8 HIGH-PAYING JOBS WHERE YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Can you imagine waking up each working day knowing that you’re about to do some good in the world? Firefighters, social workers and teachers may have this experience, but those professions are not known for their high wages. So which jobs offer that magical combination of a high sense of meaning and a high salary? Truth be told, they’re tough to find, according to Katie Bardaro, lead analyst at online salary database PayScale.com. “Generally, the jobs with the highest meaning offer low pay,” she says. “People who want to make the world a better place are not driven by money. They’re driven by a desire to help people.” When PayScale asked workers whether their jobs make the world a better place, 80 percent or more of those with jobs on the following list responded “yes” or “very much so.” Each job pays more than $52,000 per year and requires no more than a master’s degree. Not surprisingly, many of the jobs are in the healthcare and nonprofit sectors. Note: If you want the highest-paying, most meaningful job around -- neurosurgeon -- you’ll need a medical degree and extensive training, Bardaro says. Ninety-four percent of neurosurgeons say they derive a high sense of meaning through their work. Median annual pay is $358,000. - By Bridget Quigg, Payscale.com for Monster.com iStockphoto.com

Can you imagine waking up each working day knowing that you’re about to do some good in the world? Firefighters, social workers and teachers may have this experience, but those professions are not known for their high wages. So which jobs offer that magical combination of a high sense of meaning and a high salary?

Truth be told, they’re tough to find, according to Katie Bardaro, lead analyst at online salary database PayScale.com. “Generally, the jobs with the highest meaning offer low pay,” she says. “People who want to make the world a better place are not driven by money. They’re driven by a desire to help people.”

When PayScale asked workers whether their jobs make the world a better place, 80 percent or more of those with jobs on the following list responded “yes” or “very much so.” Each job pays more than $52,000 per year and requires no more than a master’s degree.

Not surprisingly, many of the jobs are in the health care and nonprofit sectors. Note: If you want the highest-paying, most meaningful job around—neurosurgeon—you’ll need a medical degree and extensive training, Bardaro says. Ninety-four percent of neurosurgeons say they derive a high sense of meaning through their work. Median annual pay is $358,000.

- By Bridget Quigg, Payscale.com for Monster.com

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