Amid forced retirements, massive layoffs and federal agency closures, what if you could find your dream job in these uncertain and volatile times—even if it’s out of your field? Sound like a fairy tale? Hold on. The fact is that laid-off tech workers are snagging six-figure jobs in totally different fields and making more money to boot. So what’s to prevent you from finding your dream job, even if you’re already gainfully employed or laid off from the job you trained for? The results are in on the most popular dream jobs to allow you to determine if one of them might be right up your alley.
The Top Most Popular Dream Jobs in 2025
The concept of a dream job is often relegated to the fantasies of young children who want to grow up to be superheroes and astronauts. Many adults have dream jobs, too,—some tailor-made for job security, with high earning potential and a salary that lets us to do what we love.
Career experts at Resume.io used search engine data to identify the most popular dream jobs in every country. They gathered search volume data surrounding the topic of dream jobs to determine the most-searched-for role in each nation, as well as a list of the 10-15 most popular roles that job hunters seek the most. Next, the analysts assessed each country using the search template, “How to become a [job title]” or “How to be a [job title]” with amendments made for translation. For the United States, they gathered the average median salary for each of the top ten dream jobs from Glassdoor data.
The analysis was clear that the whole world has an idea of what they’d like to do for a living—from aspiring therapists, flight attendants and detectives. Real estate jobs are the most dreamed-about for Americans, receiving almost 600,000 searches across the U.S. in the last year. But the dream of being a pilot is the most common globally, searched for over 1.3 million times in the last year and appearing as the most wanted career in 34 countries.
Here are the dream jobs ranked from the highest to lowest based on search volumes in the United States, along with median annual salaries:
- Real Estate Agent (594,000 searches; $150,000 annual salary)
- Travel Agent (397,200 searches; $85,000)
- Notary (397,200 searches; $107,000)
- Pilot (325,200 searches; $249,000)
- Flight Attendant (325,200 searches; $121,000)
- Firefighter (325,200 searches; $69,000)
- Electrician (266,400 searches; $74,000)
- Therapist (217,200 searches; $96,000)
- Paralegal (217,200 searches; $69,000)
- Physical Therapist (217.200 searches; $135,000)
“Our dream jobs campaign offers fascinating insights into how career aspirations differ across individuals and cultures,” according to Amanda Augustine, career expert at Resume.io. “While ‘traditional’ dream roles like detectives and pilots are prevalent among job seekers, it’s noteworthy that professions such as data scientists and software engineers have joined the top 10.”
Augustine suggests that this shift reflects how factors such as technological advancements and high earning potential influence what we consider to be our ideal job, adding that travel-related careers also have a strong representation in the top 10, underlining job seeker’s desire to get paid while exploring new places. “Each country brings a unique perspective to what constitutes a ‘dream job’,” she points out, “but one thing is clear: job seekers are guided by their passions, interests and values when charting a path to fulfillment during employment.”
A Final Takeaway On The Most Popular Dream Jobs
Do dream jobs really exist? The research shows that the majority of American dream jobs don’t require a college degree, and only three require a degree. This could reflect the trend of U.S. companies searching for applicants with skills versus degrees.
Maybe it’s time to stop eschewing your dream job and consider it a reality. There’s no one-size-fits-all, and your ideal job doesn’t have to be listed among the most popular dream jobs. Dream jobs vary widely among individuals, countries and continents. One job seeker may dream of navigating flight paths or delivering justice, while another’s idea of a dream job could be roles that offer the best work-life balance.