With #Barbenheimer in full effect, we are doing a salary face-off of two Hollywood big hits: Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
It might surprise you that beyond all the cheerful and playful neon-pink colours, some Barbie characters are estimated to earn much more in the real world than the ensemble starring in the deadly-serious drama.
1. CEO of Mattel
Profession: CEO
Estimated salary: $11.89 million (equivalent to £10.21 million)
Played by Will Ferrell
In the real world, Ynon Kriez is Mattel’s CEO. Appointed in April 2018, Kriez reportedly gets paid US$11.89 million per year (£10.21 million). Mattel is one of the biggest global toy companies and we do live in a capitalist society, which partly explains why this C-suite position is better paid than No.10.
CEOs’ salaries vary depending on the business nature and the years of experience. An average FTSE 100 CEO earns £3.41 million per year. Overseeing the executive team, CEOs set goals, execute strategies, make major corporate decisions, and manage the overall operations.
2. Judge Barbie
Profession: Judge
Advertised salaries: £91,217 – £206,857
Played by Ana Cruz Kayne
Judge Barbie is no regular judge, she’s the Supreme Court Justice, making her high up on this list in the real world.
Judges in the UK typically earn between £91,216 and £147,388, depending on their seniority. The Supreme Court is the final court of appeal for all civil cases, and a Supreme Court judge acts as the last gatekeeper to ensure the ruling is fair and lawful. The current salary of a Justice of the Supreme Court is £206,857.
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3. President Barbie
Profession: President
Advertised salary: £167,391
Played by Issa Rae
As prime minister, Rishi Sunak is entitled to an annual salary of £164,591, and we’re estimating Issa Rae’s President Barbie is earning around this figure in the real world.
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4. News Anchor Barbie
Profession: News Anchor/Journalist
Advertised salaries: £37,600 – £150,000
Played by Ritu Arya
This News Anchor Barbie is not your average TV presenter. She has a Pulitzer, making her estimated earnings on par with celebrity new anchors’. News anchors are the face of their media outlets. They work closely with reporters and broadcast newscasts throughout the day. Although the starting salary of an anchor is not a lot, the pay ceiling can be high. The BBC’s sports broadcaster Gary Lineker earns between £1,350,000 and £1,354,999, and radio presenter Zoe Ball earns around £980,000- £984,999 annually.
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5. Doctor Barbie
Profession: GP
Advertised salaries: £62,268 to £93,965
Played by Hari Nef
Doctors are among the top 5% of earners in the UK. The average starting salary of junior doctors is around £30,000. However, as they progress to GP, they can earn £92,000 on average.
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6. Lewis Strauss
Profession: Naval officer/Investment banker
Average advertised salary: £86,584
Played by Robert Downey, Jr.
As the former Chairman of the US Atomic Energy Commission in the film, he could be Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technologies, or the Secretary of State for Defence. Cabinet ministers earn £86,584 as of April 2023.
7. Jean Tatlock
Profession: Psychiatrist
Average advertised salary: £82,329
Played by Florence Pugh
Psychiatry back in the day was not viewed as a particularly respectable profession. Many psychiatrists worked in asylums or in military services, and patients were often ousted by society. Nowadays, psychiatry is seen in a much more positive light, as the stigma and misconceptions around mental health have been broken down. It’s more common for individuals to seek professional help and get medication. Psychiatrists can earn as much as £100,000 a year.
8-9. J. Robert Oppenheimer & Leslie Groves
Profession: Theoretical Physicist/Nuclear Engineer/Research Director
Average advertised salary: up to £80,769
Played by Cillian Murphy and Matt Damon
Our main character, Julius Robert Oppenheimer, was exceptionally good at what he does but he wouldn’t be part of the top earning 5% in today’s money. Similarly, Leslie Groves, who was in charge of the Manhattan Project and was the person who recruited Oppenheimer, would be earning less than £90,000 now.
Thanks to their atomic bomb invention, there were more available positions in the discipline, including nuclear engineer, field service engineer, and nuclear power reactor operator. In modern times, nuclear engineers earn an average of £61,136. Principal nuclear engineers can earn as much as £80/hour, which is equivalent to around £164,673 annually. To become a nuclear engineer, a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering or a related field is usually required, along with a solid foundation in physics and mathematics.
10. Lawyer Barbie
Profession: Lawyer
Average advertised salary: £65,458
Played by Sharon Rooney
Lawyers provide legal advice to their clients, represent them in legal matters, and handle any paperwork like drafting and reviewing legal documents. There are numerous legal practice areas, and as the description of Lawyer Barbie goes “she’s a lawyer by day and a dancer by night”, we assume she will be a great fit for less stressful disciplines like real estate law, intellectual property law, and high street family law. Real estate lawyers and intellectual property solicitors earn £73,651 and £87,916 on average respectively.
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11. Author Barbie
Profession: Author
Average advertised salary: £41,504 – £81,000
Played by Alexandra Shipp
There are plenty of ways to get published nowadays. An aspiring writer can self-publish rather than taking the traditional route of finding a literary agent and publishing house. Best-selling authors like JK Rowling and Stephen King can make it to Forbes’s World’s Highest-Paid Authors list.
12. Diplomat Barbie
Profession: Diplomat
Average advertised salary: £55,124
Played by Nicola Coughlan
Diplomats represent their home countries in international relations, initiating and negotiating strategic agreements, maintaining friendly relations, and addressing conflicts. To become a diplomat, the common pathway is to apply through the Foreign & Commonwealth Office where the government will complete extensive checks regarding your residence and nationality. Typically, you need to speak the language of the country you want to be stationed in.
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13. Kitty Oppenheimer
Profession: Biologist
Average advertised salary: £50,000
Played by Emily Blunt
Biologists study humans, plants, animals and the environment. Their daily duties include conducting research to expand our knowledge of life forms. A bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement, but many biologists pursue master’s or Ph.D. degrees to advance in their careers.
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14. Physicist Barbie
Profession: Physicist/Scientist
Average advertised salary: £48,381
Played by Emma Mackey
This Physicist Barbie apparently has a Nobel Prize in Physics. Physicists’ salaries range from £15,609 to £50,000 annually. Physicists are responsible for studying the fundamental principles of the universe, conducting experiments and researching to advance our understanding of matter, energy, space, and time. They develop theories, analyse data, and contribute to technological innovations in various fields.
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15. Weird Barbie
Profession: Cartographer
Average advertised salary: £46,057
Played by Kate McKinnon
Weird Barbie makes accurate maps of Barbieland, and she is also the keeper of Barbie knowledge, making her a potential cartographer or historian outside Barbieland and earning more than £45,000 per year.
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16. Boris Pash
Profession: Senior intelligence officer
Average advertised salary: £45,000
Played by Casey Affleck
Senior intelligence officers gather, analyse and interpret sensitive information to support national security efforts. Entry-level MI6 officers reportedly get paid around £30,000-£35,000. As they progress, they can earn around £45,000.
17. Mermaid Barbie
Profession: Influencer/Model/Brand Ambassador
Average advertised salary: £32,680
Played by Dua Lipa
Even though Mermaid Barbie only has 30 seconds of cameo in the Barbie movie, Mermaid is such a specialised job that it deserves a place on this list. Mermaids are well known for their ethereal beauty and being seductive sirens so we’re guessing Mermaid Barbie’s job would be between influencer, model, or brand ambassador. Influencers and models nowadays often use their social media presence and physical appearance to promote products, brands, or lifestyles. They engage with their followers by creating content and interacting with them online.
18. Allan
Profession: Personal assistant
Average advertised salary: £32,764
Played by Michael Cera
Known as one of Ken’s best friends, Allan could be a beach lifeguard like Ken, or a personal assistant. A personal assistant provides essential administrative support to their manager. Often acting as a first point of contact, this role assists their manager with their appointments and schedule, runs errands and takes notes for them.
19. Ken
Profession: Lifeguard
Average advertised salary: £23,609
Played by Ryan Gosling
The official title of Ken is “beach” in the Barbie movie. In real life, there’s no job title with such simplicity. So based on his job description “standing in the sand confidently surveying the waves”, our best bet for his real-world job is beach lifeguard.
Want to be Ken? Consider becoming a lifeguard. If you specifically want to work on a beach, it would have to be seasonal work. Lifeguards supervise swimmers to ensure their safety in and around the water. They’re trained to respond swiftly in emergencies and provide first aid when needed. Becoming a lifeguard involves completing the National Vocational Beach Lifeguard Qualification, which requires a minimum of 36 hours of training.
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20. Barbie
Profession: Unemployed (or a fancier title – Socialite)
Played by Margot Robbie
Bottom of the list is the OG, main character Barbie. This Barbie, portrayed by Margot Robbie, does not seem to have an actual job in Greta Gerwig’s movie adaptation. Outside the movie though, the fashion doll has more than 200 careers on her CV, from Cashier, Cat Burglar, Rapper, UNICEF Ambassador, to Mars Explorer. She’s everything for sure. With such depth and breadth in her skillset, she certainly wouldn’t starve despite not having a full-time job.
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Read more: Top 10 highest paid jobs safe from AI
Photo credit: Radio times