The term “high income” is a moving target—jobs that once allowed folks to afford a nice lifestyle can lose their luster over time as inflation and other economic forces conspire to erode their value. If you want to be in the top 10% of income in the United States, for example, you have to earn at least $160,000 annually. Which is … a lot, considering that the average income these days is around $60,000.
If you’re trying to bridge that $100,000 gap, there are some surprising ways to earn six figures, and some jobs that pay pretty well without requiring a degree. But if you really want to rake in the cash, you might have to consider not only getting out from behind your desk, but also risking your dignity and possibly your physical safety. The jobs on this list pay extraordinarily well—but that high income comes with a cost.
When the subject of high-paying, dangerous jobs comes up, someone will always mention commercial fishing in Alaska. Is it dangerous? Well, when no one died in 2021 it was big enough news to be mentioned by the Alaskan government, so there’s your answer. But it can be incredibly profitable in the short term: While the average annual income for commercial fisherman in general is just $28,530, deckhands working boats in Alaska can make as much as $50k in a few months, and even young kids like this guy can earn $100-$125 per day—he eventually hauled in $7,000 over one summer. Most boats pay out a percentage of the profits instead of a salary, so earnings can vary wildly—but you can definitely make a ton of cash in a short time if you’re willing to work incredibly hard and deal with the danger and harsh conditions.
Whether this remains true is a good question—the Alaskan fishing industry is in crisis and shedding jobs instead of adding them, so finding a job there might not be as easy as it once was. If you’re interested and have some fishing or maritime experience you can check the Alaska Job Finder board, and if you don’t have any experience but want to check out this career, you can contact the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) about their training program.
The average earnings for garbage collectors vary from area to area—while the median salary was just $43,540 in 2022, garbage collectors in San Francisco could make more than $72k—and in some areas, like New York City, garbage workers can pull in well into the six figures once overtime kicks in. So if you’re willing to deal with one of the dirtiest jobs in the world (as well as long shifts that often take place in the middle of the night), you can really earn a good living.
Oil rigs offer a career path that can lead to high earnings, but come with significant danger and separation from family and other aspects of your life. Starting off as a Roustabout will usually bring a relatively modest salary between $35k and $45k, but being promoted to Roughneck can bump your salary into six figures in some circumstances. If you stick with this dirty, dangerous career path, you can work your way up to Tool Pusher, where the salaries max out closer to $250,000 per year in some cases—though it can take decades to get there.
Certified public accountants can eventually earn an average salary of over $122,000 per year. While you obviously need to have a way with numbers and math (and a love for taxes) to do the job, you might be surprised to find out it’s a job no one wants—as it turns out, there’s a dire CPA shortage in this country because becoming a CPA is actually really, really hard. In addition to a bachelor’s degree, you usually have to complete what’s known as the “150 Hour requirement,” which is basically a two-year apprenticeship before you can even sit for the exam, which itself is no walk in the park. But if you can get through the process, you have the potential to earn a very high income.
If the phrase “sold waste” makes you wince, you already know why nobody wants to be a Solid Waste Manager. As you might imagine, the job is chiefly concerned with properly collecting, processing, and disposing of waste from cities and organizations, which can involve some, er, hands-on work in landfills or with hazardous materials. But the average annual salary for the job is $121,755, with a high-end nearing $160k. Best of all—you don’t necessarily need a college degree to become one.
It might seem strange to think that being a doctor of some sort could be on a list of jobs no one wants—everyone’s parents dream of their kids becoming doctors, don’t they? Sure, but then you realize which part of the body gastroenterologists deal with and it all makes sense. Despite the fact that gastroenterologists earn an average income of $501,000—that’s half a million dollars—there’s a severe shortage of them, fueled by both increasing demand from an aging population and a lack of new physicians pursuing the specialty.
While the unglamorous nature of the work likely has something to do with a lack of gastroenterologists, it can also be a very high-stress job with long hours, a lot of emotional impact, and a very high burnout rate.
When you look for jobs with high salaries, you’ll often be directed to look into truck driving. There’s a huge demand for drivers with their commercial driver’s license (CDL), and trucking companies are so hard up for drivers they’re often willing to train you and help you get your CDL. And the jobs pay really well: While your pay varies by region and the kind of driving you do (the longer you’re willing to stay out on the road, the more you get paid), some driver salaries scrape near $200k annually. Walmart advertises that their drivers can earn up to $100,000 in their first year.
There are downsides, however. Driving a truck not only means being away from family for long stretches, enduring loneliness and very high stress levels, it also means a very sedentary lifestyle, which can have a severely negative impact on your health. Whether those six figures are worth it is something you’ll have to decide for yourself.
