Money has become a very important aspect of our professional lives. The amounts that we make play an important role in our job satisfaction, as well as in our personal life. For this reason, it is important for us to know which are the big salary careers today and which are not so that we may opt for these high paying careers ahead in life. If you are at a point in life where you are confused on which career to pursue and about which career would be the best for you according to the financial aspect, here are the highest paying careers:

1. Surgeons: With an average annual pay of $206,770 (in the US), this is the highest paying job for anyone. We all know that the medical profession is one the most lucrative jobs, irrespective of the decade or the era. However, there are several low paying jobs even in the medical profession, so beware of these. A surgeon is the highest paid individual in the medical profession. As the name suggests, the surgeon is the individual who carries out the surgeries, which makes his profile one of the most important and critical ones in the medical profession.
2. Anesthesiologists: The average annual salary for such an individual is $197,570. An anesthesiologist is the person who is most important during a surgery, after the surgeon. The anesthesiologist is the person who delivers anesthesia to the person and ensures that the blood pressure and the heartbeat levels are normal and natural. For his prime role in the surgery, he is paid very high.
3. Orthodontists: You probably knew this due to the high bills you get when doing to the dentist. The average annual pay for these dentists: $194,930.
4. Obstetrician and Gynecologists: These blokes receive and average annual pay of $192,780. Gynecologists ensure a safe, natural and healthy delivery of the child. A gynecologist also looks after the reproductive and sexual health of a woman. Therefore, gynecologist is one of the most revered and critical profiles in the world, because this profile is related to the reproduction of the human race.
5. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons: Average annual pay – $190,420. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is a surgery to correct a wide spectrum of diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region. It is a recognized international surgical specialty and it is one of the nine specialties of dentistry.
6. Internists: internists serve as primary care physicians, the doctors you might see when it’s time for your yearly checkup. But internists spend more time training to specialize in a particular internal organ or system. For example, internists might specialize in the digestive system. In that case, they’d see a lot of patients with problems related to the stomach, liver, intestines, or other digestive organs. Their average annual pay is $176,740.
7. Prosthodontists: A prosthodontist is a dental specialist who is skilled in the replacement of missing teeth and the restoration of natural teeth. Their average annual pay is $169,810.
8. Physicians: Physicians practice the profession of medicine,  which is concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases or injury. The make an average of $165,000 per year.
9. Family and General Practitioners: These are a medical practioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. Their average annual income: $161,490.
10. CEOs: They make $160,440 a year. A chief executive officer is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization. He reports to the board of directors.

Following these high-paid careers are the following:

Dentists: $154,270

Psychiatrists: $154,050

Pediatricians: $153,370

Specialist Dentists: $142,070

Podiatrists: $125,760

Lawyers: $124,750

Natural Sciences Managers: $123,140

Engineering Managers: $120,580

Pilots: $119,750

Petroleum Engineers: $119,140

Computer and Information Systems Managers: $118,710

Marketing Managers: $118,160

Financial Managers: $110,640

Sales Managers: $110,390

Air Traffic Controllers: $108,090

(*average annual pays provided by Forbes Magazine 2009)

Therefore, the jobs that pay the most may be narrowed down into five categories:

• Medical and dental
• Business and technology and management
• Airline and space
• Law
• Engineering and science

Other High Paying Jobs

1. Movie Directors: $185.71/hr; $956,050/yr
2. Bank CEO : $111.42/hr; $567,050/yr (entry level)
3. Actors: $91.15/hr; $357,430/yr
4. Athlete: $71.31/hr; $131,680/yr
5. Computer programmer: $64.3/hr; $126,940/yr
6. Actuaries, certified: $57.52/hr; $119,680 (base salary only)
7. Pediatricians, general: $56.03/hr; $116,550/yr
8. Psychiatrists: $54.60/hr; $113,570/yr
9. Family and general practitioners: $52.89/hr; $110,020/yr
10. Dentists: $53.28/hr; $110,820/yr
11. Pharmacists: $53.00/hr; $110,240/yr
12. Chief Executives: $51.77/hr; $107,670/yr
13. Airline pilots, co-pilots and flight engineers: (N/A); $99,400/yr
14. Steamfitter (L.U. 638): 47.65/hr; hr wages double after 2pm daily; $150/yr
15. Podiatrists: $45.43/hr; $94,500/yr
16. Lawyers: $44.19/hr; $91,920/yr
17. Optometrists: $42.35/hr; $88,100/yr
18. Computer and information systems managers: $40.33/hr; $83,890/yr
19. Physicists: $40.26/hr; $83,750/yr
20. Air traffic controllers: $40.07/hr; $83,350/yr
21. Petroleum Engineers: $39.33/hr; $81,800/yr
22. Nuclear Engineers: $38.56/hr; $80,200/yr
23. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates: $38.24/hr; $79,540/yr
24. Marketing Managers: $37.70/hr; $78,410/yr