Highest Paying Jobs that Involve Negotiation
Do you love the feeling of a good argument? Do you somehow always manage to get your way?
Negotiation is an incredibly powerful skill that can open doors to a number of careers. Those who possess this ability tend to be sharp and strong-willed, able to think clearly and efficiently in high pressure situations. They are often organized and planful, with a natural knack for self-expression. But they also understand the people around them on a deep, intuitive level. A good negotiator can meet a total stranger in the street, take a guess at how that person is feeling, and come pretty close to accurate.
If this sounds like you, you're in luck. The following careers are not only ideally-suited to people with great negotiation skills, they're also very well-paid.
Here are CareerExplorer's Top Jobs for Negotiators
This article will be covering the following careers:
| Career | Avg Salary | Satisfaction | Your Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executive | $215k | 3.9/5 | |
| Lawyer | $129k | 2.7/5 | |
| Human Resources Manager | $71k | 3.1/5 | |
| Purchasing Manager | $75k | 3.0/5 | |
| Sales Engineer | $85k | 2.9/5 | |
| Construction Manager | $70k | 3.0/5 | |
| Talent Agent | $80k | 3.6/5 | |
| Counseling Psychologist | $89k | 3.4/5 | |
| Arbitrator | $57k | 3.5/5 |
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1. Chief Executive
Found in almost every industry, chief executives are the strategic force behind a business operation. These powerful individuals plan, coordinate, and direct the activities of companies and organizations to ensure they meet their goals. They also manage teams and liaise with other executives, staff, and board members about operation decisions. Especially when it comes to implementing new policies, having a persuasive personality can be a huge asset.
Chief Executive
In the broadest sense, a chief executive refers to the top executive or leader within an organization or entity.
2. Lawyer
Quick witted and rigorous, lawyers uphold the law and represent their clients in a variety of different contexts. They may provide legal advice or counsel, research and gather evidence, create legal documents for a divorce or real estate transaction, or prosecute in court. But no matter what area of law they work in, all lawyers possess the ability to synthesize complex information into a logical, convincing argument.
Lawyer
A lawyer provides advice, representation, and advocacy to individuals, businesses, or organizations on legal matters.
3. Human Resources Manager
The best human resource managers have two key qualities: strong people skills and excellent judgement. In addition to overseeing the screening and hiring process for new employees, people in this role are also spend a great deal of time helping with conflict resolution. Whether mediating personal disagreements between employers or complaints about upper management, the human resource manager is responsible for coming up with a fair compromise that all parties can agree upon.
Human Resources Manager
A human resources manager is responsible for overseeing various aspects of an organization's human resources department.
4. Purchasing Manager
A purchasing manager's primary responsibility is to buy the products best-suited to their organization's needs. Whether these products are for use or resale, the purchasing manager must ensure they are of high enough quality and acceptably priced. Settling on a final contract can be challenging, often involving multiple meetings with retailers and heated negotiations about costs and fees, delivery schedules, and more. Being able to stay calm and collected during these arguments is an asset in this role.
Purchasing Manager
A purchasing manager is responsible for overseeing and managing an organization's procurement activities.
5. Sales Engineer
Requiring a mix of extensive technical knowledge and strong sales skills, this is not a career for the week willed. Sales engineers are responsible for selling complex scientific technologies and services to businesses, often in stressful, highly competitive situations. To be effective in this role, sales engineers need to understand potential clients' needs, then persuade them that their product is better-suited to those needs than anything else on the market.
Sales Engineer
A sales engineer bridges the gap between technical expertise and sales efforts within a company.
6. Construction Manager
Construction managers are strategic and organized, responsible for planning, coordinating, and supervising the construction of projects from development through completion. This is a position that often involves managing others; the best construction managers are personable and convincing leaders. On a day-to-day basis, they also spend a lot of time preparing and negotiating budgets, cost estimates, and work timetables, so solid argument skills are a must.
Construction Manager
A construction manager oversees and coordinates construction projects.
7. Talent Agent
Talent agents are the middle men between professional performers, writers, and artists and their potential employers. They spend much of the day on the phone with directors or producers, selling their client's talents or negotiating fees and contracts. To succeed in this line of work, talent agers must have excellent people skills, a persuasive approach, and a very strong will.
Talent Agent
A talent agent acts as a representative for artists, performers, athletes, and other individuals in the entertainment industry.
8. Counseling Psychologist
On the most basic level, counseling psychologists help their patients lead more fulfilling lives. To do so, they first evaluate their patients' mental health and lifestyle, then provide therapy, advice, or other treatment recommendations. The best counseling psychologists have strong social skills, a clear, logical mind, and a knack for convincing others that they can make lasting change in their lives.
Counseling Psychologist
A counseling psychologist specializes in providing therapy, guidance, and support to individuals, couples, families, and groups.
9. Arbitrator
Arbitrators are probably some of the most effective negotiators around. These skilled professionals are paid to resolve disputes between parties—be it between a mobile phone company and a consumer or between two high powered executives. No matter what the context, an arbitrator's key role is to remain unbiased and informed while guiding both parties to an agreeable consensus.
Arbitrator
An arbitrator is a neutral third party who is appointed or selected to resolve disputes between two or more parties.