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High-Paying Careers In India Other Than IT And Business Management

. 5 min read . Written by Sanjana Bhagwat
High-Paying Careers In India Other Than IT And Business Management

Gone are the days of everyone jumping on the conveyor belt and doing an MBA or attempting to pursue a career in IT. But are the days of these fields being paid higher than others gone too?

Unfortunately, IT and business management are still two of the top-paid fields in India. Google search “highest paid jobs in India” and every result will still throw up lists filled with data scientists, machine learning experts, software developers, and management consultants.

However, this doesn’t mean that those of us without an inclination towards these fields, are relegated to a lifetime of scrimping and unsatisfactory pay.

We’ve done some research and spoken to career coach, Shilpa Laharwal, to bring to you a list of some of the highest paying careers in India that aren’t IT or business management!

Commercial Pilot

Becoming a pilot along with the idea of flying that comes with it is something a lot of children dream of. Turning this dream into a reality can also yield high incomes in India.

To become a commercial pilot, one requires three years of training after passing the 12th grade. India has several reputed aviation institutes – you can check them out here.

You need to have 250 hours of flying experience to be able to work as a commercial pilot. A fresher in India can earn Rs 1.5 lakh per month, and even more after gaining experience, or by working on International routes. (Source: sarvagyan.com).

According to PayScale, the average annual salary of a commercial pilot in India is upwards of Rs 17 lakh. And from there, the sky’s the limit!

Lawyer

Law is as demanding a profession as it is a rewarding one. There are various branches of law to choose from, based on the nature of the cases you are most inclined towards advocating for. There are environmental lawyers, tax lawyers, family lawyers, criminal lawyers, securities lawyers, intellectual property lawyers, etc.

You’ll need to have a logical and analytical, but also empathetic bent of mind, to be able to be a good lawyer.

The best academic route to take in order to become a lawyer is to enter a stream of your choice after the 10th grade (and preferably elect for subjects like political science, history, economics, and psychology), and then go on to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Law (5 year LLB program). However, if you’ve already completed your undergraduate degree and are realising you wish to pursue a career in law, you can still opt for a 3 year LLB program after your graduation.  

The average salary in top law firms in India like Khaitan and Co., and S&R Associates, is between Rs 1 and 2 lakh per month.  Corporate firms will pay freshers anywhere between Rs 5 and 12 lakh per year, and Rs 20 to 25 lakh per year for lawyers with 5+ years of experience. (Source: crampete.com.)

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Chartered Accountant

CA is the go-to career for most commerce graduates, and one that still pays handsomely. The global demand for CAs has always remained steady. If you have an inclination towards the job, the compensation, long-term benefits, perks, and job security that usually come with a career as a CA will definitely be a cherry on top.

The average salary as a CA in India ranges from a 6-8 lakh package for freshers to 25-30 lakh (or even higher) for more experienced professionals. (Source: payscale.com)

If you’re good with and enjoy numbers, you can count on being paid well as a Chartered Accountant!

Product Manager

With the digital boom, product management is a career that has become more sought in recent years. Product management lies at the intersection of business, technology, and design. It combines skills such as strategy, marketing, and leadership, with the aim of ensuring an amazing end-product. If that sounds like something you would be good at, product management is the job for you!

Becoming a product manager does not require an MBA degree, at present. What you need is a bachelor’s degree in such areas as Business Administration, Computer Science, Finance, Engineering, Economics or Marketing for a strong footing, work experience in product development and design, along with good leadership and technical skills.

According to upGrad, a fresher can expect anywhere between Rs 7-8 lakh when starting out, and between Rs 16 to 30 lakh as you gain more experience.

Executive Chef

An executive chef is the head chef of a kitchen. They are responsible for ensuring the presentation, quality, and hygiene of dishes moving out of the kitchen to the table, training new staff, and handling customer’s feedback or complaints on the food.

While there are now several culinary schools in India, work experience in the kitchen tends to matter most on your journey to becoming an executive chef.

Even when the demand and supply of home chefs is on the rise, becoming the head chef of a kitchen can be a very lucrative career.

While your initial years if learning on the job may not pay much, you can upwards of 9L per annum with enough experience in the field. (Source: PAYSCALE.COM)

Career coach, Shilpa Laharwal, also additionally believes that the era of generalists is slowly, but surely dying. What organisations and industries will be looking for, and paying well for, is specialists.

In that vein such “unconventional” but specialised careers will also soon be paid well, in her expert opinion –   

  • Visual merchandisers
  • Image Consultants
  • Life coaches
  • Non-IT Quality Management
  • Cosmetics
  • Gamers
  • YouTubers or other influencers
  • Pet groomers
  • Art curators
  • Economists, technical and financial writers and forecasters
  • Luxury hospitality and travel

So, if you’ve been dismissed by people around you, or been personally frustrated with the fact that you lack the passion or skills required for the more conventionally high paid IT and business management jobs, don’t fret. You can still consider entering any of the above-mentioned fields, and expect a life of not only, personal satisfaction, but also financial comfort

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