The Odds of Getting Your Dream Job

The odds of getting your dream job in America can depend on a variety of different factors, including qualifications, experience, job market demand, and much more. However, with sheer determination and perseverance, you can increase your chances of success. 

But what are the odds of landing your dream job? At Casinos.com, we wanted to take a break from reviewing casino sites and find out exactly that. By utilizing official labor statistics from the US, we were able to reveal the likelihood of getting that yearned-for job in the US as a whole, as well as in each state, to discover which states you’re most likely to get your dream job in!

So, read on to discover more about the job market to boost your odds of securing your dream role.

Dreaming of becoming a lawyer checks out

It seems people aspiring to be a lawyer someday have the best chance of getting their dream job, and more than any other profession. In terms of average odds, 1 in 265 Americans dreaming of becoming a lawyer one day can achieve this. This is pretty promising for those aspiring to be defence attorneys, like Mick Haller from the Lincoln Lawyer movie.

New Yorkers have higher chances of becoming a lawyer

Interestingly, it seems the stakes are higher, and chances are more likely for residents living in the Big Apple, with 1 in 106 people living in New York getting their dream role as a lawyer. Some could there’s good reason for this, though, as the more firms there are to apply at, the more likely you are to land your dream role. And in New York, there are plenty of law firms sprinkled across the area, which can make intentions of becoming a lawyer more of a reality than in other states. 

In fact, research from Statista found the most popular law firms (back in 2019) in New York City were Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, and Wharton & Garrison. All coming out on top, these firms employed 832 New York City-based attorneys. So, it’s not surprising people want to end up in this profession, with so much opportunity to be had.

The odds are good if you want to be a doctor

Our research shows that 1 in 330 people who dream of becoming a doctor end up becoming one themselves. So whether they’ve wanted this role since playing with toy stethoscopes as a kid, or after watching countless episodes of ER, it doesn’t matter – because Americans dreaming of this profession have higher chances of achieving their dreams, coming in second place on the leaderboard.

Chances are high for Rhode Islanders hoping to become a doctor, too, with this state having better chances for those dreaming of obtaining this mighty job role. In fact, 1 in 178 people hoping to become a doctor get to live out their dream, which is pretty good odds when considering the population here is 1,093,734, as of 2022.

The odds of becoming a firefighter are 1 in 505!

Up next, in third place on the best odds for getting your dream job was the position as a firefighter, with 1 in 505 people seeing out their dreams into a full-time fire-fighting role! 

The state of New Hampshire sees more Americans live out their dreams, too, with 1 in 264 people having a job in this field, after wishing for it for so long. If your heart lies in saving lives, relocating to New Hampshire might be what it takes to make your dreams a reality.

Americans are more likely to become pilots than psychologists

Those dreaming of becoming a pilot will be happy to know their dreams are likely to come true, with the odds being 1 in 3,008. Although less likely than those aspiring to become lawyers, doctors or firefighters, it seems Americans wishing to become pilots have a better chance than those wishing to work in psychology, with only 1 in 3,008 people turning their dreams into a reality (on average).

And if you’re hoping to become a pilot one day, your best bet is moving to Alaska, as residents here are more likely to achieve their aspirations, with 1 in 165 dreamers getting a position! 

Other dream jobs seem less likely…

If you’re an avid writer hoping to publish your own book or magazine someday, you won’t be happy to learn that your odds are 1 in 4,642. But one good piece of news is, if you live in Vermont, you’re actually more likely to achieve your dreams like Scott Fitzgerald once did. This is because 1 in 1,284 people wanting to become full-time writers fulfilled their dream overall in the US. So, you might just be that one…

As well as wannabe writers, 1 in 309 ambitious chefs will see their dreams come true in Vermont more than in any other state. This means if you’re cooking up a storm in the kitchen, or singing down a mic, Vermont is the place to be applying for roles.

Aspiring singers have the lowest odds

The odds of getting your dream job as a singer are sadly pretty slim, with just 1 in 8,161 people using their vocal cords to make big bucks and live out their favorite fantasies. This might be a harsh reality, but it’s not too surprising considering the pool of talent in the US, and what it takes to become a successful singer. 

The odds of nailing your dream job are higher in Hawaii

Residents of Hawaii do have a better chance of living out their dream as a singer, though, with odds of 1 in 1,106. Not far behind this occupation was the role of a photographer, with a likelihood of 1 in 4,456 people achieving this. 

More importantly, dreamers should head to The Aloha State to be in with a chance of getting the job they hope for the most, as this is the only state where more than one dream job can be achieved, with hopeful architects having a 1 in 350 chance of working in this role, which is impressive considering the overall average for an architect achieving their dream job being 1 in 1,570 people!

So whatever your dream job is, you know where you’re most likely to get it. If you’re hoping to find more information, check out our betting news section to learn about more odds, bets and scores. 

Methodology:

To calculate the odds, the “jobs per 1,000 occupations” data was extracted from the Bureau of Labor Statistics website and then divided by the population of each state and multiplied by 1,000 to reveal the odds of landing each dream job per state. The nationwide odds where then tallied by calculating the average odds of every dream job across all the states.