If you’ve recently visited a military recruiter and joined the service, you’ve been given a larger amount of information that you’ll need to go over before you start basic training. One of the things you’ll need to begin thinking about is your choice of employment. While many new recruits are focused on spending four years in the military and being discharged, you may want to consider making a career out of it instead.

There are some incredibly high paying jobs in the service. Most of these jobs can be found in the medical field and include dentists and physicians. Here are the top five paying jobs in the military for you to consider:

Prosthodontist

With a median salary of over $165,000, this is a fabulous career choice. Job growth in the dentistry field is expected to be higher than average over the coming years as many current dentists are expected to retire. A prosthodontist replaces missing teeth by designing, fabricating and fitting dental prostheses such as crowns, bridges and dentures. Not only will you be able to help people physically but you will also help them emotionally. Nothing boosts a person’s confidence like a brilliant, healthy smile.

Chief Executive

As a chief executive holding a Bachelor’s degree, you will assist in providing battle management on land and sea and in the air. The average salary is approximately $156,000 for these positions. Job competition for these positions is fierce thanks, in part, to the high salary. There are over 1,100 Chief Executives in the military currently and their job responsibilities vary greatly.

Oral Surgeon

Oral surgeons are responsible for administering anesthesia, removing impacted teeth and evaluating wisdom teeth to determine if they will cause problems in the future. A salary of just over $155,000 makes this a highly desirable career. As with Prosthodontists, the job outlook is expected to be better than average as many surgeons will be retiring in the near future.

Orthodontists

Many of us know what orthodontists do: fit dental appliances to correctly position and align the teeth and jaw. The median salary for this occupation is $154,000 and the job outlook is higher than average. If studying radiographs, dental histories and diagnosing dental-facial abnormalities interests you, this is a great career.

General Internist

The average salary for an internist is approximately $134,000. Job opportunities in the field are very good, especially in rural and low-income areas. Although the hours are irregular and brutally long at times, acceptance into medical school is extremely competitive. The medical field is the perfect choice for those that have a strong desire to diagnose and treat those suffering from illness and disease.

Every branch of the military has a need for dentists, executives and physicians. If you are considering any of these careers in the private sector, why not work for the military instead? It’s a great way to serve your country and help people in need at the same time.

Photo credits: Mother, son serve together in Afghanistan by TheUSArmy/flickr; Utah Dentists In Morocco by The National Guard/flickr

Author Kenny Alvarez is an advisor to military veterans and also writes for MilitaryEducation.org, a site which explores all the secondary education benefits to veterans and their dependents; for instance check out this information on Air Force tuition assistance.