Best paying jobs in the UK

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We spend a lot of our lives working. 37.5 hours across 52 weeks is 1950 hours. That’s more than 81 complete days! We go to work to earn a living, but is that living actually worth that time you put in? With the average UK salary being £25,971, how does that compare to what you earn? If you are looking for a better wage, something that would allow you to live more comfortably and even reach those financial goals, you need to search for the best paying jobs in the UK.

Why do you need a higher paid job?

Most of us work to live, we don’t live to work. We go to our jobs for the purpose of earning money so we can buy the things we need and do the things we want. There are many things to consider when choosing a career and as well as interest and passion in that related field and your own personal happiness, salary is important too.
Some people think that money means happiness however, as Morgan Freeman’s character says in Bruce Almighty, “some of the happiest people in the world go home stinking to high heaven at the end of the day.” Money doesn’t equate to happiness, but money can help in times of uncertainty.
The recent cost of living crisis and rising inflation have meant that things are more expensive. Having a higher paid job that gives ample income helps us to live, even if the unexpected happens. Having a wage you can rely on helps settle your stress levels and support the ones you love. Let’s look at some highest paying jobs.

What jobs earn more than 500k per year?

How does half a million pounds a year sound? What would that mean to your income? How would you spend or invest it? An annual salary of £500,000 works out at just over £41k a month. That’s over £9500 a week. Just over £250 an hour if you are working 37.5 hours a week. How can you get your hands on that? Well, you’ll need to reassess your career ambitions.
There are certain jobs that will annually pay around or above that figure. Professional actors and actresses can easily make that amount every year, however, acting can be a tough gig if you aren’t starring in Hollywood films.
Surgeons can bring home that amount every year. You might see that they generally earn slightly less than that amount, but their income can be topped up with bonuses and other compensation packages. For most of us, it would mean a complete career shift and many years of training.
How do you fancy becoming a Chief Executive Officer? A CEO salary is on average over £500k, however, there is a lot of responsibility involved in the job. Chief Financial Officers can also earn a decent wedge of cash. Earnings could be even more if you had shares in the company.
Other examples of best paying jobs include authors, entrepreneurs and investment bankers.

What are the highest paying jobs in the UK without a degree?

You might think that to have access to a lot of the best paying jobs in the UK you need a degree? That isn’t the case as there are lots of opportunities where a degree isn’t required. Some jobs need the degree for the skill set whilst other employers might view a degree as desirable.
A mortgage advisor might start on £25,000 but the average salary for that profession is £45k. You could earn up to £80,000+ as some roles include commission, which can boost your earnings beyond what you thought was possible. The same applies to estate agents and recruitment consultants. The average earnings are around £50k however uncapped commissions could push your income up £90k or even £100,000.
The world relies on electricity and with more eyes on renewables, electricians are in demand. They have an average wage of around £35,000, however, with experience, salaries can go up towards £100k.
You could start as an apprentice plumber and be earning up to £20,000. Gain experience and set up your own business and you could earn much more. When people need you in an emergency, they will pay for your call-out charge and hourly rate.
Air traffic controllers have extremely responsible roles. It can be high stress when the skies are busy. These roles require you to have 5 GCSEs however on-the-job training and courses are also involved. The average salary is about £40,000 but £100k can be earned in this job.

What are the most comfortable and high-paying jobs?

If you don’t fancy the high stress of organising air traffic, you might be looking for well paid roles that are more comfortable.
Once you have finished your schooling for the job, an optometrist role is fairly comfortable. You’ll be in a person-facing role and actually help people for a living. It could also net you up to £90,000 a year.
Are you a bookworm? Do you love organisation and having the ability to ask people to be quiet? Librarians can earn more than you might think. Add a qualification in library science to your CV and you could earn £50k or more.
Do you have healing hands? An experienced massage therapist could earn £50,000+ a year, whilst working in the serenity of a spa. There is also flexibility to this work whilst you help people to feel better.

By 2025 what will be the most high-paying job?

Certain industries, sectors and roles are seeing high salary growth year on year. As the world moves forward and we become more reliant on different things, different jobs are becoming more important.
According to recruitment agency Robert Half and Adecco Australia, the jobs that are seeing the highest salary growth include software development, digital marketer, dev-ops and cloud engineer, cyber-security specialist and roles within financial planning & analysis.
If you are looking for an annual pay rise, these jobs could be perfect for you.

Fun jobs that pay well in the UK

Many people think that work needs to be serious all the time. However, there are lots of fun jobs that pay well too. Do you fancy being outside? How about walking for a living? A dog walker can easily charge £20 for a sixty-minute solo dog walk. Imagine getting 12 clients who need their dog walked 3 times a week? That’s just under £40k a year walking dogs!
Do you have a distinctive voice? Maybe you are brilliant at impersonations? Vocal artists can earn up to £50 an hour and you could be doing voice-overs for adverts or lending your voice to a cartoon character.
Do you have elegant fingers, callus-free palms and well-trimmed nails? Hand models can earn up to £50k a year posing for photos or as a stand-in for celebrities.
How do you fancy becoming a professional bridesmaid? Stepping in and helping out couples who have no one else could earn you £100 an hour. That could be £1200 a day. You’ll be able to wear fabulous dresses, pose for photographs and enjoy the delicious food. There will be plenty of dancing too!
Tea tasters have a starting salary of around £25,000. With more experience and a developed palette, this can rapidly rise. You’ll also get to visit incredible parts of the world. You could quite literally get paid for having a brew!

Career conclusion

A starting salary can soon become a highest salary when you progress and work your way up. Whether you have a degree or not, you can find jobs that fit your knowledge and expertise.
You might want to work in public relations, project management or investment banking. However, you might want to become the highest-paid pet sitter there ever was.
Gain experience, take part in training, step up a level and you can find best paying jobs in the UK that work for you.