Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 26
By Umid Niayesh– Trend:
From the first years I entered school in Iran my father had a dream: to see me become a doctor. Of course he was not the only father who wished his son to become a doctor. Doctors were most paid people in Iran in those years (1980s) and most reputable ones.
Even people referred to them by their job title, rather than their name. It is not a surprise if some guy in Iran calls, for instance, his dentist brother as “doctor”, and not by his name.
Doctors also use their job title ahead of their name, even in the most ordinary conversations. So don’t be surprised if in Iran you ask a doctor his name and hear something like “Doctor Alizadeh.”
Anyway, at that time I preferred to follow my dreams rather than dreams of my parents. But I was interested whether my father was right by insisting to see me become a cardiac surgeon? I made a small survey and the results confirmed that my father was in fact right, of course if we're talking about money.
So, below are the most paid jobs in Iran and surgeons stand at top of the list.
Plastic surgeons
It’s all about the nose!
When you walk the streets in Tehran or other big Iranian cities you will be surprised with significant number of people with re-done, petite noses. Rhinoplasty, or nose surgery, is a very popular type of plastic surgery in Iran, where over 60 percent of cosmetic surgeries are nose jobs. Iran has the highest rate of nose surgery in the world per capita. A 2013 report suggested that 200,000 people in Iran are having nose jobs each year. The cost of a nose operation starts at around $1,500.
Adult film star in the Islamic Republic!
Last year, Candy Charms, a well-known British porn star, visited Iran for cosmetic surgery on her nose. Her visit became public knowledge after she returned home from Iran, and posted a picture on her Instagram account. The surprising visit triggered severe criticism by conservatives, who slammed the Islamic Republic’s foreign ministry for issuing visa. Iranian officials said that she applied through a travel agency using a different name and claiming to be a beautician.
Cardiac surgeons
Cardiac surgeons also are among the top paid people in Iran. It is not a surprise, given the fact that heart disease is Iran's biggest killer, according to the officials. More that 300 individuals lose their lives due to myocardial infarction on a daily basis in the country.
Dentists
Dentistry also should take place among the jobs with highest pays in Iran. An academic survey from 2014 suggest that annual revenues of some dentists in Iran surpasses 1.2 billion rials (over $400,000 based on the official rate in 2014)
Football coach and players
Payments are not as high as in other Asian countries, but significantly high for Iran’s society. High-class football coach and players receive over $300,000 of salary in Iranian League.
Teachers
A teacher like no other!
Not all the teachers in Iran are wealthy. On the contrary, Iranian teachers are among the people with low revenues in total (averagely $700 per month). We are talking about teachers who prepare students for Iran’s highly competitive university entrance exam.
According to a report by Iran’s Financial Tribune, the annual turnover of the sector stands at more than 40 trillion rials (over $1 billion). When a teacher builds a brand name, the fees increase accordingly. There are teachers who ask as much as 10 million rials ($270) for an hour of teaching.
Actors
Actors are also among the well-paid people in Iran. Salary for brand actors/actresses is estimated to be among 100-400 million rials.
Divorce lawyers
Considering the high divorce rate in Iran, this is no surprise. Since 2006, the rate of divorce has increased by more than a half. Today around 20 percent of marriages now end in divorce. In Tehran the figure is equal to 50 percent. Nine divorces are registered in Iran each minute, according to one Iranian MP.
IT specialists
IT is a growing sector in Iran. In recent years, Iranians have developed some local start-ups. International sanctions, imposed against Iran due to its disputed nuclear program had certain advantages for Iranian entrepreneurs in the IT sector. Due to lack of dominant international companies, Iranian entrepreneurs started to develop local versions for popular and useful global mobile and computer applications.
Dealers
Real state dealers as well as marketing managers are also among the Iranians with high revenues.
More additions to this list include hair stylists (for women), wedding dress designers and repairmen, based on various surveys and academic studies conducted in Iran.
Umid Niayesh is Trend Agency’s staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @UmidNiayesh
