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Top 5 Highest-Paying Occupations by Annual Wage
Comparison of annual wages for the top 5 highest-paying roles in the US.
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Highest Paying Jobs in the USA: Top Careers + Salaries (2026)
If you’re in the job market, knowing what the highest-paying jobs in the USA are allows you to make accurate long-term plans or to focus your job search in the right direction. While many occupations are in the medical and healthcare sectors, you can find lucrative opportunities in technology, business, law, and even aviation.In this article, we’ll give you detailed information on some of the highest-paying jobs in the current hiring landscape. We’ll talk about the salary and projected job growth, as well as the skills, degrees, and training required to enter the field in the first place.Key TakeawaysMany of the highest-paying jobs in the USA are in the medical field, and include roles like surgeons, anesthesiologists, obstetricians, gynecologists, psychiatrists, physicians, orthodontists, pediatricians, and dentists.Other six-figure occupations include chief executive officers, airline and commercial pilots, information systems managers, and lawyers.While most of these occupations require doctoral or bachelor’s degrees, you can get a job as an air traffic controller, commercial pilot, elevator repairer, nuclear power reactor operator, or transportation, storage, and distribution manager with specialized training.High-paying jobs with the fastest growth include nurse practitioners, data scientists, information security analysts, physician assistants, and information systems managers.13 Highest-Paying Jobs in the USA With Salaries and Requirements From anesthesiologists to lawyers, here are some of the highest-paying jobs in the USA based on average salary and job outlook:PositionMedian Annual SalaryProjected Job Growth (by 2034)DegreeAnesthesiologist$339,4703%Medical degreeOral and Maxillofacial Surgeon$334,3104%Medical degreeObstetrician and Gynecologist$278,6604%Medical degreePsychiatrists$256,9303%Medical degreeOrthodontist$243,6205%Medical degreeSurgeon$239,2003%Medical degreePhysician (General Practitioner)$239,2003%Medical degreePediatrician$205,8604%Medical degreeDentist$179,2104%Dental degree (DDS/DMD)Information systems manager$171,20015%Bachelor’s degreeArchitectural and engineering managers$167,7404%Bachelor’s degreeLawyer$151,1604%Juris Doctor (JD) degreeChief Executive Officer$105,3504%Bachelor’s degreeNow, let’s examine each occupation in more detail to see which skills you need for them, employment opportunities, and more.#1. AnesthesiologistMedian salary: $339,470 per yearProjected employment growth: 3% (33,470 new openings each year)With a...
The 13 highest-paying jobs in the US - Business Insider
By Madison Hoff You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email. New data showed pediatric surgeons made $502,050 on average. FS Productions/Getty Images New data showed which US jobs pay the best on average. Pediatric surgeons had the highest average annual wage in 2025. Top-paying jobs were largely in healthcare, but pilots and flight engineers ranked highly. Years of schooling in healthcare usually pay off.The Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data showing the pay of hundreds of occupations as of May 2025. Many positions earn six figures, exceeding the national average of $69,770.Pay can be one factor job seekers consider when they're applying for work. A lot of people are actively seeking jobs in the US: 7.2 million people were unemployed in March, outpacing the number of openings. It's also graduation season, so more people may be tweaking their résumés, building a network, and scouring postings in the coming months.Studying to become an ophthalmologist, a pediatric surgeon, or a pilot can lead to high compensation.Business Insider ranked the new occupation estimates by average annual wage, excluding catchall job categories, such as "Surgeons, all other." Almost all of the 13 top-paying jobs typically require a doctoral or professional degree. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers usually need a bachelor's.Below are the 13 highest-paying jobs, alongside estimates of how many Americans are employed in them. 13. Psychiatrists Fiordaliso/Getty Images Average annual wage: $269,940Employment: 27,980 12. Obstetricians and gynecologists Halfpoint Images/Getty Images Average annual wage: $279,040Employment: 21,260 11. Pathologists JulieanneBirch/Getty Images Average annual wage: $285,420Employment: 11,110 10. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers Andrea Comi/Getty Images Average annual wage: $288,650Employment: 103,560 9. Ophthalmologists, except pediatric aire images/Getty Images Average annual wage: $304,650Employment: 8,950 8. Emergency medicine physicians Ariel Skelley/Getty Images Average annual wage: $317,480Employment: 32,880 7. Dermatologists Oleg Breslavtsev/Getty Images Average annual wage: $323,530Employment: 11,370 6. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons Dimensions/Getty Images Average annual wage: $346,490Employment: 4,910 5. Anesthesiologists PixelCatchers/Getty Images Average annual wage: $360,570Employment: 38,760 4. Orthopedic surgeons, excep...
Top High-Paying Job Opportunities in the USA : Complete Guide
Finding a job in the United States with visa sponsorship is one of the top goals for international professionals. Many U.S. companies actively hire foreign workers and sponsor work visas due to skill shortages in key industries. In this guide, you will discover the highest-paying visa sponsorship jobs in the USA, average salaries, required skills, and how to apply successfully.
The Top 14 Highest Paying Master's Degrees (2026)
By analyzing the degrees that correlate with the highest-paying careers, alongside data on salary and projected job growth, we've established a list of the eight master's degrees with the highest salary potential in America. (If you have any questions about the programs listed below, contact a graduate enrollment counselor for more ...
