Highest-Paying Jobs in America
The best-paid occupations in the U.S. by median salary, with what each actually takes home after 2026 taxes.
The 50 jobs below have a median salary of $175,140 — 244% above the $50,980 median for all U.S. workers. 70% of them are projected to grow faster than the 3.5% average through 2035, and together they are expected to have about 571,500 openings a year. The most common entry requirement on this list is: doctoral or professional degree (27 jobs).
| # | Job | Median salary | Take-home* | Education | Growth 2025–35 | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pediatric Surgeon | $239,200+ | $377,459 | Doctoral or professional degree | +2.0% | 0 |
| 2 | Cardiologist | $239,200+ | $337,977 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.8% | 500 |
| 3 | Radiologist | $239,200+ | $290,896 | Doctoral or professional degree | +3.4% | 700 |
| 4 | Surgeons, All Other | $239,200+ | $286,604 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.0% | 700 |
| 5 | Anesthesiologist | $239,200+ | $272,495 | Doctoral or professional degree | +3.6% | 1,100 |
| 6 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $239,200+ | $251,858 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.0% | 400 |
| 7 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon | $239,200+ | $247,893 | Doctoral or professional degree | +5.6% | 200 |
| 8 | Emergency Medicine Physician | $239,200+ | $237,449 | Doctoral or professional degree | +3.2% | 900 |
| 9 | Dermatologist | $239,200+ | $233,176 | Doctoral or professional degree | +6.8% | 400 |
| 10 | Physicians, Pathologists | $239,200+ | $222,945 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.8% | 300 |
| 11 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $239,200+ | $215,227 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.5% | 200 |
| 12 | Obstetrician and Gynecologist | $239,200+ | $210,735 | Doctoral or professional degree | +1.7% | 500 |
| 13 | Orthodontist | $239,200+ | $208,373 | Doctoral or professional degree | +6.0% | 200 |
| 14 | Psychiatrist | $239,200+ | $203,818 | Doctoral or professional degree | +7.2% | 900 |
| 15 | Physicians, All Other | $239,200+ | $193,640 | Doctoral or professional degree | +3.4% | 9,400 |
| 16 | General Internal Medicine Physician | $239,200+ | $187,489 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.0% | 1,900 |
| 17 | Neurologist | $239,200+ | $182,237 | Doctoral or professional degree | +6.4% | 300 |
| 18 | Family Medicine Physician | $239,200+ | $179,361 | Doctoral or professional degree | +3.3% | 2,900 |
| 19 | Nurse Anesthetist | $236,590 | $174,378 | Master's degree | +9.7% | 2,400 |
| 20 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $232,140 | $171,457 | Bachelor's degree | +8.3% | 11,200 |
| 21 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $224,990 | $166,763 | Doctoral or professional degree | +1.3% | 100 |
| 22 | Chief Executive | $213,990 | $159,231 | Bachelor's degree | +3.2% | 19,100 |
| 23 | Pediatricians, General | $210,040 | $156,321 | Doctoral or professional degree | +1.5% | 1,000 |
| 24 | Industrial-Organizational Psychologist | $193,950 | $144,417 | Master's degree | +6.5% | 300 |
| 25 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | $175,140 | $130,974 | Bachelor's degree | +15.8% | 53,500 |
| 26 | Physicist | $172,250 | $128,999 | Doctoral or professional degree | +7.2% | 1,300 |
| 27 | Architectural and Engineering Manager | $171,270 | $128,329 | Bachelor's degree | +5.5% | 14,900 |
| 28 | Dentists, General | $170,950 | $128,110 | Doctoral or professional degree | +5.7% | 4,200 |
| 29 | Natural Sciences Manager | $167,220 | $125,561 | Bachelor's degree | +8.2% | 9,200 |
| 30 | Marketing Manager | $166,790 | $125,267 | Bachelor's degree | +6.9% | 34,000 |
| 31 | Financial Manager | $166,570 | $125,117 | Bachelor's degree | +9.7% | 65,600 |
| 32 | Computer Hardware Engineer | $161,740 | $121,815 | Bachelor's degree | +9.1% | 4,100 |
| 33 | Podiatrist | $160,300 | $120,831 | Doctoral or professional degree | +2.0% | 200 |
| 34 | Lawyer | $159,670 | $120,400 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.7% | 28,700 |
| 35 | Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $153,990 | $116,518 | Doctoral or professional degree | +2.8% | 800 |
| 36 | Human Resources Manager | $149,280 | $113,299 | Bachelor's degree | +5.5% | 16,800 |
| 37 | Compensation and Benefits Manager | $149,230 | $113,265 | Bachelor's degree | +1.1% | 1,600 |
| 38 | Sales Manager | $148,270 | $112,609 | Bachelor's degree | +4.5% | 47,300 |
| 39 | Purchasing Manager | $148,080 | $112,479 | Bachelor's degree | +4.0% | 6,400 |
| 40 | Air Traffic Controller | $148,080 | $112,479 | Associate's degree | +1.7% | 2,100 |
| 41 | Medical Dosimetrist | $147,470 | $112,062 | Bachelor's degree | +5.0% | 200 |
| 42 | Public Relations Manager | $146,910 | $111,679 | Bachelor's degree | +5.7% | 6,100 |
| 43 | Petroleum Engineer | $144,910 | $110,312 | Bachelor's degree | +2.0% | 1,000 |
| 44 | Political Scientist | $142,080 | $108,378 | Master's degree | -2.0% | 400 |
| 45 | Managers, All Other | $141,900 | $108,255 | Bachelor's degree | +4.9% | 100,900 |
| 46 | Pharmacist | $140,910 | $107,578 | Doctoral or professional degree | +5.2% | 12,500 |
| 47 | Computer and Information Research Scientist | $140,300 | $107,161 | Master's degree | +21.8% | 2,900 |
| 48 | Database Architect | $139,500 | $106,614 | Bachelor's degree | +9.4% | 3,900 |
| 49 | Optometrist | $136,570 | $104,612 | Doctoral or professional degree | +9.5% | 2,000 |
| 50 | Software Developer | $135,980 | $104,208 | Bachelor's degree | +10.2% | 95,300 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal tax and FICA, no state income tax. Pick your state in the calculator below to see your own number. Average growth for all jobs: 3.5%.
What would #1 take home in your state?
Your take-home pay
$176,092
per year · effective tax rate 26.4%
$14,674Monthly
$7,337Twice a month
$6,773Every 2 weeks
$84.66Hourly
- Federal income tax$47,848
- Social Security (6.2%)$11,439
- Medicare (1.45%)$3,821
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$176,092
Marginal rate: 32% federal + 0.00% state
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest-paying job in america?
Pediatric Surgeons earn a median $239,200+ a year (BLS, May 2025). Typical entry education: doctoral or professional degree.
Where does this data come from?
Salaries are U.S. median wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). Education, openings and growth come from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Take-home pay uses 2026 federal tax rules for a single filer in a state with no income tax.