17 Most Rewarding Jobs That Help People

Would you like to earn a living while making a difference? That’s the choice that people with a career in service make. It’s very fulfilling to know that your skills and actions are helping others. From a mental health perspective, working a job that helps others will help you feel good about yourself and how you spend your time. Luckily, there are abundant opportunities for careers in service of all sorts.

Fred Rogers said it best, “When I was a boy, and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”

Without further ado, let’s dive into some traits of people destined to help people as a career and look at some of the many options out there for natural helpers.

Key Takeaways:

• There are many rewarding jobs that help people, from social work to financial assistance.

• Picking a job that helps people depends on your values and skills. Know exactly how you want to help people and what you can do in that position.

• If you are unsure about finding a job that helps people, set up informational interviews to ask current workers about their experience.

17 Jobs That Help People

What are the best jobs that help people to consider during your job search? Here are some suggestions to help you find a job you love.

1. Teacher
   Average Annual Salary: $46,000

   For children and adults alike, teachers pave the path to understanding. Teachers have a passion for helping people learn. They inspire students to be their best. There’s great joy in seeing the light off in a student’s eyes when they grasp a concept.

   Find Teacher jobs near me

2. Nurse
   Average Annual Salary: $59,000

   There is a huge demand for nurses. They communicate between patients and doctors, care for patients, administer medicine, and supervise nurses’ aides. They work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, and private practices.

   Find Nurse jobs near me

3. Social worker
   Average Annual Salary: $51,000

   Want to get a job that provides support for people in crisis? Social workers connect people in need with resources. Social workers can work at a variety of locations, including mental health clinics, schools, hospitals, and private practices. They protect people in the direst of situations, including children, victims of abuse, low-income families, and more.

   Find Social worker jobs near me

4. Mental health specialist
   Average Annual Salary: $40,000

   Mental health specialists help with emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Therapy helps us to handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Psychiatrists can diagnose and treat mental health disorders. Subspecialties of mental health include child and adolescent, geriatric, or addiction psychiatry.

   Find Mental health specialist jobs near me

5. Financial coach
   Average Annual Salary: $40,200

   Thousands of people are drowning in debt. A finance coach helps people review their situation and make a plan to improve their finances. They can help you get out of debt, improve your credit score, create a budget, and save for retirement.

   Find finance coach jobs near me

6. Fitness trainer
   Average Annual Salary: $41,000

   Helping people get in shape and be healthier is their expertise. A fitness trainer can do individual training or work with a group. Some work in gyms, and others do private coaching in people’s homes.

   Find Fitness trainer jobs near me

7. Physical therapist
   Average Annual Salary: $69,000

   When someone gets injured, a physical therapist helps them get back on the path to recovery. A physical therapist helps address chronic pain, recover from an injury, or heal from surgery. They create a customized recovery program that helps patients regain their strength, flexibility, and mobility.

   Find Physical therapist jobs near me

8. Doctor
   Average Annual Salary: $180,000

   Physicians are the heroes in white coats who help us when we get sick or injured. Those who choose to be doctors are a special breed. It takes a lot of education and dedication to become a doctor. Having a doctor job is a very rewarding career choice.

   Find Doctor jobs near me

9. Law enforcement specialist
   Average Annual Salary: $96,000

   Police officers have the opportunity to save lives every day. They help make the community a better place. You will be the voice of reason in some difficult situations. There’s a real honor being a “man in blue.”

   For those job hunting for a career in enforcement, there are many police professions, including the sheriff, state troopers, federal troopers, correctional officers, detectives, federal investigators, DA investigations, and special jurisdiction.

   Find Law enforcement jobs near me

10. Paramedics
    Average Annual Salary: $41,000

    When disasters or emergency strikes, first responders are there on the scene. Paramedics and emergency medical technicians come to assist the wounded. They provide immediate treatment and advanced life support. Because of the emergency nature of this work, it’s very challenging and requires fast action and critical thinking skills.

    Find Paramedics jobs near me

11. Pharmacist
    Average Annual Salary: $119,000

    When people are sick or need medications for managing chronic health conditions, pharmacists are there to help. Pharmacists are masters of medicine and know about possible drug interactions and side effects. They track any drug allergies you may have. It’s their job to review and make sure your drug prescriptions are accurate.

    Find Pharmacist jobs near me

12. Dentist
    Average Annual Salary: $134,000

    No one loves going to the dentist. But when you have a toothache, there’s no one else you’d rather see for relief. They can help keep your teeth healthy. Dentists perform cosmetic procedures, crowns and bridges, dental implants, dentures, and gum disease treatment.

    Find Dentist jobs near me

13. Nutritionist
    Average Annual Salary: $49,000

    It’s true when they say we are what we eat. For that reason, nutritionists provide an essential service. The food you eat dramatically affects your health. Nutritionists can help you lose weight, gain muscle, manage health conditions, and more. If you are passionate about assisting others in prioritizing health, self-care, and well-being, finding work as a nutritionist helps you do that.

    Find Nutrition counselor jobs near me

14. Optometrist
    Average Annual Salary: $231,000

    Need glasses? An optometrist helps to diagnose your eyeglass prescription. Plus, they can help you screen for and manage eye disease.

    Find Optometrist jobs near me

15. Postal mail carrier
    Average Annual Salary: $52,000

    Rain, sleet, or snow, you can always count on the mail. Being a mail carrier is definitely an essential service. You deliver mail along your assigned route.

    Find Mail carrier jobs near me

16. Utility worker
    Average Annual Salary: $29,000

    Gas, water, and electricity are critical services. Other services may include the internet, telephone, can cable service. If service goes down, it’s up to you to get things up and running again. There is a vast range of career paths available for utility jobs like management, gas, engineering, managerial, customer service, and sales.

    Find Utilities jobs near me

17. Spiritual leader
    Average Annual Salary: N/A

    Leadership and counsel provide much-needed guidance. Spiritual leaders are there for us in the good and bad times of our lives. They help during weddings, funerals, and baptisms.

    They counsel when families and couples are struggling. They provide help for those in need. Different spiritual career paths to consider include chaplain, rabbi, pastor, spiritual advisor, priest, worship leader, etc.

Signs That a Job Helping People Is Right for You

1. You help others without expecting something in return. People who choose a career in service are a special breed. You have a servant’s heart.

2. You are ready to make a positive impact on the world. Nothing brings you greater joy than knowing you are making a difference.

3. You put others before yourself. Your whole life, you have naturally looked for ways to help those in need.

4. You really connect to people on a heart level. You have a natural ability to hear someone’s hurt and compassionately help them.

5. You stay calm and think on your feet. When an emergency happens, you are the calm in the storm.

6. You do what’s right every time. When people are down or injured, they need someone they can trust in their time of need.

7. People are drawn to you for help. There’s something about you that when people need someone to listen or a shoulder to cry on, they feel safe with you.

8. You devote yourself to helping others. This isn’t just a career for you. It’s a heartfelt mission.

Skills Needed for Jobs That Help People

It takes a special type of person to choose a career in service. Here are some of the qualifications for this line of work:

• Having a passion for the work you do is essential. A passion for your work will shine through and inspire others around you.

• Empathy is a critical skill to have. Empathy helps you to understand the needs of the people you are serving.

• Communication is also important. You need to be able to communicate, listen, and interact well with others if you want to have an impact.

• Be ready to face difficult situations. Many times the people you work with will be in pain emotionally, mentally, or physically. You’ll need to discover their situation, uncover their needs, and share how you can help.

• Be able to act quickly and make decisions. You may be forced to take action in escalating situations, so critical thinking skills will help you succeed.

• Finally, your integrity is of utmost importance. People are putting their hope and faith in you in times of trouble. They are trusting you to do the right thing and act ethically.

Inspirational Quotes About Jobs That Help People

Here are some truly inspiring words about why people make the career choice to help others.

• “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jake Goodall

• “We rise by lifting others.” – Robert Ingersoll

• “There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.” – Mandy Hale

• “There is no greater reward than working from your heart and making a difference in the world.” – Carlos Santana

• “Sometimes just a smile on our face can help to make this world a better place. Stand up for the things that are right. Try to talk things out instead of the fight. Lend a hand when you can. You can help to make a difference” – Robert Alan

• “I think there’s no higher calling in terms of a career than public service, which is a chance to make a difference in people’s lives and improve the world.” – Jack Lew

• “We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don’t know.”” – W. H. Auden

How to Find a Job That Helps People

Finding and getting a job that helps people involves choosing a career path that sounds interesting to you and acquiring the skills necessary for whatever roles you need to land along the way. But once you’ve got your dream job figured out, it’s time to use your commitment to helping people as your way to stand out as a job seeker.

There are a few good ways to maximize your chances of landing a great job that helps people:

• Informational interview. Informational interviews are a great way to reach out to people in your field of interest and learn about what it’s like to work in an industry (at least through the lens of one company).

  If you’re still trying to decide how exactly you’d like to apply your skills to help people, informational interviews can be a great tool for getting your foot in the door.

• Letter of introduction. Whether you’re writing one on your own behalf or asking a friend to write one for you, letters of introduction serve much the same purpose as informational interviews in that they get a conversation started without talking about a specific job opening.

  While these letters can lead to conversations that lead to jobs, they’re also a useful way to get more insider knowledge from someone who works in a career that interests you.

• Resume. Once you’re ready to start applying for jobs, it’s time to let your compassion shine. While your resume is sort of a dry document, there’s one place to really let your passion for helping shine: in your resume summary statement.

  While it’s only a brief section, figuring out a way to tailor this section for the specific job can be just the thing to get you an interview invitation.

• Cover letter. Your cover letter is a much better place to let your personality shine than your resume. Here you can explain the “why” and “how” of your approach to your job, whereas the resume just covers the “who, what, where, when.”

  Describe the origins of your interest in a career helping others or go into more detail about past experiences spent helping people and what you learned from those moments.

• Job interview. Once you’re in the job interview itself, your passion for a job that’s dedicated to improving the lives of others should be super clear.

  Make sure the recruiter knows that they’re interviewing a candidate who cares more about fulfilling their vocation than punching a clock. If your interviewer can see that your commitment to the mission runs deep, they’ll have an easy time seeing you perform well in the position.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What job is most rewarding?

There are many jobs that can be considered the most rewarding. It all depends on what you feel is rewarding and how hard you work at the job. For example, if you believe saving lives would be the most rewarding experience for you, then a job as a doctor or nurse would be a good choice.

2. Can I find a job that helps people?

Yes, you can find a job that helps people. However the first step for you is to decide how exactly you want to help people. Do you want to provide for their health, protection, or maybe their financial freedom? These are questions you need to ask yourself while you look for a job that helps people.

3. Will a job that helps people always be rewarding?

No, unfortunately not all jobs that help people will always be rewarding. That is just a fact of life. A lot of these jobs do come with stresses. However, it is in these stresses that make the job rewarding. It is especially important to focus on the positives when faced with difficulties.

Final Thoughts

If you have felt a need for a new career in service, we salute you. The world is grateful for your dedication and caring. When you have a service-based job, you can be proud of the work you do, the person you are, and the difference you make.

Thank you for your commitment and dedication; thank you for your compassion, collaboration, and courage. You are the true heroes, and we appreciate you and your sacrifices more than words can say.

Now that you’ve learned more about a career in service, do these signs point you towards a job that helps others? If you’re led to serve others, consider making a career of it. Here’s to listening to your heart and making a difference.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.