Making money doesn't have to be a man's game. While a salary gap still exists between women and men, these jobs earn women some of their highest salaries. Find out which surprising jobs made the list, and learn how you can train for these careers with a degree or certificate.
Health care and business top jobs for women
According to a survey published in Forbes, nearly 60 percent of all women held or sought jobs in 2008. Women are finding satisfying, challenging jobs in the work force, and the top-paying fields where women are finding careers may surprise you.
While health care careers for pharmacists and speech-language pathologists both make it on the list, you'll also find careers in business and information technology. What's more, the education required in these top-paying careers may be less than you think. Check out some of the top-paying jobs for women, and learn how you can get to work.
Career #1: pharmacists
Distributing drugs, advising patients, and mixing medicine are just a few daily duties performed by pharmacists. This trusted career requires six to seven years of education, including a doctorate degree. Women earned median yearly earnings of $85,644 in 2008, the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau reports.
Looking for a career requiring a little less schooling? Consider a brief certification program to work as a pharmacy technician. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), workers earned mean annual wages of $28,500.
Career #2: chief executives
This career pick shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Working your way to the top comes with responsibility and challenges, but it also comes with a high financial reward. Female chief executives saw median annual earnings of $83,356 in 2008, according to the Women's Bureau. Whether you own your own business or work on a management team of an established company, you enjoy executive privilege.
Offer: Search for Schools
The best educational route to the boss' chair might be an M.B.A. in business management. This top business degree can be customized to your field and interests, making it an ideal choice for management and entrepreneurs alike.
Career #3: computer software engineers
This high-tech career comes with a high salary, rewarding you for a bachelor's degree in computer science or computer engineering. The Women's Bureau reports that women earned median annual earnings of $70,252 in 2008. And unlike the careers above, this job typically requires only a four-year bachelor's degree.
If you're looking for an IT job that focuses more on code and less on big-picture engineering, consider earning a bachelor's degree and working as a computer programmer. The BLS reports that workers across the industry earned mean annual wages of $73,470 in 2008.
Career #4: management analysts
Work with companies to improve their structure and boost their profits as a management analyst. These trained pros typically have some experience in business, plus the knowledge and ability to examine the structure from the inside. Women earned median annual wages of $59,228 in 2008, according to the Women's Bureau.
While work experience means a lot to the career, education can give you a boost in the right direction. An M.B.A. proves your business knowledge as well as your ability to keep your skills current.
Career #5: human resources managers
Healthy corporations depend on a strong human resources department. Everything from training courses to exit interviews is handled by this essential department, and trained managers are required to watch over teams of human resources workers. They're compensated well for their knowledge: The Women's Bureau reports that women working as human resources managers earned median annual wages of $59,124 in 2008.
A bachelor's degree in either human resources, human resources administration, or industrial and labor relations is suggested for these specialized managers. A master's degree may be recommended for top management positions. As always, education and experience matter in promotion talks.
Career #6: speech-language pathologists
This top career is special not only because it has you helping patients learning and relearning to speak. It's the only career on the list where women workers make just as much on average as their male counterparts. Usually, women make about 80 percent what men make, but both male and female speech-language pathologists earned median annual wages of $58,448 in 2008, the Women's Bureau notes.
A master's degree in speech-language pathology plus a license is required in some states for practicing speech-language pathologists. Some states grant a provisional license to bachelor's degree graduates as long as a master's degree is earned within three to five years.
Women enter career training programs
Good news for educated women! Unemployment statistics plummet for women after they earn a college degree. While unemployment for women age 25 and over with less than a high school diploma was 9.4 percent in 2008, the Women's Bureau reports that those with an associate degree had only a 3.7 percent unemployment rate, and women workers with a bachelor's degree or higher had 2.7 percent unemployment.
While no degree or certificate program can guarantee a particular career or salary among any of its graduates, the education women receive can make a big difference in their employment and career future.
