America’s Cushiest Jobs:High-paying jobs with low number of hours

America’s Cushiest Jobs

High-paying jobs with low number of hours

Let’s cut to the chase: People like money – a lot of it. Logistically, people have to work to make money. But unfortunately, people (generally) don’t like working. It’s quite the predicament – but it doesn’t have to be.

Employed people worked an average of eight hours per weekday, according to the 2006 American Time Use Survey, conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Also in 2006, the median annual income per civilian was $37,037, according to the BLS.

So what? Based on those numbers, the average full-time employee works 40 hours per week, or 2,080 hours annually, and earns $19.29 per hour, or $37,037 per year.

Here’s the kicker: There are jobs in every industry that allow you to either earn more than $37,037 annually, to work fewer than 40 hours per week or better yet, do both. It may not be much fewer – 35 hours or even 38 – but in the end, those add up to much fewer than the average 2,080 hours per year.

For example, counselors work an average of 38.3 hours each week and earn an average of $43,507 annually. That’s only 1,834 hours per year – 246 hours fewer than the average 2,080. That’s 246 extra hours to spend with your family, travel, exercise or just relax.
Here are 33 jobs that let you log fewer than 40 hours per week, yet earn more than the average worker.

Industry: Management

1. Social and community service managerHours/week: 38.9*Hours/year: 2,009Earnings/year: $49,678

Industry: Business and financial operations

2. Insurance underwriterHours/week: 38.6Hours/year: 2,009Earnings/year: $61,322

Industry: Computer and mathematical science

3. ActuaryHours/week: 38.9Hours/year: 2,023Earnings/year: $81,454

Industry: Life, physical and social science

4. Biological scientistHours/week: 38.7Hours/year: 2,008Earnings/year: $62,950

5. Biochemist and biophysicistHours/week: 37.9Hours/year: 1,973Earnings/year: $70,637

6. PsychologistHours/week: 37.5Hours/year: 1,680Earnings/year: $61,238

7. Clinical, counseling and school psychologistsHours/week: 37.4Hours/year: 1,649Earnings/year: $62,072

8. SociologistHours/week: 38.8Hours/year: 1,998Earnings/year: $49,530

Industry: Community and social services

9. Educational, vocational and school

counselorsHours/week: 37.6Hours/year: 1,675Earnings/year: $48,820

10. Directors, religious activities and educationHours/week: 38.4Hours/year: 1,996Earnings/year: $46,269

Industry: Legal occupations

11. Law clerkHours/week: 38.8Hours/year: 2,017Earnings/year: $40,338

Industry: Education, training and library

12. Business teacher, post-secondaryHours/week: 39.0Hours/year: 1,488Earnings/year: $90,655

13. Physics teacher, post-secondaryHours/week: 38.3Hours/year: 1,489Earnings/year: $86,006

14. Law teacher, post-secondaryHours/week: 38.0Hours/year: 1,535Earnings/year: $101,678
Industry: Arts, design,

entertainment, sports and media

15. Coaches and scoutsHours/week: 38.7Hours/year: 1,892Earnings/year: $59,981

16. Miscellaneous media and communication workersHours/week: 36.5Hours/year: 1,886Earnings/year: $41,505

17. Interpreters and translatorsHours/week: 32.4Hours/year: 1,669Earnings/year: $33,423

Industry: Health-care practitioner and technical

18. OptometristHours/week: 37.6Hours/year: 1,957Earnings/year: $100,419

19. PsychiatristHours/week: 36.3Hours/year: 1,886Earnings/year: $135,671

20. Speech-language pathologistHours/week: 37.9Hours/year: 1,641Earnings/year: $50,399

21. Dental hygienistHours/week: 34.6Hours/year: 1,800Earnings/year: $54,011

Industry: Protective service

22. BailiffHours/week: 38.0Hours/year: 1,974Earnings/year: $41,957
Industry: Building and grounds cleaning

23. Tree trimmers and prunersHours/week: 36.8Hours/year: 1,870Earnings/year: $31,864

Industry: Personal care and service

24. Flight attendantHours/week: 19.1Hours/year: 996Earnings/year: $33,957
25. Fitness trainers and aerobics instructorsHours/week: 38.1Hours/year: 1,981Earnings/year: $31,525

Industry: Office and administrative support

26. Telephone operatorHours/week: 38.8Hours/year: 2,017Earnings/year: $29,596

27. Court, municipal and license clerksHours/week: 38.8Hours/year: 1,984Earnings/year: $31,391

28. Word processors and typistsHours/week: 38.7Hours/year: 1,999Earnings/year: $31,406

29. Desktop publisherHours/week: 38.4Hours/year: 1,996Earnings/year: $36,094

Industry: Installation, maintenance and repair

30. Tailors, dressmakers and sewersHours/week: 37.8Hours/year: 1,968Earnings/year: $28,158

31. Fabric and apparel patternmakerHours/week: 38.7Hours/year: 2,011Earnings/year: $37,668

Industry: Transportation and material moving

32. Aircraft pilots, copilots and flight engineersHours/week: 22.3Hours/year: 1,161Earnings/year: $127,501

33. Bus driverHours/week: 37.3Hours/year: 1,740Earnings/year: $28,738

*Numbers are the mean hours and annual earnings, based on the National Compensation Survey, December 2005-January 2007, provided by the BLS.