Being lost isn’t anything new. As a matter of fact, millennials are finding it very difficult to work what they’ve studied at college. According to this report from CNBC, nearly 50% of millennials wish they’d chosen a different career path.

So that means you aren’t the only one feeling that way. And to help you out, we’re going to look at what careers pay off the most. No doubt students have to think about their future before making a commitment to go to college, so consider this a financial tip.

And make sure to follow through the end of our list as chances are you’ll find a career that appeals to you.

With all that said, let’s start.

Anesthesiologist

Medicine is no doubt one of the most well-paid fields. But unlike other career paths, a career in medicine is one that takes very long to achieve.

Medical students pursuing a degree as an anesthesiologist need to complete the basic 4-year medical school. After that, they have to go through 4 additional years in anesthesiology. So before you even get to work as an anesthesiologist, you will spend close to a decade learning the craft.

Fortunately, anesthesiology pays the most out of any career path. As an anesthesiologist, you can expect an annual salary of $260,000.

We want to give students as many options as we can in this article. So we will tend to give examples from different fields. For clarity purposes, a career as a surgeon, gynecologist, orthodontist, prosthodontist, and family physician, pays similarly – in the range of $230,000+.

Airline Pilot

To become an airline pilot, students usually start as commercial pilots before getting picked up by an airline. The education of airline pilots is roughly two years. In those two years, students are required to fly for more than 1,500 hours.

Not every airline requires a degree, but there are those that won’t accept your job application without it. The job of an airline pilot is very simple.

They’re supposed to fly the plane from point A to point B. While pilots don’t necessarily fly or maneuver the plane, they are responsible for liftoff, landing the craft, and the safety of the airline passengers.

Airline pilots do make a pretty nice salary. You can expect to make anything in the region of $160,000 annually. However, different airlines pay different rates, and some airlines, such as Fly Emirates, generously pay their pilots.

Many believe that the pilot overpaid compared to the copilot or flight engineers. But that isn’t the case so you can also pursue a copilot career or flight engineer.

IS Managers

Moving from one field to another, IS (information systems) managers are some of the most well-paid individuals in IT (information technology).

The role of an IS manager is to oversee multiple operations. Individuals working as IS managers are some of the most skilled programmers and data analysts. Considering that it is their job to oversee information systems, system analysis, and data, it takes years of experience before transitioning as IS manager.

In most cases, an IS manager needs to be a professional with more than a decade of experience under their belt. They need to be know how to organize operations to align with business goals, and they need to have excellent man-managing skills to manage and supervise employees under their wing.

To be an IS manager, students in IT need to acquire a bachelor’s degree in an IT-related major. It’s also quite common for MIS (management IS) graduates to make it to the role of IS manager. But nearly every IT graduate has to work towards getting an MBA (masters of business administration) or similar degree as this role does take on business responsibilities.

A career as an IS manager will see students earn up to $150,000 annually.

Marketing Manager

A career in marketing management appeals to plenty of students. The job requires exceptional creative and business skills. The job of a marketing manager is to maximize profits for a company by conducting marketing research and marketing activities.

In most cases, marketing managers develop reputations of websites and media companies.

Out of all the careers on this list, this gives students the option to start a marketing business whilst in college. Although it might be difficult to juggle time between their business and classes, the experience gathered can land them a salary of $136,000 annually.

If you’re looking for employment as a marketing manager, then you need to show a bachelor’s degree in economics, finance, or computer science.

A similar career path, although very different, include financial managers. The salary difference between a marketing and financial manager is very marginal.