Highest-paying jobs in the U.S.
The 50 occupations with the highest national median annual pay (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics), with each one's job outlook for 2025–2035. Only occupations with at least 10,000 jobs are ranked.
Top 50
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth 2025–2035 | Openings / yr | Typical education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Cardiologists | $496,010 | +4.8% | 500 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 2. Radiologists | $420,860 | +3.4% | 700 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 3. Surgeons, All Other | $414,010 | +4% | 700 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 4. Anesthesiologists | $391,490 | +3.6% | 1,100 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 5. Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $358,550 | +4% | 400 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 6. Emergency Medicine Physicians | $335,550 | +3.2% | 900 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 7. Dermatologists | $328,730 | +6.8% | 400 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 8. Physicians, Pathologists | $312,400 | +4.8% | 300 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 9. Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $292,910 | +1.7% | 500 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 10. Psychiatrists | $281,870 | +7.2% | 900 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 11. Physicians, All Other | $265,930 | +3.4% | 9,400 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 12. General Internal Medicine Physicians | $256,560 | +4% | 1,900 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 13. Neurologists | $248,560 | +6.4% | 300 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 14. Family Medicine Physicians | $244,180 | +3.3% | 2,900 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 15. Nurse Anesthetists | $236,590 | +9.7% | 2,400 | Master's degree |
| 16. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $232,140 | +8.3% | 11,200 | Bachelor's degree |
| 17. Chief Executives | $213,990 | +3.2% | 19,100 | Bachelor's degree |
| 18. Pediatricians, General | $210,040 | +1.5% | 1,000 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 19. Computer and Information Systems Managers | $175,140 | +15.8% | 53,500 | Bachelor's degree |
| 20. Physicists | $172,250 | +7.2% | 1,300 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 21. Architectural and Engineering Managers | $171,270 | +5.5% | 14,900 | Bachelor's degree |
| 22. Dentists, General | $170,950 | +5.7% | 4,200 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 23. Natural Sciences Managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | 9,200 | Bachelor's degree |
| 24. Marketing Managers | $166,790 | +6.9% | 34,000 | Bachelor's degree |
| 25. Financial Managers | $166,570 | +9.7% | 65,600 | Bachelor's degree |
| 26. Computer Hardware Engineers | $161,740 | +9.1% | 4,100 | Bachelor's degree |
| 27. Podiatrists | $160,300 | +2% | 200 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 28. Lawyers | $159,670 | +4.7% | 28,700 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 29. Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $153,990 | +2.8% | 800 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 30. Human Resources Managers | $149,280 | +5.5% | 16,800 | Bachelor's degree |
| 31. Compensation and Benefits Managers | $149,230 | +1.1% | 1,600 | Bachelor's degree |
| 32. Sales Managers | $148,270 | +4.5% | 47,300 | Bachelor's degree |
| 33. Air Traffic Controllers | $148,080 | +1.7% | 2,100 | Associate's degree |
| 34. Purchasing Managers | $148,080 | +4% | 6,400 | Bachelor's degree |
| 35. Public Relations Managers | $146,910 | +5.7% | 6,100 | Bachelor's degree |
| 36. Petroleum Engineers | $144,910 | +2% | 1,000 | Bachelor's degree |
| 37. Managers, All Other | $141,900 | +4.9% | 100,900 | Bachelor's degree |
| 38. Pharmacists | $140,910 | +5.2% | 12,500 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 39. Computer and Information Research Scientists | $140,300 | +21.8% | 2,900 | Master's degree |
| 40. Database Architects | $139,500 | +9.4% | 3,900 | Bachelor's degree |
| 41. Optometrists | $136,570 | +9.5% | 2,000 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 42. Software Developers | $135,980 | +10.2% | 95,300 | Bachelor's degree |
| 43. Physician Assistants | $135,880 | +21.1% | 11,500 | Master's degree |
| 44. Aerospace Engineers | $134,960 | +8.3% | 3,800 | Bachelor's degree |
| 45. Computer Network Architects | $134,050 | +7.7% | 9,600 | Bachelor's degree |
| 46. Nuclear Engineers | $133,970 | +0.4% | 800 | Bachelor's degree |
| 47. Advertising and Promotions Managers | $133,660 | -3.7% | 2,300 | Bachelor's degree |
| 48. Training and Development Managers | $133,000 | +6.4% | 4,100 | Bachelor's degree |
| 49. Nurse Practitioners | $132,300 | +41% | 29,400 | Master's degree |
| 50. Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $130,220 | +3.7% | 4,900 | Bachelor's degree |
Sources: BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 (growth, openings, education) and BLS OEWS May 2025 national medians. Openings are yearly averages and include replacement of workers who leave.