The highest-impact career paths our research has identified so far

Abstract

This article presents a list of careers that are likely to have a significant positive impact on the world. It aims to identify particularly high-impact career paths for readers to consider, focusing on careers that reduce global catastrophic risks or otherwise improve the prospects of future generations. The article organizes careers into five categories: Research in relevant areas, Government and policy in an area relevant to a top problem, Work at effective non-profits, Apply an unusual strength to a needed niche, and Earning to give. For each category, the authors present several specific career paths, highlighting the skills required, entry requirements, typical compensation, potential downsides, and likely impact. They also include a detailed career profile for each path, which discusses the history and current state of the field, the importance of the issue, the current needs and opportunities, and how people can best contribute. The authors argue that this list is not exhaustive and that readers should use the article as a guide for identifying other high-impact careers based on their own skills, interests, and values. – AI-generated abstract.