Ranked list · 48 careers
48 Fun Jobs That Pay Well (2026)
Airline Pilot tops this list at $232,140 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with +8.3% projected employment change over 2025–2035. Below are 48 careers that meet the criteria, each with its real median wage, outlook and entry requirement.
- Careers on this list
- 48From 1,731 in the bank
- Median pay on the list
- $130,100BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Projected to grow
- 47 of 48BLS EP, 2025–2035
- Openings a year
- 601,700Combined, BLS EP
Method
How we built this list
Careers whose main subject is something people tend to love (sports, music, film, games, travel, food, animals, fashion, the outdoors and adventure) and whose national median pay is above the median for all US workers. Ranked by median pay from BLS OEWS; specialty careers show the figures of the occupation BLS reports them under.
- Careers whose main subject is something people tend to love (sports, music, film, games, travel, food, animals, fashion, the outdoors and adventure) and whose national median pay is above the median for all US workers. Ranked by median pay from BLS OEWS; specialty careers show the figures of the occupation BLS reports them under.
- Occupations with no BLS wage or projection data are excluded rather than estimated.
- The list is regenerated from source data on every bank refresh. It is not hand-picked and no editorial ranking is applied.
The list
The top 48 fun jobs that pay well
100% of these careers already have a full profile page; the rest publish with the next tranche and show the same bank data here in the meantime.
- 1
1. Airline Pilot
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $232,140median a year
- Growth
- +8.3%
- Openings / yr
- 11,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft, usually on scheduled air carrier routes, for the transport of passengers and cargo.
- 2
2. Widebody Airline Captain
Specialty within airline pilot
- Median pay
- $420,000typical, MiGFlug Afterburner, from ALPA pilot contracts
- Growth
- +8.3%
- Openings / yr
- 11,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
Commands twin-aisle jets such as the Boeing 777, 787, or Airbus A350 on long-haul and international routes for a major airline.
- 3
3. Chief Marketing Officer
Specialty within marketing manager
- Median pay
- $1,917,000typical, The Conference Board, CMO Compensation 2024 Edition
- Growth
- +6.9%
- Openings / yr
- 34,000
- Education
- Bachelor's
The executive who leads a company's marketing, brand, customer insight and demand generation, and reports to the CEO.
- 4
4. Air Traffic Controller
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $148,080median a year
- Growth
- +1.7%
- Openings / yr
- 2,100
- Education
- Associate's
Control air traffic on and within vicinity of airport, and movement of air traffic between altitude sectors and control centers, according to established procedures and policies.
- 5
5. Veterinary Pharmacist
Specialty within pharmacist
- Median pay
- $140,910median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +5.2%
- Openings / yr
- 12,500
- Education
- Doctorate
A licensed pharmacist who specializes in animal medications, dosing drugs across species, compounding custom formulations and advising veterinarians at teaching hospitals and pharmacies.
- 6
6. Aerospace Engineer
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $134,960median a year
- Growth
- +8.3%
- Openings / yr
- 3,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Perform engineering duties in designing, constructing, and testing aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft.
- 7
7. Astrodynamics Engineer
Specialty within aerospace engineer
- Median pay
- $134,960median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +8.3%
- Openings / yr
- 3,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Calculates and plans spacecraft orbits and trajectories, determines where satellites are, and helps avoid collisions with debris and other objects.
- 8
8. Astronaut
Specialty within aerospace engineer
- Median pay
- $134,960median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +8.3%
- Openings / yr
- 3,800
- Education
- Master's
Trains for and flies on space missions, operating spacecraft, running experiments, performing spacewalks and supporting mission control on the ground.
- 9
9. Flight Test Engineer
Specialty within aerospace engineer
- Median pay
- $134,960median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +8.3%
- Openings / yr
- 3,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plans aircraft test flights, flies along or monitors them in real time, and analyzes the data that proves an aircraft is safe and meets its requirements.
- 10
10. Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer
Specialty within aerospace engineer
- Median pay
- $134,960median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +8.3%
- Openings / yr
- 3,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Designs the algorithms and sensors that tell rockets, spacecraft, missiles and drones where they are, where to go and how to steer there.
- 11
11. Launch Engineer
Specialty within aerospace engineer
- Median pay
- $134,960median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +8.3%
- Openings / yr
- 3,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Prepares rockets and their ground systems for launch, runs countdowns from the control room and integrates payloads onto launch vehicles.
- 12
12. Rocket Propulsion Engineer
Specialty within aerospace engineer
- Median pay
- $134,960median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +8.3%
- Openings / yr
- 3,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Designs, builds and tests rocket engines and spacecraft thrusters, from turbopumps and injectors to valves, tanks and plumbing.
- 13
13. Spacecraft Flight Controller
Specialty within aerospace engineer
- Median pay
- $134,960median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +8.3%
- Openings / yr
- 3,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Monitors and commands crewed spacecraft or satellites from a mission control center, keeping each system healthy and responding when something fails.
- 14
14. Spacecraft Systems Engineer
Specialty within aerospace engineer
- Median pay
- $134,960median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +8.3%
- Openings / yr
- 3,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Defines the requirements of a satellite or spacecraft and makes sure its power, propulsion, communications, thermal and software subsystems work together.
- 15
15. Spacecraft Thermal Engineer
Specialty within aerospace engineer
- Median pay
- $134,960median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +8.3%
- Openings / yr
- 3,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Keeps spacecraft electronics, batteries, instruments and crews within safe temperatures in the extreme heat and cold of space.
- 16
16. Media Director
Specialty within advertising and promotions manager
- Median pay
- $133,660median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- −3.7%
- Openings / yr
- 2,300
- Education
- Bachelor's
Leads advertising media strategy for brands, deciding where and how budgets are spent across TV, digital, social, audio and outdoor channels.
- 17
17. Satellite Communications Engineer
Specialty within electronics engineer, except computer
- Median pay
- $130,220median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +3.7%
- Openings / yr
- 4,900
- Education
- Bachelor's
Designs and operates the radio links, ground stations and payloads that let satellites carry internet, TV, navigation and military communications.
- 18
18. Laboratory Animal Veterinarian
Specialty within veterinarian
- Median pay
- $130,100median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +9.4%
- Openings / yr
- 3,100
- Education
- Doctorate
A veterinarian responsible for the health and welfare of animals used in biomedical research at universities, drug companies and government labs.
- 19
19. Veterinarian
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $130,100median a year
- Growth
- +9.4%
- Openings / yr
- 3,100
- Education
- Doctorate
Diagnose, treat, or research diseases and injuries of animals.
- 20
20. Veterinary Anesthesiologist
Specialty within veterinarian
- Median pay
- $130,100median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +9.4%
- Openings / yr
- 3,100
- Education
- Doctorate
A board-certified veterinarian who plans and manages anesthesia and pain control for high-risk animal patients, from cardiac surgery in dogs to procedures on horses and zoo animals.
- 21
21. Veterinary Behaviorist
Specialty within veterinarian
- Median pay
- $130,100median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +9.4%
- Openings / yr
- 3,100
- Education
- Doctorate
A board-certified veterinarian who diagnoses and treats behavior problems in animals, such as aggression, anxiety and compulsive disorders, using medicine and behavior modification.
- 22
22. Veterinary Criticalist
Specialty within veterinarian
- Median pay
- $130,100median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +9.4%
- Openings / yr
- 3,100
- Education
- Doctorate
A board-certified veterinarian who runs intensive care units and manages the sickest animal patients, from trauma and sepsis to poisonings and post-surgical crises.
- 23
23. Veterinary Dentist
Specialty within veterinarian
- Median pay
- $130,100median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +9.4%
- Openings / yr
- 3,100
- Education
- Doctorate
A board-certified veterinarian who performs advanced dental and oral surgery on animals, including root canals, orthodontics, jaw fracture repair and oral tumor removal.
- 24
24. Veterinary Dermatologist
Specialty within veterinarian
- Median pay
- $130,100median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +9.4%
- Openings / yr
- 3,100
- Education
- Doctorate
A board-certified veterinarian who diagnoses and treats skin, ear, coat and allergic disease in pets, horses and other animals, usually on referral from a general practice vet.
- 25
25. Veterinary Oncologist
Specialty within veterinarian
- Median pay
- $130,100median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +9.4%
- Openings / yr
- 3,100
- Education
- Doctorate
A board-certified veterinarian who diagnoses and treats cancer in animals using chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation, working alongside surgeons and owners.
- 26
26. Veterinary Ophthalmologist
Specialty within veterinarian
- Median pay
- $130,100median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +9.4%
- Openings / yr
- 3,100
- Education
- Doctorate
A board-certified veterinarian who diagnoses eye disease in animals and performs eye surgery such as cataract removal, from dogs and cats to horses and zoo animals.
- 27
27. Veterinary Pathologist
Specialty within veterinarian
- Median pay
- $130,100median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +9.4%
- Openings / yr
- 3,100
- Education
- Doctorate
A board-certified veterinarian who diagnoses disease by examining tissues, cells and body fluids, for diagnostic labs, drug companies, zoos and wildlife agencies.
- 28
28. Veterinary Radiologist
Specialty within veterinarian
- Median pay
- $130,100median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +9.4%
- Openings / yr
- 3,100
- Education
- Doctorate
A board-certified veterinarian who interprets X-rays, ultrasound, CT and MRI scans of animals and performs image-guided procedures, often for clinics they never visit in person.
- 29
29. Astronomer
Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Median pay
- $128,820median a year
- Growth
- +7.8%
- Openings / yr
- 100
- Education
- Doctorate
Observe, research, and interpret astronomical phenomena to increase basic knowledge or apply such information to practical problems.
- 30
30. Mine Manager
Specialty within industrial production manager
- Median pay
- $126,060median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +2.6%
- Openings / yr
- 17,000
- Education
- Bachelor's
Runs a mining operation, responsible for its safety, production, budget, workforce and compliance with mine safety law.
- 31
31. Commercial Pilot
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $123,220median a year
- Growth
- +5.2%
- Openings / yr
- 5,200
- Education
- Certificate
Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft on nonscheduled air carrier routes, or helicopters.
- 32
32. Corporate Pilot
Specialty within commercial pilot
- Median pay
- $123,220median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +5.2%
- Openings / yr
- 5,200
- Education
- Certificate
Flies business jets and turboprops for a company flight department, a wealthy owner, or a managed-aircraft operator, carrying executives and guests on demand.
- 33
33. eVTOL Pilot
Specialty within commercial pilot
- Median pay
- $123,220median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +5.2%
- Openings / yr
- 5,200
- Education
- Certificate
Flies electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, the battery-powered air taxis now being certified to carry passengers on short city hops.
- 34
34. Flight Inspection Pilot
Specialty within commercial pilot
- Median pay
- $123,220median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +5.2%
- Openings / yr
- 5,200
- Education
- Certificate
Flies specially equipped aircraft to check that airport landing systems, navigation beacons and instrument approach procedures work within tolerance.
- 35
35. Fractional Jet Pilot
Specialty within commercial pilot
- Median pay
- $288,000typical, NetJets, as reported by AVweb and Forbes
- Growth
- +5.2%
- Openings / yr
- 5,200
- Education
- Certificate
Flies business jets for a fractional ownership company, carrying the owners of aircraft shares to destinations on short notice.
- 36
36. Test Pilot
Specialty within commercial pilot
- Median pay
- $123,220median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +5.2%
- Openings / yr
- 5,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
Flies new, modified or newly built aircraft through planned test points to prove how they perform and handle before they are certified or delivered.
- 37
37. Art Director
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Median pay
- $114,850median a year
- Growth
- +4.2%
- Openings / yr
- 12,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
Formulate design concepts and presentation approaches for visual productions and media, such as print, broadcasting, video, and film.
- 38
38. Production Designer
Specialty within art director
- Median pay
- $114,850median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +4.2%
- Openings / yr
- 12,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
Leads the art department and designs the overall visual world of a film or TV series, from sets and locations to color palette.
- 39
39. Marine Engineer and Naval Architect
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $112,230median a year
- Growth
- +6.7%
- Openings / yr
- 500
- Education
- Bachelor's
Design, develop, and evaluate the operation of marine vessels, ship machinery, and related equipment, such as power supply and propulsion systems.
- 40
40. Ocean Engineer
Specialty within marine engineer and naval architect
- Median pay
- $112,230median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +6.7%
- Openings / yr
- 500
- Education
- Bachelor's
Designs structures and systems that work in the ocean, from offshore platforms, wind turbine foundations and subsea equipment to breakwaters and underwater vehicles.
- 41
41. Ship Engineer
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $109,530median a year
- Growth
- +2.7%
- Openings / yr
- 900
- Education
- Certificate
Supervise and coordinate activities of crew engaged in operating and maintaining engines, boilers, deck machinery, and electrical, sanitary, and refrigeration equipment aboard ship.
- 42
42. Drill and Blast Engineer
Specialty within mining and geological engineer, including mining safety engineers
- Median pay
- $106,220median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +3.8%
- Openings / yr
- 300
- Education
- Bachelor's
Designs the drilling patterns and explosive charges used to break rock at mines, quarries and construction sites safely and efficiently.
- 43
43. Private Club General Manager
Specialty within general and operations manager
- Median pay
- $257,500typical, CMAA Compensation and Benefits Report 2024 (as summarized by club industry recruiters)
- Growth
- +5.0%
- Openings / yr
- 285,000
- Education
- Bachelor's
Runs a member-owned country, golf, city, or yacht club, overseeing food and beverage, golf and recreation, facilities, staff, and finances for the board.
- 44
- Median pay
- $104,920median a year
- Growth
- +1.2%
- Openings / yr
- 23,600
- Education
- Bachelor's
Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers where technical or scientific knowledge is required in such areas as biology, engineering, chemistry, and electronics, normally obtained from at least 2 years of postseconda…
- 45
45. College Athletic Director
Specialty within education administrator, postsecondary
- Median pay
- $104,590median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +1.8%
- Openings / yr
- 14,500
- Education
- Master's
Leads a college or university athletics department, overseeing coaches, budgets, facilities, compliance, and fundraising across every varsity sport.
- 46
46. Acoustical Consultant
Specialty within mechanical engineer
- Median pay
- $104,110median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +11.2%
- Openings / yr
- 17,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Designs how buildings, concert halls, studios and products sound, and solves noise and vibration problems for architects and owners.
- 47
47. Amusement Ride Engineer
Specialty within mechanical engineer
- Median pay
- $104,110median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +11.2%
- Openings / yr
- 17,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Designs and analyzes roller coasters and theme park rides, working out the forces, structures, controls and safety systems that make them thrilling and safe.
- 48
48. Sports Equipment Engineer
Specialty within mechanical engineer
- Median pay
- $104,110median (parent occupation)
- Growth
- +11.2%
- Openings / yr
- 17,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Designs and tests sporting goods such as helmets, golf clubs, shoes, and bikes, using mechanical engineering to improve performance and safety.
Questions
Fun Jobs That Pay Well: FAQ
What is the top career on the fun jobs that pay well list?
Airline Pilot leads the list with a median wage of $232,140 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025) and projected employment change of +8.3% over 2025–2035. Typical entry-level education is bachelor's.
How was this list put together?
Careers whose main subject is something people tend to love (sports, music, film, games, travel, food, animals, fashion, the outdoors and adventure) and whose national median pay is above the median for all US workers. Ranked by median pay from BLS OEWS; specialty careers show the figures of the occupation BLS reports them under. Careers whose main subject is something people tend to love (sports, music, film, games, travel, food, animals, fashion, the outdoors and adventure) and whose national median pay is above the median for all US workers. Ranked by median pay from BLS OEWS; specialty careers show the figures of the occupation BLS reports them under. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and O*NET 31.0 Database.
How much do fun jobs that pay well pay?
Across the 48 careers on this list the middle occupation pays $130,100 a year, from $104,110 at the bottom to $1,917,000 at the top (BLS OEWS May 2025 and the industry compensation sources cited on each career page). The median across all US occupations is $50,980.
How many of these careers can you enter without a degree?
6 of the 48 careers on this list have a typical entry requirement below an associate's degree: a high school diploma, a postsecondary certificate, or no formal credential (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035).