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Your approximate pay percentile for your occupation, nationally and in your state, from BLS data.
Salary data · BLS May 2025
The 100 Highest-Paying Jobs
Ranked by national median annual wage. Several medical occupations are "at or above" BLS's top published wage, so they tie at the top. Click any job for pay by state, after tax and in local prices.
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Jobs | Highest-paying state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $496,010 | $238.47 | 17,290 | Washington ($656,330) |
| 2 | Radiologists | $420,860 | $202.34 | 26,770 | Minnesota ($708,340) |
| 3 | Surgeons, All Other | $414,010 | $199.04 | 25,140 | North Dakota ($604,890) |
| 4 | Anesthesiologists | $391,490 | $188.22 | 38,760 | Washington ($499,990) |
| 5 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $358,550 | $172.38 | 14,100 | Missouri ($842,800) |
| 6 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $352,220 | $169.34 | 4,910 | Pennsylvania ($553,740) |
| 7 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $335,550 | $161.32 | 32,880 | Rhode Island ($512,730) |
| 8 | Dermatologists | $328,730 | $158.04 | 11,370 | Minnesota ($625,790) |
| 9 | Physicians, Pathologists | $312,400 | $150.19 | 11,110 | Pennsylvania ($413,370) |
| 10 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $300,080 | $144.27 | 8,950 | Rhode Island ($450,370) |
| 11 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $292,910 | $140.82 | 21,260 | Utah ($437,170) |
| 12 | Orthodontists | $289,140 | $139.01 | 6,210 | Connecticut ($478,680) |
| 13 | Psychiatrists | $281,870 | $135.51 | 27,980 | California ($353,500) |
| 14 | Physicians, All Other | $265,930 | $127.85 | 342,720 | North Dakota ($454,550) |
| 15 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $256,560 | $123.35 | 67,150 | Georgia ($425,460) |
| 16 | Neurologists | $248,560 | $119.50 | 10,590 | Vermont ($434,730) |
| 17 | Family Medicine Physicians | $244,180 | $117.39 | 107,510 | Rhode Island ($467,160) |
| 18 | Nurse Anesthetists | $236,590 | $113.75 | 51,840 | Alaska ($341,210) |
| 19 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $232,140 | — | 103,560 | Georgia ($618,090) |
| 20 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $224,990 | $108.17 | 5,230 | Texas ($286,510) |
| 21 | Chief Executives | $213,990 | $102.88 | 204,350 | Oregon ($341,630) |
| 22 | Pediatricians, General | $210,040 | $100.98 | 39,390 | Louisiana ($502,720) |
| 23 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $175,140 | $84.20 | 670,570 | California ($218,290) |
| 24 | Physicists | $172,250 | $82.81 | 20,430 | Florida ($225,390) |
| 25 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $171,270 | $82.34 | 220,260 | New Mexico ($215,120) |
| 26 | Dentists, General | $170,950 | $82.19 | 124,390 | Alaska ($230,990) |
| 27 | Natural Sciences Managers | $167,220 | $80.39 | 108,690 | Massachusetts ($267,290) |
| 28 | Marketing Managers | $166,790 | $80.19 | 395,240 | Massachusetts ($212,020) |
| 29 | Financial Managers | $166,570 | $80.08 | 841,710 | New York ($219,880) |
| 30 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $161,740 | $77.76 | 76,660 | California ($185,180) |
| 31 | Podiatrists | $160,300 | $77.07 | 9,680 | District of Columbia ($265,740) |
| 32 | Lawyers | $159,670 | $76.76 | 754,500 | New York ($207,860) |
| 33 | Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $153,990 | $74.03 | 24,030 | Rhode Island ($239,760) |
| 34 | Human Resources Managers | $149,280 | $71.77 | 220,660 | District of Columbia ($184,350) |
| 35 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $149,230 | $71.75 | 22,940 | Washington ($199,190) |
| 36 | Sales Managers | $148,270 | $71.28 | 637,080 | New York ($217,640) |
| 37 | Purchasing Managers | $148,080 | $71.19 | 84,320 | District of Columbia ($175,720) |
| 38 | Air Traffic Controllers | $148,080 | $71.19 | 22,510 | Virginia ($191,820) |
| 39 | Medical Dosimetrists | $147,470 | $70.90 | 3,410 | Washington ($189,280) |
| 40 | Public Relations Managers | $146,910 | $70.63 | 74,850 | District of Columbia ($197,600) |
| 41 | Petroleum Engineers | $144,910 | $69.67 | 18,060 | Alaska ($206,290) |
| 42 | Political Scientists | $142,080 | $68.31 | 5,540 | Maryland ($153,380) |
| 43 | Managers, All Other | $141,900 | $68.22 | 622,190 | Massachusetts ($182,950) |
| 44 | Pharmacists | $140,910 | $67.75 | 321,970 | Alaska ($167,310) |
| 45 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | $140,300 | $67.45 | 37,200 | Oregon ($206,220) |
| 46 | Database Architects | $139,500 | $67.07 | 67,140 | California ($170,160) |
| 47 | Optometrists | $136,570 | $65.66 | 42,790 | Alaska ($170,310) |
| 48 | Software Developers | $135,980 | $65.38 | 1,687,890 | California ($174,410) |
| 49 | Physician Assistants | $135,880 | $65.33 | 162,150 | New Jersey ($165,690) |
| 50 | Aerospace Engineers | $134,960 | $64.89 | 67,710 | Minnesota ($159,060) |
| 51 | Computer Network Architects | $134,050 | $64.45 | 179,740 | Washington ($168,070) |
| 52 | Nurse Midwives | $134,040 | $64.44 | 7,920 | California ($203,840) |
| 53 | Nuclear Engineers | $133,970 | $64.41 | 15,280 | District of Columbia ($195,190) |
| 54 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $133,660 | $64.26 | 21,470 | New York ($173,700) |
| 55 | Training and Development Managers | $133,000 | $63.94 | 48,050 | Delaware ($172,340) |
| 56 | Nurse Practitioners | $132,300 | $63.61 | 323,040 | California ($168,520) |
| 57 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $130,220 | $62.60 | 96,900 | California ($160,520) |
| 58 | Veterinarians | $130,100 | $62.55 | 83,900 | California ($163,920) |
| 59 | Actuaries | $130,000 | $62.50 | 26,670 | Connecticut ($166,800) |
| 60 | Information Security Analysts | $129,180 | $62.11 | 190,650 | Washington ($154,940) |
| 61 | Astronomers | $128,820 | $61.94 | 2,120 | Maryland ($132,620) |
| 62 | Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $128,500 | — | 20,060 | Minnesota ($171,790) |
| 63 | Biochemists and Biophysicists | $127,410 | $61.26 | 33,830 | Florida ($157,390) |
| 64 | Mathematicians | $126,710 | $60.92 | 2,030 | Washington ($162,280) |
| 65 | Industrial Production Managers | $126,060 | $60.61 | 246,250 | Delaware ($153,000) |
| 66 | Fundraising Managers | $125,470 | $60.32 | 38,810 | New York ($169,510) |
| 67 | Chemical Engineers | $125,040 | $60.12 | 21,070 | New Mexico ($158,190) |
| 68 | Sales Engineers | $124,900 | $60.05 | 51,790 | Delaware ($167,200) |
| 69 | Economists | $124,720 | $59.96 | 17,790 | District of Columbia ($167,590) |
| 70 | Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $123,920 | — | 11,560 | New Hampshire ($201,610) |
| 71 | Medical and Health Services Managers | $123,860 | $59.55 | 597,080 | New York ($164,120) |
| 72 | Commercial Pilots | $123,220 | — | 47,630 | Connecticut ($232,160) |
| 73 | Engineers, All Other | $122,930 | $59.10 | 154,070 | New Mexico ($162,070) |
| 74 | Nuclear Power Reactor Operators | $122,890 | $59.08 | 5,150 | New York ($129,580) |
| 75 | Physical Scientists, All Other | $122,570 | $58.93 | 22,300 | District of Columbia ($156,730) |
| 76 | Electrical Engineers | $120,630 | $58.00 | 198,750 | New Mexico ($158,520) |
| 77 | Data Scientists | $120,230 | $57.80 | 262,440 | Washington ($163,350) |
| 78 | Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | $117,860 | $56.67 | 16,370 | District of Columbia ($181,060) |
| 79 | Materials Scientists | $117,790 | $56.63 | 8,470 | California ($177,030) |
| 80 | Financial Risk Specialists | $117,330 | $56.41 | 63,850 | New Hampshire ($158,320) |
| 81 | Computer Occupations, All Other | $116,580 | $56.05 | 435,370 | District of Columbia ($156,590) |
| 82 | Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other | $115,210 | $55.39 | 28,630 | Maryland ($164,670) |
| 83 | Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | $115,160 | $55.36 | 21,450 | California ($131,540) |
| 84 | Construction Managers | $114,990 | $55.28 | 380,360 | New York ($155,360) |
| 85 | Art Directors | $114,850 | $55.22 | 53,070 | Massachusetts ($149,320) |
| 86 | Administrative Services Managers | $114,130 | $54.87 | 263,960 | Colorado ($157,000) |
| 87 | Materials Engineers | $112,860 | $54.26 | 22,770 | New Mexico ($165,600) |
| 88 | Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | $112,230 | $53.96 | 8,250 | District of Columbia ($172,330) |
| 89 | Psychologists, All Other | $110,840 | $53.29 | 18,820 | California ($157,540) |
| 90 | Nuclear Technicians | $110,240 | $53.00 | 6,470 | Florida ($135,550) |
| 91 | Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $109,910 | $52.84 | 23,790 | Maine ($143,690) |
| 92 | Ship Engineers | $109,530 | $52.66 | 8,400 | New York ($133,640) |
| 93 | Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | $109,370 | $52.58 | 23,480 | Arizona ($141,230) |
| 94 | Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $109,270 | — | 40,270 | California ($137,280) |
| 95 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $107,310 | — | 221,270 | Utah ($168,060) |
| 96 | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $107,230 | $51.55 | 221,180 | Delaware ($145,000) |
| 97 | Environmental Engineers | $107,110 | $51.50 | 38,340 | Louisiana ($130,510) |
| 98 | Power Distributors and Dispatchers | $106,730 | $51.31 | 8,520 | Washington ($144,710) |
| 99 | Facilities Managers | $106,660 | $51.28 | 156,180 | Washington ($139,990) |
| 100 | Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | $106,220 | $51.07 | 6,080 | California ($158,130) |
Reading the list
- "At or above BLS top range" means BLS caps published wages; the true median is higher (BLS's top published annual wage is $239,200).
- Most top-paying jobs require years of training. Model the cost and payback with the career ROI calculator.
- Median pay is a benchmark for all workers in the occupation, including new entrants.
Sources
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 9, 2026.