The 50 Fastest-Growing Salaries in America (2025)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics just released its May 2025 OEWS data — and the numbers reveal which jobs got significant raises this year. We compared every occupation in every state against last year's data to find the 50 biggest salary winners of 2025.

The #1 Fastest-Growing Salary of 2025

Radiologists in Maryland took the top spot, with median pay jumping 498.8% — from $97,120 in 2024 to $581,510 in 2025. That's an extra $484,390 per worker, per year.

The headline number: Across the top 50 fastest-growing job-state combinations, the average raise was 114.9% — well above the national wage-growth rate of about 4%. Where you live and what you do is now mattering more than ever.

The 50 Fastest-Growing Salaries in America (2024 → 2025)

Each row represents a specific occupation in a specific state, ranked by year-over-year median salary growth. All figures come directly from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

#	Occupation	State	2024 Median	2025 Median	Growth
1	Radiologists	MD	$97,120	$581,510	+498.8%
2	Family Medicine Physicians	AR	$62,360	$215,820	+246.1%
3	General Internal Medicine Physicians	TN	$67,150	$232,220	+245.8%
4	Neurologists	CA	$124,830	$357,080	+186.1%
5	Real Estate Sales Agents	DC	$43,720	$123,770	+183.1%
6	Emergency Medicine Physicians	AK	$168,040	$452,620	+169.4%
7	Athletes and Sports Competitors	MO	$67,930	$172,700	+154.2%
8	Psychiatrists	AK	$140,650	$342,170	+143.3%
9	Cardiologists	TX	$168,780	$410,150	+143.0%
10	Obstetricians and Gynecologists	OK	$156,030	$370,260	+137.3%
11	Physicists	OK	$84,570	$200,050	+136.5%
12	Family Medicine Physicians	RI	$216,220	$467,160	+116.1%
13	Pediatricians, General	AR	$74,890	$160,440	+114.2%
14	Judicial Law Clerks	OR	$41,120	$86,870	+111.3%
15	Orthodontists	SC	$148,410	$311,450	+109.9%
16	Anesthesiologists	NY	$215,740	$445,660	+106.6%
17	Radiologists	NY	$216,420	$441,580	+104.0%
18	Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric	MA	$193,200	$392,300	+103.1%
19	Watch and Clock Repairers	CA	$54,490	$110,050	+102.0%
20	Anthropologists and Archeologists	CT	$45,820	$91,420	+99.5%
21	Chemical Plant and System Operators	AR	$46,130	$91,610	+98.6%
22	Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health	IL	$30,690	$59,930	+95.3%
23	Emergency Medicine Physicians	OK	$178,900	$348,540	+94.8%
24	Neurologists	FL	$165,860	$322,750	+94.6%
25	Orthodontists	TN	$174,830	$339,610	+94.3%
26	Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric	NY	$215,630	$414,290	+92.1%
27	Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance	FL	$43,020	$82,400	+91.5%
28	Watch and Clock Repairers	VA	$41,990	$80,410	+91.5%
29	Massage Therapists	WY	$32,430	$61,980	+91.1%
30	Chemical Plant and System Operators	FL	$68,640	$128,830	+87.7%
31	Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	GA	$51,210	$96,060	+87.6%
32	Industrial-Organizational Psychologists	OR	$94,180	$174,980	+85.8%
33	Special Education Teachers, Preschool	IA	$34,420	$63,540	+84.6%
34	Choreographers	NY	$94,090	$173,100	+84.0%
35	Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	VA	$49,180	$90,390	+83.8%
36	Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary	VT	$58,110	$106,680	+83.6%
37	Directors, Religious Activities and Education	UT	$31,200	$56,790	+82.0%
38	Airfield Operations Specialists	VA	$39,860	$72,250	+81.3%
39	Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary	WA	$45,410	$81,950	+80.5%
40	Barbers	IL	$36,300	$65,430	+80.2%
41	Advertising and Promotions Managers	SC	$86,990	$156,300	+79.7%
42	Surveyors	MN	$46,610	$83,620	+79.4%
43	Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers	OH	$47,550	$85,070	+78.9%
44	Models	NJ	$33,970	$60,520	+78.2%
45	Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes	MI	$46,400	$82,440	+77.7%
46	Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers	TX	$35,150	$62,400	+77.5%
47	Obstetricians and Gynecologists	IN	$200,300	$351,990	+75.7%
48	Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers	GA	$36,520	$64,050	+75.4%
49	Psychiatrists	SC	$135,530	$237,250	+75.1%
50	Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary	UT	$30,010	$52,300	+74.3%

Methodology

We compared median annual salary (BLS datatype 13) for every occupation × state pair between the May 2024 and May 2025 OEWS releases. To filter out noise from very small occupations, both the 2024 and 2025 figures had to exceed $30,000. SOC residual buckets ("all other") were excluded. Growth rate is calculated as {(2025 − 2024) / 2024} × 100. Data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 release.

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Look up your specific occupation across all 50 states with full percentile breakdowns and state-by-state comparisons in our salary database. For the full national picture, see our State of US Salaries 2025 report.

The 50 Fastest-Growing Salaries in America (2025)

The #1 Fastest-Growing Salary of 2025

The 50 Fastest-Growing Salaries in America (2024 → 2025)

Methodology

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The #1 Fastest-Growing Salary of 2025

The 50 Fastest-Growing Salaries in America (2024 → 2025)

Methodology

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Turn This Data Into a Career Move

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