The 5 best high paying jobs for introverts

By Joan Garrett

An introvert is a very shy person. Generally speaking, introverts perform best on jobs that do not require a lot of interaction with other people. Below are five of the best occupations for introverts:

Software engineering

A software engineer is a professional who is responsible for coming up with programs and games for computers. Software engineers spend almost all of their day working by themselves, which is why this is a great choice for solitary people. The vast majority of software engineers have a degree in computer science or a related field.

The median salary for a software engineer is around $92,000 per year. However, software engineers can potentially make over $140,000 per year. Years of experience is one of the main factors that determines a software engineer’s salary. People who are interested in becoming a software engineer should be prepared to work long hours. A 2010 survey showed that 25 percent of software engineers work more than 40 hours per week.

Accounting

Accountants are professionals who are responsible for making sure that financial records are correct. They also make sure that taxes are paid on time. A bachelor’s degree is the minimum education that is required to become an accountant. The median salary for an accountant is around $61,900 per year. However, there are some accountants who are making over $106,000 per year.

Most accountants work a standard 40 hour week. It is estimated that 20 percent of accountants work more than 40 hours per week. Accountants are very likely to work long hours during tax season.

Graphic design

Graphic designers spend nearly their entire day at the computer. That is why graphic design is a great career choice for introverts. The specific job duties of a graphic designer may include creating images that illustrate a message, developing graphics for websites, logos and products and reviewing designs for errors.

Almost all graphic design jobs require that a person have a bachelor’s degree in graphic design. People also have the option of earning a bachelor’s degree in a related field and then receiving extra training in graphic design. The average pay for a graphic designer is around $43,500 per year. Graphic designers who are in the top 10 percent salary range are making over $76,910 per year.

Market research analysis

Market research analysts teach companies how to sell products. They also help companies find good places to sell products. This profession requires a lot of focus. Market research analysts are required to have a degree in business administration, marketing research or another related field. It is important to note that a master’s degree is required for some of the more lucrative jobs. The average salary for a market research analyst is around $60,570 per year.

Translator

Translators are responsible for translating text from one language to another. They are required to spend hours looking over texts just to make sure that everything is correct. Translators are required to possess a bachelor’s degree. They are also required to be fluent in English and one foreign language. The average salary for a translator is $43,300 per year.

About the author: Joan Garrett is a career counselor and guest author at Top Counseling Schools, where she contributed the guide to the Highest Paying Counseling Jobs.

* Image license: Creative Commons image source

How to Earn Money Through Participation in Clinical Trials

The pharmaceutical and health care industry consistently develop new drugs and treatments for the purpose of advancing the field's goals. In doing so, several companies conduct what are known as clinical trials and medical experimental treatments to test the validity and effectiveness of the new treatment.

These paid medical tests, trials and experiments are conducted as either 1) Inpatient or 2) outpatient studies, the former of which requires the test subject to stay in the medical facility while the study takes place and in the latter case, the test subject may return home and only come in at specific times for treatment follow up. Some paid medical trials combine both and can last as long as several months.

Stipends and pay for participation in paid medical experiments vary on the length, funding and risk of the study. Pay can range from the $100's to $1000's of dollars and typically involve screening potential test subjects for most suitable candidate(s). In some cases many candidates will be used in a medical experiment to help statistically validate the results of the study. Depending on the type of paid medical experiment, two types of classifications are used. These classifications are 1) health and 2) non-healthy 'volunteers'.

The types of medical facilities that perform paid medical experiments, clinical trials and medical research test include pharmaceutical research companies, hospitals, universities and other medical companies or organizations. Testing centers can be found in a number of major U.S. cities and/or metropolitan areas. The scope and requirements of each study are determined by its sponsorship, contractor(s) and research doctors.

How to find clinical trials and medical studies to participate in

To participate in a medical experiments, clinical trials and medical research studies several steps can be performed to properly identify and determine potential qualification for that medical experiment. Whether it be testing of new surgical equipment, pharmaceuticals, or treatment applications, studies are often performed for money to ensure higher quality and consistent testing. The following steps illustrate what may be involved in a paid clinical trial.

Step 1: Identify and contact clinical trial contractors
Step 2: Assess qualifications, stipend and time requirements
Step 3: Perform medical screening, and fill out relevant paperwork
Step 4: Prepare for the clinical trial as instructed
Step 5: Show up for the clinical trial
Step 6: Follow the clinical trial's requirements throughout the study
Step 7: Receive payment

Since medical experiments may involve controlled interaction with one's body, liability becomes a concern for those carrying out and responsible for the results of the medical research study. In such cases are liability waiver may be required. Additional documentation and screening can require the medical experiment's participants to complete a pre-screening involving blood tests, urine analysis, physical examination, medical history and personal information reporting. The study contract may also contain privacy notices and details on premature and/or incomplete study scenarios.

A few organizations that perform and/or list clinical trials are listed below and a good place to start looking for active paid government medical experiments is www.clinicaltrials.gov. For, private medical research, a local search for clinical research organizations can be performed via internet search, contact and networking with local medical research facilities and hospital research divisions, and inquiries through doctors and medical professionals.

• Medical centers

• Medical research foundations

• Clinical research organizations

• Hospitals

• University medical schools

• Government research facilities and/or contractors

Sometimes clinical trials will arrange invite only screenings based on prescription use via a pharmacy. Doctor's may also be aware of clinical trials or information about them that may be helpful when learning how to participate in one.

Summary

Earning money through participation in medical experiments and paid medical research does involve a time commitment, especially in the case of inpatient studies. Additionally, a medical regimen affecting diet, sleep patterns, drug consumption and/or exercise and personal life activities may also be involved. The benefits of paid medical research studies include 1) Financial stipend 2) possible advancement of science and 3) free or low cost medical treatment. As with jobs, participants for medical research are pre-screened for suitability and capacity to perform the study and/or meet study criteria. The compensations for participation in paid medical experiments vary on the funding provided by the study's sponsor, the length of the study and potential risk involved if any. Medical experiments that pay can be located through a number of sources as indicated in this article.

Sources:

1. http://clinicaltrials.gov/
2. http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2003/02/03/focus6.html

Advantages of Bi-Weekly Paychecks

Being able to see more earned income sooner is usually advantageous to seeing income later. Although biweekly literally means twice per week, the term is often used to refer to every two weeks. Several benefits exist to receiving bi-weekly paychecks, and those advantages can save money, reduce potential scheduling conflicts and even earn more money.

• 26 checks per year

Since bi-weekly is not twice a month, but every two weeks, there are 26 paychecks a year on this type of schedule. This means for two months of the year, three paychecks will be given to people getting paid on a bi-weekly basis. For example, if a year beings on January 1, by July the first day of the most recent pay cycle falls on July 1st, making the 2nd on July 15, and the third on July 29. The pattern repeats again with three biweekly paychecks in December.

• Available funds

Although paychecks all amounts to the same income total, it can be helpful to have a continual cash flow. In other words, an advantage of bi-weekly paychecks is a stream of income that is more frequent allows one to have more personal financial liquidity. Moreover, insufficient funds can cause checks to bounce, or overdraft fees to be triggered causing more cost than benefit.  

• Bill paying

With more liquidity, bill paying is often better facilitated making another advantage of bi-weekly paychecks.  Since bills may become due on separate dates throughout a calendar month, receiving bi-weekly paychecks can help ensure there is a new money installment to pay those bills with varied due dates. Although sometimes some loan bills can be rescheduled with a bank, this process generally cannot be repeated. The advantage of biweekly paychecks is that alternative solutions like this are less needed.

• Budgeting

Since budgeting involves managing money in such a way that bills are paid on time, and that money is allocated optimally, having a bi-weekly paycheck can also be beneficial to a budget. For example, without bi-weekly pay checks, everything is left to either the beginning or end of the month. This can create a greater workload for which time management also becomes essential. With bi-weekly paychecks, time for budgeting can also be spread out.

• Yield

An additional advantage of bi-weekly paychecks is more time for money to compound. For example, $100 placed in an account earning four percent compounded continuously on the 14th of January, and repeated every four weeks throughout the year has two extra weeks of compounding per month. Moreover, the yield earned on those deposits will be higher than it would be had the same amount of money from a monthly paycheck been placed in the exact same financial instrument.

The best paying jobs in America

To make a long story short, there are quite a few 'best paying jobs in America' including top professional athletes, Hollywood celebrities, and music legends in addition to the more common fields of Medicine, Law and Business. However a brief review of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates several of these high paying jobs are not as prolific as some might think.

Not all persons trained in the fields of the best paying jobs will earn the top salaries that the best in their field earn. For this reason it is important to consider the actual demand for these jobs in addition to the skills necessary for the best paying jobs in America. This article will outline some of the details regarding high paying jobs.

The highest paying U.S. jobs

Strictly looking at the take home pay of various professions the best paying jobs in America are entrepreneurial, and/or media related as in the case of musical vocalists and movie stars. While professional athletes are not necessarily entrepreneurs there is also a lot of career risk associated with the profession.

In the case of business ownership, there is also considerable risk associated with the profession, and not all entrepreneurs make it to the top of the pay scale. While these jobs are among the best paying jobs in America, they are highly competitive and take massive dedication, luck, experience and know how. A summarazing cross-section of these highest paid careers is listed below.

• Best selling author ex-John Grisham
• Successful businesspersons ex-Bill Gates
• Accomplished entrepreneurs ex-George Soros
• Professional athletes ex-Tiger Woods
• Movie celebrities ex-Angelina Jolie
• Music stars ex-Bono

The rest of the high paying jobs

So what about the kind of jobs that can be trained for and lead to semi-reliable careers with a steadily rising income? These types of jobs include Medical professionals such as Anesthesiologists, surgeons, actuaries, pharmacists, software and other engineers, attorneys, and large business managers. Like the all-star jobs, these jobs also require significant knowledge, commitment and drive and are also quite competitive. This is evident in the careers themselves.

• Medical professionals ex-Bill Frist
• Chief Executive Officers ex-Michael Dell
• Dentists and Orthodontists ex-John Henry Holliday
• Accountants and Actuaries -J.P. Morgan
• Specialized Attorneys- ex-Johnnie Cochran
• Senior Economists- ex-Ben Bernanke

To illustrate further, just because someone is trained in law, mathematics, engineering, medicine etc. does not automatically imply a salary above $100,000/year. This is because each of these fields have different supply and demand economics. In other words, the supply of attorneys may outweigh the demand for attorneys in the high income/tier ranges of the profession. Additionally, in many professions additional professional exams and certifications are required as well as ongoing educational requirements and experience in the field.

Pay ranges and job statistics

The pay ranges of America's best paying jobs range from six-nine figures i.e. $100's of thousands to billions of dollars. The probability of reaching the high end of this pay spectrum is naturally lower than the lower end. That is to say, there are fewer billionaires than there are millionaires and far fewer millionaires than hundred-thousandaires.

This is also evident in career statistics. For example, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics there are approximately 20, 000 actuaries in the U.S., and that's with a 5% annual growth rate adjusted to 2008. Furthermore, with a similar percentage growth rate adjustment, there are 55, 000 surgeons, 385, 000 computer software engineers, 310,000 Chief Executive Officers, 278,000 pharmacists and 611, 000 lawyers.

Based on the above career volume estimates, the average number of professionals in the aforementioned careers is 276,500 or .009% of the U.S. population for each high paying career. Additionally, not all those employed in these professions receive top salaries. For example, a lawyer straight out of law school may not make more than $40,000 in his or her first year of employment and public service attorneys are not nearly as well paid as attorneys in other fields of law.

To add optimism to the previous points, one can estimate there are about 1000 well paying professions in the United States and of those 1000 well paying professions, 66% receive above $100,000 per year. If this is true or close to the truth, then two thirds of 9.2% of the U.S. population are in high paid if one considers over $100,000/year to be high paid. Since 66% of 9.2% or 300 Million is equal to 6.07% or 18.21 million the odds are surprisingly small of obtaining this kind of annual income based on this estimate.

Summary

In summary, the best paying jobs in America include movies stars, music legends, professional athletes, medical professionals, scientists, successful entrepreneurs, business executives, dentists, attorneys and a few other careers. These careers can pay from six-nine figures but average closer to the six figure range than the ten figure range. Moreover, many of these careers require significant skill and expertise and in some cases take many years to achieve the higher levels of income earning potential.

Despite the relative scarcity and obstacles in acquiring such professions, such income levels and careers are not unattainable per se. Rather, it is to say the task of acquiring one of the highest paid jobs in America may be close to 5% and the top income level in each respective high paying field may not be achieved until one is in their late 30's and beyond. While this article is not the most optimistic of presentations, it does add a dose of realism to the highest paid jobs of America and is consequently of value in illustrating some of the other details about such jobs.

Sources:

1.http://tinyurl.com/5v78kw
2.http://newdentalweb.com/dental-news/top-ten-famous-dentists/
3. http://www.topaccountingdegrees.com/ten-famous-accountants
4. http://tinyurl.com/4bn6pro
5. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm#00-0000

Easy Ways to Become Richer

Easy ways to become richer involve making use of the following universal principles of wealth. For some, making use of these financial concepts is easier than others, but opportunity is sometimes made and anyone can create. These ways to become richer do work and can do so quite easily, but they do have to be used in the right way.

• Capitalize

The richest people on earth have all capitalized on one thing or another, or received their wealth from persons who did. Capitalizing for individuals means creating a financial opportunity through a circumstance or event. For example, Mac's neighborhood is required to keep its grass below 6 inches in height and regularly pay companies to mow their lawns. Mad locates a grass seed supplier that has grass that grows at half the speed and sells the grass seeds to his neighbors earning him 25% and saving his neighbors 25%.

• Leverage

Leverage is the use of money that is not your own for the purpose of capitalizing or maximizing a profitable decision. Credit cards are example of leverage, but do not capitalize on that leverage. In other words leverage must be combined with capitalizing in order to become a way of becoming richer. An example of leverage is a loan used to run a home business.

• Spot deals

Spotting deals is an easy way to become rich because it can take less time to spot a deal and make more money that it would to make the same amount of money in another more time consuming way. Deals are financial opportunities that afford the deal-maker a chance to make a profit. Sometimes risk is involved making use of deals, but this varies and good deals don't necessarily have to have a lot of risk to make a lot of money.

• Relocate

Due to differences in the cost of living worldwide an average amount of wealth in one country may be a lot of wealth in another. By relocating to a country or location with a lower cost of living, one in affect becomes richer because their money is able to accomplish more and purchase more products or services. Cost of living can be determined using exchange rates, consumer price indexes and price of labor.

• Exploit

Exploiting opportunities is a way to optimize capitalization, leverage, and deals. This involves getting the most out of a financial opportunity by emphasizing the technique or method that allows that financial opportunity to become profitable. Examples of exploitation are a squirrel hiding acorns from a tree to save them, a business lobbying for economic policy that makes it more profitable to operate or an individual cycling crops to make the most out of soil.

Passive Income and Why It Is Important

Passive income is not necessarily money that is not worked for as the financial colloquialism would have it. The reason being the U.S. Internal Revenue Service's definition of passive income(1) is also used by accountants nation wide. For income to be passive by IRS standards it a) has involved significant material participation and b) is received from a business in which the recipient of said income was not directly involved via material participation.

• Formal definition of passive income

Definitive attributes of passive income are that it comes from 1) rental income and 2) business income as defined by the IRS. This definition of passive income is also shared by State Departments of Revenue and many accountants. Moreover, for tax purposes, what many believe to be passive income is not. For example, royalties on literature, capital gains and dividends all seem like passive income but fail the 'material participation test' (2) because of what they are not, rather than what they are. In other words, passive income must not be excluded from the eligible types of income to qualify.

• Passive income as financial colloquialism

The term passive income can also be defined as a financial colloquialism. In other words, just because the IRS defines passive income in one way doesn't mean this is the only meaning of the term. The IRS definition of passive income is designed to prevent tax fraud from phony deductible 'passive losses', and not because it seeks a monopoly on what passive income is.

To illustrate what the financially colloquial meaning of what passive income is, consider an affiliate marketing campaign where income is received from traffic volume. In such cases, that income may be referred to as 'passive' even though it is not passive income by more formal use of the term. So, just as many everyday English words have dual meaning, and so too can financial terms. Thus, understanding what passive income is can be thought of in multiple contexts.

• Passive income and residual income

Passive income may also be confused or interchanged with residual income. Residual income, like passive income, has multiple meanings. For example, in the mortgage industry, residual income is money left over after having paid off debt.(2) However, in accounting, Residual Income (RI) is something entirely different; specifically income after the subtraction of Return on Assets (ROA) as a percentage of total operating assets.(4) Furthermore, in business marketing, residual income may be thought of as meaning the same thing as the colloquial financial version of passive income

Summary

Passive income has a strict definition from a business and tax-planning standpoint, and this is the definition of passive income that should be understood. However, in understanding what passive income is, it is also useful to realize it is used to describe income that is not worked for in a current time period such as "income earned while sleeping". Even though work may have been done during the day, the income may not be earned until night time hence the affiliation with the word 'passive' and 'residual'.

Sources:
1. http://bit.ly/9pA7ZY (Internal Revenue Service)
2. http://bit.ly/aqvVSM(Investopedia)
3. http://bit.ly/9y14wb (Money Central Glossary)
4. http://bit.ly/9L9zo2 (All Business Glossary)