Explore Rewarding Jobs that Help People

Some individuals are drawn to serving others and desire to offer help in every aspect of life. It is an admirable quality to develop, and there are many jobs available that fill the need to help others. There is a wide selection of careers available within different industries that serve others and pay well. Let’s look at what qualifies as a job that helps people and explore some top career choices and their base pay expectations to help you make the best decision for your lifestyle.

If you want a career that helps people, it is best to explore your options to find a position that suits your skills, appeals to your interests, and gives you the opportunity to feel a sense of fulfillment for making a difference in the lives of others. Here is a list of some of the best jobs for helping people with a brief job description and median base pay information.

Teacher

Average base pay:  $42,597 per year

A teacher is a paid classroom instructor with a minimum of a four year degree. Teacher’s can work with children ages 3 (for pre-kinder) up to college-level students, depending on your educational background and qualifications. Teacher’s are tasked with creating and delivering lessons that help students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in today’s society. They evaluate student performance and serve as mentors.

Occupational therapist

Average base pay:  $75,816 per year

Occupational therapists help to treat their patients who are recovering from illness, pain, or managing a disability by providing therapy to complete everyday tasks. An occupational therapist works with patients and their medical teams to support and monitor patient health and help each patient maintain skills required for day to day independent living.

Registered nurse

Average base pay:  $65,870 per year

Registered nurses use their specialized educational background and strong communication skills to communicate with doctors, administer medications, monitor patient vitals, and supporting patient needs while they recover from illness or injury.

Customer service representative

Average base pay:  $27,834 per year

A customer service representative is often the face of a company and interacts with customers consistently by assisting customers in meeting their needs, finding an appropriate product, or resolving issues.

Nurse practitioner

Average base pay:  $110,076 per year

A qualified nurse practitioner is an advanced nurse that has the expertise to diagnose patients, treat a variety of ailments, and prescribe medications for patients.

Family physician

Average base pay:  $190,651 per year

Family physicians are general health care practitioners who can treat both adults and children. They work in a variety of atmospheres from doctor’s offices, to clinics, and hospitals. This career is a well-paying job with a high average salary that helps individuals by maintaining their health and providing medical care. It requires an advanced medical degree with several years of training.

Firefighter

Average base pay:  $50,514 per year

A firefighter is a first responder that is trained to help others by responding to emergency calls. As community members and leaders, they risk their lives to help extinguish fires, rescue people from dangerous situations, and are trained in resuscitating individuals. This physically demanding job provides the opportunity to make peoples lives better by ensuring their safety and answering calls for help.

Career counselor

Average base pay:  $37,736 per year

A career counselor usually works within an academic setting or at job placement facilities to help individuals plan a career path suitable for their needs and unique situation. This profession evaluates client abilities, determines training and educational needs, and offers advice and support to help clients plan for their career future.

Marriage therapist

Average base pay:  $48,905 per year

A marriage therapist helps married couples communicate effectively to reach or maintain a healthy relationship. They can serve as a mediator to help couples talk through difficult situations or feelings and offer coping skills to support client health and quality of life.

Paramedic

Average base pay:  $36,043 per year

Paramedics are healthcare workers who respond to emergency calls and situations. Trained to help people with first-aid response, they offer temporary medical assistance while transporting patients to a medical facility for in-depth care.

Personal trainer

Average base pay:  $36,449 per year

A personal trainer, also known as a fitness coach, is an individual hired to help people attain their health, nutritional, and physical goals. They help others by setting fitness goals, educating their clients on best practices and workout routines, and offering meal planning tips and services. They serve as mentors and motivators to clients who want to maintain healthy living and improve health.

School guidance counselor

Average base pay:  $48,913 per year

A school guidance counselor is a student advocate and works with the students to help them make quality academic and personal decisions. They can serve as mediators between teachers and students, or students and parents, to support students. They are confidants and besides educational planning, can help students gain life skills.

Nutritionist

Average base pay: $51,291 per year 

A nutritionist meets with clients to determine their dietary needs. They help clients make healthy decisions about the foods they eat by offering meal planning services based on clients food preferences, diet restrictions, and health goals.

Police officer

Average base pay:  $49,667 per year

A police office, or peace officer, works to maintain the safety within a community. They protect others by preventing crime through active monitoring and enforcing laws and apprehending criminals. It often requires specialized training at an academy to learn about the laws and regulations. They must also train police officers to use weapons and certified to offer first aid help.

Child Protective Services caseworker

Average base pay:  $49,450 per year

A CPS caseworker responds to calls of concern for children regarding allegations of child abuse or child neglect. The caseworker investigates the situation, commonly working with local law enforcement and other government agencies, and works in the best interest of the child.

Attorney

Average base pay:  $107,549 per year

A lawyer or attorney offers legal advise and representation to clients in criminal and civil cases.

Speech-language pathologist

Average base pay:  $61,172 per year

Speech-language pathologists work to assess patients, diagnose issues and offer speech therapy and support in the areas of speech and language. Their skills can help prevent or overcome social communication disorders and swallowing disorders in patients.

Pharmacist

Average base pay:  $125,845 per year

A pharmacist reads and fills doctor’s prescription orders. This profession assists in patient well-being and offers advise to patients in regards to the administering of prescribed drugs.

Physical therapist

Average base pay:  $73,148 per year

Physical therapists examine patients, consider their medical history, and develop treatment plans to help patient mobility and support patient rehabilitation after an injury or surgery. They can use their therapeutic exercises to help manage patient pain, regain mobility for daily living, or prevent a disability by helping patients maintain or gain muscle and joint mobility.

Pediatrician

Average base pay:  $171,720 per year

A pediatrician is a youth physician that works to treat minor injuries and illnesses in children. They provide support and expertise to parents for child health and safety. They can prescribe medications or order tests to ensure the general health of a child.

Librarian

Average base pay:  $51,024 per year

A librarian collects and organizes library resources and helps patrons select and locate needed resource material. They are community representatives who offer additional support, such as GED classes, and encourage literacy through community outreach programs hosted by the library.

Dentist

Average base pay:  $161,018 per year

Dentists diagnose and treat issues with patients’ teeth and educate patients on proper dental care.

Community service manager

Average base pay:  $50,150 per year

Community service managers offer community support by planning, directing, and facilitating the completion of various community programs to maintain and improve a social service program to support the community.

Youth counselor

Average base pay:  $32,694 per year

Youth counselors can offer specializations in mental health but serve as mentors to children and young adults. Youth counselors organize and support youth social events while interacting with the youth to offer guidance and support for social and emotional needs.

Social worker

Average base pay: $49,450 per year  

Social workers work with at-risk clients to help them through everyday life challenges and advocate for support and services to help clients succeed in life.

911 operator

Average base pay:  $35,569 per year

A 911 operator is a skilled listener who needs answer and respond to people in emergency situations. They must use critical thinking skills to ask questions and help the person in need.

Dermatologist

Average base pay:  $325,614 per year

A dermatologist is a medical specialist who can diagnose and treat various skin issues for patient well-being.

 

The desire to help others is an achievable goal when you find the right profession. Learning about your available options can help you make a decision that best suits your needs, lifestyle, and skills. The above list of jobs that help people can focus your efforts on finding a rewarding and altruistic profession. 

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