High Paying Jobs for People with ADHD
Busting the Myth: Money Does Buy Happiness
You've probably heard it a million times: "Money can't buy happiness." While this notion is comforting, it's a myth that needs to be busted. While financial security isn't a guaranteed path to bliss, research shows a strong correlation between income and life satisfaction. For those with ADHD, the economic gap compared to neurotypical peers can be even more pronounced, impacting career satisfaction and overall well-being.
If you’re tired of feeling limited by ADHD and ready to unlock your earning potential, you're in the right place. In this article, you'll discover a proven strategy to boost your income, explore lucrative career paths, and gain the confidence to secure a high-paying job.
The Power of the Purse
Let's clear something up: a lack of money is undeniably linked to many problems. Studies consistently show that financial hardship is associated with:
Increased stress levels
Poorer physical and mental health outcomes
Reduced leisure time and work-life balance
Heightened emotional distress
On the flip side, research also suggests a strong correlation between higher income and greater life satisfaction. This isn't about flaunting wealth or accumulating possessions; it's about financial security and the freedom it provides—investing in experiences, education, and support systems that contribute to overall happiness.
People with higher incomes tend to:
Experience more career success and fulfillment
Report lower levels of stress and anxiety
Enjoy greater autonomy and control over their lives
Have an easier time managing unexpected challenges
Live longer—gaining 8-9 more healthy years on average
Moreover, our desire for financial rewards is a powerful motivator. Money serves as a tangible measure of our value and contribution to society. It's a feedback loop that reinforces our achievements and drives us to strive for more.
So, while money isn't a magic solution to all life's problems, it's undeniable that financial security plays a crucial role in our overall well-being. And for individuals with ADHD, who often face additional challenges in the workforce, achieving financial stability is even more important.
Sky’s the Limit
Experts have long believed that after meeting basic financial needs, happiness plateaus at around $75,000. However, recent research has debunked this belief, showing that life satisfaction continues to rise steadily with income, accelerating after $100,000, with no clear upper limit. More money does indeed correlate with greater life satisfaction.
The ADHD Income Gap
However, there's a significant challenge for adults with ADHD. On average, they earn 17% less than their neurotypical peers and are 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed. Perhaps that's why only 58% of workers with ADHD report feeling satisfied with their career choice. If you want a career that not only increases your life satisfaction but is also sustainable, aiming for a high-paying job is crucial. But for adults with ADHD, this can be easier said than done.
From Limitations to Liberation: Your Path to Financial Success
Now that we've busted the myth that money can't buy happiness, it's time to focus on how you can harness your potential to secure a high-paying job—despite the challenges of ADHD. This article isn't just about boosting your income; it's about empowering you to build a life where financial security supports your overall well-being.
In this article, you will:
Discover the Success Secret for generating income so you can build wealth.
Learn a proven strategy for achieving financial security, enabling you to afford your lifestyle without sacrificing your life balance.
Break down a process for exploring lucrative career paths that align with your strengths.
Tap into salary data so you can get a realistic economic outlook and make informed decisions.
By the end, you’ll go from feeling limited by ADHD to being empowered and confident in your ability to secure a high-paying job.
Introduction: Meet Your ADHD Career Coach
My name is Scott Treas, and I’m known as the ADHD Career Coach. As the founder of LifeSketch Counseling and Coaching, I specialize in helping adults with ADHD build healthy, wealthy, and happy lives and careers. Through years of experience, I've seen firsthand how the right strategies can transform not only your income but also your life.
What is ADHD and How It Impacts Your Career
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is more than just a label; it’s a neurological condition that affects millions of adults worldwide. While ADHD is often characterized by symptoms like inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, its impact extends far beyond these traits—especially when it comes to your career.
For many adults with ADHD, navigating the professional world can feel like an uphill battle. The very symptoms that define ADHD can make it difficult to thrive in traditional work environments, where focus, organization, and consistent performance are often key to success. This can lead to challenges like:
Difficulty with task management: Struggling to prioritize and complete tasks on time.
Impulsivity in decision-making: Making choices that may not always align with long-term goals.
Challenges with focus: Difficulty staying on track, especially in monotonous or detail-oriented tasks.
Struggles with workplace structure: Finding it hard to conform to rigid schedules or hierarchies.
One of the biggest challenges for adults with ADHD is choosing and planning a career. The process of evaluating options, setting long-term goals, and following a structured path can be overwhelming. This often leads to a sense of paralysis, where you might either rush into a career that doesn’t fit or avoid making a decision altogether. The result? A career path that feels disjointed, unfulfilling, and far from your true potential.
But here’s the good news—ADHD doesn’t have to be a roadblock to a successful, high-paying career. When you learn to leverage your unique strengths and develop strategies to manage the challenges, ADHD can become a powerful asset in the right professional setting.
Unlocking Your ADHD Advantages
While ADHD presents its own set of challenges, it also comes with a range of unique strengths—often referred to as "ADHD Advantages." These traits can be incredibly valuable in the right career, helping you to not only succeed but excel. Here are some of the key ADHD Advantages that can set you apart in the workforce:
Hyperfocus: While focus can be a challenge, many people with ADHD experience periods of intense concentration, known as hyperfocus, when working on tasks that are engaging or aligned with their interests. This ability to dive deep can lead to exceptional productivity and creativity in the right environment.
Creativity and Innovation: ADHD minds are often wired for creative thinking, with the ability to see connections that others might miss. This makes people with ADHD excellent problem solvers and innovators, particularly in fields that value outside-the-box thinking.
High Energy and Enthusiasm: When you're passionate about something, your energy can be infectious. This enthusiasm can drive you to take on challenges, inspire your colleagues, and bring a dynamic presence to your work environment.
Resilience and Adaptability: Living with ADHD requires constant problem-solving and adaptation. This resilience can translate into an ability to bounce back from setbacks, handle change with ease, and thrive in fast-paced or unpredictable environments.
Intuition and Quick Thinking: Many adults with ADHD excel at making quick decisions and trusting their gut instincts. In careers that require fast-paced thinking and decision-making, this can be a significant advantage.
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs: The First Step to Career Success
Before we dive into the strategies and career paths that can lead you to financial success, it’s crucial to address the limiting beliefs that may be holding you back. Many adults with ADHD carry deeply ingrained doubts about their abilities and potential. These beliefs can stem from past experiences of failure, societal stigma, or simply the daily struggles of living with ADHD.
But to unlock your full earning potential, you must first challenge these limiting beliefs. Recognize that your ADHD is not a hindrance—it’s a different way of thinking and operating that, when understood and managed effectively, can lead to extraordinary career success.
Challenging Limiting Beliefs: Key Questions to Ask Yourself
What negative beliefs do you have about your ADHD and how it affects your career?
Are these beliefs based on facts or assumptions?
Can you think of a time when you succeeded despite your ADHD?
What strengths helped you in that situation?
What evidence contradicts your limiting beliefs about ADHD?
Have you seen others with ADHD achieve career success?
How do your ADHD traits compare to your strengths?
Which traits could be advantages in your career?
What if you saw your ADHD as a superpower rather than a limitation?
How would this change your career approach?
What are the best and worst outcomes of pursuing a high-paying job with ADHD?
How can you minimize the worst-case scenario and maximize the best-case one?
What is one limiting belief you can start to challenge today?
What small step can you take to test this belief?
How would overcoming these limiting beliefs impact your career and life?
What positive changes could financial success bring?
What tools or strategies can help manage your ADHD at work?
How can you start using these resources?
If failure wasn’t an option, what career would you choose?
What steps can you take to move towards that career now?
SO HOW TO MAKE MORE MONEY?
Rather than blindly following occupational forecasts, people can maximize meaning potential by cultivating a dynamic and developmental niche that aligns their unique abilities with a genuine market need - creating a mutually beneficial exchange of value.
Pitfalls of Conventional Career Advice
For decades, the conventional wisdom has been to chase high-demand, high-paying careers. This often involves aligning your education and skills with projected job growth in fields like technology, healthcare, or finance. While this approach might yield short-term gains, it's a risky strategy in an increasingly dynamic and competitive job market.
Over-Reliance on Aggregate Data
Occupational forecasts often provide a broad overview without accounting for individual variations within a profession. For example: a mental health counselor’s average income is $53,710 (Onet, 2023) - and that’s with a Master’s Degree. But, the salary in private practice is $100,633 (Zip Recruiter, 2024). Our research needs to be nuanced and incorporate individual variations.
Market saturation and overprediction
The problem with relying solely on occupational forecasts is that they provide a broad, aggregate view of job trends. These projections often fail to account for individual variations within industries, the rapid pace of technological advancement, or the unpredictable nature of economic shifts.
For example, the “learn to code” phenomenon during the 2010s led to a massive influx of new graduates, saturating the market and driving down salaries. By now, ONET's 10-year trajectory (2022-2032) has a -11% forecast. (Yes, a contraction of 11% for job openings...) What happened? We encouraged over-saturation, plus the off-shoring (globalization), and the constant battle of automation (e.g. the rise of AI in programming). Because essentially, we just can’t predict the future.
Ignoring individual strengths and passions
Moreover, these forecasts rarely consider the unique strengths, passions, and long-term goals of individual job seekers. Chasing a lucrative career path that doesn't align with your interests can lead to burnout, decreased job satisfaction, and ultimately, lower productivity.
Riches Are in the Niches
Sweet Spot for Success
To truly thrive in your career, you must find the sweet spot where your aspirations intersect with your skills and the market's demands. This is considered your career niche:
Mastery: Something you are good at. (Skills, experience, and personal characteristics.)
Identify your core competencies and transferable skills. What are you naturally good at, and what energizes you?
Motivation: Something you enjoy. (Interests, meaning/purpose, and value/goals)
What’s important to you in your life? What work are you interested in? What impact do you want to make in your career?
Market Demand: People are willing to pay you for (Wants, needs, and supply/demand)
Consider how your skills can solve problems or fulfill needs in the marketplace. People are willing to pay for solutions, so focus on creating value.
Power of Helping Others
The number one secret to making money in your career is to be absolutely obsessed with helping others. A career centered around service is often more fulfilling and financially rewarding. When you prioritize the needs of your clients or customers, you build trust, loyalty, and referrals. This leads to long-term success and increased earning potential.
Identify Your Target Audience: Determine who you want to help (employer or customer) and what their needs are.
Build Strong Relationships: Cultivate genuine connections with your clients or customers.
Deliver Exceptional Value: Go above and beyond to exceed expectations.
Leveraging Scarcity and Expertise
To truly stand out in today's competitive job market, you need to offer something unique and valuable. This is where specializing and developing a rare skill set comes in.
Identify Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Self-Assessment: What are your unique strengths, passions, and experiences?
Market Research: Identify gaps in the market where your skills can shine.
Combine Your Strengths: How can you merge your unique abilities to create a distinctive offering?
Continuous Learning and Skill Enhancement
Lifelong Learning Mindset: Commit to continuous education and skill development.
Stay Updated: Keep abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies.
Seek Mentorship: Learn from experienced professionals in your field.
Level Up: Taking on Challenges
Step Outside Your Comfort Zone: Seek out opportunities to expand your skill set.
Take on Leadership Roles: Demonstrate your ability to lead and manage projects.
Build a Strong Professional Network: Connect with influential people in your industry.
Identifying High-Paying Jobs for People with ADHD
Now that you understand the importance of creating a career niche that aligns with your strengths, passions, and market demands, it’s time to explore specific high-paying job paths that are well-suited for individuals with ADHD. While conventional career advice often relies on aggregate data to predict job demand and salary potential, it’s crucial to approach these statistics with caution. As we’ve discussed, broad predictions can overlook personal factors like your unique skills and interests.
To maximize your earning potential, it's essential to apply your niche to a career path that not only pays well but also aligns with how you naturally thrive. Many people with ADHD excel in dynamic, fast-paced environments where creativity, problem-solving, and out-of-the-box thinking are valued. By choosing a career that plays to these strengths, you can find both financial success and personal fulfillment.
Common Career Paths Where People with ADHD Thrive
Here are some high-paying career paths where individuals with ADHD often excel:
Entrepreneurship: Starting your own business allows you to create a work environment that suits your needs. The freedom to innovate and manage your schedule can be highly rewarding, both personally and financially.
The average salary for an entrepreneur in the United States can range from $11,500 to $396,500, according to ZipRecruiter (2024)
Sales and Marketing: These fields often require quick thinking, strong interpersonal skills, and a high level of energy—qualities that many people with ADHD naturally possess. Sales roles, especially in industries like real estate, tech, or pharmaceuticals, can be particularly lucrative.
Sales Engineer: Medium income = $116,950.
Marketing Manager: $157,620
Creative Fields (e.g., Design, Writing, Video Production): Creativity is a strong suit for many with ADHD. Careers in graphic design, copywriting, video production, or even content creation offer opportunities to channel that creativity into high-paying roles.
Art Director: $106,500
Technology and IT: Roles like software development, IT management, and cybersecurity often demand problem-solving skills, the ability to hyper-focus, and adaptability to new technologies—traits that align well with the ADHD brain.
Computer and Information Systems Managers: $169,510
Healthcare Professions: Fast-paced roles in healthcare, such as emergency medicine or surgery, can be a good fit for those with ADHD who thrive under pressure and enjoy hands-on work. These roles also offer high earning potential.
Internal Medicine: $223,310
Consulting: Offering expert advice in fields like business strategy, finance, or tech allows you to leverage your specialized knowledge while enjoying the variety and challenge of working with different clients.
Business Intelligence Analyst: $108,020
Training and Development Manager: $125,040
Trades:
Master Electrician: $83,573
You can see a full list of occupations by salary here: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm
Remember, the key to success is not just choosing a high-paying job but selecting one that resonates with your skills and passions. By combining your niche with a carefully chosen career path, you can overcome the challenges of ADHD and achieve both financial and personal success.
How to Check Salary Reports: A Step-by-Step Guide
When considering a new career or negotiating a salary, having accurate and up-to-date salary information is crucial. Here’s how to use three popular tools to check salary reports, plus a bonus tip on gathering insider information through informational interviews.
1. O*NET’s "Wages and Employment Trends"
O*NET provides comprehensive data on wages and employment trends across various industries and occupations. Here’s how to use it:
Visit O*NET Online: Go to O*NET OnLine.
Search for Your Occupation: In the search bar, type in the job title you're interested in (e.g., "Software Developer").
Select the Occupation: Click on the relevant job title from the search results.
Navigate to 'Wages & Employment Trends': On the occupation's profile page, scroll down to find the "Wages & Employment Trends" section.
Review the Data: Here, you’ll find information on median wages, employment outlook, and industry distribution. You can view wage data for the entire U.S. or narrow it down by state or metro area.
2. Glassdoor Salaries
Glassdoor offers salary information directly from employees, making it a valuable tool for understanding pay ranges within specific companies and industries.
Visit Glassdoor: Go to Glassdoor Salaries.
Search for Your Job Title: Enter the job title and location in the search fields (e.g., "Project Manager in New York").
Explore Salary Reports: Glassdoor will provide a range of salaries for the position, including base pay, bonuses, and total compensation.
Filter and Compare: Use filters to narrow down results by company, experience level, or location. Compare salaries across different companies to get a more comprehensive view.
Check Company Reviews: For a deeper understanding, click on specific companies to see detailed salary reports, employee reviews, and benefits information.
3. Indeed Salaries
Indeed is another great resource for salary information, offering insights into pay ranges and trends based on millions of job listings.
Visit Indeed Salaries: Go to Indeed Salaries.
Search for Your Job Title: Enter the job title and location in the search fields (e.g., "Data Analyst in San Francisco").
Review Salary Information: Indeed provides an estimated salary range based on current job listings. You can also see average salaries for different experience levels.
Compare Locations: Use the location filter to compare salary data across various cities or states.
Check Salary Trends: Scroll down to view trends over time, including changes in demand for the role and salary fluctuations.
Bonus Tip: Conduct Informational Interviews
While online tools are invaluable, talking to someone in the industry can provide you with insider knowledge that’s not available elsewhere. Here’s how to use informational interviews to get accurate salary insights:
Identify Contacts: Reach out to professionals in your network or use LinkedIn to connect with people working in the field you're interested in.
Request an Informational Interview: Politely ask if they’re willing to chat about their career and industry. Emphasize that you’re looking for insights and advice, not a job.
Ask About Salary: During the conversation, inquire about typical salary ranges for your desired role. Ask about factors that influence pay, such as experience, location, and company size.
Gather Contextual Information: Beyond salary, use the interview to learn about career progression, work-life balance, and industry challenges.
Express Gratitude: Always thank your contact for their time and insights. Follow up with a thank-you note to leave a positive impression.
Wrapping Up
While achieving financial security can be a significant challenge for adults with ADHD, it's definitely not an impossible dream. By understanding how your strengths align with certain career paths, you can unlock your earning potential and build a life where both financial security and personal fulfillment go hand-in-hand.
This article has equipped you with the knowledge and resources to not only identify high-paying career paths but also develop strategies to navigate the job market with confidence. Remember, conquering the myth of a "right" career and focusing on cultivating a fulfilling, lucrative niche is the key to unleashing your full potential. Now, it's time to take action and embark on a successful career journey!