The highest paying job in the United States is Nurse Anesthetists with a median annual salary of $210,398. This page ranks the top 50 occupations by median salary based on official 2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Data: BLS OEWS, May 2024 | Last updated: 2026-04-02
Ranked by median annual salary. Click any job for the full state-by-state breakdown.
| # | Occupation | Median Salary | Salary Range (P10–P90) | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nurse Anesthetists | $210,398 | $156,052 – $223,877 | 46,120 |
| 2 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $210,099 | $140,623 – $0 | 32,220 |
| 3 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $206,468 | $139,144 – $0 | 19,370 |
| 4 | Family Medicine Physicians | $205,639 | $111,965 – $0 | 111,590 |
| 5 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $205,390 | $147,134 – $0 | 3,100 |
| 6 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $205,372 | $108,858 – $0 | 66,300 |
| 7 | Physicians, Pathologists | $201,351 | $111,499 – $0 | 10,110 |
| 8 | Physicians, All Other | $198,089 | $95,733 – $0 | 310,070 |
| 9 | Surgeons, All Other | $196,922 | $112,059 – $0 | 20,280 |
| 10 | Anesthesiologists | $195,833 | $136,537 – $0 | 25,620 |
| 11 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $193,225 | $121,034 – $236,435 | 3,890 |
| 12 | Pediatricians, General | $192,720 | $111,998 – $225,473 | 33,360 |
| 13 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $188,640 | $115,478 – $0 | 10,230 |
| 14 | Psychiatrists | $179,113 | $100,140 – $0 | 24,570 |
| 15 | Neurologists | $173,648 | $101,082 – $203,840 | 8,580 |
| 16 | Chief Executives | $173,235 | $85,868 – $228,885 | 169,020 |
| 17 | Dermatologists | $171,955 | $136,203 – $0 | 11,070 |
| 18 | Dentists, General | $168,417 | $84,404 – $218,920 | 121,660 |
| 19 | Podiatrists | $156,589 | $72,131 – $220,098 | 8,580 |
| 20 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $154,625 | $106,852 – $209,776 | 206,110 |
| 21 | Orthodontists | $152,744 | $116,613 – $167,307 | 3,960 |
| 22 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $152,535 | $96,781 – $210,024 | 592,620 |
| 23 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $147,322 | $94,345 – $156,019 | 69,690 |
| 24 | Physicists | $142,089 | $78,124 – $205,824 | 17,800 |
| 25 | Cardiologists | $141,410 | $144,528 – $0 | 14,480 |
| 26 | Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $139,131 | $75,738 – $182,394 | 20,970 |
| 27 | Financial Managers | $138,788 | $83,204 – $216,491 | 787,360 |
| 28 | Pharmacists | $136,337 | $87,784 – $164,209 | 331,700 |
| 29 | Marketing Managers | $135,718 | $77,620 – $210,318 | 361,570 |
| 30 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $135,422 | $145,539 – $0 | 13,440 |
| 31 | Radiologists | $133,704 | $103,142 – $136,790 | 25,570 |
| 32 | Sales Managers | $132,268 | $69,540 – $215,302 | 572,710 |
| 33 | Medical Dosimetrists | $130,207 | $95,954 – $164,608 | 2,860 |
| 34 | Optometrists | $129,589 | $69,160 – $188,461 | 41,380 |
| 35 | Purchasing Managers | $128,820 | $83,916 – $190,165 | 77,500 |
| 36 | Physician Assistants | $128,247 | $87,778 – $165,326 | 145,750 |
| 37 | Natural Sciences Managers | $128,228 | $79,621 – $192,299 | 91,710 |
| 38 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | $127,853 | $84,269 – $176,721 | 28,930 |
| 39 | Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $127,578 | $56,385 – $215,769 | 12,180 |
| 40 | Petroleum Engineers | $127,162 | $82,610 – $181,249 | 19,810 |
| 41 | Human Resources Managers | $127,130 | $79,274 – $197,787 | 200,580 |
| 42 | Nurse Midwives | $126,766 | $88,487 – $153,335 | 6,440 |
| 43 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $126,762 | $80,947 – $191,516 | 17,040 |
| 44 | Lawyers | $126,734 | $68,221 – $204,672 | 729,090 |
| 45 | Nuclear Engineers | $126,302 | $83,052 – $169,936 | 10,360 |
| 46 | Nurse Practitioners | $125,602 | $94,978 – $160,717 | 268,240 |
| 47 | Database Architects | $125,122 | $78,548 – $175,335 | 59,640 |
| 48 | Air Traffic Controllers | $123,723 | $75,950 – $168,461 | 21,630 |
| 49 | Astronomers | $123,403 | $73,318 – $172,849 | 1,760 |
| 50 | Managers, All Other | $122,725 | $68,773 – $191,286 | 528,230 |
The top-paying job, Nurse Anesthetists, earns $210,398 per year.
Healthcare and medical specialties dominate the highest-paying positions, reflecting extensive education requirements.
Among the top 50, the average median salary is $155,143.
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Rankings based on median annual salary from BLS OEWS survey, May 2024. Median is used rather than mean because it better represents typical earnings.
For full methodology details, see our Methodology page. View all Data Sources.