Finding a job you love doing, which also pays well, is no mean feat. But it might be encouraging to learn that there are many well-paying jobs across a range of industries, from politics and law to recruitment and aviation.
Some of them don’t even require you to have a degree, meaning you can save on costly tuition fees, start off in an entry-level position and work your way up.
While the starting salary for some of them might be a little modest, if you’re dedicated to your job, and you work hard, you could find yourself progressing to the higher pay brackets within a few years.
However, if you currently have the required experience, are searching for a career change, and want to start earning the big bucks, read on to find out which jobs pay more than £100,000 per year.
Some of the highest-paid people in the UK work as lawyers, stockbrokers, chief executives, estate agents, air traffic controllers, recruitment consultants, mortgage advisors and electricians.
Working in business-to-business sales can also pay more than £100,000 per year, and the prime minister is rewarded with a substantial salary too.
In this article, we’ll go through each of these roles in more detail and give an indication of what each one pays.
Lawyer
It should come as no surprise that a job in law pays well.
However, it can take a while before you start earning serious money. New lawyers usually make between £25,000 and £35,000, and it can take years before you reach the £100,000 mark.
How much you make also depends on the area you choose to specialise in. Financial, corporate and personal injury law tend to provide the largest salaries, while the more caring and compassionate areas usually pay the least.
Stockbroker
Stockbrokers can make an annual salary of more than £100,000, but it's their bonuses that enable them to really rake in the money. Some brokers can even earn more than £2 million per year.
But to succeed as a broker, you’ll need to have a high tolerance for the frantic trading environment of the stock exchange, as well as a good instinct for investment.
Chief Executive
A CEO of a successful company can easily earn more than £100k a year, as demonstrated by Microsoft, Google and Amazon.
In fact, the chief executive of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, earns a salary of more than £500,000 per year.
Many CEOs started out by completing an MBA and then working their way through the ranks of the company.
Prime Minister
It may not be a realistic career goal for most people, but it’s still interesting to know what you can expect to be paid if you become prime minister.
As well as being paid a salary of £158,000 a year, the UK prime minister benefits from a whole host of perks, including free housing and transport.
It comes with a great deal of stress and responsibility though, so they definitely earn their money. Plus, they’re not loved by everyone, so it’s not the best job for people-pleasers.
B2B Sales
Working in business-to-business sales can earn you a salary of anything from £15k to more than £100k a year, depending on what you’re selling and how long you’ve been at the company.
From a fleet of cars to cutting-edge software, B2B products and services usually sell for a lot of money – and that normally means a big commission.
To get a job in sales, you don’t necessarily need a qualification, as employers tend to just look for “salesperson qualities”.
Estate Agent
The average estate agent earns around £60,000 per year, but those who are good at their jobs can make well over £100,000. Again, commission can play a big part.
If you’re just starting out, though, expect to be paid a basic salary of between £12k and £16k, however, you can push this up to £30k with commission.
Like with a sales position, you’re not always required to have a qualification, but to be a successful estate agent, you will need qualities like confidence, persistence and good communication skills.
Specialist Electrician
While the average electrician earns between £30,000 and £40,000 per year in a salaried role, those who work in construction can make more than £70,000 by working at double or triple time rates.
By going self-employed or becoming a contractor, you can earn much more than this as an electrician, however, you will need an NVQ in electrotechnical services to become fully qualified.
Recruitment Consultant
The base salary of a recruiter is between £12k and £16k plus commission, going up to £50k with commission if you’re good at your job and more than £100k if you excel at it.
There’s no cap on earnings and bonuses and you get more commission for higher-paid industries.
Again, there are no formal qualifications, but as with any sales job, you’ll have to be confident, driven and persistent to succeed in your role.
Mortgage Advisor
Thanks to the commissions and bonuses they get on arrangement fees, mortgage advisors technically work in sales, making this the fourth sales position on this list.
The average mortgage advisor makes £45,000 to £60,000 a year, however, a talented broker can earn in excess of £80,000. There’s no cap on earnings, so if you consistently sell mortgage deals you’ll be rewarded handsomely.
Air Traffic Controller
If you’re thinking of a well-paid career in aviation, your mind might automatically go to an airline pilot. While it’s true that pilots can earn more than £140,000 per year, air traffic controllers don’t do too badly either.
You’ll be responsible for the safety of thousands of people, so it’s demanding work that requires remarkable concentration and great levels of physical fitness, however, senior air traffic controllers are recognised for this, earning in excess of £100k per year.
Summary
There are many jobs that pay more than £100k a year, and some of these don’t even require you to get any prior qualifications.
If you want to earn the big bucks, though, you will have to put in the extra effort to get to the top and you should expect to be on a fraction of the salary when you first start out.