If you are an ambitious woman, you may wonder what are the best careers for women in 2024.

We want to help you find a career that pays well, you enjoy, and you find meaningful. We will explore some of the highest-paying jobs for women and some of the most interesting jobs for women. Plus, we delve into the skills and qualifications that you need to follow these career paths and reach your own definition of success.

The Best Careers for Women

What You Need to Know About The Job Market in 2024

The job market in 2024 seems daunting. We have experienced job cuts, a relentless return to the office, and the new pink frame on LinkedIn named “desperate.” There has been a slight decrease in job growth in the first half of 2024. People and companies are still hiring but the trends are changing slightly – fields like healthcare, green solutions, and tech are experiencing a boom while others are lagging.

In the age of AI, creativity, problem-solving, and analytical skills are more important than ever. Many of the best careers for women need these human skills. If you stay flexible and understand the current job market trends and your interests, you could land your dream job and carve out a worthwhile career. Let’s explore some of the best careers for women in 2024 (and even the next decade).

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The 5 Highest-Paying Jobs for Women

Some of the highest-paying jobs for women are also the most common careers for women. These jobs are ones that women have traditionally filled and continue to thrive in. We will explore the skills and education you need for some of the highest-paying jobs for women plus their expected salaries.

1. Top Executive

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We are seeing more women reach the top and become exceptional leaders. Executives often make strategic decisions, are big-picture thinkers, and are also responsible for creating a good company culture – playing up to women’s strengths.

Skills you need: Leadership skills, problem-solving skills, confidence, and visionary skills.
Pay: $185,000+
Degree/Diploma: Business degree or marketing degree and experience.

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2. Surgeon/Physician

With extensive education and training, physicians and surgeons treat illnesses, perform surgeries, and provide critical healthcare services. There are many areas that you can specialise in like cardiology and orthopaedic surgery.

Skills you need: Attention to detail, communication, decision-making, and empathy.
Pay: $300-700k/year
Degree/Diploma: A bachelor’s, a medical degree, and a traineeship

3. Nurse Practitioner

The nurse practitioner industry is growing, especially after COVID-19 and the mental health crisis. There is a shortage of physicians and nurses have become key to making healthcare more accessible and personalized. They provide holistic and personalized care for their patients, monitor their progress, and help and educate them to follow their treatment plans. This is a great profession for empathetic women, who enjoy working with others and want to find meaning in their work.

Skills you need: Empathy, leadership, and attention to detail.
Pay: $100-120k/year
Degree/Diploma: Bachelor’s degree in nursing and traineeship

4. Pharmacist

Pharmacists need to safely dispense prescription medication and educate patients on their medication dosage and use. They also advise physicians on medication, dosage, and side effects. Pharmacists are high earners and their job can entail dealing with customers, researching, and helping others.

Skills you need: Analytical skills, communications skills, attention to detail, and financial literacy
Pay: $100-$135,049k/year
Degree/Diploma: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree

5. Human Resource Manager

Human resource managers play a pivotal role in organizations. They plan, coordinate, and direct the administrative functions in organizations. They oversee hiring plans and processes, consult with executives, and help create a healthy company culture. If you have a knack for leadership, and organization, and love to develop teams and organizations – this a great career path and it can be incredibly rewarding as you watch people grow, learn, and flourish.

Skills you need: Communication, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills.
Pay: $120,000 and $130,000/year
Degree/Diploma: Bachelor’s degree in human resources or business administration

The 10 Most Interesting Careers for Women

Here are other more interesting ways that real-life women are making 6-figures (according to Reddit) and many of them come with great perks like remote working, flexibility, and most importantly, meaning attached to them. These jobs are also in fast-growing industries that offer job security and are recession-proof.

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1. Learning and Development Specialist

As a learning and development specialist, you will create, design, and deliver employee training programs or educational programs for employees. You will work with people to understand their needs and develop programs that meet those needs. If you love education, design, and communication at an organizational level, this is one of the best careers for women – especially as companies today need new skills, tools, and platforms.

Skills you need: User Experience, creativity, instructional design, and communication and collaboration
Pay: $60,421 and $120 000/year
Degree/Diploma: Degree or experience in education, psychology, or human resources.

2. Biostatisticians

A biostatistician uses maths and statistics and maths to collect and analyze data in biology and public health. They design studies, analyze data, and communicate their findings. Biostatisticians earn very well and if you love numbers, and statistics, and want to make an impact in the health industry – this can be a perfect job for you.

Skills you need: Maths, analytical skills, and problem-solving.
Pay: $100k and 200k/year
Degree/Diploma: Master’s degree in public health or biostatistics.

3. Financial analyst

A financial analyst looks at financial data to help clients and companies make the best financial decisions. With tough markets, these roles are becoming even more important as they research trends, navigate volatile markets, create models, make recommendations, and prepare reports. Women are also entering the accounting industry at a rapid pace, and it is becoming one of the most common careers for women. If you love finance, deep diving into statistics, and analyzing spreadsheets, and equations, this is a great option for you.

Skills you need: Accounting, problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and management skills.
Pay: $87,792 to $105,891.
Degree/Diploma: Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, and economics.

4. Executive Assistant

An executive assistant can be a great job if you work on a C-suite level. You will handle calendar events, organize reports, set up meetings, and make business travel arrangements. It is a versatile job, often you don’t need a degree, and you may be able to work from home, making it more flexible.

Skills you need: Organizational skills, interpersonal skills, and problem-solving skills.
Pay: $43,500 and $100,00
Degree/Diploma: Computer proficiency

5. Data scientist

The tech industry is growing, and that includes data scientists and analysts. They use data science tools and software to extract insights from data, make decisions, and help companies to problem solve.

Skills you need: Analytical skills, data visualization, statistics, and Python.
Pay: $110,000 and $120,000
Degree/Diploma: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science, or a diploma in a related field.

6. Technical Writing

Technical writers can earn a lot. They often take complicated subjects and distill them into user manuals, documents, or white papers. Sometimes you are required to know a lot about a specific field or industry. A high salary and flexible working hours make it one of the best careers for women.

Skills you need: Writing, Research skills, editing, and project management.
Pay: $48,630 and $129,440
Degree/Diploma: Bachelor of arts degree or specific industry knowledge

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7. Healthcare IT Consulting

With this role, you will help healthcare companies implement technologies, cloud-based upgrades, and human capital management. It is a challenging role but can be incredibly rewarding as you help shape a better and more efficient healthcare industry.

Skills you need: Analytical skills, data analysis, attention to detail, and interpersonal communication
Pay: $106,000–$194,000
Degree/Diploma: Bachelor’s degree in public health, business, or data science.

8. Tech Sales

Being in technology sales can be a high-paying profession for females. You will be responsible for selling technology as a product or service. It can be a fairly flexible job and can promote work-life balance for women. But the targets can be challenging to reach, so it requires hard work, focus, and persistence.

Skills you need: Product knowledge, public speaking skills, and communication skills.
Pay: $68,027 and $102,000
Degree/Diploma: Bachelor’s degree in communication, business science, or management.

9. Landscaper

Trade jobs for women are something that we shouldn’t ignore. Especially as many trade jobs are growing in 2024 and 2025. The skilled trade industry has much lower barriers to entry and often women can earn more money than office jobs. As a landscaper, you can modify land and gardens to create an aesthetically pleasing space. Trade jobs are often the most interesting careers for women as they can be quite diverse and dynamic- you can be active going to clients, and interacting with them while doing some planning and prepping at home or in an office.

Skills you need: Organization, creativity, drawing skills, and attention to detail.
Pay: $77,960
Degree/Diploma: Horticulture, landscape management, or agronomy

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10. Female Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone but If you want to have an uncapped salary and be passionate about your work, you should think about starting your own business. Especially as a lot of the skills you need, you probably already have. You need confidence, to define your goals, and to be bold. Luckily if you are an aspiring female entrepreneur, we can help you get started.

Here are the 20 best business ideas for women.

Skills you need: Confidence, problem-solving skills, and a growth mindset
Pay: $20,000 and $1,000,000
Degree/Diploma: None

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Finding Your Purpose

As you navigate your career, it is important to think about what industries will take off in the future. It is equally important to think about the skills you will need and what you enjoy doing. Do you enjoy working with numbers, are you an extrovert, and do you like problem-solving? By assessing your skills and some of the best careers for women, you can work toward one that you will enjoy.

If you still feel stuck, listen to some of the best podcasts for women or read about bold businesswomen to get inspired. Sometimes our careers can take unexpected paths so be open to change and ready to jump on exciting opportunities.