10 Jobs That Pay a 7 Figure Salary

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What would you do if you had a 7 figure salary? It may seem impossible to achieve, but there are specific jobs out there where you can earn this level of money each year. Given that approximately 0.35% of Americans earn 7 figures or more, only a select few see this type of income.

While it may be rare for someone to earn over $1 million a year, that doesn't mean it's unattainable. In this article, we'll discuss what type of mindset and skills it takes to earn a 7 figure salary, as well as different 7 figure jobs that exist out there.

Using this information, you will then be able to figure out if you have it in you to make your desire to earn over $1 million a year a reality.

How Much is a 7 Figure Salary?

A 7 figure salary is any salary between $1,000,000 and $9,999,999. So, in short, it's quite a large range. That said, some people earn a lower base salary and then reach 7 figures through commissions, bonuses, or other forms of compensation.

Is It Possible To Earn a 7 Figure Salary?

Earning 7 figures is possible, but given that 0.35% of Americans earn 7 figures or more, it will require work and some amount of luck. Most people who earn 7 figures didn't simply land a 7 figure job. Instead, they worked from the bottom or created a business from the ground up.

Earning 7 figures doesn't just require skills but also a shift in mindset. If you're hoping to work a typical 9-5 to earn this kind of money, you're probably going to be disappointed. Most people earning 7 figures will, at some point, put in many extra hours, work nights and weekends, and sacrifice doing fun things or spending time with friends.

Getting to the point of earning a 7 figure salary can be grueling at times, and many people are unable to make the commitment, miss opportunities – for whatever reason – or simply burn out.

What Type of Mindset Do You Need To Earn a 7 Figure Salary?

To earn a 7 figure salary, you need the right mindset. While an entire article could be written on the topic of 7 figure mindsets, we'll summarize below.

Have Vision

Someone who makes $1 million or more each year has a vision. You have to think intentionally about where you want to be down the road, whether it be 5 years, 10 years, or 20 years.

You have to dream big, think outside the box, and be able to formulate a plan to get there, starting with writing down your goals.

Find the Right Career Path

Whether you'll be an entrepreneur or find a career path that leads to 7 figures remains up to you, but in order to make over $1 million a year, you need to choose how you'll start.

Later in this article, we'll discuss many 7 figure salary jobs to give you insights on figuring out which one or ones fits you best.

Get the Right Attitude

To have a 7 figure salary mindset, you're going to need the right attitude. Someone who earns this much money got there through a lot of personal growth and development. 

You need to believe in yourself and in your ability to reach top-tier levels of success. Embrace change and surround yourself with like-minded people.

When you focus on being positive and dedicate yourself to growing, you will find more success in many aspects of your life, including your career in which you're trying to build a 7 figure salary.

Be an Authority in Your Niche

To become a 7 figure earner, you'll need to be an authority in your niche. You'll need to network with other authorities to expand your ability to get the right opportunities.

Whether you reach 7 figures through being an entrepreneur or through working a high-profile job, you'll need the help of others to get there. 

Getting testimonies and creating buzz around your personal brand are two great ways to build more and more authority, which will get you in front of the right people to help you build your 7 figure career.

What Type of Skills Do You Need to Earn a 7 Figure Salary?

The primary skill you'll need to earn 7 figures is the ability to solve problems that few can. This can be applied to just about any niche.

You might be a highly paid executive that can run a company of 50,000 employees, a salesperson that can close multimillion-dollar deals, or a YouTuber that inspires millions of viewers. The one skill these people all have in common is that they're filling a great need with their knowledge or prowess.

How Many People Earn a 7 Figure Salary?

Approximately 0.35% of Americans earn over a million dollars. Most of these Americans didn't simply start with a salary like this. Instead, they either worked their way up a corporate ladder or founded and built a successful company.

Jobs That Earn a 7 Figure Salary

There are several jobs that can earn you a 7 figure salary. Below, we'll cover the most common ones.

1. Entrepreneurs

The most common way to build a 7 figure salary is to be a successful entrepreneur. When you start your own business, you'll commonly have startup costs, work long hours, learn as you go, and may not see much of a return for a few years.

Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone but for those who can be successful as one can build great wealth from their efforts.

According to PayScale, the average solopreneur earned $73,000 in 2017. This is far from 7 digits, so you might wonder how an entrepreneur get up to a 7 figure salary. In this case, the successful entrepreneur scales their business, doing things such as hiring help, using advertising, and similar.

The journey to a 7-figure salary is different for each entrepreneur, and many will fail along the way. That said, many successful entrepreneurs have failed in the past, and failure is often one of the best ways to learn to do better next time.

2. Highly Successful Bloggers

Highly successful bloggers can earn a 7-figure salary through combining monetization methods like advertising, affiliate marketing, selling products and services, and writing sponsored content. 

You can start a blog with less than $200 though you may need to spend more money to get your blog off the ground. 

Being a successful blogger requires you to learn about concepts such as SEO and marketing. You'll also need to write content that attracts readers. 

Every blogger's journey is different and statistically speaking, most bloggers don't make a full-time income, let alone 7 digits. In fact, it's estimated that approximately 8% of bloggers make a full-time income.

With that in mind, many bloggers find an additional side hustle while they're building their blogging business, as this will cover costs and help them get by before the blog pulls in more money.

Check out our beginner blogging guide here.

3. Highly Successful YouTubers

Similar to bloggers, highly successful YouTubers can often earn 7-digit salaries for their efforts. YouTubers earn money from ads in their videos, through affiliate marketing when they recommend products, and through sponsorships.

High paying YouTube topics include:

• How to make money online
• Social media marketing
• Finance and investing
• Educational videos

Building a YouTube channel takes time, and most YouTubers will not see anywhere near 7-figures. That said, with the right niche, the right marketing strategy, and putting out amazing content, you too might be able to become a 7-figure YouTuber one day.

4. CEOs and C-Level Executives

CEOs and C-Level Executives commonly earn 7-figure salaries. In fact, the average salary among a Fortune 500 CEO with at least two years in that job is $11.5 million, which is actually an 8-figure salary.

Some CEOs and C-Level executives take a much lower salary, but when you combine their bonuses and equity in the company, their total compensation package is much higher.

There are different paths to becoming a CEO or C-Level executive, depending on if you're a CIO, CMO, COO, etc. You'll need the right education, the right experience, and have proven expertise and success doing whatever is you do in your field, as you will be in charge of many top level responsibilities on a day-to-day basis.

5. Actors and Actresses

Actors and actresses can make 7-figure or 8-figure salaries, but this is often reserved for actors in big roles or in supporting roles of big budget films.

Breaking into acting takes time, skill, and sometimes money. It'll help to take acting classes, get involved in local acting opportunities, like the theater, and get experience along the way.

The chances of becoming a 7-figure actor are low, but if you put in the effort to meet the right people and master the craft, you may just get there and become one of the famous actors you currently know and love.

6. Investment Bankers

Investment bankers are investment professionals who support clients in activities like raising capital, mergers, and acquisitions. These professionals spend their time with organizations as small as startups to as large as major corporations and governments. An investment banker can mean a lower level banker to as high as an executive in the banking industry. 

Investment bankers often earn 6 digit base salaries, but through bonuses reflected by their performance, they can earn 7 figure salaries. 

With that in mind, investment bankers work long hours, and the field is extremely competitive. 

7. Enterprise Salesmen

An enterprise salesman uses their expertise to close very large deals between two or more parties. Many enterprise salesmen close multiple large deals in a year which can lead to 7-figure payouts annually.

According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for an enterprise sales representative is $82,055, which shows you that you'll need to be a masterful salesman to earn a cool million or more.

Being an enterprise salesman is a job that doesn't require a college degree. People skills and negotiating skills are two important skills to become an expert enterprise salesman to bump your total compensation higher and higher.

8. Athletes

Professional athletes can earn a 7 figure salary through sponsorships and endorsements that they participate in. Being a highly paid athlete doesn't simply boil down to how good you are. It'll also help to be well-known, popular, and regularly willing to work with big brands that come your way.

Becoming a professional athlete takes years of dedication, and you may have to sacrifice a lot to have a shot at becoming one.

9. Consultants

Being a consultant can often lead to large sums of money if you're a renowned expert in your field. To be a highly paid consultant, you'll need to have proven that you can help companies make more money.

Consultants often charge by the hour, by the project, or to be placed on retainer. Some will charge in a combination of ways. 

Regardless of how you charge, it is difficult to reach 7 figures by yourself. You may need to start an agency where your expertise is taught to a team and, from there, scale your agency to make more and more sales.

A larger and more successful agency will make more and more money, and your earnings will increase as a result.

10. Influencers

Influencers make money by amassing an enormous following and partnering with brands. When they partner with brands, they might do things such as advertise for them, get sponsored to talk about their content, or have the influencer help the brand develop and improve new and existing products.

One can become an influencer on one or more social media platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Many of the platforms have influencers with millions of followers who earn 7 figure salaries from video ads, affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and more.

Many try to become a highly successful influencer, and only few make it, but for those who make it, there's a lot of money to be made.

Wrapping It Up

A 7 digit salary is something that very few will ever achieve, but with the right dedication, time, and some luck, you can be one of those people. Whether you start your own business or find success working as a major role in an existing business, lay out a plan and become a master of your space to increase your odds of reaching success.