The Caribbean has long been renowned for many things.
Picturesque sunsets, warm sunny climate and rich cuisines and culture.
10 Best Paying Jobs in the Caribbean
In such a picturesque region, with so much diversity and development, what are some of the best paid jobs in the Caribbean?
Medical Practitioners
Medical professionals are among the best paid jobs in the Caribbean. The training to become a practicing medical professional alludes to its high compensation.
Roles & Responsibilities
Medical professionals provide active treatment for sick patients including,
- Perform testing & diagnosis of ailments,
- Prescribe medication,
- Provide counseling & reports,
- Perform surgeries,
- Monitor the health and wellbeing of their patients as well as alleviating health concerns.
Skills & Training
Pre-med students must satisfy their admissions requirements, complete coursework, pass exams, and study at a medical school that is accredited by The Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Health professions.
Accreditation becomes essential in order for graduates to gain residency placement and ultimately become licensed to practice medicine. Medical professionals ought to demonstrate:
- Informed decision-making,
- Professionalism
- Empathy
- Attention to detail,
- Analysis and communication.
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are the top executives within a company. As the highest-ranking individual in the organisation, the CEO is often responsible for:
Roles & Responsibilities
- Reporting to the Board of Directors regarding company performance
- Communicating with shareholders on ownership, voting and financial performance.
- Liaising with multiple stakeholders regarding developments in policy, strategy and social responsibility
- Staying informed about political, economic and social trends nationally, and sometimes globally.
- Leading the company’s strategic performance and achievement of its corporate goals
Skills & Training
Key skills required for such a position include:
- Leadership
- Decision-making
- Communication
- Assertiveness
- People management
- Data interpretation
- Risk assessment
- Adaptability
Healthcare workers
There can never be sufficient healthcare workers. These staff are valued in Caribbean society and offer well-paid opportunities. Key responsibilities include:
- Attending to patients’ needs
- Administering medication
- Consulting with physicians/medical professionals
- Treating minor injuries
- Surgery assistance
- Recording and maintenance of patient information
To meet the demands of this profession, healthcare workers ought to be licensed, trained and skilled in:
- Empathy
- Listening skills
- Time management
- Customer service
- Data Management
- Problem-solving
Information Technology (I.T.) Managers
Caribbean technological jobs compensate quite well given the technical training and expertise needed to reach the position of I.T manager. Some of these skills include:
- Advanced technological skills – information system, network architecture, computer hardware & software knowledge, cyber security.
- Project management
- Presentation skills
- Negotiation (with vendors)
- Effective communication (particularly when explaining important concepts to non-technical staff)
Roles & Responsibilities
An I.T manager’s role is critical given that many of the hard skills and technical knowledge may not be understood by other staff members. Other roles of an I.T manager include:
- Manage back-up and security of user systems
- Manage & upgrade the technological infrastructure of organisations
- Troubleshoot to identify and resolve technical issues
- Provide back-end support for projects and other departments
- Lead, manage and establish objectives for their team
Attorney
Compensation is quite lucrative for attorneys who have passed a bar exam, registered as a practicing attorney with the courts and build a steady base of clients. Critical skills to develop include:
- Written & Verbal Communication
- Attention to detail
- Reading and analysing personalities
- Teamwork
- Problem-solving
- Public speaking
- Persuasion & Negotiation
- Research & Presentation
Acting on behalf on their clients, attorneys are often regarded as a pillar of support, information resource as well as a legal representative. Their roles include:
- Act as legal representation for clients in civil or criminal cases
- Legal representation for government corporations, agencies, companies and other organisations in civil cases
- Providing legal advice and counsel to clients
- Preparing legal documents and pleadings
- Perform research and analyse evidence – police reports, accidents reports or other evidence for court trials
Sales Managers
Organisations need sales to bring in revenue. Sales managers therefore are overseers of this critical function. A Sales Manager for example should have the following key skills for increase sales revenues and exceed set targets:
- Forecasting & Analysis
- Lead generation
- Strategic planning
- Presentation & Persuasive Communication – written, verbal, listening
- Customer Service
- Ability to delegate and motivate
The Sales Manager’s responsibilities include:
- Establishing targets and designing sales strategies to meet/exceed those targets
- Motivating team members to prospect, sell and meet their goals
- Analysing market data and creating forecasts based on the data
- Measuring sales performance and results against projected figures per month/quarter/year
Pharmacists
Pharmacists are essential in the administering of medications and prescriptions. Other work functions include:
- Serves customers by interpreting physician instructions, measuring and dispensing of prescription medication.
- Preparing refills, dosage instructions and monitoring patient’s dosages and future requirements
- Identifying and reporting on medicinal inconsistencies, drug-related side effects or abnormalities
- Providing medical services – blood pressure, blood sugar & temperature testing
- Managing pharmacy’s inventory and day to day transactions
Key competencies for this profession include:
- Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy
- Valid license to operate as a Pharmacist
- Detailed knowledge of different brands, compounds and medications
- Strong communication skills
- Excellent customer service skills
Accountant
Accountants therefore are highly paid individuals who work in virtually all sectors and industries.
Responsibilities include:
- Preparing income statements, tax returns, balance sheets and other financial data
- Managing & advising on income and expenditure activities of company
- Auditing financial information and ensuring compliance with industry standards
- Developing and presenting reports, budgets, strategic plans, and financial statements
- Analysing financial performance of the company and providing insights and recommendations to executives based on data
Accountants perform a largely analytical role within the organisation. To do so, key competencies include:
- Attention to detail
- Communication, with a strong emphasis on written communication
- Computation, data analysis and presentation
- Time management
- Bachelors or Masters in Accounting or Finance. Pursuing ACCA qualification also desired.
Financial Advisors
Financial advisors are required to be licensed in their respective Caribbean territories to validate their credibility and provide accurate advice
Roles & Responsibilities
Many financial advisors operate their own businesses where they provide a range of services including:
- Assessing clients’ needs and recommending relevant solutions,
- Retirement planning,
- Investment opportunities and taxation consultations.
- Provide up-to-date market information and new developments.
Skills & Training
- Sound Financial knowledge
- Customer service
- Relationship building
- Sales
- Time Management
- Communication skills – written, verbal & effective listening
- Bachelors or Master’s degree in Finance
Human Resources (HR) Manager
Apart from managing their departmental team, this highly-paid position also entails:
- Developing, coordinating and implementing HR initiatives, activities and policies within the organisation
- Managing industrial action, employee relations, identifying talent needs and HR metrics to track performance
- Overseeing the recruiting, selecting, training and conducting performance appraisal process for new and existing employees
- Coordinating organisation events & collaborating with other department for project support
- Managing & approving the promotion, termination or disciplinary action of employees
- Develop and implement compensation and employee benefits plan.
In such a people-centric role, key skills and competencies include:
- Bachelors or Masters in Business Administration or Human Resource Management
- Knowledge of HR systems and software
- Managing interpersonal relationships
- Motivation and team building skills
- Leadership
- Communication, negotiation & presentation skills
What should I read next?
- Read our article about Best companies to work in Banking and Finance
- Read our article about Industries with jobs availables in Guyana
- Read our article about Applying for jobs that match your work experience
