Special Report

25 Highest Paying Jobs

Deagreez / Getty Images

Americans entering the workforce can have a number of different reasons for pursuing one career over another. Some look for an occupation that allows them to utilize their natural gifts, while others follow their passions and do work they find meaningful. Yet for many, the main impetus for deciding on a particular career is often simply compensation.

The median pay across all jobs in America is $46,072 a year. There are many professions that tend to pay much higher than that — some of which pay more than double the U.S. median wage.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed median weekly earnings by detailed occupation from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine America’s 25 highest paying jobs.

These careers often require high levels of specialization, whether it is technical expertise to work with complicated machines, years of studying in medical or law school, or significant experience in managing employees and keeping a company’s investors happy.

These skills are often acquired through higher education. Of the 25 highest paying jobs, 24 have a bachelor’s degree attainment rate above 50% among job holders. Nationwide, just 32.0% of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

To identify the highest paying jobs in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2018 annual averages of median weekly earnings for full-time wage and salary workers by detailed occupation from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of workers employed in each occupation was also obtained from the BLS. The estimated yearly earnings for each occupation was calculated from the median weekly earnings figures.

Click here to see the 25 highest paying jobs.

gorodenkoff / Getty Images

25. Industrial engineers, including health and safety
> 2018 median annual earnings: $77,948
> Total number of workers: 245,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: N/A
> Managers, all other with a bachelor’s degree: N/A

[in-text-ad]

Vasyl Dolmatov / Getty Images

24. Computer systems analysts
> 2018 median annual earnings: $79,092
> Total number of workers: 580,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +9.1%
> Industrial engineers with a bachelor’s degree: 73.8%

Jirapong Manustrong / Getty Images

23. Management analysts
> 2018 median annual earnings: $79,664
> Total number of workers: 635,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +14.3%
> Management analysts with a bachelor’s degree: 78.6%

monkeybusinessimages / Getty Images

22. Mechanical engineers
> 2018 median annual earnings: $81,224
> Total number of workers: 313,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +8.8%
> Mechanical engineers with a bachelor’s degree: 75.6%

[in-text-ad-2]

EmirMemedovski / Getty Images

21. Marketing and sales managers
> 2018 median annual earnings: $81,484
> Total number of workers: 963,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +10.1%
> Marketing and sales managers with a bachelor’s degree: 68.9%

scyther5 / Getty Images

20. Computer programmers
> 2018 median annual earnings: $82,732
> Total number of workers: 428,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: -7.2%
> Computer programmers with a bachelor’s degree: 73.3%

[in-text-ad]

Chris Ryan / Getty Images

19. Judges, magistrates, and other judicial workers
> 2018 median annual earnings: $83,304
> Total number of workers: 69,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +5.6%
> Judicial workers with a bachelor’s degree: 98.2%

gorodenkoff / Getty Images

18. Information security analysts
> 2018 median annual earnings: $85,020
> Total number of workers: 93,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +28.5%
> Information security analysts with a bachelor’s degree: 67.5%

nd3000 / Getty Images

17. Electrical and electronics engineers
> 2018 median annual earnings: $85,592
> Total number of workers: 282,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +2.0%
> Electrical and electronics engineers with a bachelor’s degree: 20.6%

[in-text-ad-2]

shironosov / Getty Images

16. Veterinarians
> 2018 median annual earnings: $87,204
> Total number of workers: 64,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +18.8%
> Veterinarians with a bachelor’s degree: 100.0%

MatusDuda / Getty Images

15. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers
> 2018 median annual earnings: $90,636
> Total number of workers: 98,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +3.4%
> Aircraft pilots and flight engineers with a bachelor’s degree: 73.7%

[in-text-ad]

wmiami / Getty Images

14. Physician assistants
> 2018 median annual earnings: $91,104
> Total number of workers: 118,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +37.3%
> Physician assistants with a bachelor’s degree: 93.2%

anandaBGD / Getty Images

13. Computer network architects
> 2018 median annual earnings: $91,780
> Total number of workers: 112,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +6.5%
> Computer network architects with a bachelor’s degree: 60.2%

golubovy / Getty Images

12. Computer hardware engineers
> 2018 median annual earnings: $92,144
> Total number of workers: 70,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +5.5%
> Computer hardware engineers with a bachelor’s degree: 75.1%

[in-text-ad-2]

EXTREME-PHOTOGRAPHER / Getty Images

11. Aerospace engineers
> 2018 median annual earnings: $92,976
> Total number of workers: 145,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +6.1%
> Aerospace engineers with a bachelor’s degree: 86.4%

Reptile8488 / Getty Images

10. Chemical engineers
> 2018 median annual earnings: $96,616
> Total number of workers: 65,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +7.5%
> Chemical engineers with a bachelor’s degree: 90.6%

[in-text-ad]

AleksandarNakic / Getty Images

9. Software developers, applications and systems software
> 2018 median annual earnings: $96,928
> Total number of workers: 1,611,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +30.7%
> Software developers with a bachelor’s degree: 85.2%

YakobchukOlena / Getty Images

8. Computer and information systems managers
> 2018 median annual earnings: $97,604
> Total number of workers: 601,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +12.0%
> Information systems managers with a bachelor’s degree: 74.4%

filadendron / Getty Images

7. Dentists
> 2018 median annual earnings: $97,968
> Total number of workers: 56,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +19.4%
> Dentists with a bachelor’s degree: 100.0%

[in-text-ad-2]

LL28 / Getty Images

6. Nurse practitioners
> 2018 median annual earnings: $98,488
> Total number of workers: 158,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +36.1%
> Nurse practitioners with a bachelor’s degree: 98.5%

belenox / Getty Images

5. Lawyers
> 2018 median annual earnings: $101,244
> Total number of workers: 853,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +8.2%
> Lawyers with a bachelor’s degree: 98.2%

[in-text-ad]

jacoblund / Getty Images

4. Physicians and surgeons
> 2018 median annual earnings: $104,052
> Total number of workers: 827,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +11.4%
> Physicians and surgeons with a bachelor’s degree: 99.4%

PeopleImages / Getty Images

3. Pharmacists
> 2018 median annual earnings: $107,692
> Total number of workers: 263,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +5.6%
> Pharmacists with a bachelor’s degree: 97.5%

2. Architectural and engineering managers
> 2018 median annual earnings: $115,752
> Total number of workers: 149,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: +5.5%
> Architectural and engineering managers with a bachelor’s degree: 84.7%

[in-text-ad-2]

Martin Dimitrov / Getty Images

1. Chief executives
> 2018 median annual earnings: $119,132
> Total number of workers: 1,098,000
> Projected employment change 2016-2026: -3.9%
> Chief executives with a bachelor’s degree: 69.7%

The #1 Thing to Do Before You Claim Social Security (Sponsor)

Choosing the right (or wrong) time to claim Social Security can dramatically change your retirement. So, before making one of the biggest decisions of your financial life, it’s a smart idea to get an extra set of eyes on your complete financial situation.

A financial advisor can help you decide the right Social Security option for you and your family. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you.

Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you optimize your Social Security outcomes.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.