一提起高薪工作，我们首先想到的就是公司经理、外科医生和律师——其实，在金融、医疗和法律这些众所周知的高薪领域之外，也有其他的高薪工作。比如，作家、电梯安装员和船长，这些职位的薪资都达到6位数，但却是我们通常意想不到的。
《美国时报》每年都会仔细分析美国劳工部下属劳工统计局（BLS）的年度数据，竟发现了15个最出人意料的6位数收入的工作。BLS一般会以邮件形式给很多公司发送调查问卷，对这些问卷进行信息汇总后，于每年的5月份发布《职业与工资评估数据》报告。报告内容一般包括以下信息：数百种不同类型的工作，包括按小时和按年结算工资的，从事该职业的总人数，以及一个州或一个市该职业待遇最好的地区。要想入选本文所说的这15名之列，从事该职业的人至少10%年收入超过10万美元。
人力资源经理是这15名当中唯一一个多数（而非一部分）从事者工资达到6位数的职业。这些经理们的职责范围从面试应聘者到处理人事关系，再到贯彻公司的战略和政策，他们的平均年薪大约有10万8600美元。根据BLS 2010年的《职业与工资评估数据》报告，排名前10%的人力资源经理年收入高于16万6400美元。这个职业在新泽西州的待遇最高，年收入在13万4170美元。
艺术总监的收入也不会太寒酸。这些有艺术天赋的人年收入是9万4100美元，而排名前10%的年收入可达16万3430美元——国家平均年收入仅有4万4410美元，几乎是它的4倍。艺术总监待遇最好的地区是纽约，在这儿工作的人年薪可以拿到12万8080美元。
其他令人称奇的年收入6位数的工作，特别在脆弱的媒体行业看来，包括广播新闻分析师，作家和技术专业作家。根据BLS的数据，这些职业中收入前10%的人年收入超过10万美元。其中广播新闻分析师是14万2630美元，作家是10万9440美元，技术专业作家则是10万零910美元。
赌博经理，即专门监管赌博操作的这些人也在这15名之列，他们的年收入也可以拿到7万3940美元，而收入排名前10%的人真的是获得了头奖，他们的年收入是11万6070美元。
宾夕法尼亚州是赌博经理待遇最好的州（平均年收入有9万1850美元），但是，该州只有50名赌博经理。全国总共有3230名美国人从事赌博经理的职业，他们分散在不同的州。
船长的收入也比常人想象的要多。排名前10%的船长年收入多达11万7310美元，但这个职业的平均收入是7万零500美元。田纳西州的船长年收入是8万9700美元，是该职业待遇最高的州。
这个名单还没有罗列完。还有很多令你更惊讶的工作，从事这些职业的人年收入都是6位数，但却看不到他们系领带或穿实验服。天文学家、影视编辑和农产品买主便是另外的几个。
We often associate hefty salaries with corner offices, scalpels and law degrees – but it turns out you can pull in a pretty penny working outside the financial, medical or legal fields. In fact, writers, elevator installers and ship captains are just a few of the professionals who surprisingly can score six-figure paychecks.
Forbes combed through data gathered annually by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a division of the Labor Department, to find the 15 most surprising six-figure jobs. The BLS culls its information from surveys it mails to businesses, and it releases its Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates Data each May. The report shares information about hundreds of occupations, including hourly and annual wages, total numbers of workers in the profession, and the states and metro areas that pay the best. To make the cut for our list, at least 10% of employees in the profession had to earn more than $100,000 a year.
Human resources managers are the only ones on the list where most, not just some, earn six figures. These professionals, who are responsible for everything from interviewing candidates to handling personnel and implementing strategies and policies, earn a stellar average annual salary of $108,600. According to the BLS’ Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates Data for 2010, the top 10% of H.R. managers earn more than $166,400 a year. The best-paying state for these professionals is New Jersey, where they pull in an average annual salary of $134,170.
An art director’s income isn’t too shabby, either. The mean annual wage for those talented professionals is $94,100. The top 10% make $163,430—almost four times the national average for all occupations, which is just $44,410. The top-paying state for art directors: New York. Those in the Big Apple earn a hefty $128,080 a year.
Some other surprising six-figure jobs, especially from the perspective of the fragile media industry, include broadcast news analysts, authors, and technical writers. Workers in the top-earning 10% of each of these professions earn more than $100,000, according to the BLS data. For broadcast news analysts, it’s $146,230; for writers and authors, $109,440; and for technical writers, $100,910.
Gaming managers, the people who supervise gambling operations, also make the cut, earning a handsome annual income of $73,940. Workers in the top 10% of that profession really hit the jackpot. These high rollers rake in $116,070 a year.
Pennsylvania pays its gaming managers better than any other state ($91,850 a year, on average), but it’s only got about 50 of them. In total, 3,230 Americans hold the job nationwide.
Water vessel captains, mates and pilots also make a boatload more than one might think. The top 10% earn an ample $117,310 a year, but on average they make $70,500. Boat captains in Tennessee earn $89,700, making it the best paying state.
The list doesn’t end there. There are plenty more surprising six-figure jobs that don’t require a necktie or lab coat. Astronomers, film editors and farm product buyers are some others we’ve singled out.
