The top 15 non-technical skills you need to help land a high-paying job
- In addition to understanding technical skills and programming languages, there are plenty of non-technical skills that are important in advancing your career.
- We looked at the non-technical skills with the highest importance scores across the 28 highest-paying jobs in the US from the Occupational Information Network's database.
- Critical thinking and active listening had the highest scores for these six-figure jobs.
Not every skill needed to succeed in your job involves using fancy technology. You also need to be a critical thinker, be able to solve complex problems, and have good coordination skills, among other non-technical skills.
The Department of Labor's Occupational Information Network (O*NET) has a list of the varying importance scores of different skills for each occupation. Each occupation is given an importance score from one to five for each skill. Five is the the maximum score a skill can receive in each job.
Skills on O*NET are classified under six general categories: Basic skills, complex problem solving skills, resource management skills, social skills, systems skills, and technical skills. There are 36 detailed skills within these main categories, such as time management, mathematics, and active listening.
After recently finding the most popular technology skills listed on O*NET across the highest-paying jobs in the US, we decided to look at the most common non-technical skills in those jobs. To do this, we averaged the scores for each skill for 28 of the 30 highest-paying jobs. We excluded two jobs that were categorized as "all other" (undefined roles within dentist specialists, as well as the physician and ophthalmologist categories) because O*NET doesn't list scores for these broader occupation categories.
O*NET includes separate scores scores indicating both the importance of a skill and the level of proficiency needed in that skill for an occupation. O*NET uses the example of lawyers and paralegals where "lawyers (who frequently argue cases before judges and juries) are required to have a higher Level of speaking skill, while paralegals only need an average Level of this skill." For the purposes of our analysis, we focused on the importance score, rather than the level score.
Read on to find out the 15 most commonly required non-technical skills among the highest-paying jobs, along with their average scores. We also included each skill's definition from O*NET and the average annual salaries for the three jobs with the highest score in each skill. In the case of a tied score, we ranked the jobs with the highest average salaries as of May 2019, the most recent data available.
15. Systems analysis
According to O*NET, this systems skill is defined as determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 3.23
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Chief executives - $193,850
2. Sales managers - $141,690
3. Petroleum engineers - $156,780
14. Persuasion
According to O*NET, this social skill is defined as persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 3.26
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Chief executives - $193,850
2. Sales managers - $141,690
3. Lawyers - $145,300
13. Service orientation
According to O*NET, this social skill is defined as actively looking for ways to help people.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 3.33
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Psychiatrists - $220,430
2. Family medicine physicians - $213,270
3. Nurse anesthetists - $181,040
12. Time management
According to O*NET, this resource management skill is defined as managing one's own time and the time of others.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 3.48
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Chief executives - $193,850
2. General dentists - $178,260
3. Lawyers - $145,300
11. Coordination
According to O*NET, this social skill is defined as adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 3.50
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Chief executives - $193,850
2. Psychiatrists - $220,430
3. Sales managers - $141,690
10. Active learning
According to O*NET, this basic skill is defined as understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 3.72
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Obstetricians and gynecologists - $233,610
2. Psychiatrists - $220,430
3. Chief executives - $193,850
8 (tie). Writing
According to O*NET, this basic skill is defined as communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 3.73
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Psychiatrists - $220,430
2. Family medicine physicians - $213,270
3. Natural sciences managers - $145,450
8 (tie). Monitoring
According to O*NET, this basic skill is defined as assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 3.73
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Anesthesiologists - $261,730
2. Chief executives - $193,850
3. Psychiatrists - $220,430
7. Social perceptiveness
According to O*NET, this social skill is defined as being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 3.76
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Psychiatrists - $220,430
2. Chief executives - $193,850
3. Public relations and fundraising managers - $132,630
6. Complex problem solving
According to O*NET, this complex problem solving skill is defined as identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 3.86
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Chief executives - $193,850
2. Surgeons - $252,040
3. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons - $237,570
5. Judgment and decision making
According to O*NET, this system skill is defined as considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 3.92
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Chief executives - $193,850
2. Family medicine physicians - $213,270
3. Surgeons - $252,040
4. Reading comprehension
According to O*NET, this basic skill is defined as understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 4.01
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Lawyers - $145,300
2. Postsecondary law teachers - $129,950
3. Obstetricians and gynecologists - $233,610
3. Speaking
According to O*NET, this speaking skill is defined as talking to others to convey information effectively.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 4.05
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Lawyers - $145,300
2. Postsecondary law teachers - $129,950
3. Chief executives - $193,850
1 (tie). Active listening
According to O*NET, this basic skill is defined as giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 4.08
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Psychiatrists - $220,430
2. Lawyers - $145,300
3. Family medicine physicians - $213,270
1 (tie). Critical thinking
According to O*NET, this basic skill is defined as using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Average O*NET score from the 28 highest-paying jobs: 4.08
The jobs with the highest scores for this skill:
1. Anesthesiologists - $261,730
2. Obstetricians and gynecologists - $233,610
3. Family medicine physicians - $213,270
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