Being able to save years of tuition and debt by skipping college to land a $200,000 job that lets you work from home right out of high school sounds like a pipe dream. Because that’s
Even though companies are increasingly removing degree requirements and allowing workers to call their shifts remotely, don’t be fooled into thinking these types of jobs will bring you a lot of money.
At least that’s it the stairs. The career site for six-figure jobs has been looking at the highest-paying jobs posted on its platform, and found that the availability of remote work and degree requirements have the biggest impact on top salaries.
In fact, only about 12% of the highest paying jobs listed on its website are remote.
Additionally, most of the highest-paying positions on the platform are in the medical field, which is notorious for requiring years of dedicated study.
“The data shows that if you want the highest-paying jobs right now, you need to have an advanced degree and expect to work in person,” John Mullinix, director of marketing at Ladders, who led the research team, said in the report. “If you’re willing to do those two things, you’ll have little competition for jobs in your field.”
Remote work has been left out of the hands of the bosses
After the pandemic, companies spent 2021 attracting talent with fat paychecks and sweet work-from-home perks, especially in the tech scene.
“Big resignation,” workers went to work for higher wages at a rate not seen in decades 50.5 million peopleor about one-third of the US workforce leaving their jobs in 2022.
Since then, bosses have started to change their tune about remote work going back on their promises to never force employees into the office. Now, they are also linking salary and progression showing his face
Data from Ladders shows remote work opportunities for top earners have fallen every quarter since Q3 2022.
Remote listings for jobs paying $200,000 or more fell from 37% to 12% between Q3 2022 and Q4 2023. Meanwhile, paid jobs requiring in-person work rose from 59% of listings in Q3 2022 to nearly 85%. In the quarter of 2023.
While the tech world is thought to offer more flexibility than traditional businesses and careers, the shift between in-person and remote roles offering more than $200,000 was almost equal in both tech and non-tech sectors.
“Research showed that applicants are increasingly having to choose between going with the highest salary or staying at home,” Mullinix concluded.
Top 20 Jobs Paying $200,000 or More
1. Family doctor/general medicine
2. Dentist – DDS / DMD
3. General dentist
4. Primary care physician
5. Associate dentist
6. The doctor
7. Senior software engineer
8. Senior software engineer
9. Family medicine doctor
10. Psychiatrist
11. Sales representative
12. Outpatient psychiatrist
13. Vice President of Public Relations, Cyber Security
14. Adult psychiatrist
15. Dentist
16. OGC | Deloitte automated systems and AI legal advice
17. Dentist – DDS/DMD
18. Software engineer III
19. Senior SAP CPQ Consultant
20. Seasonal Tax Submission Manager – Global Employer Services
All five positions that pay before the $200,000 benchmark are in the medical field, with dental roles appearing frequently and general practitioners taking the top spot.
Part of the reason for this, the researchers explained, is because there is little competition for such jobs.
He can go 11 years becoming a doctor, with a specific number of studies and years of on-the-job training. As a result, there is a limited pool of people willing to endure the rigors before landing their dream gig.
However, the demand for medical professionals is growing, encouraging hospitals throw money at the problem.
“Health care jobs take up a large portion of jobs that pay $200,000 or more because there aren’t enough professionals to fill those roles,” Mullinix said. “Given America’s aging population and the growing need for medical professionals, I expect that health care will continue to be a high-paying job for decades to come.”
A version of this story was originally published on Fortune.com on February 23, 2024.
