Highest-paying jobs in the US
Compare occupations by median annual pay, with education and training requirements.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment ProjectionsPeriod: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wagesRetrieved 2026-10-05T08:25:31+00:00
Ranked by the annual median wage supplied in the BLS Employment Projections dataset. National BLS detailed occupations only. Wages are median annual employee wages, not starting salaries or self-employed earnings. Missing wages are excluded from pay rankings. A “+” means a lower bound, not an exact wage; equal reported bounds share a rank. Education describes the typical entry requirement, not a guarantee of eligibility. Training, licensing, and experience may still be needed.
| Rank | Name | Typical education | Median annual wage | Projected growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Power distributors and dispatchers DetailsEducation: High school diploma or equivalent. Experience: None. Training: Long-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | High school diploma or equivalent | $106,730 | 1.2% |
| 102 | Facilities managers DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: Less than 5 years. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $106,660 | 4.6% |
| 103 | Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $106,220 | 3.8% |
| 104 | First-line supervisors of police and detectives DetailsEducation: High school diploma or equivalent. Experience: Less than 5 years. Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | High school diploma or equivalent | $106,040 | 3.3% |
| 105 | Sociologists DetailsEducation: Master's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Master's degree | $106,030 | 3.8% |
| 106 | Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary DetailsEducation: Master's degree. Experience: 5 years or more. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Master's degree | $105,870 | -0.3% |
| 107 | Computer systems analysts DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $105,850 | 7.9% |
| 108 | General and operations managers DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: 5 years or more. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $105,770 | 5.0% |
| 109 | Statisticians DetailsEducation: Master's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Master's degree | $105,650 | 11.0% |
| 110 | Radiation therapists DetailsEducation: Associate's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Associate's degree | $105,310 | 2.8% |
| 111 | Personal financial advisors DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: Long-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $105,070 | 1.4% |
| 112 | Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $104,920 | 1.2% |
| 113 | Database administrators DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $104,620 | -0.1% |
| 114 | Education administrators, postsecondary DetailsEducation: Master's degree. Experience: Less than 5 years. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Master's degree | $104,590 | 1.8% |
| 115 | Software quality assurance analysts and testers DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $104,300 | 5.7% |
| 116 | Mechanical engineers DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $104,110 | 11.2% |
| 117 | Web and digital interface designers DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $104,000 | 6.0% |
| 118 | Medical scientists, except epidemiologists DetailsEducation: Doctoral or professional degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Doctoral or professional degree | $103,410 | 12.6% |
| 119 | Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary DetailsEducation: Doctoral or professional degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Doctoral or professional degree | $103,170 | 2.4% |
| 120 | Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay DetailsEducation: Postsecondary nondegree award. Experience: Less than 5 years. Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Postsecondary nondegree award | $103,020 | 9.7% |
| 121 | Physical therapists DetailsEducation: Doctoral or professional degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Doctoral or professional degree | $102,760 | 11.9% |
| 122 | Financial and investment analysts DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $102,740 | 7.2% |
| 123 | Industrial engineers DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $102,440 | 12.4% |
| 124 | Project management specialists DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $102,320 | 6.7% |
| 125 | Geographers DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $102,040 | -2.1% |
| 125 | Power plant operators DetailsEducation: High school diploma or equivalent. Experience: None. Training: Long-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | High school diploma or equivalent | $102,040 | -5.1% |
| 127 | Special effects artists and animators DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $102,030 | -0.3% |
| 128 | Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $101,920 | 5.1% |
| 129 | Management analysts DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: Less than 5 years. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $101,860 | 10.1% |
| 130 | Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary DetailsEducation: Doctoral or professional degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Doctoral or professional degree | $101,420 | 2.8% |
| 131 | Nuclear medicine technologists DetailsEducation: Associate's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Associate's degree | $101,370 | 4.4% |
| 132 | Social scientists and related workers, all other DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $101,110 | -0.2% |
| 133 | Civil engineers DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $100,840 | 6.4% |
| 134 | Clinical and counseling psychologists DetailsEducation: Doctoral or professional degree. Experience: None. Training: Internship/residency. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Doctoral or professional degree | $100,580 | 11.7% |
| 135 | Computer programmers DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $100,390 | -7.3% |
| 136 | Occupational therapists DetailsEducation: Master's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Master's degree | $100,330 | 14.8% |
| 137 | Physics teachers, postsecondary DetailsEducation: Doctoral or professional degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Doctoral or professional degree | $100,310 | 2.4% |
| 138 | Genetic counselors DetailsEducation: Master's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Master's degree | $100,040 | 10.4% |
| 139 | Anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary DetailsEducation: Doctoral or professional degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Doctoral or professional degree | $99,650 | 2.6% |
| 140 | Architects, except landscape and naval DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: Internship/residency. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $99,280 | 4.3% |
| 141 | Network and computer systems administrators DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $99,130 | -4.1% |
| 142 | Business teachers, postsecondary DetailsEducation: Doctoral or professional degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Doctoral or professional degree | $99,080 | 5.9% |
| 143 | Atmospheric and space scientists DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $99,070 | 2.6% |
| 144 | Biological scientists, all other DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $98,920 | 4.7% |
| 145 | Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary DetailsEducation: Doctoral or professional degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Doctoral or professional degree | $98,700 | 2.9% |
| 146 | Agricultural engineers DetailsEducation: Bachelor's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Bachelor's degree | $98,590 | 6.9% |
| 147 | Dental hygienists DetailsEducation: Associate's degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Associate's degree | $98,100 | 8.0% |
| 148 | Political science teachers, postsecondary DetailsEducation: Doctoral or professional degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Doctoral or professional degree | $98,070 | 2.5% |
| 149 | Speech-language pathologists DetailsEducation: Master's degree. Experience: None. Training: Internship/residency. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Master's degree | $97,870 | 16.6% |
| 150 | Geography teachers, postsecondary DetailsEducation: Doctoral or professional degree. Experience: None. Training: None. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | Doctoral or professional degree | $97,590 | 2.7% |
Wages marked + are top-coded: the published figure is the lower bound of the capped wage.
825 ranked entries.