Wondering about how much money you’ll need to make in your future career to live the life you want? This game can help you figure that out and offer some possible career paths based on your lifestyle preferences!

Housing
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Utilities
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Food
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Transportation
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Clothing
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Health care
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Beauty/Grooming
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Entertainment
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Extras
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Savings per paycheck
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Student loan
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Reality Check Results

What career do you need to afford the life you want?

(Salaries are based on the average for Arkansans)

29 points or fewer
$30k-40k

Animal Trainer
Median salary: $31,520
Education required: High school diploma
Typical work-life balance: Interaction with animals is proven to reduce stress and studies show pet-friendly workplaces boost employee morale.

Customer Service Representative
Median salary:    $33,439
Education required:    High school diploma
Typical work-life balance:    This job often means responding to customer complaints and problems. While it can be stressful, office hours are usually traditional or in shifts, allowing you to balance work and personal life like a pro.

Nursing Assistant
Median salary:    $35,605
Education required:    Associate degree
Typical work-life balance:    Known for being a demanding job with long hours, but a rewarding career caring for others with lots of room to grow (aka get promotions!)

Coach/Scout
Median salary:    $36,330
Education required:    Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance:    A fulfilling and rewarding career that brings ample career satisfaction, but this job requires non-traditional hours on nights and weekends.

30-39 points
$41k-52k

Auto Body Repairer
Median salary:    $42,610
Education required:    High school diploma + On-the-job training
Typical work-life balance:    You’ll work in shifts, allowing you to choose when you work, but Indeed reports it’s an intensely physical job that can be hard on your body.

Editor
Median salary: $47,800
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: A creative job that often brings professional fulfillment, however, the fast-paced career has significant deadline pressure. Indeed reports “one in five editors works more than a 40-hour week, especially leading up to a publication deadline.”

Social Worker
Median salary: $48,430
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: A service-oriented job that’s not for the faint of heart. It can take an emotional toll. However, social workers report a high level of work-life balance and job satisfaction.

Marketing Specialist
Median salary: $51,080
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: This job brings great work-life balance given its penchant for traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours, low-stress duties, and its creative and fun work environments.

40-49 points
$53k-63k

High School Teacher
Median salary: $55,180
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: Working with teenagers can be stressful, but summer and spring breaks help restore balance. Still, educators are known to arrive early and stay late; it’s common to hear of teacher burnout due to staffing shortages and modest wages.

Electrician
Median salary: $56,900
Education required: Apprenticeship
Typical work-life balance: Electricians enjoy being on-the-go doing project-based work. They are able to achieve great work-life balance. Not to mention, they are in high demand, which makes for higher wages and job security—and that makes happier employees.

Dietician/Nutritionist
Median salary: $61,020
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: U.S. New & World Report lists this as one of the best jobs because it is “a job with a low stress level, good work-life balance and solid prospects to improve, get promoted, and earn a higher salary.”

Tool & Die Maker
Median salary: $61,350
Education required: Certificate or associate degree
Typical work-life balance: The high demand for people trained in tools and die means you’re practically guaranteed a job with great wages. Plus, it offers good work-life balance.

50-59 points
$63k-70k

Accountant
Median salary: $63,220
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: Work-life balance is a breeze in this role thanks to traditional office hours and a slow pace. Tax season (January-April 15), however, causes some deadline pressure and stress.

Occupational Therapist
Median salary: $67,530
Education required: Master’s degree
Typical work-life balance: Other than a lot of paperwork, this job is low-stress and offers a lot of flexibility.

Registered Nurse
Median salary: $67,950
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: Nursing has a reputation for staffing shortages, meaning more shifts and longer hours. It also means more jobs, higher wages and job security. Most nurses love making a difference.

60-69 points
$71k-82k

Software Developer
Median salary: $76,370
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: Most developers have the ability to work from anywhere, and in the post-pandemic world, they’re finding more and more companies welcome it. Project deadlines may produce some stress.

Civil Engineer
Median salary: $76,490
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: Another U.S. News & World Report “Best Jobs” list-maker. A high-paying job that offers low stress levels and above average upward mobility.

Construction Manager
Median salary: $77,730
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: A great job for people who don’t like sitting behind a desk or in an office all day, but because this job requires alternative working hours and experiences a high-stress level, it’s not ranked well for work-life balance. Demand is high, though, which means competitive pay and job security.

Audiologist
Median salary: $81,030
Education required: Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree
Typical work-life balance: According to Business Insider, audiology was listed among the “highest paying jobs for people who want to work less than 40 hours per week.” Enough said.

70-79 points
$82k-91k

Lawyer/Attorney
Median salary: $83,500
Education required: Juris doctor (J.D.) degree
Typical work-life balance: The stigma is high stress and long hours, as well as unpredictable court schedules, but big salaries and the thrill of winning and helping others brings ample job satisfaction.

Database Administrator
Median salary: $84,530
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: U.S. News & World Report ranks this career 38 out of 100 best jobs in the U.S. for its work-life balance and potential for upward mobility.

Detective/Investigator (mid-level)
Median salary: $86,940
Education required: Associate degree
Typical work-life balance: Get ready for long hours and late nights. This job is notorious for poor work-life balance, but it’s a rewarding job nonetheless. It feels great to solve a tough case and get justice.

Physical Therapist
Median salary: $90,010
Education required: PT doctorate
Typical work-life balance: This in-demand job means a lot of work with fewer people to do it, which can be stressful, but also creates job security. Generally, PTs have good work-life balance.

80-89 points
$91k-102k

Commercial Pilot
Median salary: $96,840
Education required: High school diploma + Flight school
Typical work-life balance: This is a non-traditional career path, for sure. Pilots usually travel for several days in a row before returning home for a few days off. They average 700 hours of flying per year.

Marketing Manager
Median salary: $100,150
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: Great work-life balance. A traditional office environment usually offers a lot of flexibility and standard eight-hour work days.

Nurse Practitioner
Median salary: $101,660
Education required: Master’s degree
Typical work-life balance: NPs rank high for work-life balance, low stress, good salaries and flexibility.

90 points or more
More than $102k

Physician Assistant
Median salary: $104,290
Education required: Master’s degree
Typical work-life balance: Busy job with demands similar to a doctor, but better work-life balance. An in-demand job that pays great and offers job security.

Data Scientist
Median salary: $105,520
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: Glassdoor reports that data scientists have some of the best work-life balance, enjoying flexible structures and traditional hours.

Financial Manager
Median salary: $134,180
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: Investopedia calls this a high-stress career, however, financial managers spend a lot of time networking and relationship-building—aka they are not chained to their desk.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Median salary: $136,220
Education required: Bachelor’s degree
Typical work-life balance: Many CEOs work around 10 hours a day.* The weight of their responsibilities comes with stress. However, many CEOs make work-life balance a priority company-wide, and thus, achieve it themselves.

Medical Doctor (all specialties)
Median salary: $208,000 (based on specialty)
Education required: Doctor of medicine (M.D.) degree + Residency
Typical work-life balance: Physiciansfoundation.org says that nearly one in four physicians work 61-80 hours each week. The average doctor working 51.4. A tough but rewarding field, indeed.

Editor’s note: Salary data gathered from careeronestop.org unless otherwise noted. Sources used for education requirements and career insights include Arkansas Next: PROS, Indeed, Glassdoor, U.S. News & World Report, emolument.com; more sources cited with special characters as needed.
*DAME Leadership