Smart job choices that could free you from the 9-to-5 decades sooner than your peers
Key Points:
- Careers expert reveals six career paths that can help professionals retire significantly earlier than the traditional retirement age
- Tech roles, healthcare specialities, and entrepreneurial ventures top the list of careers offering financial independence sooner
- Early retirement requires strategic planning beyond just high income, with education expert pointing to important misconceptions about the FIRE movement
Many Americans dream of retiring early, swapping decades of office life for the freedom to pursue passions and travel while still young enough to enjoy them. Yet for most, retirement before 65 seems like an unreachable goal, especially with rising living costs and economic uncertainty.
This doesn’t have to be the case, according to Ana Peiris, Manager of Enrollments & Integration at Robertson College, a leading Canadian career-focused educational institution. “The path to early retirement isn’t just about saving aggressively, it starts with choosing a career that provides the right combination of income potential, benefits, and growth opportunities,” explains Peiris.
While the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement has popularised the idea of retiring decades early through extreme saving, Peiris stresses that career choice is an often overlooked—but equally powerful—part of the equation.
Below, Peiris outlines the top careers that can put you on the fast track to financial independence and early retirement.
Top Careers for Early Retirement
1. Technology Roles with High Demand Skills
Software developers, cybersecurity specialists, and AI engineers often command six-figure salaries early in their careers. What makes tech particularly suited for early retirement is the combination of high starting salaries, abundant remote work opportunities, and the potential for equity compensation.
“Technology professionals can leverage their skills to create multiple income streams,” says Peiris. “A lot of developers work their primary job while consulting on the side or building passive income through apps or online courses. This dual-income approach can dramatically accelerate retirement timelines.”
The tech field also offers exceptional flexibility. As remote work becomes standard, tech professionals can relocate to lower-cost areas while maintaining their high salaries, effectively increasing their savings rate.
2. Healthcare Specialities
Certain healthcare roles offer an ideal combination of high compensation and job security. Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and specialised therapists can earn substantial incomes without the lengthy training periods required for physicians.
These roles typically start with salaries between $90,000 and $120,000, with opportunities to increase earnings through specialised certifications or by working in high-demand locations.
“Healthcare professionals benefit from nearly recession-proof careers with clear advancement paths,” Peiris notes. “The ability to work additional shifts or in travel roles can significantly boost income during peak saving years.”
3. Sales Professionals in Technical Industries
Technical sales representatives, particularly in fields like pharmaceutical sales, medical device sales, or enterprise software, often earn substantial commissions on top of base salaries.
“The commission-based structure allows ambitious professionals to essentially control their income ceiling,” explains Peiris. “Top performers in technical sales frequently out-earn senior executives, and the skills are transferable across industries.”
These roles typically require less extensive educational investment than other high-paying fields, allowing professionals to start earning and saving earlier.
4. Real Estate Professionals
Real estate offers multiple paths to early retirement, whether through work as a broker, investor, or property manager. Real estate professionals not only earn commission income but also gain insider knowledge about market trends and investment opportunities.
“The advantage here is the ability to build personal wealth through your own real estate investments while earning income helping others,” says Peiris. “It’s common for successful agents to eventually transition from active work to managing their own investment properties, creating a natural bridge to retirement.”
5. Trades and Specialised Contracting
Skilled trades like electrical work, plumbing, and specialised construction offer strong earning potential without requiring a four-year degree. Apprentices can earn while learning, avoiding student debt that delays retirement savings for many professionals.
“Trade professionals who eventually establish their own contracting businesses can scale from personal service to managing crews, transitioning from trading time for money to building a business asset,” Peiris points out.
The initial investment in training is typically lower than for many white-collar professions, allowing for earlier wealth accumulation.
6. Financial Services
Financial advisors, investment consultants, and insurance specialists combine strong earning potential with valuable personal finance knowledge. These professionals gain expertise that directly applies to their own retirement planning while helping others.
“Financial professionals have the unique advantage of daily immersion in retirement planning concepts,” notes Peiris. “They’re constantly exposed to strategies and options that can be applied to their own financial situations, often with access to investment opportunities not widely available.”
Beyond Career Choice: Strategies for Early Retirement
While career selection plays a vital role in early retirement planning, Peiris emphasises that additional strategies are essential regardless of profession:
“The highest income won’t lead to early retirement without proper savings and investment habits,” she explains. “I’ve seen people in moderate-income fields retire decades early through disciplined saving and smart lifestyle choices, while some high-earners work into their 70s due to lifestyle inflation.”
Key factors beyond career choice include:
- Living well below your means during peak earning years
- Investing consistently in tax-advantaged retirement accounts
- Developing multiple income streams, particularly passive ones
- Building marketable skills that maintain earning potential in case re-entry to the workforce becomes necessary
Ana Peiris, Manager of Enrollments and Integration at Robertson College, shared her insights on the topic:
“The most common misconception about the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement is that early retirement requires extreme sacrifice or extraordinary luck. In reality, it’s about making intentional career and financial decisions aligned with your personal goals. Many people equate early retirement with never working again, but today’s early retirees often maintain flexible, purposeful work they enjoy without financial pressure.
“Another myth is that you need to start planning in your 20s. While earlier is better, successful early retirees can also begin their journey in their 30s or 40s. Career pivots into higher-earning fields can accelerate your timeline dramatically, especially when combined with the financial literacy to maximize those earnings.
“What’s most important is understanding that early retirement doesn’t have a single definition. For some, it means full financial independence by 40. For others, it’s transitioning to part-time work at 50 or having the freedom to pursue lower-paying but more fulfilling work. The careers highlighted provide the income potential and flexibility to design your own path to financial freedom.”
