We all know that Barbie is far from average. Medical experts say that a real woman with her body proportions (including her size-three feet) would find it very difficult to walk, much less hold down a demanding job.
Fortunately, at 50 years old, Barbie the doll has no trouble standing up to whatever job she chooses. And with 126 of them on her resume--including 10 in recession-snarled 2009 alone--Barbie is not just a fashion icon. She's an employment anomaly.
This year, for the first time, toymaker Mattel invited the public to choose Barbie's new careers. And on February 12, Mattel announced the winners: computer engineer and news anchor. As Barbara Millicent Roberts (her full name), originally from Willows, Wisconsin, prepared for success in these new fields, we took a look at her curriculum vitae and evaluated her on-the-job experience and some past salaries.
Superstar Salaries
Barbie has surely made good money through the years, as a fashion model (1959-present), an astronaut (1965), a pop singer (1986), a WNBA basketball player (2000), and an American Idol winner (2005). But one of Barbie's highest-paying non-celebrity professions was surgeon (1973). In 2010, surgeons can expect to earn a median annual salary of $326,113 (salary information provided by LiveCareer's 2010 Salary Report).
Minimum Wages
Barbie has had plenty of satisfying but low-paying jobs as well. Some of the lowest include babysitter (1963), $20,731; soda-fountain waitress (1998), $20,750; student teacher (1965), $25,271; and candy-store cashier (2002), $26,868. Good thing the Dream House doesn't have a mortgage.
Barbie Heals
This beloved cultural icon has a passion for healthcare: she has been a doctor nine times. A whopping five of her MD stints have been as a pediatrician of some sort. In 1994, Mattel called her a pediatrician. In the new millennium, she has been called a children's doctor (2001), a baby doctor (2005, 2006), and a newborn-baby doctor (2009).
Careers in Overdrive
Barbie seems to thrive on competition--she went through a three-year car-racing phase. First she was a NASCAR driver (1998, 1999). Then she switched gears and became a Formula 1 driver (2001). Amazingly, she never got helmet hair.
A Model Executive
Throughout the years, Barbie has made the most of her business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit as a business executive (1960, 1978, 1985, 1999).
A Dog's Best Friend
In 2009, Barbie's love of animals led her to four dog-oriented occupations: dog trainer/competitor, dog washer, dog park sitter (whatever that is), and pet vet.
President Barbie
You may not have realized that Barbie has been a candidate for the top office of the United States in every presidential election year since 2000--presumably as a write-in candidate. In 2008, when she went up against Obama and McCain, this very active woman was also a soccer coach, a swim instructor, a TV chef, and a zoo doctor. She also made time to attend space camp.
Private Barbie
In the 1990's, the patriotic Barbie served in the U.S. military, holding jobs such as Air Force jet pilot (1990) and Navy officer (1991).
Barbie's Future
Now Barbie is ready to put her tech savvy to work, as a computer engineer. The digital diva sports a fitted T-shirt with a binary code design, along with pink geek glasses and accessories. In this job, Barbie can expect to earn a median salary of $85,726--which she might use to start paying off the educational loans she's sure to have accrued throughout the years.
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