What is a great career path that earns a great amount of money?

I had this exact same thought process when I was in high school. My senior year, I looked up what the highest paying college majors were and found that most of them were engineering. The top one was Chemical Engineering. I went to college and got a Chemical Engineering degree.

I never liked chemical engineering. I didn't like a single class throughout college... but I never changed majors. Why? Because I knew I'd get a high paying job after I graduated. All I cared about was having money and being able to spend it freely.

And then guess what? I got a high paying job and it was great! I was living large and loving life. I bought a car, traveled all over and bought all the things I never got growing up. It couldn't be better... right?

Wrong. The inevitable happened. I started to hate my job. Which is exactly what happens when you do something you're not passionate about. I started getting depressed and unhappy. I wondered "How is this possible?! I have the job. I have the money. Why the hell am I sad?!"

Ever heard the phrase "money doesn't buy happiness." It's true. It finally hit me in the head 3 years after graduating college. From then on I decided I was going to pursue what I was passionate about, entrepreneurship.

2 years later I've started a company and I'm doing what I love for a lot less money... but am 10x happier.

One of my favorite quotes is from Steve Jobs and I think you'll like it:
"For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something...almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose."

So here's my advice, find what you love. You probably won't know when high school ends. You might not know when college ends. But if you stay focused on trying to find what you love... eventually you will be happy.

Good for you in considering this early. You should make sure that you are in a career that will give you a sustainable, steady income, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you need to have so much money that you can throw it away. There are three things you want to consider:

1. How high is the compensation in a given career?


2. How competitive is the market for jobs in a given career?


3. How much will I enjoy the given career?

I can't give you a comprehensive list, but I'll offer a few suggestions for you to consider.

- Finance industry careers. These are often high paying, but can be extremely competitive because of the high compensation. In addition, these tend to be higher stress careers, so you need to really enjoy the fast-paced work environment in order to thrive in finance.

- Engineering. Depending on the sub-field, there is generally a very high demand right now for engineers in the United States. That means that compensation is somewhat higher now than it has been in the recent past. This is particularly true for software developers, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and more. You're going to make good use of math on an everyday basis as an engineer.

- Doctors, dentists, and other healthcare professionals. Generally speaking, careers in healthcare are quite high paying. You have to remember that it takes a long time in school to become a doctor, and that means you're going to have a lot of debt when you start earning money. It could take several years before you pay it off, but when you do, you're likely to be in pretty solid financial shape.

- Accountants (CPAs at big firms) use math a lot and can command a pretty attractive compensation. However, this is also a relatively competitive job market, so be a little wary of that if you're not sure whether you can compete academically.

- Sales. This one doesn't get brought up a lot, and may not be as respected by some people, but it's true that salespeople and sales managers definitely make a fair amount of money. Every company in the world has some form of salesperson involved, and usually the higher paid ones are working in business-to-business roles, selling industrial equipment, software platforms, etc. This one won't involve much math, it is definitely hard work, and might mean traveling a lot so you don't get to spend much time at home with your friends and family, but if you think you have the ability to influence people rapidly, it could be a fit. It's hard to be a really good salesperson, but if you can figure it out, it is a high paying role.

You're asking the right questions. Keep probing further with these careers and the ones proposed by other professionals. Good luck!

First, I would STRONGLY advise not focusing on money. Focus on what you want to do. In my opinion, coming home as a happy and fulfilled individual to a family that can't quite afford to go disney world is WAY better than coming home stressed and pissed to a family that is tired of going to disney world.

That being said, if you like math and problem solving, engineering could be for you. It's very broad, you can find engineering in almost any industry. It can be hands on or very theoretical. You can travel the world or stay at home. You can work for big companies or small companies. And it pays a good salary without having to sell your soul.

Engineering is an in-demand career choice that is intellectualy engaging and has high salaries:

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/articles/2013/03/14/engineering-grads-enjoy-greater-job-prospects

US News has recently labeled it the "it" degree:
"Engineering Grads Enjoy Greater Job Prospects. From construction and energy to banking, a growing array of career paths awaits future engineers."