18 meaningful jobs that pay very well

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It seems like there are only two options when it comes to choosing a career: We can either pursue a meaningful job and make next to nothing, or we can pull in a pretty penny working insanely long hours in an uninspiring, high-pressure role.

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But we've got some good news for you: There's a third option.

According to a report from PayScale, there are plenty of jobs out there that offer both a fat paycheck and satisfying work.

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PayScale, the creator of the world's largest database of individual compensation profiles, containing more than 40 million today, asked 374,000 workers: "Does your job make the world a better place?"

After analyzing job meaning for 454 jobs from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), PayScale then examined median pay, job satisfaction, job stress, and typical education level for each occupation, and compiled its list of the Most and Least Meaningful Jobs in America.

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Katie Bardaro, PayScale's vice president of data analytics, says workers in these meaningful jobs are "typically driven by an interest to better society and by philanthropic initiatives, rather than purely money or subject matter interest."

We sifted through PayScale's list and found the highest-paying jobs (median pay of $65,000 or more) in which at least 85% of employees called the profession "meaningful."

The following 18 jobs are ranked by median pay, from lowest to highest: