Jobs That Pay $60,000 a Year

By Rachel Zupek,

So, you want more money? Welcome to the club. We've been waiting for you.

These days, it seems no one is satisfied with the amount of zeros at the end of his or her paycheck.  According to a new CareerBuilder.com survey, 83 percent of employees are living paycheck to paycheck to make ends meet. Twenty-three percent of respondents said they would need to earn an extra $251 to $500 more per paycheck to live comfortably, while 12 percent said they need to earn $501 to $750. Twenty percent of workers say they would need to earn more than an additional $1,000 more per check to live comfortably.

With the current national median salary at $40,690, these statistics are as surprising as they are expected. If you're looking to earn a few more dollars per paycheck, here are 15 jobs that earn between $60,000 and $69,999 annually, which are also expected to experience growth through 2016.

1.   Appraiser

Annual mean income: $60,689*

Projected employment in 2016: 118,000**

Increase between 2006 and 2016: 17 percent

2.   Architect

Annual mean income: $62,246

Projected employment in 2016: 155,000

Increase between 2006 and 2016: 18 percent

3.   Communications editor

Annual mean income: $68,267

Projected employment in 2016: 124,000

Increase between 2006 and 2016: 9 percent

4.   Computer Programmer Analyst

Annual mean income: $65,911

Projected employment in 2016: 650,000

Increase between 2006 and 2016: 29 percent

5.   Counseling psychologist

Annual mean income: $64,851

Projected employment in 2016: 176,000

Increase between 2006 and 2016: 16 percent

6.   Pediatric nurse

Annual mean income: $61,467

Projected employment in 2016: 3,092,000

Increase between 2006 and 2016: 23 percent

7.   Physician assistant

Annual mean income: $63,655

Projected employment in 2016: 83,000

Increase between 2006 and 2016: 27 percent

8.   Property leasing manager

Annual mean income: $65,320

Projected employment in 2016: 379,000

Increase between 2006 and 2016: 15 percent

9.   Seismologist

Annual mean income: $66,749

Projected employment in 2016: 38,000

Increase between 2006 and 2016: 22 percent

Web developer

Annual mean income: $66,864

Projected employment in 2016: 157,000

Increase between 2006 and 2016: 15 percent

10.  Media manager

Annual mean income: $66,931

Projected employment in 2016: 651,000

Increase between 2006 and 2016: 12 percent

11.  Meteorologist

Annual mean income: $68,594

Projected employment in 2016: 9,700

Increase between 2006 and 2016: 11 percent

12.  Purchasing manager

Annual mean income: $69,373

Projected employment in 2016: 72,000

Increase between 2006 and 2016: 3 percent

13.  Vascular technologist

Annual mean income: $69,036

Projected employment in 2016: 57,000

Increase between 2006 and 2016: 27 percent

14.  Video producer

Annual mean income: $62,476

Projected employment in 2016: 103,000

Increase between 2006 and 2016:11 percent

Jobs 2011 - Six Figure Jobs

(No M.D., No J.D., No Problem!)

As we each search for our personal pot of gold, many of us wonder whether the rainbow leading us to a six-figure paycheck has to be so long. We want financially rewarding jobs, but not everyone is eager to commit the time and money necessary to complete a medical or law degree. 

The good news is that, even though statistics have shown that more education translates to higher earnings, there are still plenty of six-figure salary jobs for those of us who have decided not to take the seven-years-and-a-stethoscope route. The following is a list of seven lucrative fields in which the top-earning 25 percent of workers take home more than $100,000 annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That percentage proves there is real potential for sizeable salaries within these fields, even if your résumé doesn't boast a lengthy list of alma maters. 

Though some of these positions are filled by people with graduate degrees, a bachelor's degree and a little initiative could get you well on your way to a six-figure salary. 

Sales Managers 

Salary of top 25 percent: $127,820* 

Median salary: $87,580 What they do: Sales managers establish company or team sales goals and coordinate training programs for sales representatives. They monitor sales statistics and customer satisfaction, and make adjustments to sales strategies as needed. 

How to get the job: The educational background of sales managers varies. Managers frequently work their way up the ranks of a company -- often starting as sales representatives -- and many companies have established management training programs. 

Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents 

Salary of top 25 percent: $123,910 

Median salary: $67,130 What they do: Securities, commodities and financial services sales agents buy and sell stocks, bonds and other financial products. They may also inform clients about financial markets and counsel them regarding their financial portfolios. 

How to get the job: The majority of financial sales agents have college educations, and have taken courses in business, economics and finance. Securities and commodities agents must pass state licensing examinations, and many firms require agents to complete in-house training programs. 

Financial Managers 

Salary of top 25 percent: $118,150 

Median salary: $86,280 

What they do: Financial managers' responsibilities vary, but they generally oversee the preparation of financial reports involved with accounting, investing, banking, insurance and securities. They can also develop financial strategies for their organizations. 

How to get the job: Employers expect financial managers to have a bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics or business administration, and increasingly expect a master's degree in one of these fields as well. Depending on the company and the specific position, professional certifications such as the Chartered Financial Analyst designation may also be required. 

Computer and Information Scientists, Research 

Salary of top 25 percent: $113,830 

Median salary: $91,230 

What they do: Computer and information scientists act as theorists, designers or inventors while developing solutions to computer hardware and software problems and researching computer technology. 

How to get the job: A bachelor's degree is usually a prerequisite for filling these positions, with most of the more technically complex jobs reserved for workers with graduate degrees. 

Actuaries 

Salary of top 25 percent: $112,360 

Median salary: $81,640 

What they do: Actuaries are often employed in the insurance industry. They assess the potential for various types of risks and design insurance policies and other financial strategies in order to reduce the potential cost of those risks. 

How to get the job: In addition to a bachelor's degree, there are a series of examinations that actuaries must complete to gain full professional status. 

Personal Financial Advisers 

Salary of top 25 percent: $107,470 

Median salary: $63,500 

What they do: Personal financial advisers provide guidance to clients regarding financial decisions. Many financial advisers specialize in a particular field, such as retirement planning or risk management. 

How to get the job: Most financial advisers hold a bachelor's degree in finance, economics or accounting. Certifications such as the Chartered Financial Analyst designation can strengthen an adviser's professional standing. 

Public Relations Managers 

Salary of top 25 percent: $106,440 

Median salary: $76,450 

Seeking Employment Online - Is Fear a Factor?

(6 Tips to Protect Your Privacy)

Does the thought of posting your resume online and exposing yourself to hundreds of thousands of Internet users give you white knuckles? If so, your fears are founded. According to the FBI, identity theft is the number one fraud perpetrated on the Internet. So how do job seekers protect themselves while continuing to circulate their resumes online? The key to a successful online job search is learning to manage the risks. Here are some tips for staying safe while conducting a job search on the Internet.

1. Check for a privacy policy.
If you are considering posting your resume online, make sure the job search site you are considering has a privacy policy, like CareerBuilder.com. The policy should spell out how your information will be used, stored and whether or not it will be shared. You may want to think twice about posting your resume on a site that automatically shares your information with others. You could be opening yourself up for unwanted calls from solicitors.

When reviewing the site's privacy policy, you'll be able to delete your resume just as easily as you posted it. You won't necessarily want your resume to remain out there on the Internet once you land a job. Remember, the longer your resume remains posted on a job board, the more exposure, both positive and not-so-positive, it will receive.

2. Take advantage of site features.
Legitimate job search sites offer levels of privacy protection. Before posting your resume, carefully consider your job search objectives and the level of risk you are willing to assume.

CareerBuilder.com, for example, offers three levels of privacy from which job seekers can choose. The first is standard posting. This option gives job seekers who post their resumes the most visibility to the broadest employer audience possible.

The second is anonymous posting. This allows job seekers the same visibility as those in the standard posting category without any of their contact information being displayed. Job seekers who wish to remain anonymous but want to share some other information may choose which pieces of contact information to display.

The third is private posting. This option allows job seekers to post their resumes without having it searched by employers. Private posting allows job seekers to quickly and easily apply for jobs that appear on CareerBuilder.com without retyping their information.

3. Safeguard your identity.
Career experts say that one of the ways job seekers can stay safe while using the Internet to search out jobs is to conceal their identities. Replace your name on your resume with a generic identifier such as:

Confidential Candidate
Intranet Developer Candidate
Confidential Resume: Experienced Marketing Representative

You should also consider eliminating the name and location of your current employer. Depending on your title, it may not be all that difficult to determine who you are once the name of your company is provided. Use a general description of the company such as:

Major auto manufacturer
International packaged goods supplier
Confidential employer

If your job title is unique, consider using the generic equivalent instead of the exact title assigned by your employer.

4. Establish an email address for your search.
Another way to protect your privacy while seeking employment online is to open up a mail account specifically for your online job search. This will safeguard your existing email box in the event someone you don't know gets a hold of your email address and shares it with others. Using a dedicated email address specifically for your job search also eliminates the possibility that you will receive unwelcome email solicitations in your primary mailbox. When naming your new email address, be sure it is nondescript and that it doesn't contain references to your name or other information that will give away your identity. The best solution is an email address that is relevant to the job you are seeking such as salesmgr2004@provider.com.

5. Protect your references.
If your resume contains a section with the names and contact information for your references, take it out. There's no sense in safeguarding your information while sharing private contact information for your references.

6. Keep confidential information confidential.
Do not, under any circumstances, share your social security, driver's license, and bank account numbers or other personal information, such as marital status or eye color. Credible employers do not need this information with an initial application. Don't provide this even if they say they need it in order to conduct a background check. This is one of the oldest tricks in the book - don't fall for it. Most legitimate employers don't do background checks until they have met with you, conducted an extensive interview process, and decided you're the ideal candidate. Even then, you need only provide limited information. Contact an attorney if you still have concerns.

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By Kate Lorenz