10 Hottest Careers for Women

By Jennifer Wegerer

They teach, diagnose, create and care—in the 21st century, women continue to expand their contributions across professions, influencing the next generation of workers. By the end of 2014, women will account for 47 percent of the total labor force.

What fields offer the greatest job growth and earning potential for women planning their career education or looking for a new profession?

Making Work Pay

Careers in high technology stand among the fastest growing occupations with a strong earning potential for women. The US Census Bureau reports that women in computer and mathematical jobs earn a median annual salary of $56,585—one of the highest paying careers for women. Health care, business and education represent other industries with exceptional opportunities where women can find some of the highest paying jobs.

Interestingly, research shows that women tend to choose jobs that offer more time for family and friends, which typically do not fall among the highest paying careers for women. In contrast, men seek occupations where they earn more money so that they can offer their families greater financial support. These jobs often require longer hours, travel, or moving to a different city or state.

Choosing Careers for Flexibility

Careers that offer women equal or higher income than their male counterparts do exist. Dr. Warren Farrell, author of Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap— and What Women Can Do About It, has found 80 of the highest paying jobs for women. They include financial analysis, most engineering fields, advertising and speech-language pathology. However, entry to some of these fields may mean that women need to make choices regarding travel, relocation and hours worked per week.

Living in a big city also lends well to increased income for women. Recent census data reveals that female college graduates in their 20s living in New York City earn approximately 17 percent more per year than men. In Dallas, women earn approximately 20 percent more than their male counterparts. Experts attribute the trend to data showing that females living in large metropolitan areas tend to have more education than men and tend to wait longer to marry or have children, leaving them more freedom to build careers.

Top Ten Careers for Women

The following list includes 10 of the hottest careers for women today, along with salary information. Factors influencing salary include work experience, job location, specific job duties and the size of the company or facility.

1. Computer Software Engineers (Applications and Systems Software)
Average annual salary: $46,000 to $114,000
Among the highest paying jobs for women, computer software engineers use high technology tools to design, build and maintain computer software and systems to meet users' needs.

2. Physician Assistants
Average annual salary: $37,000 to $95,000
Physician assistants work under the supervision of medical doctors to examine, diagnose and treat patients. Specializing in areas that include primary care, emergency medicine and surgery, they may work in doctor's offices, hospitals and rural or inner city clinics.

3. Computer Systems Analysts
Average annual salary: $52,000 to $83,000
To help organizations operate more effectively and efficiently, computer systems analysts design systems or devise new ways to apply existing technology in an effort to maximize the benefits of equipment, personnel and business processes.

4. Financial Analysts
Average annual salary: $47,000 to $83,000
Guiding firms and institutions with money to invest, financial analysts gather and analyze financial information in order to make sound investment recommendations to clients. Experts in this field have the potential to direct their careers on a solid path to the CEO's chair.

5. Speech-Language Pathologists
Average annual salary: $34,000 to $83,000
Roughly half of the speech-language pathologists in the field find work in educational services, primarily preschools and elementary and secondary schools—a benefit for working mothers who seek a rewarding career with hours that match their own school-aged children's schedules. Certified speech-language pathologists can also work in health care settings where they treat individuals suffering from brain injuries, learning disabilities and other communication disorders.

6. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts
Average annual salary: $46,000 to $79,000
These individuals design, test and evaluate the systems that companies use to maintain internal, domestic and global communications (such as the Internet, local area networks (LAN), email systems, or corporate intranets).

7. Post-Secondary Teachers
Average annual salary: $36,000 to $73,000
This group includes college and university faculty, technical education instructors who provide career training for specific vocations, and graduate teaching assistants. In general, these educators hold a master's or doctorate degree in a specialized area or demonstrate expertise in a particular field.

8. Radiation Therapists
Average annual salary: $47,000 to $70,000
Working as part of a medical radiation oncology team in hospitals or cancer treatment centers, these professionals use machines to administer radiation treatment to cancer patients.

9. Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Average annual salary: $20,000 to $36,000
Under the supervision of veterinarians, veterinary technologists and technicians conduct routine laboratory and clinical procedures in private clinics, animal hospitals, research facilities and humane societies. Career education for veterinary technicians generally involves a 2-year associate's degree program; veterinary technologists typically enter the field with a 4-year bachelor's degree.

10. Customer Service Representatives
Average annual salary: $21,500 to $35,000
The nature of the job of customer service representatives varies widely depending on their industry, with the majority employed in insurance and finance companies. The field typically involves ongoing career training and educational opportunities as products, technology and markets change.

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