You may not want a PhD to embark on a university career. Many PhD students move successfully into private-sector jobs, but not every job is created equally. Earning a doctoral degree in medicine, business, science and economics can help tremendously, as those jobs often require a doctoral degree. In some science positions, however, a PhD is required only for teaching or research jobs. Other careers, such as athletic training or physical therapy, may require a doctoral degree for top-notch career choices. Choose your PhD program carefully, and study your options before you commit. By earning your PhD online, however, you can earn that upward mobility with more flexibility while you continue your current job.

Medical PhD Careers

1. Athletic Trainers often hold a master’s or doctoral degree. The salary of an athletic trainer depends on experience, education and job responsibilities, and varies by job setting.
2. Audiologists must have at least a master’s degree in audiology, but a doctoral degree is increasingly necessary. Median annual wages of audiologists were $62,030 in May 2008.
3. Dentists are award the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS). Others award an equivalent degree, Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD). Median annual wages of salaried general dentists were $142,870 in May 2008.
4. Optometrists must have four years at an accredited school of optometry, preceded by at least 3 years of preoptometric study at an accredited college or university. Median annual wages of salaried optometrists were $96,320 in May 2008.
5. Physical Therapists need a graduate degree from an accredited physical therapy program or doctoral degree to begin work. Median annual wages of physical therapists were $72,790 in May 2008.
6. Physicians and Surgeons usually require eight years of education beyond high school and three to eight additional years of internship and residency. In 2008, physicians practicing primary care had total median annual compensation of $186,044, and physicians practicing in medical specialties earned total median annual compensation of $339,738.
7. Podiatrists must have three to four years of undergraduate education and the completion of a four-year podiatric college program. Median annual wages of salaried podiatrists were $113,560 in May 2008.
8. Psychologists are required to have a master’s or doctoral degree and a license. Median annual wages of wage and salary clinical, counseling, and school psychologists were $64,140 in May 2008.
9. Veterinarians must obtain a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Median annual wages of veterinarians were $79,050 in May 2008.

Science PhD Careers

10. Biological Scientists need a Ph.D. in biology or one of its subfields to work in independent research or development positions. Median annual wages of biochemists and biophysicists were $82,840 in May 2008.
11. Computer Scientists are required to possess a PhD. Median annual wages of computer and information scientists were $97,970 in May 2008.
12. Engineering and Natural Sciences Managers begin their careers as scientists, and they may have a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree in a scientific discipline. Earnings vary by specialty and by level of responsibility.
13. Medical Scientists are required to have a PhD in a biological science. Median annual wages of medical scientists, except epidemiologists, were $72,590 in May 2008.
14. Physicists and Astronomers, because most jobs are in basic research and development, usually are required to have a doctoral degree. Median annual wages of physicists were $102,890 in May 2008.
15. Social Scientists, which often consist of anthropologists, archaeologists, geographers, and historians, need a master’s or PhD degree. Wages of anthropologists and archaeologists, geographers, and historians vary.

PhD Researchers

16. Agricultural and Food Scientists generally require a master’s or doctoral degree is for research or teaching jobs at universities. Median annual wages of food scientists and technologists were $59,520 in May 2008.
17. Atmospheric Scientists need a PhD degree to work in most basic research positions. Median annual wages of atmospheric scientists in May 2008 were $81,290.
18. Chemists and Materials Scientists usually need a master’s degree or PhD for many research or teaching jobs in universities. Median annual wages of chemists in May 2008 were $66,230.
19. Geoscientists and Hydrologists are required to have a PhD degree for most research and college teaching positions. Median annual wages of geoscientists were $79,160 in May 2008
20. Market and Survey Researchers can work with a bachelor’s degree; however, higher degrees are usually required for advancement and more technical positions. Median annual wages of market research analysts in May 2008 were $61,070.
21. Operations Research Analysts‘ entry-level positions are available to those with a bachelor’s degree, but higher degrees are required for many positions. Median annual wages of operations research analysts were $69,000 in May 2008.
22. Scientific Research and Development Services personnel need extensive postsecondary education. In 2008, nonsupervisory workers in scientific research and development services earned $1,269 per week on average.
23. Statisticians need a master’s degree in statistics or mathematics, but research and academic jobs generally require a PhD. Median annual wage-and-salary wages of statisticians were $72,610 in May 2008.

Other PhD Careers

24. Chemical Manufacturers at the professional level require substantial technical education resulting in at least a bachelor’s degree and up to a doctoral degree. Weekly earnings for all production workers in chemical manufacturing averaged $809 in 2008.
25. Economists can obtain entry-level position with a bachelor’s degree, but higher degrees are required for many positions. Median annual wage and salary wages of economists were $83,590 in May 2008.
26. Education Administrators begin their careers as teachers and prepare for advancement into education administration by completing a master’s or doctoral degree. Salaries of education administrators depend on several factors, including location.
27. Educational Services industry employs some of the most highly educated workers in the labor force. Wages of occupations concentrated in the educational services industry such as education administrators, teachers, counselors, and librarians, are higher than the average for all occupations.
28. Librarians might seek a PhD in library and information science for a college teaching position or a top administrative job in a college or university library or large public library system. Salaries of librarians vary according to the individual’s qualifications and the type, size, and location of the library.
29. Mathematicians usually require a PhD, except in the Federal Government. Median annual wages of mathematicians were $95,150 in May 2008.
30. Medical and Health Services Managers can obtain a PhD to get the top jobs in this industry. Standard is the master’s degree in health services administration, long-term care administration, health sciences, public health, public administration, or business administration. Median annual wages of wage and salary medical and health services managers were $80,240 in May 2008.
31. Postsecondary Teachers‘ qualifications range from expertise in a particular field to a Ph.D., depending on the subject taught and the type of educational institution. Median annual earnings of all postsecondary teachers in May 2008 were $58,830.
32. Psychometricians (people who design, score, and analyze data from exams) usually have a PhD, usually in a subject such as educational measurement, quantitative psychology, or statistics. According to the Psychometric Society, psychometricians’ annual wages can range from about $50,000 to $100,000.
33. Sociologists and Political Scientists can obtain an entry-level position with a bachelor’s degree; however, higher degrees are required for the majority of positions. Median annual wages of sociologists in May 2008 were $68,570. Median annual wages of political scientists in May 2008 were $104,130.