Browse by state
Pick a state to see its highest-paying jobs and metro areas
Published federal data
Highest-paying occupations
Ranked by published annual median wage. Missing BLS medians are not ranked.
| Rank | Occupation | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pediatric Surgeons | $559,030 | 1,190 |
| 2 | Cardiologists | $496,010 | 17,290 |
| 3 | Radiologists | $420,860 | 26,770 |
| 4 | Surgeons, All Other | $414,010 | 25,140 |
| 5 | Anesthesiologists | $391,490 | 38,760 |
| 6 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $358,550 | 14,100 |
| 7 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $352,220 | 4,910 |
| 8 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $335,550 | 32,880 |
| 9 | Dermatologists | $328,730 | 11,370 |
| 10 | Physicians, Pathologists | $312,400 | 11,110 |
| 11 | Prosthodontists | $311,180 | 870 |
| 12 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $300,080 | 8,950 |
| 13 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $292,910 | 21,260 |
| 14 | Orthodontists | $289,140 | 6,210 |
| 15 | Psychiatrists | $281,870 | 27,980 |
| 16 | Physicians, All Other | $265,930 | 342,720 |
| 17 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $256,560 | 67,150 |
| 18 | Neurologists | $248,560 | 10,590 |
| 19 | Family Medicine Physicians | $244,180 | 107,510 |
| 20 | Nurse Anesthetists | $236,590 | 51,840 |
| 21 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $232,140 | 103,560 |
| 22 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $224,990 | 5,230 |
| 23 | Chief Executives | $213,990 | 204,350 |
| 24 | Pediatricians, General | $210,040 | 39,390 |
| 25 | Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | $193,950 | 790 |
| 26 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $175,140 | 670,570 |
| 27 | Physicists | $172,250 | 20,430 |
| 28 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $171,270 | 220,260 |
| 29 | Dentists, General | $170,950 | 124,390 |
| 30 | Natural Sciences Managers | $167,220 | 108,690 |
| 31 | Marketing Managers | $166,790 | 395,240 |
| 32 | Financial Managers | $166,570 | 841,710 |
| 33 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $161,740 | 76,660 |
| 34 | Podiatrists | $160,300 | 9,680 |
| 35 | Lawyers | $159,670 | 754,500 |
| 36 | Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $153,990 | 24,030 |
| 37 | Human Resources Managers | $149,280 | 220,660 |
| 38 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $149,230 | 22,940 |
| 39 | Sales Managers | $148,270 | 637,080 |
| 40 | Purchasing Managers | $148,080 | 84,320 |
| 41 | Air Traffic Controllers | $148,080 | 22,510 |
| 42 | Medical Dosimetrists | $147,470 | 3,410 |
| 43 | Public Relations Managers | $146,910 | 74,850 |
| 44 | Petroleum Engineers | $144,910 | 18,060 |
| 45 | Political Scientists | $142,080 | 5,540 |
| 46 | Managers, All Other | $141,900 | 622,190 |
| 47 | Pharmacists | $140,910 | 321,970 |
| 48 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | $140,300 | 37,200 |
| 49 | Database Architects | $139,500 | 67,140 |
| 50 | Optometrists | $136,570 | 42,790 |
| 51 | Software Developers | $135,980 | 1,687,890 |
| 52 | Physician Assistants | $135,880 | 162,150 |
| 53 | Aerospace Engineers | $134,960 | 67,710 |
| 54 | Computer Network Architects | $134,050 | 179,740 |
| 55 | Nurse Midwives | $134,040 | 7,920 |
| 56 | Nuclear Engineers | $133,970 | 15,280 |
| 57 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $133,660 | 21,470 |
| 58 | Training and Development Managers | $133,000 | 48,050 |
| 59 | Nurse Practitioners | $132,300 | 323,040 |
| 60 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $130,220 | 96,900 |
| 61 | Veterinarians | $130,100 | 83,900 |
| 62 | Actuaries | $130,000 | 26,670 |
| 63 | Information Security Analysts | $129,180 | 190,650 |
| 64 | Astronomers | $128,820 | 2,120 |
| 65 | Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $128,500 | 20,060 |
| 66 | Biochemists and Biophysicists | $127,410 | 33,830 |
| 67 | Mathematicians | $126,710 | 2,030 |
| 68 | Industrial Production Managers | $126,060 | 246,250 |
| 69 | Fundraising Managers | $125,470 | 38,810 |
| 70 | Chemical Engineers | $125,040 | 21,070 |
| 71 | Sales Engineers | $124,900 | 51,790 |
| 72 | Economists | $124,720 | 17,790 |
| 73 | Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $123,920 | 11,560 |
| 74 | Medical and Health Services Managers | $123,860 | 597,080 |
| 75 | Commercial Pilots | $123,220 | 47,630 |
| 76 | Engineers, All Other | $122,930 | 154,070 |
| 77 | Nuclear Power Reactor Operators | $122,890 | 5,150 |
| 78 | Physical Scientists, All Other | $122,570 | 22,300 |
| 79 | Electrical Engineers | $120,630 | 198,750 |
| 80 | Data Scientists | $120,230 | 262,440 |
| 81 | Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | $117,860 | 16,370 |
| 82 | Materials Scientists | $117,790 | 8,470 |
| 83 | Financial Risk Specialists | $117,330 | 63,850 |
| 84 | Computer Occupations, All Other | $116,580 | 435,370 |
| 85 | Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other | $115,210 | 28,630 |
| 86 | Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | $115,160 | 21,450 |
| 87 | Construction Managers | $114,990 | 380,360 |
| 88 | Art Directors | $114,850 | 53,070 |
| 89 | Administrative Services Managers | $114,130 | 263,960 |
| 90 | Materials Engineers | $112,860 | 22,770 |
| 91 | Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | $112,230 | 8,250 |
| 92 | Psychologists, All Other | $110,840 | 18,820 |
| 93 | Nuclear Technicians | $110,240 | 6,470 |
| 94 | Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $109,910 | 23,790 |
| 95 | Ship Engineers | $109,530 | 8,400 |
| 96 | Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | $109,370 | 23,480 |
| 97 | Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $109,270 | 40,270 |
| 98 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $107,310 | 221,270 |
| 99 | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $107,230 | 221,180 |
| 100 | Environmental Engineers | $107,110 | 38,340 |
Need a defensible compensation decision?
Talk with Kavea