The ten highest-paying jobs of 2017

Sonographers can earn up to £66,374 a year, but must train as a radiologist first - Getty Images Contributor
Sonographers can earn up to £66,374 a year, but must train as a radiologist first - Getty Images Contributor

Landing on a career can feel like an overwhelming decision - which factors should you prioritise? Entry-level opportunities, work-life balance and long-term prospects are all essential elements to consider, as well as how much money you earn in return for your work. 

If money is a motivating factor for you, it's important to know which industries regularly pay higher amounts to employees. 

Here are the jobs that brought in the highest salaries over 2017, including roles in tech, medicine and law.

10. Biostatisticians - £64,444 a year

Biostatisticians, those who use or apply mathematics and statistics to a wide range of topics in biology, were paid £64,444 in 2017, according to jobs site Adzuna - which analysed the 10 top-paying permanent roles of 2017 based on average advertised salaries on its site.

C-level and VP jobs have not been included in the top 10 list.

9. Senior iOS developer - £65,187

Customers look at iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus phones - Credit: Jeff Chiu
Credit: Jeff Chiu

IOS developers are responsible for creating, recording and redesigning apps for mobile devices powered by Apple's iOS operating system. 

Applicants will typically need to be proficient with one of two programming languages for the platform: Objective-C or Swift. 

8. Sonographer - £66,374

According to Adzuna, sonographers - medical professionals who perform diagnostic ultrasound on patients - were among the best-paid workers in the UK in 2017.

To become a sonographer and potentially earn £66,374 a year, you must first qualify as a radiographer.

7. Lead business analyst - £66,475

Lead business analysts earn an average of £66,475, according to Adzuna, but many advertised jobs pay upwards of £80,000.

Typically, a lead business analyst is responsible for coordinating the efforts of multiple business analysts on a specific project. 

6. General practitioner - £68,369

GPs earn an average of £68,369, but locum GPs - medical professionals who temporarily work in the place of a regular GP when they are absent - earn a significantly larger average annual salary of £136,912.

5. Paediatric intensive care nurse - £68,808

A nurse attends to an infant in the neonatal intensive care unit - Credit: JOE SKIPPER
Credit: JOE SKIPPER

Paediatric nurses, like those who work at Great Ormond Street Hospital, earn just shy of £69,000 a year. 

Paediatric nurses will observe and care for critically ill children in hospital intensive care units. 

4. Corporate lawyer - £77,596

A corporate lawyer is someone who specialises in company law, ensuring the legality of commercial transactions and advising corporations on their legal rights and duties. 

According to Adzuna, there are currently 754 corporate lawyer job listings on its site and the average advertised salary in 2017 was £77,596.

3. Financial services lawyer - £80,520

Earning just over £80,000 a year, a financial services lawyer will advise clients on funds and asset management, pensions and FinTech, as well as providing specialist advice on financial regulation and insurance. 

2. Java architect - £82,016

Businesswoman typing on keyboard - Credit: JGI/Jamie Grill
Credit: JGI/Jamie Grill

 A Java architect was the second top-paying permanent role in 2017, with average advertised salaries of £82,106.

These professionals are responsible for defining, integrating, and upgrading comprehensive architecture to support Java applications.

1. Quant developer - £92,910

The top-paying job of 2017, according to Adzuna, was a quantitative developer - earning an average of £92,910 a year.

Quant developers work with researchers to create and deliver custom software solutions for businesses.