When you think of jobs that pay six figures, you think doctor, lawyer or something else or anything with the word "chief," "director," "engineer" or "petroleum" in it.
But there are some jobs that pay six figures that you might not expect or imagine. People you may come across on a daily basis or some who you may not, but never suspect they make that much!
"Generally, high-paid jobs require one or more of the following: extensive formal education, high level of responsibility or performance, unique skills or talent, and extensive on the job experience," said Al Lee, director of quantitative analysis at PayScale.com. And most involve the employee earning "substantial income and profits for the employer," Lee added.
The average salary is about $40,000 in America, according to the Social Security Administration, and just about 5 % of the American population makes $100,000 or more.
Here are six-figure jobs that you might not expect would pay that much:
You don't think of call center jobs as high-paying jobs; in fact, you apt to think of them as low-paying jobs that are often shipped overseas. But there are a few positions, including call-center analysts, who oversee quality and assurance and train the representatives as well as the director of the call center who can make six figures. One listing on Indeed.com for a six-figure job as a QA Call Center Analyst in Chantilly, Va., need that the person be bilingual -- in English and Spanish. Call Center Directors, meanwhile, have a median salary of $121,000, according to salary.com.
Afghan Language Specialists
It's all about supply, demand and the time itself and since the U.S. became involved in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks, there has always been demand for linguists or interpreters of the two main Afghan languages, Dari and Pashto. The usual salary for a linguist or interpreter who speaks Dari is $187,000 and it's $193,000 for those who speak Pashto, according to Indeed.com. The jobs would be range from an interpreter for military personnel to a media desk officer who would translate Afghan news stories and communicate with Afghan media.
Elevator Mechanic
Elevators can be dangerous when they go wrong, as evident by the recent elevator crash in New York City at a Bed, Bath & Beyond that left 15 people injured. As a result, elevator mechanics get paid very well than before. The median salary is $72,900 but the top 10 percent can make $109,000 or more, according to PayScale.com. One listing for a "Vertical Transportation Director" in Arlington, Va., requires 10 years of experience as an elevator mechanic and five to 10 years of management experience in the elevator business.
Flight Training Coordinator
You might probably expect a pilot to make six figures, but perhaps not a flight training coordinator. Actually flight training coordinators have an important job -- they research and develop new techniques related to flight training programs for an organization, including classroom lessons and simulator sessions. It could be for a commercial purpose or private carrier or training school or an aerospace company. The median salary for that flight training coordinators is $118,000 but can go above $200,000 for the top 10 percent, according to Salary.com.
Nuclear Power Reactor Operator
The earthquake and subsequent nuclear disaster in Japan established just how dangerous nuclear power reactor operators are -- and how valuable they are. As a result, it's a high-paying job. The median salary is $86,000 but the top 10 percent make an average of $128,000, according to PayScale.com.
The median salary of court reporters is $57,200 but those who are more experienced and skilled and can type 200+ words a minute make an average of $105,000, according to PayScale.com. And, court reporters are probably to be one of the jobs in demand over the next decade -- both inside and outside the courtroom -- with the number of court reporters expected to jump 18 percent, according to the Labor Department.
You might think of doctors, who have to go to medical school, as making six figures or more, but not pharmacists. In fact, the median salary for pharmacists in the U.S. is $113,000, according to Salary.com. It's not just filling out instructions, it's offering advice on dosage and side effects and interacting with doctors. Becoming a pharmacist requires a bachelor's degree and an advanced degree in pharmacy. The job prospects are expected to be good over the next decade -- the number of pharmacist jobs is expected to jump over 17 percent, according to the Labor Department.
You never think of personal trainers, who get paid hourly, as six-figure contenders, but it all depends on where they actually work and who they're coaching. The mean salary of a personal trainer is $54,200, according to PayScale, but the top 10 percent can earn $100,000 or more than that. The top performers tend to be those who are basically certified personal trainers, who have a college education and many years of experience. The highest-paying cities for personal-trainer jobs are: Ann Arbor, Mich., where rates can reach up to approx $70 an hour, followed by New York, Baltimore, Tampa and Boston.
Last Updated: 22/05/2011