Bookmark this page
Interested in working your way into the top 1 percent of wage-earners? You'll need a career that pays top dollar for a start, but how to determine which one has the most potential? The New York Times recently broke it down and uncovered a few surprises. For instance, only 1 in 8 attorneys are in the top 1 percent of earners, although those who work on Wall Street have a better shot: A third of them are 1 percenters.
CEOs of medical companies are more likely to be in the top percentile than CEOs in general. One in 4 chief executives at medical supply companies are in the top 1 percent, as are 2 in 5 of those whose companies produce drugs. On average, fewer than 1 in 5 CEOs at companies overall make the top percentile.
The 2010 Census lists the college majors most likely to land its recipients in the highest wage echelons. They are, in order, premed, economics, biochemistry, zoology and biology. Lower on the list are degree-holders in accounting, mathematics and English literature. Of course, it often depends on what you do with your degree: Many of those further down on the list of earners become teachers or enter the lower-paying public sector rather than the private sector.
Do you consider potential earnings as the most important factor in your choice of career or degree?
Keep up with your wealth and mortgages and follow me on Twitter.
Get more news, money-saving tips and expert advice by signing up for a free Bankrate newsletter.
i like to be rich. HELP