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. Whatever your motivation, many of us have a ‘dream’ job in mind; a tailor-made role that offers job security, has high earning potential, and pays us to do something we love.
Is your dream job also an aspiration for others? The results are in.
Key findings:
- Pilot is the world’s dream job, with over 1.3 million global annual searches.
- Travel-related roles take up a large portion of the dream jobs list; alongside Pilot in first, followed by Flight Attendant in fifth and Travel Agent in sixth.
- The UK is the only country to have Train Driver as its dream role, accruing approximately 119,000 searches annually.
- The influence of pop culture has inspired South America, North America and Asia to dream of roles such as Youtuber, Content Creator and Streamer.
- Real Estate Agent ranks as a dream job in countries like the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia and Singapore.
The 10 most dreamed-of jobs in the world
Our study of the most sought-after dream jobs has taken us across the globe, uncovering the most-searched-for career aspirations of job seekers and employees with wandering eyes in every corner of the world.
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Our study of the most sought-after dream jobs has taken us across the globe, uncovering the most-searched-for career aspirations of job seekers and employees with wandering eyes in every corner of the world.
1. Pilot
With a soaring interest reaching over 1 million annual searches, it’s clear that many jobseekers dream of a role that reaches new heights. Not only were there more global searches for ‘how to be a pilot’ and its translations than for any other job, but it was found to be the dream job in 34 countries worldwide, including Brazil, Spain, and Ireland.
Aside from the appeal of soaring above the clouds, pilots benefit from competitive salaries and job security with the appetite for travel increasing yearly.
The travel industry is currently facing a commercial pilot shortage thanks to the decrease in number of pilots being trained, the ageing of the current workforce and the growing demand for air travel. Despite the high demand for employees, working in aviation requires a high level of aeronautical knowledge, a strong pilot resume and gruelling training, making it a particularly competitive role to land.
2. Estate Agent
Those who work in real estate have the job that most people wish they had, given our research finds it as the second most coveted career in the world. The average estate agent in the U.K. earns approximately £25,000, although salaries can vary depending on commission from selling more lucrative properties.
Interest in the profession has surged in recent years, particularly due to the popularity of real estate shows like Netflix’s Selling Sunset, which highlights the glamorous side of luxury real estate. Since the show’s debut in 2019, its influence has sparked an even greater demand in careers for real estate.
It’s a good time to become an estate agent in the UK, as despite high property prices, Zoopla mentioned that 2024 saw the highest end-of-year sales pipeline in four years. With more estate agents moving to self-employed roles, many agencies are struggling to find skilled staff. Estate agent talent is at a premium, so if you’re looking for roles, displaying your skills appropriately on your estate agent CV has never been more important.
3. Software Engineer
Receiving almost 600,000 searches per year, many jobseekers dream of becoming a software engineer. While the career may not be as seemingly glamorous as becoming an Actor or Youtuber, programming roles offer benefits that workers can dream of.
Most importantly, software engineer roles offer financial stability, with the average salary boasting almost £49,000. Not only that, but the digital nature of working in the role makes it synonymous with working flexibly.
Despite 545 tech companies making layoffs in 2024, searches for ‘how to become a software engineer’ remained high.
4. Notary
With global interest, majoritively coming from the states, it’s clear that many jobseekers see consider becoming a notary as a lucrative career, with over 486,000 global searches for how to secure notary jobs annually.
Notaries enjoy a unique combination of job security and the potential for significant income. Typically notary careers are recognised as a side hustle, but the ability to work flexibly allows many to adopt this as a full-time career.
5. Cabin Crew
For flight attendants or ‘cabin crew’, the opportunity to work with people while flying to exotic destinations without the responsibility of flying a plane is an obvious attraction to the role. However, becoming a flight attendant can be challenging given the job requires numerous rounds of application, patience and energy. If the high life is for you, consider researching cabin crew CV examples to ensure you’re displaying skills correctly.
6. Travel Agent
Travel agents ranked sixth among the world’s dream jobs for 2025, have a strong passion for travelling and inspiring others to explore the globe. According to Barclays, consumer spending on travel grew by 6.9% in 2024 compared to the previous year. With the appetite for travel returning to pre-pandemic levels in the UK, now is a good time to look for travel agent roles if you’re considering a career move.
7. Data Scientist
Did someone say digital demand? While not appearing as the most searched-for role in any particular country analysed, “How to become a data scientist” and other translations still accrue over 397,000 searches globally.
As the brains behind the machine, data scientists enjoy remote work, flexible hours and a higher salary average of £49,000. The US International Trade Administration has estimated that the UK AI market is worth more than £16.8 billion and is expected to grow to £801.6 billion by 2035.
You don’t need a degree to become employed as a data scientist in the UK - however, most data scientists earn an undergraduate degree in IT, math, computer science or other related courses.
Whether you’re new to the field, a junior candidate or well-versed in data science already one thing is certain, showcasing problem-solving and hard skills on a data scientist CV is crucial.
8. Judge
Got a desire for justice? Well, you’re not the only one, as our research found that ‘How to become a judge’ and other translations receive 372,000 searches per year. Countries in Europe showed a particular interest in the role, with becoming a judge appearing in the top fifteen most desired careers in Spain and the Czech Republic.
The process of becoming a judge can take years - following university, aspiring judges work up to seven years in a legal profession and then apply to the Judicial Appointments Commission. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a judge is £40,000 per year.
9. Therapist
Of the ten most dreamed-of careers, there was one role that stood out that required the most compassion. ‘How to become a therapist’ received 27,100 average monthly searches (325,200 annual) in the last year. The role was found to be particularly popular in the United States and the UK - unsurprising when considering that over 3.7 million Brits were in contact with mental health services during 2023-24.
After completing a relevant degree, aspiring therapists must gain certification from organisations such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), National Counselling Service (NCS) or the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). Following this, therapists in the UK typically earn an average salary of £33,000.
10. Detective
Some parts of the world have been watching one too many episodes of True Detective, as the law enforcement career rounds off the top ten dreamed-of jobs across the globe. While proving particularly popular in the UK and Czech Republic, ‘How to become a detective’ gathers over 325,000 searches annually.
Typically, police detectives land roles either through promotion in the police force or from joining a graduate scheme for their local force.
Which are the jobs that Brits dream of?
The United Kingdom has the sixth-largest economy in the world and is home to an array of careers. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, only 13% of the UK consider themselves ‘dissatisfied’ with their current job. However, 47% shared that, thanks to the aftermath of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis, work is primarily about earning money for them and less about benefits and job satisfaction. This begs the question - what other careers do people in the UK dream of pursuing if money were no object?
Salary figures recorded from Glassdoor December 2024.
The most wanted job in the UK is a train driver
Amassing nearly 120,000 searches per year, workers in the UK dream of being a train driver more than any other occupation. Train drivers are in high demand in the UK, however thanks to their high earning potential (which is 30% higher than the average salary), jobseekers are faced with competing against over 1,000 other people per train driver job.
The UK dreams of jobs in the public sector
A significant proportion of the UK's most dreamed-of jobs are in the public sector; including paramedics, social workers, police officers and midwives. Working in the public sector comes with greater job stability compared to the private sector, where layoffs can occur due to market fluctuations.
What is a dream job?
The definition of a “dream job” varies from person to person, shaped by an individual’s passion, interests, values, motivations, skills and personality. At its core, a dream job brings satisfaction and fulfilment, whether that means solving intricate crimes or piloting a Boeing 737.
For some, the perfect role might prioritise low stress and a healthy work-life balance, while others might seek the excitement of a high-pressure role that offers the opportunity to collaborate with talented, like-minded individuals.
Conclusion
Do dream jobs really exist? It’s clear from our research that while one jobseeker may dream of navigating flight paths or delivering justice, others' idea of a “dream job” lies within roles that offer the best work-life balance.
Dream jobs vary widely among individuals, countries and continents. They are influenced by a range of factors, including passion, financial aspiration and skills. Whatever your motivations may be, you can find CV examples on our website designed to help you land your dream role.
What we did
Resume.io gathered search volume data surrounding the topic of dream jobs for every country to determine the most-searched-for role in every country, as well as a list of the 10-15 most popular roles that jobseekers want the most.
Each country was assessed using the search template, “How to become a [job title]” or “How to be a [job title]” with amendments made for translation. Some countries were omitted due to a lack of data from keywordtool.io.
For the United Kingdom, we also gathered the average median salary for each of the top ten dreamed-of roles Glassdoor data; these figures are accurate at the time of study.
Data recorded: December 2024
