Key Findings — May 2025 Release
The numbers at a glance: Across 829 occupations and 51 states, the average American worker earns a median salary of $71,368 per year. The gap between the lowest-paid 10% ($47,588) and the highest-paid 10% ($106,701) is $59,113 — a 124% spread.
This analysis covers 154,264,080 workers across 829 occupations in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, based on the official Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS release for May 2025. Every number on this page comes directly from government surveys of approximately 1.1 million U.S. establishments.
For year-over-year context, see our 2024 edition.
The 10 Highest-Paying Occupations in America (2025)
Healthcare dominates the top of the pay scale. The highest-paying occupation, Cardiologists, has a median of $489,121 per year.
| # | Occupation | Median Salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $489,121 | 15,200 |
| 2 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $426,083 | 9,430 |
| 3 | Anesthesiologists | $399,418 | 30,430 |
| 4 | Pediatric Surgeons | $385,067 | 390 |
| 5 | Surgeons, All Other | $377,583 | 21,610 |
| 6 | Radiologists | $375,976 | 16,620 |
| 7 | Dermatologists | $371,995 | 6,650 |
| 8 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $353,789 | 29,800 |
| 9 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $307,216 | 19,660 |
| 10 | Neurologists | $305,645 | 9,250 |
These are median salaries — the middle earner in each occupation. Mean (average) salaries for physicians and surgeons run substantially higher because of the skewed distribution of medical compensation.
Which States Pay the Most?
The District of Columbia leads all states with an average median salary of $89,679 across all occupations. California follows at $86,472, lifted by its tech and biotech corridors.
| # | State | Avg Median Salary | Total Workers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $89,679 | 684,180 |
| 2 | Washington | $86,472 | 3,506,210 |
| 3 | New York | $83,189 | 9,642,480 |
| 4 | California | $83,172 | 18,149,550 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $81,221 | 3,578,730 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $80,366 | 4,257,550 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $79,901 | 2,934,820 |
| 8 | Alaska | $79,599 | 317,080 |
| 9 | Maryland | $79,476 | 2,722,100 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $78,209 | 472,060 |
At the other end of the scale: Mississippi ($57,873), Arkansas ($58,447), West Virginia ($62,235), Louisiana ($62,928), Oklahoma ($63,871). The gap between the highest- and lowest-paying states is over $25,808 — 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 that employ the most Americans tend to pay below the national median.
| # | Occupation | Workers | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 4,305,810 | $34,938 |
| 2 | Retail Salespersons | 3,897,850 | $34,032 |
| 3 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,854,060 | $30,570 |
| 4 | General and Operations Managers | 3,503,040 | $108,137 |
| 5 | Registered Nurses | 3,379,680 | $94,098 |
| 6 | Cashiers | 3,089,430 | $31,863 |
| 7 | Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,950,300 | $40,995 |
| 8 | Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,833,790 | $37,375 |
| 9 | Customer Service Representatives | 2,595,760 | $43,855 |
| 10 | Office Clerks, General | 2,464,940 | $43,683 |
Tech Salaries: The Full Picture
Technology occupations consistently rank among the highest-paid non-medical careers. Here's how the major tech roles compare in 2025:
| # | Tech Occupation | Median Salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | $133,027 | 35,830 |
| 2 | Database Architects | $132,518 | 66,690 |
| 3 | Software Developers | $127,401 | 1,687,900 |
| 4 | Computer Network Architects | $126,451 | 179,340 |
| 5 | Actuaries | $124,781 | 25,350 |
| 6 | Information Security Analysts | $116,956 | 190,200 |
| 7 | Mathematicians | $115,223 | 1,590 |
| 8 | Data Scientists | $107,281 | 262,410 |
| 9 | Computer Occupations, All Other | $106,671 | 435,390 |
| 10 | Computer Systems Analysts | $104,092 | 519,540 |
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 829 occupations across all 50 states, with percentile breakdowns, cost-of-living adjustments, and after-tax calculations.