Key Findings
The numbers at a glance: Across 830 occupations and 51 states, the average American worker earns a median salary of $65,513 per year. The gap between the lowest-paid 10% ($45,811) and the highest-paid 10% ($93,690) is $47,879 — a 105% spread.
This analysis covers 153,630,980 workers across 830 occupations in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, based on official Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data for May 2025. Every number on this page comes directly from government surveys of approximately 1.1 million U.S. establishments.
The 10 Highest-Paying Occupations in America
Healthcare dominates the top of the pay scale. Nine of the ten highest-paying occupations are in medicine, with Family Medicine Physicians leading at a median of $217,636 per year.
| # | Occupation | Median Salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physicians | $217,636 | 107,820 |
| 2 | Physicians, All Other | $209,518 | 315,470 |
| 3 | Nurse Anesthetists | $209,205 | 49,150 |
| 4 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $208,710 | 4,310 |
| 5 | Dermatologists | $206,476 | 10,540 |
| 6 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $205,390 | 4,090 |
| 7 | Anesthesiologists | $204,794 | 33,600 |
| 8 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $201,683 | 18,240 |
| 9 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $201,096 | 66,390 |
| 10 | Pediatricians, General | $200,109 | 42,650 |
Note that these are median salaries — the middle earner in each occupation. Mean (average) salaries for physicians and surgeons are significantly higher due to the skewed distribution of medical compensation.
Which States Pay the Most?
The District of Columbia leads all states with an average median salary of $85,455 across all occupations — driven by a concentration of federal, legal, and tech jobs. California follows at $78,808, boosted by Silicon Valley tech salaries.
| # | State | Avg Median Salary | Total Workers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $85,455 | 689,300 |
| 2 | California | $78,808 | 18,027,710 |
| 3 | Washington | $77,216 | 3,531,910 |
| 4 | New York | $77,048 | 9,494,830 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $76,440 | 3,613,800 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $74,145 | 4,244,410 |
| 7 | Alaska | $73,224 | 317,210 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $72,565 | 1,661,020 |
| 9 | Maryland | $71,954 | 2,727,610 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $70,941 | 484,310 |
At the other end, the lowest-paying states are Mississippi ($53,809), Arkansas ($55,600), Louisiana ($57,782), West Virginia ($57,942), Oklahoma ($58,800). The gap between the highest and lowest state averages is over $26,655 — meaning where you work matters almost as much as what you do.
America's Largest Occupations
The most common jobs tell a different story from the highest-paying ones. The occupations employing the most Americans tend to pay significantly less than the national median.
| # | Occupation | Workers | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 3,988,590 | $33,313 |
| 2 | Retail Salespersons | 3,799,740 | $33,111 |
| 3 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,781,450 | $29,927 |
| 4 | General and Operations Managers | 3,585,430 | $103,840 |
| 5 | Registered Nurses | 3,282,320 | $90,458 |
| 6 | Cashiers | 3,148,740 | $30,510 |
| 7 | Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,982,850 | $39,905 |
| 8 | Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,779,560 | $36,903 |
| 9 | Customer Service Representatives | 2,725,740 | $42,347 |
| 10 | Office Clerks, General | 2,511,550 | $42,473 |
Tech Salaries: The Full Picture
Technology occupations consistently rank among the highest-paid non-medical careers. Here's how the major tech roles compare:
| # | Tech Occupation | Median Salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | $130,657 | 34,900 |
| 2 | Database Architects | $130,025 | 64,670 |
| 3 | Computer Network Architects | $122,488 | 176,580 |
| 4 | Actuaries | $121,738 | 27,480 |
| 5 | Software Developers | $121,352 | 1,652,070 |
| 6 | Information Security Analysts | $112,802 | 179,270 |
| 7 | Mathematicians | $109,409 | 1,860 |
| 8 | Data Scientists | $106,126 | 234,230 |
| 9 | Computer Occupations, All Other | $101,746 | 439,350 |
| 10 | Computer Systems Analysts | $99,686 | 497,670 |
What This Means for Your Career
Three factors drive salary differences more than anything else: occupation choice (a 5x difference between the highest and lowest-paid jobs), location (up to 40% difference between states for the same job), and experience level (P10 to P90 represents early-career to senior pay).
Explore your specific situation: Use our salary database to look up any of 830 occupations across all 50 states, with percentile breakdowns, cost-of-living adjustments, and after-tax calculations.