We don’t know about you, but we were raised to follow our passion. “Do what you love and the money will come,” our mothers said, wanting us to experience more diverse opportunities than they did. A few global economic meltdowns and a mountain of student debt later, we’re wishing we’d been lucky enough to have parents who forced us into safe fields like law and medicine because, you know, it’d be nice to be able to pay the bills. If you’re feeling similarly, the results of this research compiled by career guide Zippia won’t encourage you. Unsurprisingly, the most lucrative jobs involve advanced degrees and titles such as orthodontist, surgeon, ob-gyn, internist, dentist and the like—no big shockers there. The numbers also reveal the lowest-paying jobs in each state, and while we’re surprised our own job titles aren’t listed (we kid, boss, please don’t fire us!), we aren’t exactly blown away by the big reveals—what do you mean modeling isn’t lucrative in Iowa? Consider our plan B ruined. See the full list of highs and lows here, and prep to push your future child accordingly.
