Most Valuable Job Skills by Salary

20 workplace skills ranked by average salary across occupations, O*NET + BLS 2024

Which skills should you invest in for the highest earning potential? We ranked 20 workplace skills by the average median salary of occupations where each skill is critically important (O*NET importance score 3.5+). Skills are matched to BLS salary data for 60 occupations.

Skill Salary Rankings

# Skill Avg Salary
1 Science $149,960
2 Systems Evaluation $118,833
3 Active Learning $115,462
4 Complex Problem Solving $114,971
5 Operations Analysis $113,569
6 Judgment and Decision Making $113,235
7 Systems Analysis $111,398
8 Mathematics $108,234
9 Time Management $107,401
10 Persuasion $103,708
11 Writing $103,557
12 Monitoring $101,171
13 Social Perceptiveness $100,959
14 Coordination $97,267
15 Learning Strategies $96,999
16 Reading Comprehension $96,669
17 Critical Thinking $95,752
18 Management of Personnel Resources $94,339
19 Instructing $93,970
20 Negotiation $92,447

Top 10 Skills, Highest-Paying Occupations

#1
Science (60 jobs)
avg $149,960/yr

Top 5 highest-paying occupations where science is critically important:

Radiologists A
$420,860
Anesthesiologists A
$391,490
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons A
$352,220
Dermatologists A
$328,730
Physicians, Pathologists A
$312,400
#2
Systems Evaluation (48 jobs)
avg $118,833/yr

Top 5 highest-paying occupations where systems evaluation is critically important:

Physicians, All Other A
$265,930
Chief Executives A
$213,990
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists A
$193,950
Computer and Information Systems Managers A
$175,140
Architectural and Engineering Managers A
$171,270
#3
Active Learning (190 jobs)
avg $115,462/yr

Top 5 highest-paying occupations where active learning is critically important:

Radiologists A
$420,860
Anesthesiologists A
$391,490
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons A
$352,220
Emergency Medicine Physicians A
$335,550
Dermatologists A
$328,730
#4
Complex Problem Solving (221 jobs)
avg $114,971/yr

Top 5 highest-paying occupations where complex problem solving is critically important:

Radiologists A
$420,860
Anesthesiologists A
$391,490
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons A
$352,220
Emergency Medicine Physicians A
$335,550
Dermatologists A
$328,730
#5
Operations Analysis (13 jobs)
avg $113,569/yr

Top 5 highest-paying occupations where operations analysis is critically important:

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists A
$193,950
Aerospace Engineers A
$134,960
Nuclear Engineers A
$133,970
Chemical Engineers A
$125,040
Medical and Health Services Managers A
$123,860
#6
Judgment and Decision Making (219 jobs)
avg $113,235/yr

Top 5 highest-paying occupations where judgment and decision making is critically important:

Radiologists A
$420,860
Anesthesiologists A
$391,490
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons A
$352,220
Emergency Medicine Physicians A
$335,550
Dermatologists A
$328,730
#7
Systems Analysis (53 jobs)
avg $111,398/yr

Top 5 highest-paying occupations where systems analysis is critically important:

Chief Executives A
$213,990
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists A
$193,950
Computer and Information Systems Managers A
$175,140
Architectural and Engineering Managers A
$171,270
Natural Sciences Managers A
$167,220
#8
Mathematics (44 jobs)
avg $108,234/yr

Top 5 highest-paying occupations where mathematics is critically important:

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists A
$193,950
Physicists A
$172,250
Medical Dosimetrists A
$147,470
Managers, All Other A
$141,900
Aerospace Engineers A
$134,960
#9
Time Management (107 jobs)
avg $107,401/yr

Top 5 highest-paying occupations where time management is critically important:

Radiologists A
$420,860
Anesthesiologists A
$391,490
Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric A
$300,080
Obstetricians and Gynecologists A
$292,910
Orthodontists A
$289,140
#10
Persuasion (65 jobs)
avg $103,708/yr

Top 5 highest-paying occupations where persuasion is critically important:

Emergency Medicine Physicians A
$335,550
Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric A
$300,080
Psychiatrists A
$281,870
Physicians, All Other A
$265,930
Neurologists A
$248,560

Frequently Asked Questions

What job skills pay the most?
The highest-paying job skills include Science (avg $149,960/yr), Systems Evaluation (avg $118,833/yr), Active Learning (avg $115,462/yr). These averages are computed across all occupations where the skill has high importance, using BLS median salary data and O*NET skill assessments.
How are skill salary rankings calculated?
Each skill is matched to occupations where O*NET rates it with importance 3.5+ out of 5. The average median salary is computed across all matched occupations using BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data. Skills appearing in fewer than 10 occupations are excluded to ensure statistical reliability.

Explore More

Career Explorer

Filter by education & salary

Safest High-Paying Jobs

High salary + low risk

Fastest Growing

BLS 2024-2034 projections

Highest Paying

All jobs ranked by salary

Last updated: May 2025. Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 (wages), O*NET 29.0 (skill importance scores).