15 mid-career jobs that pay at least $100K

Monster PayRight data reveals which jobs offer the greatest lifetime earning potential.

By Lily Martis, Monster staff

Your career may be on the fast track right now, but one day your career—and your salary—will eventually reach a plateau.

In an analysis of more than 2,000 employers, Monster PayRight filtered jobs based on level of experience to find the highest-paying jobs requiring eight to 12 years of experience thus offering you the greatest lifetime earning potential. Although you might not make the big bucks right off the bat, all of these mid-career titles make at least $100K a year, with the top job, associate dean of medicine, pulling in over a quarter of a million yearly.

Aside from your experience level, your salary will also be affected by your specialty and where in the country you're employed. For example, a senior data scientist salary in Avon, New York, is 2% higher than the national median; a network engineer salary in Boston is 8% higher than the national median; and a sales engineer salary in Boulder, Colorado, is 4% higher than the national median.

Take a look at our list below to see which high-paying, mid-career jobs offer the greatest payoff in the long run.

Associate dean of medicine

What you’d do: As an associate dean of medicine, you would provide leadership and administrative oversight for a medical school and its related programs. Working with the dean and other governing faculty members, you would develop, implement, and assess academic and clinical programs, recruit and evaluate faculty, develop admission and examination standards, and provide counseling to students.

What you’d need: You’ll need a degree in medicine (either an MD or DO) as well as board certification/license to practice.

What you’d make: $254,300 per year

Find all associate dean of medicine jobs on Monster.

Data scientist IV

What you’d do: Data scientists mine and analyze complex and unstructured data sets using statistical methods. Your day would typically consist of researching, analyzing, and modeling organizational data, developing algorithms to improve operations, and providing insights to make key business decisions.

What you’d need: You’ll need an advanced degree to land this job.

What you’d make: $188,700 per year

Find all data scientist jobs on Monster.

IT software developer IV

What you’d do: In this role, you would work as part of a development team in the design of software applications by writing, reviewing, and debugging code. Furthermore, you would recommend product revisions or enhancements based on user feedback.

What you’d need: An advanced degree can be helpful in your job search, but a bachelor’s degree is the baseline.

What you’d make: $168,500 per year

Find all software developer jobs on Monster.

Sales engineer VI

What you’d do: As a leader of authority on complex technical products, sales engineers not only sell the product but also provide technical advice on them. Additional duties include negotiating contract terms, closing sales, maintaining customer records, and creating presentations and reports.

What you’d need: This role typically calls for a bachelor’s degree and sometimes a master’s degree.

What you’d make: $159,100 per year

Find all sales engineer jobs on Monster.

Research scientist VI

What you’d do: Want to conduct cool science experiments all day? That’s pretty much what a research scientist does. Research scientists create and conduct experiments and then process and analyze the results and data for industry or academic purposes. You may even get to present your findings at a conference or have your research published in a scientific journal.

What you’d need: A bachelor’s degree may get you in the door, but you could also go for your master’s degree.

What you’d make: $154,400 per year

Find all research scientist jobs on Monster.

Intelligence analyst V

What you’d do: No, this job doesn’t give you the right to call people idiots. Rather, you would analyze information and threats, develop and disseminate alerts, and assist decision-makers in forming strategic responses.

What you’d need: While a bachelor’s degree is the baseline, some job listings may call for a master’s degree.

What you’d make: $152,200 per year

Find all intelligence analyst jobs on Monster.

Biostatistics manager

What you’d do: In managing a team of biostatisticians, you would gather, analyze, and interpret data for biomedical research and clinical studies. Additional managerial responsibilities include editing reports, charts, and tables and drafting publications and presentations.

What you’d need: A bachelor’s degree should suffice for this job.

What you’d make: $145,200 per year

Find all biostatistics jobs on Monster.

IT Network Engineer VI

What you’d do: Network engineers provide functional and empirical analysis relating to the planning, design, installation, and implementation of a network infrastructure. Job duties include the maintenance of file servers and network devices, mitigating cyber attacks, resolving software issues, and sometimes developing end-user training.

What you’d need: Most positions call for either a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree.

What you’d make: $144,100 per year

Find all network engineer jobs on Monster.

Actuary VI

What you’d do: A data-driven position, actuaries predict future risks, make price decisions, formulate investment strategies, and help businesses create policies, all with the goal of minimizing costs.

What you’d need: A bachelor’s degree is the minimum, but some actuaries hold master’s degrees.

What you’d make: $141,800 per year

Find all actuary jobs on Monster.

Product evangelist

What you’d do: Serving as subject matter experts and thought leaders, product evangelists promote products by drawing on personal experiences and client feedback. and collaborate with marketing teams in the development of whitepapers and webinars. Additional responsibilities include representing organizations at conferences, trade shows, and industry events.

What you’d need: A bachelor’s degree is a good starting point, but a master’s degree could give you a leg up.

What you’d make: $135,600 per year

Find all product evangelist jobs on Monster.

Physicist VI

What you’d do: Physicists research, study, and collect data on matter and energy. Many physicists work on developing new technologies and sources of energy.

What you’d need: A master’s degree is generally required for this role, and a Ph.D may be needed for some positions.

What you’d make: $128,500 per year

Find all physicist jobs on Monster.

Geologist VI

What you’d do: Applying chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics, geologists research and study the Earth’s matter and history by examining rocks, minerals, and fossil remains to determine the sequence of processes affecting the development of the Earth. Furthermore, geologists help locate mineral and petroleum deposits and underground water resources.

What you’d need: A bachelor’s degree will get you in the door, but you could also choose to supplement it with a master’s degree.

What you’d make: $126,900 per year

Find all geologist jobs on Monster.

IT project manager III

What you’d do: In this role, you would coordinate and complete projects within an organization’s Information Technology department by establishing and implementing methodologies, adhering to a budget, allocating resources, and overseeing day-to-day operations of the project.

What you’d need: A bachelor’s degree is standard for this position.

What you’d make: $118,300 per year

Find all IT project manager jobs on Monster.

Branch manager III

What you’d do: Think Michael Scott from The Office, except you actually have to do work. By work, we mean that a branch manager assumes responsibility for all of the day-to-day office operations, including increasing sales, minimizing losses and costs, and ensuring top-of-the-line customer service.

What you’d need: Most branch managers hold a bachelor’s degree.

What you’d make: $102,400 per year

Find all branch manager jobs on Monster.

Interior designer VI

What you’d do: The most creative job on our list, interior designers plan, design, and furnish homes and offices. Daily duties include consulting with clients, formulating designs that are practical, aesthetic, and conducive to its purpose, and selecting materials and estimating costs.

What you’d need: A bachelor’s degree is the baseline, but many interior designers hold master’s degrees, too.

What you’d make: $100,400 per year

Find all interior designer jobs on Monster.