Top Paying Professions Interview Preparation Guide

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Nurse Anesthetists are highly skilled advanced practice registered nurses who work closely with medical and nursing staff assisting during medical procedures which require anesthesia. Nurse anesthetists must complete specialized graduate level Master's degrees accredited by Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs in order to qualify for employment. Graduates must also be board certified by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists to advance to careers earning average annual salaries of $144,000 to $165,000.

Chief Nursing Officers are important executives within the health care industry offering administrative leadership, strategic planning, and senior nurse management expertise within a number of health care organizations. Chief nursing officers develop means of improving patient care and staff relations, recruit and retain nurses, manage daily operations of nursing departments, maintain regulations and compliance with laws or accreditations, and develop nursing polices. Chief nursing officers must complete graduate programs in nursing and often gain certification through the American Organization of Nurse Executives as determined by organization of employment and state regulations. Salaries for chief nursing officers generally range from $90,000 to $134,000 annually.

Nurse Midwives offer women's health services to women throughout their lives with gynecological care, contraception, childbirth and delivery, newborn and family care, and education. Nurse midwives must complete master's degree studies accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME). Additionally, nurse midwives must complete clinical experiences to gain hands on practice before going on to state and employer required certification programs offered by the American Midwifery Certification Board. Nurse midwives generally earn $83,070 to $98,225 annually.

Nurse Managers and Nursing Administrators offer specialized human resource and management support within medical facilities. Nurse managers perform as administrators who recruit, hire, and train staff and handle the business aspects of health care organizations with strategic planning, leadership, and devise means of improving patient care. Training to become a nurse manager requires completion of a graduate level nursing degree combined with work experience. Nurse managers and administrators earn salaries of $79,000 to $99,000 annually.

Nurse Researchers collect, analyze, and publish data for health policy organizations and private companies based upon pharmaceutical, medical, and nursing innovations, methods, and products. Nurse researchers must complete a master's or doctoral degree in Nursing as well as gain certification through the Society of Research Associates to establish careers with salaries of $70,000 to $95,000 annually.

Legal Nurse Consultants are registered nurses with specialized training who offer their expertise for legal cases based in medical claims, medical malpractice, personal injury, workers' compensation, and health care issues. Legal nurse consultants work closely with attorneys as a professional in litigation teams preparing reports regarding illness and injury, establishing evidence, and help find or act as expert witness.based upon the health care system, medical terminology, and medical records. Legal nurse consultants must generally complete a bachelor degree in nursing combined with a minimum of three years work experience or a master's degree. All legal nurse consultants must also complete certification programs offered through the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants to advance as professionals in the field. Earnings for most legal nurse consultants range from $62,000 to $80,000 annually.

Nurse practitioners are upper level advanced nursing professionals who provide health care via diagnoses, treatments, and the administration of medications to patients. Nurse practitioners are required to complete intensive Master's degree programs, including specializations within family, pediatric, or geriatric nursing, and licensing programs to advance as professionals. Earnings for nurse practitioners range from $54,000 to $82,000 annually.

►Doctors and Surgeons: $165,720-$225,390
►Chief Executive Officer (CEO): $173,350
►Dentists: $158,770
►Lawyers: $129,440
►Natural Sciences Manager: $129,320
►Petroleum Engineer: $127,970
►Architectural Engineering Manager: $125,900
►Computer and Information Systems Manager: $123,280

►Marketing Manager: $122,720
►Financial Manager: $116,970
►Airline pilot, copilot and flight engineer: $115,300
►Sales Manager: $114,110
►Industrial-Organizational Psychologist: $114,040
►General and Operations Manager: $113,100
►Physicist: $112,020

► Surgeons: $219,770
► Anesthesiologists: $211,750
► Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons: $210,710
► Orthodontists: $206,190
► Obstetricians & Gynecologists: $204,470
► Internists: $183,990
► Physicians & Surgeons: $173,860
► Family and general practitioners: $168,550
► Chief Executive Officer (CEO): $167,280
► Psychiatrists: $163,660