Occupations with the biggest salary increases

By Nick Selbe

Wikimedia Commons

“Overworked and underpaid” is how many would describe their current career status. Though many work hard at their jobs, salaries are not determined purely by the amount of effort an employee puts in. Some jobs offer immense room for financial growth, while others are more stagnant.

With this in mind, CareerTrends examined the most recent financial data from the Foreign Labor Certification Data Center and employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to find the occupations with the biggest salary increases from 2010 to 2015. These jobs are ranked according to their percent increase in salary, from lowest to highest.

For those unsatisfied with their current salary and looking to make a career change, some of these jobs might be worth further examination. As the data shows, some industry paychecks are trending in a promising direction.

#25. Transportation Equipment Installers

Employment: 14,160
2010 average salary: $41,418.90
2015 average salary: $49,267.30

Percent change: 18.9 percent

#24. Executive Assistants

Employment: 713,730
2010 average salary: $36,400.50
2015 average salary: $43,341.30

Percent change: 19.1 percent

#23. Food Cooking Machine Operators

Employment: 36,850
2010 average salary: $22,625.60
2015 average salary: $27,019.90

Percent change: 19.4 percent

#22. Prosthodontists

Employment: 630
2010 average salary: $105,413
2015 average salary: $125,951

Percent change: 19.5 percent

#21. Gas Station Operators

Employment: 4,700
2010 average salary: $44,166.90
2015 average salary: $53,095.50

Percent change: 20.2 percent

#20. Broadcast News Analysts

Employment: 4,310
2010 average salary: $57,046.60
2015 average salary: $68,635.90

Percent change: 20.3 percent

#19. Transportation Inspectors

Employment: 24,350
2010 average salary: $51,452.90
2015 average salary: $62,017.90

Percent change: 20.5 percent

#18. Slot Machine Supervisors

Employment: 7,000
2010 average salary: $27,830.50
2015 average salary: $33,568.90

Percent change: 20.6 percent

#17. Painting & Decorating Workers

Employment: 16,280
2010 average salary: $23,455.50
2015 average salary: $28,330.30

Percent change: 20.8 percent

#16. Rail Yard Engineers

Employment: 3,900
2010 average salary: $35,014
2015 average salary: $42,301

Percent change: 20.8 percent

#15. Petroleum Engineers

Employment: 33,740
2010 average salary: $97,307.50
2015 average salary: $118,063

Percent change: 21.3 percent

#14. Conservation Science Professors

Employment: 1,850
2010 average salary: $63,096
2015 average salary: $76,870.90

Percent change: 21.8 percent

#13. Personal Financial Advisers

Employment: 196,490
2010 average salary: $65,672.50
2015 average salary: $80,285.80

Percent change: 22.3 percent

#12. Brokerage Clerks

Employment: 57,240
2010 average salary: $35,219.30
2015 average salary: $43,221.60

Percent change: 22.7 percent

#11. Air Traffic Controllers

Employment: 22,860
2010 average salary: $80,968.10
2015 average salary: $99,658.90

Percent change: 23.1 percent

#10. Animal Breeders

Employment: 1,110
2010 average salary: $30,532.20
2015 average salary: $37,796.40

Percent change: 23.8 percent

#9. Actors

Employment: 59,210
2010 average salary: $36,609.40
2015 average salary: $45,773.30

Percent change: 25.0 percent

#8. Marine Engineers

Employment: 7,570
2010 average salary: $69,829.80
2015 average salary: $87,479.20

Percent change: 25.3 percent

#7. Makeup Artists

Employment: 2,610
2010 average salary: $37,822.20
2015 average salary: $48,043.60

Percent change: 27.0 percent

#6. Survey Researchers

Employment: 15,410
2010 average salary: $36,895.60
2015 average salary: $47,532.80

Percent change: 28.8 percent

#5. Costume Attendants

Employment: 6,270
2010 average salary: $28,104.80
2015 average salary: $36,754.10

Percent change: 30.8 percent

#4. Mathematical Technicians

Employment: 1,060
2010 average salary: $41,272.70
2015 average salary: $54,027.10

Percent change: 30.9 percent

#3. Fishers

Employment: 400
2010 average salary: $25,603.30
2015 average salary: $34,546.60

Percent change: 34.9 percent

#2. Funeral Service Managers

Employment: 8,330
2010 average salary: $52,471.40
2015 average salary: $70,831.10

Percent change: 35.0 percent

#1. Hunters and Trappers

Employment: 31,000
2010 average salary: $23,784.80
2015 average salary: $43,347.20

Percent change: 82.2 percent

Learn More About Career Salaries at CareerTrends

This story was provided by Graphiq and CareerTrends.

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