The 10 Most Lucrative Jobs

You list is out of date.
Since the dot com bust, web designers and those in IT are struggling.

Investment Bankers, Solicitors, Barristers and Doctors are still doing well.
However, they routinely work over 80 hours a week. So on an hourly basis, they are actually underpaid.

There is still no free lunch !

Reply 2

brabzzz

Yeah, kinda.

There are a whole host of careers that will eventaully get you £100K+. Lots. Ex-SF working in Iraq as 'security' pull in over 100k. And most jobs that result in some form of partnership typically pay millions (eventually). A bit of a random list - some of those careers can pay vastly vastly more (doctor springs to mind, amongst others), some important ones (eg and investment bankers) are omitted and some (eg web developer) have, imho, no place in the list as the average wage in that line of work i so damn low.

But you forgot entreneurship. IMHO, thats the only way to become absolutely minted...

Reply 3

This is not my list, it is from the Winter 05/06 Investor Guide.
http://www.investorguide.co.uk/101ways/

IT, can't be that bad, I mean the talented students can do very well, some of them even start their own companies.

Reply 4

brabzzz

I realised it was not yor personal list. I simply find the £XXXk+ a bit weird, as it is a meaningless number. Avg. London accoutancy partner pay is 500k, IB can take home tens of millions, many doctors are very very well off etc etc, so the max figure seems almost misleading.

IT isn't in a great way. A lot of grads can't get jobs like they could 'back then', the dot com boom is very much over and there is a flood of code monkeys from India (etc) saturating the market. What you say of talented IT students holds for any and every field, but if i was picking a carer sector based statistically on 'opportunity', i would not be picking IT now.

Reply 5

IT (my field) isnt bad but it pales in comparison to the finance\legal sectors.

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brabzzz

I realised it was not yor personal list. I simply find the £XXXk+ a bit weird, as it is a meaningless number. Avg. London accoutancy partner pay is 500k, IB can take home tens of millions

The problem with doing that is, I cant afford the cost of a degree which is required for those fields - and besides, money isnt my sole consideration when choosing a career.

Reply 6

The stock market is a exciting way to make money though

Investment clubs
Sector trading
Share portfolios
Bargain Shares
Small company shares
Momentum shares
Short selling
Sell at the right time
Stock screening
Housebuilder shares
Dog shares
Charting
Mining companies
Pairs trading

So much fun to be had in the process, and I'm still very young. :smile:

I've done my 'research' on the medical and legal professions and it's not as appealing since speaking to an Uncle who is a Doctor did'nt recommend it.

Doctors and Lawyers might earn loads, but it's fiercly competitive for entry.

A 5 or 6 yr course, anti-social hours, on NHS pay scale, and living costs in London, and the amount of debt at graduation especially with the introduction of top up fees of £3,000 per year. With AAA now being the norm, and even more testing with BMAT. Take into consideration it takes at least another 7 years to become a Consultant Surgeon. The competition is extremely fierce in some areas like Cardiothoracic. How many of the graduates get shortlisted for medical interviews, or make it as a consultant surgeon, it's just far too competitive.

Law is one of the most popular courses, and it's become even more competitive with the LNAT. Take into consideration a 3 year LLB degree is no gurantee of a high flying career, many other graduates do conversion courses and enter the legal profession. The number of training contracts are limited, and the costs for further study for the Legal Practice Course, it just adds up to so much student debt. Most end up earning little more than a teacher? about 35k?

Reply 7

Its a risky option, even if you do spread your investments, although some stocks seem to have been a surefire win (such as Google).

Reply 8

Dynamic_1

IT, can't be that bad, I mean the talented students can do very well, some of them even start their own companies.

IT is pretty dismal for job prospects.
I would be very worried if I was doing it at a university that was not in the top 10. I am doing computer science and am planning to do a PhD at Cambridge or MIT and stay in academia.

Reply 9

fundamentally

IT is pretty dismal for job prospects.

So much for the "skills shortage". :rolleyes:

Reply 10

Dynamic_1

Most end up earning little more than a teacher? about 35k?

I rather think not.

A cousin of mine joined Clifford and Chance ( a Magic Circle firm ) after he finished his degree at Cambridge and his LPC at the Inns of Court. I understand that he is getting 54K as a first year trainee solicitor ( including his bonus and various allowances ). He expects to be earning 80K in 2 -3 years. If he then decides that trying to be "made up" ( partner track ) is not for him, he can join one of the local American firms and easily earn 90 - 100 k. Sure, it is not the crazy money (100k+ in the first year ) that the investment bankers get, but the working conditions and hours are far better.

Of course, the smaller firms and the firms outside the City, pay much less.
On the other hand, the American firms with branches in the City pay more.

Reply 11

fundamentally

How would you define top 10 Computer Science departments or courses?

I know it would definately include Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford, UCL, Warwick, Manchester and a few others. Is The Times league table accurate?

This is the older table http://www.timesonline.co.uk/displayPopup/0,,13394,00.html

The latest table
http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/gooduniversityguide2005/20computing.pdf

PhD's can be competitive, especially when some supervisors wish to devote their full attention to a handful of students, so even some very outstanding people get rejected.

Does the degree teach you any real practical skills? There is so much learning throughout a Computing career with certifications in Cisco, Microsoft, SAP and a few others. If you have a BSc Computer Science from a top 20 Computer Science department you should do well. Leading university is the top 20?

If you have all the necessary qualities most employers seek and a degree from a top 20 computer science department you should do fine.

Reply 12

fundamentally

A cousin of mine joined Clifford and Chance ( a Magic Circle firm ) after he finished his degree at Cambridge and his LPC at the Inns of Court. I understand that he is getting 54K as a first year trainee solicitor ( including his bonus and various allowances ). He expects to be earning 80K in 2 - 3 years.

Perhaps I was right about being "poor"...I'm looking at a trainee wage of 15k with EDS...

Reply 13

Ferrus

sr4470

Perhaps I was right about being "poor"...I'm looking at a trainee wage of 15k with EDS...

Then again a trainee solictor at a high street/legal aid firm will be paid the bare minimum, that is 14K per annum.

Reply 14

Dynamic_1

How would you define top 10 Computer Science departments or courses?

I know it would definitely include Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford, UCL, Warwick, Manchester and a few others. Is The Times league table accurate?

The latest table
http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/gooduniversityguide2005/20computing.pdf

Seems reasonable.
I am a bit dubious about Swansea and Southampton.

My list would look like this:

Tier 1 ( all equally good though Oxbridge has the better reputation )
Oxford
Cambridge
Imperial College

Tier 2 ( Very good. Nearly as good as a Tier 1 course)
University College London
Bristol
Warwick
York

Tier 3 (Good, but there is some distance separating these from the best courses)
Nottingham
Durham
Manchester
St Andrews
Bath
Edinburgh
Cardiff

Tier 4 (Adequate.Graduates from these will face tough competition from tiers above them, especially in these tough times for IT)
Surrey
Sheffield
Lancaster
Newcastle
Southampton
Swansea

As for the rest, unless you are very good, have a lot of work experience or have great contacts, they will only prepare you for unemployment or to try and set up a small business of your own. Small businesses in IT have a 80% failure rate.

Reply 15

Ferrus

fundamentally

He expects to be earning 80K in 2 -3 years. If he then decides that trying to be "made up" ( partner track ) is not for him, he can join one of the local American firms and easily earn 90 - 100 k.

As well as retrain as a barrister under less risky circumstances given he's already on the roll of solicitors and has a fall back.

Reply 16

fundamentally

Seems reasonable.
I am a bit dubious about Swansea and Southampton.

My list would look like this:

Tier 1 ( all equally good though Oxbridge has the better reputation )
Oxford
Cambridge
Imperial College

Tier 2 ( Very good )
University College London
Bristol
Warwick

Tier 3 (Good )
Nottingham
Durham
York
Manchester
St Andrews
Bath
Edinburgh
Cardiff

Tier 4 (Adequate but graduates from these will face tough competition from tiers above them)
Surrey
Sheffield
Lancaster
Newcastle
Southampton
Swansea

University of London has many colleges, but only Imperial and UCL make the list? What about KCL, QM, City?

Reply 17

Dynamic_1

University of London has many colleges, but only Imperial and UCL make the list? What about KCL, QM, City?

They have their strengths. But those strengths are not in IT.

I just had a look at the Times list. They seem to agree. Kings in number 30, QM is 36 and City is 37. ie: they are around the level of Loughborough, Aberystwyth and De Montfort. Prepare to struggle to get a job afterwards
( unless you have a First class, great work experience or good contacts )

Reply 18