Business and money
Accountants, analysts, and the people who run companies.
35 careers
Money and finance
16Accountant (CPA)Count, check and explain the money. A four year degree, one hard exam, and a job in every town.$84kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandActuaryPut a price on risk. A math degree, a long ladder of exams, and a median of $130,000 a year.$130kTypical pay7 to 12 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandBookkeeperKeep a business's money records straight so the owner, the bank and the tax office all see the same numbers.$51kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandEconomistMeasure how money, work and prices actually behave, then say what a policy or a merger will really do.$125kTypical pay4 to 9 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandFinancial AnalystWork out what a company or an investment is really worth, and explain it to people betting money on your answer.$103kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandFinancial PlannerHelp people decide what to do with their money over a whole life. Half technical, half sitting with someone while they panic.$105kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandHedge Fund ManagerRun investors' money, betting on markets rising or falling, and keep the job only while you make money.$103kTypical pay10 to 14 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandInsurance AdjusterDecide what a claim is worth and what the policy actually covers. No degree required, and a state license in 34 states.$78kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandInsurance BrokerSell and manage the policies that cover people's cars, homes, health and businesses. Cheap to start, brutal in year one.$62kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandInvestment AdvisorYou manage other people's money and their nerves. Licenses first, then years of slowly earning trust.$105kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandInvestment BankerHelp companies raise money, buy other companies or sell themselves, for very high pay and very long weeks.$79kTypical pay4 to 5 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandMortgage BrokerTake somebody's income, debts and credit file, find a lender who will say yes, and get paid when the house closes.$77kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandPrivate Equity AssociateHelp a fund buy whole companies with borrowed money, run them better and sell them years later for more.$103kTypical pay6 to 8 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandQuantitative AnalystUse math, statistics and code to find patterns in markets and build the models that trade on them.$81kTypical pay4 to 10 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandSecurities TraderBuy and sell stocks, bonds and other securities for a bank or trading firm, using its money and its rules.$79kTypical pay4 to 5 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandVenture CapitalistInvest other people's money in young startups, knowing most will fail and a rare few pay for everything.$103kTypical pay6 to 12 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemand
Marketing and sales
7Market Research AnalystFind out what people actually buy and why, using surveys and data, then tell a company what to do about it.$79kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandMarketing SpecialistPlan and run the campaigns that get a product in front of people, then prove with numbers whether it worked.$79kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandPublic Relations SpecialistYou decide what an organization says in public and who it says it to. No license, so your work samples are the whole interview.$75kTypical pay4 to 5 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandReal Estate AgentFast to get licensed, and paid only when a deal closes. Surviving the first year is the hard part.$53kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandRetail Store ManagerRun a shop: the staff, the stock, the sales and the targets. No degree needed, and you can be doing it two years out of high school.$49kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandSales RepresentativeSell technical products to businesses. No license, no set degree, and your pay is partly up to you.$105kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandSocial Media ManagerYou run the accounts a company talks to the world through. Judged on numbers, not on vibes.$79kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemand
People and operations
10Customs BrokerGet imported goods legally into the country. One federal exam stands between you and a licensed career.$81kTypical pay1 to 4 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandExecutive AssistantRun a senior leader's calendar, travel, inbox and information. A median of $76,590 a year, with no degree required.$77kTypical pay2 to 5 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandHuman Resources SpecialistHire people, pay them right and keep the company on the correct side of employment law.$76kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandManagement ConsultantCompanies hire you to study a problem they cannot fix themselves, then tell them what to do about it. Long hours, fast learning, good pay.$102kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandOffice AdministratorRun the machinery of an organization: schedules, records, vendors, payroll, the people at the front desk. You can start at eighteen and work your way up.$70kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandPayroll AdministratorYou make sure everybody gets paid the right amount, on time, with the right tax taken off. Get it wrong and the whole company notices.$58kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandProcurement SpecialistBuy everything an organization needs, on time and for the right price. An office career you can start without a degree.$51kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandProject ManagerKeep a big piece of work on schedule and on budget, across a team that does not report to you.$102kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemandRecruiterMatch people to jobs for a living. No license and no set degree, but your pay rises and falls with the hires you make.$76kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandSupply Chain AnalystWork out how a product gets from a factory to a shelf on time and for less money, then prove it with numbers.$82kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemand
Property
2Property ManagerYou run buildings other people own: tenants, rent, repairs, budgets. You can start at 18 and learn on the job.$70kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandReal Estate AppraiserYou put a defensible number on what a property is worth, and a lender bets money on your answer.$68kTypical pay1 to 5 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemand