Sunday, August 1, 2010

Work Less, Earn More

It was a few hundred years ago that Benjamin Franklin made the observation that time is money. The same is still true today, and workers are constantly trying to strike the right work/life balance to get as much as they can of both.

According to the 2008 American Time Use Survey (conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics), we're still working an average of eight hours a day. And the most recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that the median annual income per household member is $26,036 per year.

There are some jobs, however, where you can work less and make more than the averages. The hours may not be significantly less -- generally between 35 and 38 hours a week -- but these jobs offer more value in both time and money. They all pay salaries that exceed that $26,036 median income.

Here are 20 jobs we found that let you work less and earn more. These jobs require less than 40 hours of labor in a work week, but exceed the median annual income level in pay.*


1. Aircraft pilots, copilots and flight engineers

Hours/week: 23.5

Hours/year: 1,215

Annual earnings: $119,658


2. Biological scientist

Hours/week: 38.4

Hours/year: 1,992

Annual earnings: $65,329


3. Biochemist and biophysicist

Hours/week: 37.5

Hours/year: 1,947

Annual earnings: $69,681


4. Bus driver

Hours/week: 35.9

Hours/year: 1,613

Annual earnings: $26,107


5. Clinical, counseling and school psychologists

Hours/week: 38.1

Hours/year: 1,693

Annual earnings: $59,595


6. Dental assistant

Hours/week: 35.6

Hours/year: 1,849

Annual earnings: $30,895


7. Desktop publisher

Hours/week: 38.7

Hours/year: 2,007

Annual earnings: $36,858


8. Directors, religious activities and education

Hours/week: 38.1

Hours/year: 1,978

Annual earnings: $48,243


9. Educational, vocational and school counselors

Hours/week: 37.9

Hours/year: 1,712

Annual earnings: $50,075


10. Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors

Hours/week: 38.0

Hours/year: 1,976

Annual earnings: $35,262


11. Insurance underwriter

Hours/week:38.6

Hours/year: 2,005

Annual earnings: $63,157


12. Interpreters and translators

Hours/week:34.1

Hours/year: 1,687

Annual earnings: $35,853


13. Law clerk

Hours/week: 38.4

Hours/year: 1,961

Annual earnings: $46,539


14. Law teacher, postsecondary

Hours/week: 35.2

Hours/year: 1644

Annual earnings:$158,353


15. Miscellaneous media and communications workers

Hours/week: 36.7

Hours/year: 1,852

Annual earnings: $38,698


16. Optometrist

Hours/week: 37.7

Hours/year: 1,959

Annual earnings: $103,375


17. Psychologist

Hours/week: 38.2

Hours/year: 1,722

Annual earnings: $59,543


18. Speech-language pathologist

Hours/week: 37.5

Hours/year: 1,611

Annual earnings: $53,499


19. Telephone operator

Hours/week: 38.7

Hours/year: 2,009

Annual earnings: $29,877


20. Tree trimmers and pruners<

Hours/week: 37.2

Hours/year: 1,898

Annual earnings: $35,644


By the numbers

All of these jobs allow you to work less and earn more, but some of these careers clearly give you more bang for your buck.

At the top of the list: Pilots, copilots and flight engineers, who average $98.48 an hour. Law teachers are close behind, averaging $96.32 an hour, followed by optometrists, who average $52.77 an hour.


Make it work

Obviously these jobs are not for everyone, but if you're looking to strike a better balance between work and home, you may be able to approach your employer and negotiate alternatives to your current schedule.

Among the possibilities:

  • You may be able to arrange to work from home on a recurring basis, or on days where you may have an appointment or personal commitment.
  • Your manager or supervisor may also be willing to create a flexible scheduling arrangement, where you work four days a week to and have the fifth workday free.
  • Companies may be willing to negotiate with workers who want extra vacation time, particularly unpaid time.

Discuss your ideas with your company. If time is more important to you than money, your employer may be very receptive to providing more time off for you versus financial compensation.

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