If you're hoping to rake in the biggest bucks, be ready to invest in yourself first. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, higher levels of educational attainment typically lead to higher levels of pay. For example, while workers with a high school diploma earn a median $712 a week, those with a bachelor's degree pull in $1,173 weekly, and those with a professional degree make a median $1,836 a week. (The median for all workers is $907 a week.)

More schooling means you're also more likely to be employed, which allows you to maximize your earning potential: The unemployment rate drops from 4.6% for people with just a high school diploma to 2.5% for those with a bachelor's and 1.5% for folks with a professional degree.

So what are the best jobs that come with the heftiest paychecks? Starting with a list of 773 popular occupations, we homed in on the most promising professions by focusing on fields that are not only collecting generous paychecks now, but are also projected to expand greatly over the next decade. Among our rankings for 30 of the Best Jobs for the Future, these are the 15 jobs that typically pull in the biggest salaries.

15. Personal Financial Adviser

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We swear this is a totally unbiased ranking, but we obviously believe in the value of expert financial guidance. This is especially true as pensions become a thing of the past and Americans are compelled to take responsibility for building their own wealth. Baby boomers, in particular, are ripe to seek out more professional help as they plan