# Jobs with high salaries - any ideas?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-with-high-salaries-any-ideas/149666
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [January 19, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-with-high-salaries-any-ideas/149666 "2003-01-19T19:08:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2003, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-with-high-salaries-any-ideas/149666/21 "2003-01-20T06:05:08Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Scylla \*
> I’m a former trader and this is not an accurate characterization. There are all different kinds of traders, and they make various salary depending on what kind they do, and how good they are at it. Getting to the point where you make a lot of money is usually a long road. Starting off as a runner, or a trader’s assistant typically pays very little and one may be in that position for quite some time. A college degree is not strictly necessary depending on what one is doing, nor are superior intellects, of giant balls. In fact, this last is more of a liability. What is needed is that you are a talented negotiator. \*\*
Of course I am simplifying a bit. I personally know a few traders and they are making big money, but they spent years working in the back office, then a couple years as assistant traders before becomming full traders. All of them have advanced degrees. They deal mostly with derivatives and from what I understand it requires a great deal of complex modeling. Most of the want ads I saw wanted a PhD is math or similar discipline. The “giant balls” comment was made by one of my trader acquaintences. It still strkes me as a profession requiring a certain amount of confidence (but not recklessness).
Pretty much with any profession, to earn the “big money” requires a lot of hard work, talent and luck. There are very few shortcuts.
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### Author:  [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2003, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-with-high-salaries-any-ideas/149666/22 "2003-01-20T06:23:26Z")
You described yourself as a bum. I think that means you may already be qualified to work as a salesman. I have worked closely with salesmen in a number of jobs. They can make very good money – $100K plus salaries in firms where nobody else makes over $30K, excpet the very top managers.
Sales takes exactly the same skills that asking strangers for spare change on the street does. You just dress better, ask specific people for the money and ask on behalf of a third party rather than yourself.
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