Looking To Boost Your Income? These 10 Jobs Pay Six Figures in 2026
Written by
Andrew Lisa
Edited by
Amen Oyiboke
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Both blue-collar and white-collar occupations can lead to lucrative careers for talented employees seeking to increase their incomes in 2026.
However, there’s a third option that bridges the gap and offers access to both groups of traditional workers.
A recent ResumeGenius study identified 10 high-paying “new-collar” jobs that could punch your ticket to financial stability and wealth building. Six are management positions, but the list represents broad sections of the economy and a wide range of talents, education levels, skill sets and backgrounds.
All, however, pay six figures per year and do not require a four-year degree.
1. Marketing Manager
- Median annual salary: $159,660
- Median hourly wage: $76.76
Ideal for those with social media management or SEO backgrounds, marketing managers help companies build their brands and grow their customer base by overseeing campaigns that connect them with their audiences. Additional duties can include budgeting and hiring.
2. Human Resources Manager
- Median annual salary: $140,030
- Median hourly wage: $67.32
HR managers create and implement the policies and programs that companies use to hire, manage and retain personnel. They oversee benefits programs, ensure compliance and serve as liaisons between leadership and labor.
3. Sales Manager
- Median annual salary: $138,060
- Median hourly wage: $66.38
Sales managers organize and oversee the teams that pursue revenue for the company. They set sales targets, assign territories and assist in managing client relationships.
4. Computer Network Architect
- Median annual salary: $130,390
- Median hourly wage: $62.69
Although a bachelor’s degree can help, talented network technicians or support specialists can become computer network architects through work experience and certifications. The job entails planning, building, and implementing the digital networks that businesses and other organizations rely on to communicate and to share and store data.
5. General and Operations Manager
- Median annual salary: $129,330
- Median hourly wage: $62.18
These professionals are macro managers, overseeing multiple departments or teams while inventorying and allocating company resources to ensure smooth organization-wide operations. Successful candidates often include team leaders, project managers and operations support specialists.
6. Information Security Analyst
- Median annual salary: $124,910
- Median hourly wage: $60.05
Information security analysts safeguard their employers’ data and the digital systems that warehouse it. While the position’s projected 10-year job growth of 29% is the highest on the list, so is its 49% risk of job loss to AI.
7. Sales Engineer
- Median annual salary: $121,520
- Median hourly wage: $58.42
Sales engineers have deep expertise in complex products and services, which they share with sales managers and teams to help them educate and communicate with prospective buyers. It can be a natural transition from industry-related sales or technical support positions.
8. Health Service Manager
- Median annual salary: $117,960
- Median hourly wage: $56.71
These professionals work on the business side of health care, managing regulatory changes and coordinating schedules. Former administrative or billing professionals can be good candidates for health service manager positions.
9. Art Director
- Median annual salary: $111,040
- Median hourly wage: $53.38
Art directors steer the visual thematics of an organization’s creative and branding efforts. Many start their careers as designers, build portfolios, and eventually manage projects, progressing to art director.
10. Construction Manager
- Median annual salary: $106,980
- Median hourly wage: $51.43
With responsibilities that include planning and supervising building projects, construction managers set timelines and budgets and develop plans to meet them. Foremen and crew leaders with extensive hands-on experience are natural candidates if they demonstrate organizational and leadership skills.
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