that to an average career of three-to-five years (according to Sports Reference) and you can see why we'd rank football among America's best jobs. The only thing better than playing pro football is watching it... with tickets starting at less than $20 for nonconference games and around $65 for conference games (not including stadium entry fees). And if you're really lucky, your home team might even win a Super Bowl or two during your lifetime!
5) Athlete (Olympic/Paralympic level)
Being a top athlete at an elite level is more than just being able to dunk a basketball, throw a perfect pitch or run a six-minute mile. It’s about putting in thousands of hours of hard work into your craft and making millions of dollars doing so. But for all its perks, it takes mental toughness to maintain peak performance over many years, traveling around the world and living under extreme pressure. To be an Olympic or Paralympic athlete requires not only physical prowess but also emotional resiliency—and that makes it one of most rewarding careers out there.
6) Professional poker player
Sure, there's a lot of luck involved. But if you're smart and play well, poker can be an extremely lucrative profession. One of its benefits is that you can do it from anywhere as long as you have access to an Internet connection and some cash to invest. It's also a game where having superior mental skills -- like reading people and situations -- can give you a competitive edge over others who are playing just for money. A professional poker player earns about $300 per hour for his game against amateurs, according to PokerCruncher . On average, he'll play two games daily that earn him around $600 each; with 500-1,000 hours played per year on top of that...you see where we're going with this one!
7) Geneticist/Biologist
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that jobs for geneticists and biologists will grow 19 percent by 2022, much faster than average. The median annual wage for these professionals was $63,790 in May 2012. If you're interested in a science career, it's smart to earn your bachelor's degree at a college or university with a strong biology program and stay on top of industry trends—particularly if you want to focus on research rather than lab work. As an added benefit, almost all employers provide some type of health insurance for their employees (whether they're full-time or part-time).
8) Geologist
Most people aren’t aware of it, but geologists are responsible for maintaining some of our most important public services, including natural disaster prevention and public safety. Geologists use a variety of tools and methods to study geological formations. They travel all over world to inspect our planet for valuable natural resources. Because of their contributions to society, geologists earn about $120,000 per year on average.
9) Architectural Designer or Drafter
If you’re thinking about going into architectural design or drafting, and have a natural talent for building structures (or can develop that talent), you might enjoy working as an architectural designer or drafter. There’s a huge variety of job opportunities available, with salaries ranging from just above minimum wage to well over $100,000 per year. As a bonus, many jobs are projected to grow at an average rate of 34% over the next decade. This makes it one of our best careers for 2017. To give you an idea of what's involved and where these jobs are located, we’ve put together some information on becoming an architectural designer/drafter
10 ) Programmer/Software Developer
If you have a passion for computers and working with cutting-edge technology, then a career as a software developer may be for you. Programmers are highly valued employees. Although that’s not surprising considering how much we rely on technology to get through our daily lives these days, it's actually becoming harder to find qualified professionals to fill open positions—and pay is booming. According to Glassdoor, a programmer can expect to make an average of $102,000 annually, or about $50 per hour. What’s more? Due to demand and relatively low supply, employment growth opportunities in programming are expected to be faster than any other job category out there—growing 14% by 2020. Learn more about what it takes to become a programmer here.
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