Occupation ranking

Highest Paying Occupations in America

All detailed occupations ranked by annual median salary, the jobs that pay the most in the United States.

50
Occupations ranked
$559,030
Highest (Annual Median)
$136,570
Lowest in list

This list, in one line

The #15 cutoff to make this top-15 list, $281,870, sits at the 98th percentile among the 825 BLS occupations with a published national median.

98th
percentile to make this list
825
occupations with published wages

Percentile reflects where this list's cutoff value falls among every occupation BLS publishes a national median wage for, not just those shown here.

This ranking surfaces 50 distinct occupations using the selected measure from Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), each scored on the "Annual Median" dimension. The top-ranked occupation is Pediatric Surgeons at $559,030, versus $136,570 at rank 50. This is the observed spread in the selected published measure and does not establish its causes. Every row links to the occupation's national profile with state and local-area wage breakdowns.

These occupations have the highest published annual median wages in the current BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. Annual median means half of workers in the occupation earn more and half earn less. The ranking includes only detailed occupations with a publishable median; BLS may withhold estimates that do not meet publication standards. Education and training are separate BLS Employment Projections assignments and should be checked on each occupation profile rather than inferred from salary alone.

The values are published BLS estimates from the program named above, not job-board averages. Wage rankings use OEWS; growth, openings, and typical-entry education assignments use Employment Projections. Occupation profiles show OEWS wage percentiles and local-area estimates where published, plus BLS education assignments and projections where available. See our methodology for the source and field definitions.

Highest Paying Occupations in America

Annual median wage, top 15 occupations

median / yr
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS / Employment Projections As of May 2025

Full ranking table

# Occupation Annual Median
1 Pediatric Surgeons $559,030
2 Cardiologists $496,010
3 Radiologists $420,860
4 Surgeons, All Other $414,010
5 Anesthesiologists $391,490
6 Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric $358,550
7 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons $352,220
8 Emergency Medicine Physicians $335,550
9 Dermatologists $328,730
10 Physicians, Pathologists $312,400
11 Prosthodontists $311,180
12 Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $300,080
13 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $292,910
14 Orthodontists $289,140
15 Psychiatrists $281,870
16 Physicians, All Other $265,930
17 General Internal Medicine Physicians $256,560
18 Neurologists $248,560
19 Family Medicine Physicians $244,180
20 Nurse Anesthetists $236,590
21 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $232,140
22 Dentists, All Other Specialists $224,990
23 Chief Executives $213,990
24 Pediatricians, General $210,040
25 Industrial-Organizational Psychologists $193,950
26 Computer and Information Systems Managers $175,140
27 Physicists $172,250
28 Architectural and Engineering Managers $171,270
29 Dentists, General $170,950
30 Natural Sciences Managers $167,220
31 Marketing Managers $166,790
32 Financial Managers $166,570
33 Computer Hardware Engineers $161,740
34 Podiatrists $160,300
35 Lawyers $159,670
36 Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $153,990
37 Human Resources Managers $149,280
38 Compensation and Benefits Managers $149,230
39 Sales Managers $148,270
40 Purchasing Managers $148,080
41 Air Traffic Controllers $148,080
42 Medical Dosimetrists $147,470
43 Public Relations Managers $146,910
44 Petroleum Engineers $144,910
45 Political Scientists $142,080
46 Managers, All Other $141,900
47 Pharmacists $140,910
48 Computer and Information Research Scientists $140,300
49 Database Architects $139,500
50 Optometrists $136,570

Last updated: May 2025. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS).

Percentile bands and state/local-area breakouts use BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025.

How this list is computed: every detailed SOC occupation with a published "Annual Median" value in the May 2025 OEWS release is ranked directly on that value, with no editorial weighting or WageDex-imputed fill-ins for suppressed cells. The source values themselves are BLS estimates; occupations without a published value are absent.

Adjusted for regional prices, District of Columbia has the highest national-price-equivalent result: its BLS-published All Occupations median of $91,540 becomes $83,294 after division by the published BEA state RPP of 109.9. This is not an after-tax or household-income measure.

What does it take to make this list?

Where the cutoff sits nationally

Median annual wage across 825 BLS occupations with a published median

$281,870 Top 2% higher than 98% of 825 US occupations

$0–$20,000: 0 US occupations (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 98 US occupations (12%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 298 US occupations (36%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 209 US occupations (25%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 82 US occupations (10%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 58 US occupations (7%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 32 US occupations (4%). Below this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 14 US occupations (2%). Below this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 9 US occupations (1%). Below this entry. $180,000 and above: 25 US occupations (3%). This entry sits in this band. Top-15 cutoff $0 $180,000+ every BLS occupation, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$20,000 0 US occupations 0%
$20,000–$40,000 98 US occupations 12%
$40,000–$60,000 298 US occupations 36%
$60,000–$80,000 209 US occupations 25%
$80,000–$100,000 82 US occupations 10%
$100,000–$120,000 58 US occupations 7%
$120,000–$140,000 32 US occupations 4%
$140,000–$160,000 14 US occupations 2%
$160,000–$180,000 9 US occupations 1%
$180,000 and above (this entry) 25 US occupations 3%

$281,870 · 98th percentile of 825 US occupations

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

The 15th highest-paying occupation pays $281,870, higher than 98% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median wage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does annual median salary mean?

The annual median salary is the midpoint of the wage distribution for an occupation: 50% of covered workers earn less and 50% earn more. Each OEWS release combines six semiannual survey panels collected over three years from a sample of approximately 1.1 million establishments.

What preparation do the top-ranked occupations require?

Check the BLS typical-entry education, related-work-experience, and on-the-job-training assignments on each linked occupation profile. Many current leaders carry “doctoral or professional degree” and “internship/residency” assignments, but those are occupation-level typical pathways, not universal legal requirements. OEWS does not measure tuition, education debt, or the reason an occupation pays a particular wage.

Do these salaries include bonuses and benefits?

BLS wage data includes base pay, production bonuses, tips, commissions, and other incentive pay. It excludes employer-provided benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses.

Related Rankings & Nearby Pages

Jump to another ranking lens, explore the top-ranked occupation, or compare roles side-by-side.

Lowest Paying Fastest Growing Largest Employment Most Openings Highest Hourly Pediatric Surgeons →
Compare Pediatric Surgeons side-by-side with another occupation →
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How to read this ranking

Use the ranking to scope a field, then drill into a specific job

  • These are occupation medians from the BLS OEWS survey: in each role, half of workers earn more and half earn less. The ranking is a starting point, not your expected pay. Browse occupations
  • Pay rank shifts by location. A role near the top nationally can pay very differently in your state or metro, before you even adjust for cost of living. Compare states
  • Open any occupation to see its full pay band, percentiles, and outlook, so you read the number in context. All rankings

Estimates reflect the BLS May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Each ranking labels its BLS source in context: OEWS May 2025 for wage rankings and Employment Projections 2024–2034 for growth and openings rankings. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This ranking is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. National rankings reflect aggregate BLS figures and may not represent a specific employer's actual pay, consult a qualified career counselor or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.