Marine Bio is cool but unless the UK is vastly different hard to make a living at it. I used to be a Fisheries Biologist with NOAA but have been in IT for 15 years now.
I didn't interpreted the original posts' 'top job' as necessarily top pay.

which it clearly isn't, even though it is 'up there' for sure.
Flying for a living must really be great I bet, but also super boring at times like most things. Time away from home can be sucky too if you have family.
I hate surveys. Especially surveys reported in the Paddock. That's why I asked who was surveyed. That's really why I jumped on the topic
Marine Biologist is way cool. Loads of cool jobs out there. I used to have a way cool job, world travel, pretty girls, bright lights yada yada, but did it pay as well as my not cool job? Sadly, no. I think the best jobs tend to pay the least in reality. That is my experience anyway. Can't speak for others.
I just have a massive respect for folk that do jobs they are passionate about and to the devil with how much it pays. Sadly and to my detriment, I am too shallow and materialistic for anything noble or enlightening.
Pheasant plucking I fear, is neither cool, nor well paid.