All kids dream of becoming something great when they grow up. Every time they are asked what they want to do when they grow up, they always come up with very creative and inspiring answers. Some say they want to be something impossible such as superheroes or magicians, but there are also those who want to follow real career paths since they’re young. Usually kids want a profession that either seems cool and exciting or because on the outside it seems to offer great perks. These jobs vary a lot from one another both as far as education necessary is involved and in salary.
Here are the top 5 dream jobs children have and how good they are. When you were a kid was these one of the professions you wanted to follow?
Lawyer
One of the jobs that children dream of having when they grow up is that of a lawyer. Getting yourself and others out of trouble is something very appealing to kids since they often do something naughty in the house they wish they could hide. However, legal work is actually very difficult, and if kids knew this, we’re sure most of them would think twice before wishing for it again. Law school lasts at least 3 years and includes a bar examination at the end.
Most lawyers are either freelancers or part of a bigger firm working in an office. There are far too many lawyer specializations to list and the average annual pay for them is $120,000.
Actor
It is every kid’s dream to be a star, to be famous and to do just like their favourite TV characters do. TV is the main source of inspiration for this career path, and fame and prestige with a glass of expensive wine are the main motivators. Adults think very few people actually make it, but the truth is that there are many successful actors that are not superstars.
This is because they either don’t work in television or because they undertake smaller roles that are not as important. Actors usually get paid per performance or by the hour, however most of them that are not stars need more than their acting jobs to get by.
Athlete
Being a professional athlete is another job kids dream of because ever since school they’ve loved played different sports, such as football or basketball, and in their mind, it would be perfect if they could make money while doing something fun that they love. However, becoming a professional athlete is one of the hardest things in the world. Instead of just studying you need to invest a lot of time and effort into training and even then you might not make it because talent is also necessary. They also need to have good social skills and connections in order to make it into a good team, and finally they need to take good care of their body and nutrition.
Depending on which league or level they perform, athlete salaries vary greatly. Also athletes usually have short careers because after a certain age the physical requirements become too demanding for them.
Pilot
Another job that kids love and often wish they could do in the future is becoming a pilot of an airplane or helicopter. Who wouldn’t want to fly in the sky plus travel a lot? Pilots don’t only work for transportation but also for rescues and firefighting so the job can be diverse.
The average salary of pilots for commercial services is $80,000 a year. On the other hand, airline pilots with fixed schedules average $130,000 annual salary.
Astronaut
Finally we have one of the most difficult and dangerous jobs, being part of NASA and most specifically, being an astronaut. Ever since we first ventures out into space, kids have been dreaming of becoming astronauts. It’s no surprise it’s so popular among children. Degrees in physics, medicine and engineering are a must for becoming an astronaut. It’s really hard to reach the point of being a professional astronaut and takes a lot of work and ambition.
Thanks to information provided by NASA, Astronaut salaries on average are $145,000 per year.
What was your dream job when you were a kid?
Brought to you by our friend, Elsi Henderson.