An annual $200,000 income is more than enough to live comfortably in the US. In fact, if you earn a $200,000 salary, you’re in the top 10% of earners in the country. Ever wondered what these high earners did to convince employers to pay them so well?
We looked at all the job ads offering $200K in September 2023 and analyzed employers’ expectations. In this article, you’ll find out which sectors are most likely to offer the most lucrative job opportunities and the top hard and soft skills employers are looking for for these roles.
Sectors most and least likely to offer $200K
The legal sector has the biggest proportion of jobs with salaries over $200,000, with 4.3% of its advertised job ads offering over $200,000. With a massive boom in the IT sector and AI taking center stage this year, the IT sector comes next. In September, around 3.2% of its job ads offered salaries over $200,000.
The next two sectors might come as a surprise as they are primarily deskless industries: Logistics & Warehouse (3%) and Travel (1.9%). Not only that, they are leading the way with the highest number of job vacancies advertising salaries over $200,000. There were close to 6,000 job ads in the logistics & warehouse sector and more than 2,000 job ads in the travel sector offering such hefty paychecks in September 2023.
On the other end, the Retail, Hospitality & Catering, Customer Services, and Social Work sectors have the smallest percentage of job ads offering six figures. Particularly, of 7,122 job ads in the retail sector, there was only one job offering more than $200,000.
Top sectors with jobs paying over $200K
| Sector | Total Jobs with Advertised Salary Over $200K | Total Job Postings with Salary Info | Proportion of Jobs with a Salary Over $200K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal | 165 | 3,861 | 4.30% |
| IT | 503 | 15,726 | 3.20% |
| Logistics & Warehouse | 5,849 | 194,688 | 3.00% |
| Travel | 2,017 | 107,337 | 1.90% |
| Scientific & QA | 70 | 3,912 | 1.80% |
| PR, Advertising & Marketing | 33 | 2,333 | 1.40% |
| Accounting & Finance | 285 | 20,429 | 1.40% |
| HR & Recruitment | 43 | 3,559 | 1.20% |
| Property | 13 | 1,113 | 1.20% |
| Healthcare & Nursing | 878 | 91,118 | 1.00% |
| Graduate | 1 | 133 | 0.80% |
| Sales | 229 | 32,353 | 0.70% |
| Engineering | 151 | 33,140 | 0.50% |
| Admin | 57 | 16,793 | 0.30% |
| Energy, Oil & Gas | 10 | 3,134 | 0.30% |
| Trade & Construction | 123 | 39,392 | 0.30% |
| Consultancy | 5 | 1902 | 0.30% |
| Manufacturing | 17 | 6,717 | 0.30% |
| Creative & Design | 2 | 1,766 | 0.10% |
| Teaching | 20 | 24,910 | 0.10% |
| Maintenance | 5 | 8,847 | 0.10% |
| Domestic help & Cleaning | 3 | 5,773 | 0.10% |
| Social work | 3 | 6,831 | 0.00% |
| Customer Services | 5 | 11,425 | 0.00% |
| Hospitality & Catering | 10 | 34,764 | 0.00% |
| Retail | 1 | 7,122 | 0.00% |
Degree vs skills
There are whispers around employers increasingly ditching degrees for skills. Our data echoes that: Nearly 90% of the job ads that offer $200,000 do not list any degree requirements. In fact, less than one in 10 (9.5%) job ads put down a degree in their job ads.
While this sounds like great news for school leavers, it’s too early to conclude that not having a degree will not diminish your chances of securing a well-paid job. We’ve noticed some employers are leaving out degree requirements in job ads because they consider it common knowledge to complete a degree before applying for certain roles. For example, while solicitor roles require a law degree, not many employers put that in the job descriptions.
Whether you have a degree or not, these are the skills we uncovered as most in demand for top-paying roles in the US.
Top soft skills
Soft skills are personality traits and interpersonal skills applicable to all professions. Honing soft skills can help you build and maintain relationships with others and navigate through problems. Here are some of the most sought-after soft skills:
1. Energetic
“Energetic” is the most wanted soft skill by employers, with close to a quarter of job ads (23.5%) with high-paying salaries citing this soft skill.
Similar soft skills that precede “Energetic” are “passion”, “enthusiastic”, and “self-motivated”. Employers are increasingly hiring for passion as they believe candidates with high energy levels can inspire and motivate their colleagues with their enthusiasm. This kind of positivity not only boosts team morale but also fuels productivity. 
2. Communication
Effective communication skills are prized by employers, with 12.2% of job ads paying over $200,000 mentioning this. Candidates with strong communication skills can facilitate better collaboration, minimize misunderstandings, and enhance productivity.
There has been a major decline in engagement and an increase in burnout in recent years, causing employees to ultimately “quiet quit”. Companies are now focused on bringing in candidates that display high energy and have good communication skills so they can help drive higher engagement amongst their teams and other staff.
3. Planning
The third soft skill is planning, with 6.4% of job ads that pay over $200,000 featuring this. Planning refers to the ability to think ahead and strategically set actionable plans and goals. Candidates who excel in planning set clear objectives, allocate resources accordingly and establish realistic timelines to minimize disruption and ensure project completion.
4. Leadership
Not all managers are natural leaders but it can be learned over time. Leadership skills are highly valued, with 6.3% of job ads mentioning this. Notably, they are also essential in non-leadership roles as well, as an individual with leadership skills can help solve conflicts, make critical decisions and empower their teammates to work together toward their common goal.
5. Management
Strong management skills help individuals efficiently delegate tasks, manage teams, and make business decisions. As the recession is approaching, businesses need candidates with good management skills to make sure every penny is worth the spent.
Top 10 soft skills cited in jobs ads paying over $200K
| Skill | Number of Job Ads Over $200K Citing Skill | Proportion of Job Ads Over $200K Citing Skill |
|---|---|---|
| Energetic | 2,466 | 23.50% |
| Communication | 1,283 | 12.20% |
| Planning | 670 | 6.40% |
| Leadership | 659 | 6.30% |
| Management | 651 | 6.20% |
| Customer Service | 530 | 5.00% |
| Teamwork | 487 | 4.60% |
| Collaboration | 328 | 3.10% |
| Problem Solving | 283 | 2.70% |
| Integrity | 276 | 2.60% |
Top hard skills
Hard skills are technical skills that can be acquired and enable individuals to perform certain tasks at work. Here are some of the best-paying hard skills in September:
1. Invoicing
More than a quarter (26.9) of job ads paying over $200,000 asked for invoicing skill. While you might not work in the finance department, if your role requires you to deal with customers, suppliers, and contractors, this hard skill is important.
Invoicing is about properly creating and managing financial documents, following up on missing or late payments and resolving disputes. It’s crucial for employers as accurate and timely invoicing ensures cash flow and financial stability. Brush up your invoicing skill by getting familiarized with invoicing software and the basic payment terms.
2. Operations
Operations management skills help businesses meet goals, optimize efficiency and potentially reduce unnecessary costs.. Close to 1,000 job ads cited this hard skill, accounting for 9.2% of all job ads.
3. Dispatching
Dispatching skill helps individuals effectively coordinate and schedule tasks. Hone your dispatching skill by learning logistics systems, working on your time management skills, and enhancing communication skills.
4. Research
Research skill refers to the ability to source, analyze, and interpret data. Business leaders value this trait as comprehensive research can help them make better business decisions. 3.8% of job ads cited this hard skill.
5. Sales
Everyone is in sales. We spend our time trying to influence others to make a certain decision. Employees with sales acumen are well-versed in relationship building and communication as well. Brush up your sales skills by practicing active listening and public speaking.
Top 10 hard skills cited in jobs ads over $200K
| Skill Name | Number of Job Ads Over $200K Citing Skill | Proportion of Job Ads Over $200K Citing Skill |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | 2,831 | 26.90% |
| Operations | 967 | 9.20% |
| Dispatching | 435 | 4.10% |
| Research | 398 | 3.80% |
| Sales | 387 | 3.70% |
| Budgets | 337 | 3.20% |
| Licensing | 290 | 2.80% |
| Marketing | 230 | 2.20% |
| Project Management | 209 | 2.00% |
| Analysis | 196 | 1.90% |
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