Here’s our list of dream jobs, including some of today’s most sought-after roles.
1. Doctor
Average salary: $70,000–$100,000 Depending on the kind of doctor you are, your regular tasks will differ. Some of the common ones are:
Examining patients to diagnose health conditions or observable diseases Prescribing medicine to patients Taking note of patients’ health history Advising on general health or relevant health issues
Most doctors will have a specialism, such as ophthalmology, cardiology, surgery or neurology.
Requirements
According to UCAS.com, to become a registered doctor, you will need the following:
Five-year degree in medicine, recognized by the General Medical Council Two-year foundation course of general training Two to three years of core medical training (CMT) or Acute Common Stem (ACCS) program Four to seven years of specialist training, depending on your chosen area of medicine
2. Video Game Designer
Average salary: $30,000 If you play a lot of video or computer games, this job would truly be a dream come true. Some of the tasks involved are:
Working with a team to implement ideas for games, whether original or based on existing work Conducting research toward concept and target audiences Collaborating with game developers and game testers Overseeing the story and script of a game
Requirements
A degree in game design or related field Certification in relevant programming languages Project-management skills Advanced computer knowledge
3. Pilot
Average salary: $49,000 Commercial pilots carry out a range of duties, apart from the obvious one of flying and landing a plane. These can include:
Receiving and confirming details of a flight Creating flight plans Evaluating the status of the plane
Requirements
Train and qualify with an aviation academy to receive an airline transport pilot license (ATPL) High school education Medical certification
4. Detective
Average salary: $44,000 A detective will specialize in one of many departments, including the criminal investigation department, the firearms squad, the fraud squad, and more. Some regular tasks include:
Liaising with local establishments to earn trust and gather intelligence Interviewing and interrogating suspects and members of the public Conducting searches and arrests
Requirements
Pass a background and security check Pass the National Investigation Exam (NIE) Complete two years within the uniformed police force
5. Actor
Average salary: $35,000 If your passion is in the performing arts, your dream job may involve acting. While this is a varied role, some of the main elements are:
Performing in theatres, television sets, movie sets or even public areas for events. Some actors may even apply for voice-only roles. Interpreting and portraying a character from a written script Using voice and body language to move a story Remembering and making necessary edits to scripts Helping writers and directors create and execute scenes
Requirements
There are many different ways to become an actor. Although you don’t have to be classically trained, you will still have to audition for roles. You are strongly encouraged to attend theatre studies or acting classes
6. Entrepreneur
Average salary: The salary of an entrepreneur varies widely and is dependent mainly on the individual’s success. However, the average salary is around £43,000. Although exciting and rewarding, being an entrepreneur is a high-risk endeavor and requires much initial effort. An entrepreneur is required to spend time coming up with and implementing unique ideas. As a result, they often lead a team to delegate the tasks for one or more business ventures.
Requirements
You don’t need any real qualifications to be an entrepreneur, but it does require a specific set of skills and mindset:
Organizational skills Communication Teamwork and leadership Business management Problem-solving
A travel blogger is a type of freelance writer. Traveling to different parts of the world, they detail their experiences on a dedicated website or any other web format.
Requirements
There are no requirements to become a travel blogger. All you need is a laptop, some writing skills and a travel visa.
8. Music Producer
Average salary: $21,000 (highly variable – a music producer’s salary is dependent on their popularity or fame, and their skill level) Music producers generally work with software to compose rhythms and melodies for vocalists and backing tracks for other instruments. A music producer spends most of their time in a recording studio. They can also perform live events where they work with a team of technical workers and other sound engineers.
Requirements
Generally, you don’t need any formal education or training to be a music producer. All you need is experience and a portfolio. However, some music producers will also have a music degree or a degree in a similar field.
9. Model
Average salary: $43,000 (highly dependent on their popularity and social media presence) There are many types of modeling roles, open to men or women. The image that often springs to mind is a model on a catwalk or runway, but you could also model for magazines, catalogs or specialist clothing ranges (for example, petite, plus-size), and more. Some tasks that models may undertake include:
Promoting a particular brand of clothes, shoes or underwear Performing on runways/catwalks Taking part in photoshoots Sharing products on social media as an influencer
Requirements
There aren’t any formal requirements to become a model. However, most industries desire a specific body type. For instance, fashion magazines tend to prefer a slim body type, whereas fitness magazines will be looking for a more muscular body type.
10. Chef
Average salary: $34,000 There are many different roles in a kitchen, and different levels and specialties to aspire to. Whether you would like to be a pastry chef, head chef or chef de partie, your role is likely to include the following tasks:
Perfectly preparing and assembling dishes for each unique order Keeping track of ingredients Experimenting and creating new combinations of food
Requirements
You don’t need any formal qualifications to be a chef. However, the profession does require a lot of training. This can be gained in more than one way:
Attending a university course Following an apprenticeship Working in a kitchen environment for several years
11. Photographer
Average salary: $25,000 (varies significantly based on style of photography, skill and popularity) There are many fields of photography to work in, for example:
Weddings Journalism Nature Sports and action
A photographer’s duties include:
Taking photos Handling photographic equipment Choosing the correct location and time of day for photoshoots Editing photos with professional software
Requirements
You don’t need any formal qualifications or training to be a photographer. However, to find work in your desired field of photography, you will need a portfolio of your past photos and edits.
12. Digital Illustrator
Average salary: $30,000 (entirely dependent on skill, type of industry and popularity) Digital illustrators and designers use design and illustration software to create original art for companies and individual clients. There is a multitude of avenues for a digital illustrator. Some may choose to work with company advertising, others may choose to design art for games and other media that require illustrations.
Requirements
Formal education or training is not always required when working in digital illustration, particularly when the illustrator chooses to freelance. In this case, they will simply need a portfolio. However, many companies prefer illustrators to also have a degree in a related field.
13. Journalist
Average salary: $30,000 (dependent mainly on the body of work they have accumulated and the field they are in; such as entertainment, finance, sports or politics) Some key tasks performed by a journalist in any field are:
Conducting interviews with members of the public, famous people, politicians, and more Collecting credible data Fact-checking Writing up their findings for publication
Requirements
Many journalists claim that you do not need any formal education or training to become a credible journalist and that all it takes is experience and credibility. However, many university courses and apprenticeships offer journalistic training, which is often preferred by journalistic publications.
14. Comedian
Average salary: $20,000 (remarkably dynamic and depends on ability and popularity) Unlike most professions, being a comedian has a singular goal: Make your audience laugh. The kinds of tasks that comedians may carry out are:
Performing stand-up comedy at bars, local events, club rooms or concert venues Creating skit videos for television and streaming services Writing comedy sketches and scripts for television networks Performing live sketches
Requirements
There is no formal training or education required to be a comedian. Instead, a comedian’s career development relies entirely on their experience and ability to entertain an audience. Certain classes are available for newer comedians. However, most professionals will advise against attending them.
15. Musician
Average salary: $30,000 (dependent mainly on skill level and the avenue of the music business that they choose to follow) There are several avenues for musicians to earn a reasonable living that don’t involve getting a deal from a record label. These can include:
Conducting live performances where people can donate willingly (busking) Giving music lessons Creating online courses Attending studio recording for professional artists Writing and performing songs at different venues
Requirements
There is no straight path to becoming a successful musician since there are many ways to earn a living as a musician. The most important things to consider are your skill and your creativity. You may develop your musical skills by taking classes or attending music courses. If you’re consistent with your practice, you will inevitably become an expert in your area of music and people will want to listen to you perform. A dream job is generally considered something that aligns with your passion or interests. It is also dependent on your values, which change over time. When a child is asked about their dream job, they may answer based on what they consider appealing at the time or what they are doing at that exact moment. However, an individual’s thoughts and values change as they grow older and gain more experience. By the time they’re in their early to mid-20s, they will have developed a new set of values that determine what they consider to be a ‘dream job’. What seemed appealing to them as children has changed, as factors like location, work-life balance, money and alignment with their interests become more important factors.
What Are the Key Factors of a Dream Job?
As already mentioned, an individual’s idea of a dream job is mainly reliant on their life experience. As we grow older, we develop different needs, and those needs will not always be monetary.
Location
Whether someone considers a role their dream job can depend significantly on where they live or intend to live. To some, having a job that would allow them to live in their ideal location is a significant factor for a dream job. Conversely, some people would like to stay in their current location with their friends and family, and having a job that allows them to do that would be an important consideration.
Ability to Travel
Traveling remains one of the most popular recreational activities among young adults. Many people would happily dedicate their lives to a job that allows them to travel frequently, preferably at little to no cost to themselves.
Money
Depending on their background, some people may place more value on salary and income than others. If they can make a significant amount of money while doing something that even somewhat aligns with their interests, many may consider the job to be ideal. Some will not factor money into the equation and will choose to stay in a job they love even if the monetary prospects or opportunities for promotion are less attractive.
Public Service
TollFreeForwarding.com conducted a survey in 2018 that showed the most popular options when a diverse study group was asked about their ‘dream job’. The most popular choices revolved around public service roles; for example, doctor, nurse, teacher or veterinarian. Most people prefer jobs where they know they are helping their community and the wider society.
How to Figure Out Your Dream Job
If you don’t have an idea of what your dream job may be, there are steps you can take to discover the kind of career that is best suited to your skills, interests and values.
Understand Your Strengths
Allocate some time to make a note of all of your strengths. This may be difficult at first, but you will start to notice things about yourself that you hadn’t realized before.
Understand Your Values
It’s essential to think about the things you would like to have in life. What is most important to you, and how will your ideal job satisfy these desires? The job that best aligns with this will ultimately be the one that keeps you happy in your work.
Understand What You Don’t Like
When looking at your dream job, remember to also consider what your worst case scenario might look like. If you’re not a fan of long commutes and long hours, for example, you should rule out the type of work that would require this. Even though certain careers promise enticing salaries, you may end up severely regretting the decision to forgo your satisfaction for the sake of a lucrative opportunity.
Visualize Your Ideal Day
A good technique for deciding on your ideal job is to visualize your perfect day. Once you have an idea of what your average day looks like, you’ll find it easier to decide on your ideal job.
Final Thoughts
Often people forgo their dream jobs to pursue something they deem pragmatic. Perhaps they wanted to develop a musical talent or satisfy their desire to travel the world but there were either too many obstacles or they didn’t believe in their ability. Although the window may have passed for you to become an astronaut or compete at the elite level of sports, there are still opportunities to find something you can look forward to waking up to every day. The rise of technology has allowed for platforms on which you can learn new skills, develop existing skills, connect with experts and share your work with a broad audience. It is never too late to find your dream job and add meaning to your life.
