MONEY Magazine and Salary.com rate careers on salary and job prospects. |  |
| Physical therapist assistants |
44.20% |
$42,086 |
| Dental hygienists |
43.32% |
$68,153 |
| Forensic science technicians |
36.40% |
$52,604 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians |
35.32% |
$29,122 |
| Occupational therapist assistants |
34.10% |
$42,639 |
| Community and social service specialists |
31.95% |
$38,579 |
| Hydrologists |
31.57% |
$68,192 |
| Social and human service assistants |
29.68% |
$52,756 |
| Athletic trainers |
29.34% |
$42,466 |
| Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors |
27.07% |
$41,966 |
| Business operation specialists |
27.04% |
$63,015 |
| Epidemiologists |
26.18% |
$59,505 |
| Medical and public health social workers |
25.93% |
$46,917 |
| Computer and information scientists, research |
25.63% |
$96,797 |
| Marriage and family therapists |
25.38% |
$48,058 |
| Environmental engineering technicians |
24.42% |
$44,405 |
| Rehabilitation counselors |
23.93% |
$49,998 |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical workers |
23.84% |
$60,051 |
| Counselors, all other |
23.14% |
$42,473 |
| Health diagnosing and treating practitioners |
22.51% |
$91,493 |
| Health educators |
22.49% |
$47,726 |
| Social workers |
22.02% |
$43,773 |
| Nuclear medicine technologists |
21.48% |
$66,140 |
| Biochemists and biophysicists |
21.03% |
$76,839 |
| Life scientists, all other |
20.63% |
$91,154 |
| Education, training, and library workers |
20.47% |
$37,418 |
| Coaches and scouts |
20.42% |
$47,412 |
| Industrial-organizational psychologists |
20.42% |
$85,109 |
| Life, physical, and social science technicians |
20.03% |
$48,954 |
| Interpreters and translators |
19.88% |
$38,159 |
| Social workers, all other |
19.56% |
$46,133 |
| Child, family, and school social workers |
19.03% |
$42,340 |
| Directors, religious activities and education |
18.51% |
$73,015 |
| Primary, secondary, and special educations teachers |
18.30% |
$50,289 |
| Cost estimators |
18.21% |
$54,555 |
| Orthotists and prosthetists |
17.96% |
$44,709 |
| Loan counselors |
17.66% |
$35,073 |
| Social science research assistants |
17.44% |
$38,723 |
| Architects, except landscape and naval |
17.33% |
$48,932 |
| Microbiologists |
17.22% |
$59,747 |
| Biological technicians |
17.20% |
$40,394 |
| Occupational health and safety technicians |
17.07% |
$50,492 |
| General and operations managers |
17.04% |
$98,854 |
| Anthropologists and archeologists |
17.00% |
$52,086 |
| Administrative services managers |
16.88% |
$71,585 |
| Commercial pilots |
16.81% |
$98,392 |
| Chefs and head cooks |
16.70% |
$44,176 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers |
16.63% |
$47,644 |
| Producers and directors |
16.60% |
$45,808 |
| Atmospheric and space scientists |
16.55% |
$107,414 |
| Environmental science and protection technicians, including health |
16.27% |
$41,455 |
| Oral and maxillofacial surgeons |
16.18% |
$211,766 |
| Curators |
15.67% |
$49,420 |
| Embalmers |
15.65% |
$40,914 |
| Adult literacy, remedial education, and GED teachers and instructors |
15.63% |
$48,114 |
| Interior designers |
15.54% |
$50,625 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of police and detectives |
15.52% |
$72,048 |
| Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators |
15.52% |
$64,079 |
| Cartographers and photogrammetrists |
15.26% |
$55,634 |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators |
15.07% |
$42,533 |
| Therapists, all other |
14.97% |
$49,662 |
| Teachers and instructors |
14.90% |
$36,545 |
| Chief Executives |
14.87% |
$254,643 |
| Financial managers |
14.80% |
$128,910 |
| Educational, vocational, and school counselors |
14.79% |
$42,020 |
| Real estate sales agents |
14.69% |
$27,654 |
| Physical scientists |
14.65% |
$89,151 |
| Financial specialists |
14.37% |
$88,578 |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products |
14.36% |
$108,013 |
| Camera operators, television, video, and motion picture |
14.22% |
$49,151 |
| Multi-media artists and animators |
14.13% |
$47,492 |
| Museum Technicians and Conservators |
14.13% |
$40,084 |
| Soil and plant Scientists |
13.86% |
$60,075 |
| Child care workers |
13.75% |
$41,883 |
| Nuclear technicians |
13.69% |
$56,565 |
| Natural sciences managers |
13.64% |
$116,504 |
| Designers, all other |
13.61% |
$49,664 |
| Budget analysts |
13.47% |
$63,835 |
| Agricultural and food science technicians |
13.40% |
$36,080 |
| Archivists |
13.36% |
$44,818 |
| Zoologists and wildlife biologists |
12.95% |
$57,055 |
| Animal scientists |
12.91% |
$52,714 |
| Cooks |
12.83% |
$32,590 |
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists |
12.81% |
$47,583 |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers |
12.73% |
$97,332 |
| Library assistants, clerical |
12.52% |
$38,032 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists |
12.44% |
$73,029 |
| Executive secretaries and administrative assistants |
12.40% |
$70,599 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
12.39% |
$80,183 |
| Clergy |
12.38% |
$40,583 |
| Social scientists and related workers, all other |
12.33% |
$68,961 |
| Agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes |
11.84% |
$86,218 |
| Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation |
11.62% |
$65,571 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents |
11.52% |
$130,385 |
| Food service managers |
11.50% |
$65,625 |
| Art directors |
11.50% |
$94,662 |
| Food scientists and technologists |
10.93% |
$61,227 |
| Commercial and industrial designers |
10.84% |
$56,104 |
| Astronomers |
10.45% |
$104,691 |
| Music directors and composers |
10.45% |
$49,289 |
| Construction managers |
10.37% |
$74,873 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers |
10.32% |
$53,567 |
| Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers |
10.08% |
$81,384 |
| Office and administrative support workers, all other |
10.05% |
$34,876 |
| Psychologists |
9.89% |
$77,734 |
| Broadcast technicians |
9.77% |
$36,736 |
| Electrical and electronics repairers |
9.74% |
$56,644 |
| Electro-mechanical technicians |
9.69% |
$46,501 |
| Financial examiners |
9.47% |
$72,558 |
| Set and exhibit designers |
9.29% |
$57,372 |
| Audiologists |
9.14% |
$57,873 |
| First-line supervisors/managers, protective service workers |
8.66% |
$62,394 |
| Aerospace engineering and operations technicians |
8.51% |
$57,086 |
| Fashion designers |
8.43% |
$73,290 |
| Operations research analysts |
8.39% |
$76,595 |
| Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products |
8.38% |
$65,757 |
| Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers |
8.29% |
$63,531 |
| Loan officers |
8.26% |
$76,257 |
| Office managers |
8.09% |
$61,819 |
| Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products |
8.08% |
$83,788 |
| Materials scientists |
8.01% |
$81,041 |
| Insurance underwriters |
7.95% |
$56,978 |
| Managers, all other |
7.85% |
$90,790 |
| Farm and home management advisors |
7.74% |
$49,806 |
| Law clerks |
7.68% |
$39,741 |
| Religious workers |
7.43% |
$29,300 |
| Political scientists |
7.31% |
$94,458 |
| Chemists |
7.27% |
$68,749 |
| Legal support workers |
7.13% |
$39,804 |
| Physicists |
6.97% |
$76,759 |
| Purchasing managers |
6.96% |
$77,250 |
| Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates |
6.91% |
$101,868 |
| Geographers |
6.75% |
$69,272 |
| Foresters |
6.70% |
$56,233 |
| Funeral directors |
6.67% |
$61,443 |
| Insurance sales agents |
6.55% |
$79,741 |
| Geological and petroleum technicians |
6.50% |
$52,516 |
| Conservation scientists |
6.32% |
$59,108 |
| Mathematical scientists, all other |
6.18% |
$68,852 |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks |
5.87% |
$34,858 |
| Recreational therapists |
5.72% |
$40,299 |
| Economists |
5.64% |
$102,565 |
| Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents |
5.12% |
$53,920 |
| Librarians |
4.94% |
$52,977 |
| Reporters and correspondents |
4.92% |
$37,270 |
| Sociologists |
4.66% |
$68,724 |
| Statisticians |
4.65% |
$79,125 |
| Architectural and civil drafters |
4.64% |
$44,213 |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks |
4.54% |
$31,721 |
| Chemical technicians |
4.44% |
$47,112 |
| Historians |
4.33% |
$54,629 |
| Broadcast news analysts |
4.28% |
$65,269 |
| Farm, ranch, and other agricultural managers |
4.04% |
$61,020 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers |
3.83% |
$43,843 |
| Credit analysts |
3.55% |
$53,958 |
| Mathematical technicians |
3.40% |
$48,634 |
| Respiratory therapy technicians |
3.27% |
$41,854 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
2.70% |
$60,951 |
| Legislators |
1.97% |
$35,234 |
| New accounts clerks |
1.73% |
$32,444 |
| Electrical and electronics drafters |
1.22% |
$60,012 |
| Industrial production managers |
0.78% |
$92,031 |
| Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic |
-1.18% |
$45,852 |
| Mathematicians |
-1.30% |
$67,053 |
| Fire inspectors and investigators |
-5.51% |
$52,659 |
| Semiconductor processors |
-7.50% |
$35,482 |
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