Women are joining the workforce in record numbers. They account for nearly half of the country’s total labor force at 46.5%. Most of them begin their careers with less compensation and don’t get opportunities for promotion as quickly as their male counterparts do. Take heart, all this is changing, albeit painstakingly slow. There’s definitely hope for women looking to add more cash flow with the increasing progress in high paying jobs for women. So what are these jobs that women should aim for? Many women have overlooked careers in Engineering, Math, Science, and other occupations that require technical skills; where a handful of jobs have greater annual earnings potential than the typical average that most women earn. For women who wish to earn weekly pays of more than a thousand, here’s a quick look at five occupations that pay women the most.

1. Chief Executive Officers. Quite predictably, CEO is number one as top-paying job for women. 2009 statistics showed that women made up approximately one-fourth of all CEO positions in the workforce but only earned three-fourths of what their male counterparts earned. The great news is younger women seem to be moving into business more than previous generations did, so the outlook is good. With a weekly pay of $1,553 or about $81,000 – $84,000, it doesn’t look so bad at all.

2. Pharmacists. Pharmacists placed second on the list for two consecutive years, even out-earning lawyers and physicians/surgeons. Pharmacists earn a wage of $1,475 per week ($76,500 yearly). Women pharmacists account for a little less than half of the all U.S. pharmacists and get 15% less pay than male pharmacists.

3. Computer and Information Systems Managers. Women comprise only 28% of this industry but earn nearly as much as men. Women in this occupation get median yearly earnings of $73,500 or a weekly pay of $1,411. The top 10% of those pursuing careers in this field receive as high as $111,000. This job is increasingly becoming more appealing to women for two reasons: most employers require only a bachelor’s degree; and telecommuting is gaining ground, which is ideal for women who want high-paying jobs with plenty of flexibility.

4. Occupational Therapists. This is in fact a high earning profession dominated by women making up 82% of professionals in this sector. Another interesting fact is it’s the only profession in which women receive the same salary scale as the male, with weekly earnings of $1,155 or a yearly median of $60,000. You would need a master’s degree (or higher) but it’s an in-demand job that is anticipated to grow by 26% through 2020.

5. Human Resources Managers. This profession defines the corporate culture and strategy of a company and women with excellent interpersonal skills work best in this field. Typically, HR Managers receive median annual earnings of $59,124; weekly pay is around $1,137. Compared to men in similar positions, women only get about 79.3% of what their male counterparts receive. Top 10% earners fetch as much as $84,000 per year. A projected 147,000 new jobs in this field is expected to be created by 2016. Now there’s a bright prospect!

If you’re just starting on your career or given the chance to refocus, checking occupations that pay women the most may be a good move. Most top-paying jobs these days rely not only on analytical and managerial skills but also technical skills. Regardless of your personal objectives, you can glean from these best paying careers through proper planning, good education and excellent research can ultimately pay off and impact on your financial destiny. There are plenty of technical and in-demand fields out there which are a woman’s best bet for making good money. Go out and meet destiny halfway!

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 at 8:45 am and is filed under Applying for a Job, Career Changes, Free Advice, Job Search Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.