Top 50 Highest Paying Jobs in the US (2026)
The 50 best-paying occupations in America, ranked by median annual salary. Includes job growth rates, annual openings, and education requirements — updated for 2026.
SalaryTools Pro Research Team
Compensation ResearchOur research team specializes in compensation analysis and tax research, covering salary benchmarks, payroll tax policy, and compensation strategy across all US states.
Highest Median Salary
$331,190
Anesthesiologist
Fastest Growing
+46%
Nurse Practitioner
Most Openings
193,100/yr
Registered Nurse
Best Non-Med Role
$206,680
Chief Executive
Showing 50 jobs · Click column headers to sort
| Job Title | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anesthesiologist Healthcare | $331,190 | +3% |
| 2 | Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon Healthcare | $311,460 | +4% |
| 3 | Obstetrician / Gynecologist Healthcare | $296,210 | +3% |
| 4 | Surgeon (General) Healthcare | $290,450 | +3% |
| 5 | Psychiatrist Healthcare | $278,960 | +11% |
| 6 | Physician (Internal Medicine) Healthcare | $247,910 | +3% |
| 7 | Orthodontist Healthcare | $237,990 | +3% |
| 8 | Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Healthcare | $214,060 | +9% |
| 9 | Chief Executive Officer Management | $206,680 | +3% |
| 10 | Dentist (General) Healthcare | $186,110 | +4% |
| 11 | Computer & Information Systems Manager Technology | $169,510 | +15% |
| 12 | Architectural & Engineering Manager Management | $165,780 | +4% |
| 13 | Marketing Manager Business | $157,620 | +8% |
| 14 | Natural Sciences Manager Science | $156,110 | +5% |
| 15 | Financial Manager Finance | $156,100 | +17% |
| 16 | AI / Machine Learning Engineer Technology | $148,400 | +40% |
| 17 | Lawyer / Attorney Legal | $145,760 | +8% |
| 18 | Cloud Architect Technology | $142,000 | +21% |
| 19 | Petroleum Engineer Engineering | $135,690 | +8% |
| 20 | Sales Manager Business | $135,160 | +4% |
| 21 | Pharmacist Healthcare | $132,750 | -2% |
| 22 | Software Engineer Technology | $132,270 | +25% |
| 23 | Aerospace Engineer Engineering | $130,250 | +6% |
| 24 | Physician Assistant (PA) Healthcare | $130,020 | +28% |
| 25 | Human Resources Manager Business | $130,000 | +5% |
| 26 | Nurse Practitioner (NP) Healthcare | $125,900 | +46% |
| 27 | Nuclear Engineer Engineering | $125,290 | -4% |
| 28 | DevOps Engineer Technology | $125,000 | +22% |
| 29 | Electronics Engineer Engineering | $122,530 | +2% |
| 30 | Actuary Finance | $120,970 | +22% |
| 31 | Cybersecurity Analyst Technology | $120,360 | +32% |
| 32 | Industrial-Organizational Psychologist Science | $119,580 | +6% |
| 33 | Chemical Engineer Engineering | $114,630 | +10% |
| 34 | Database Administrator Technology | $112,120 | +9% |
| 35 | Data Scientist Technology | $108,020 | +36% |
| 36 | Construction Manager Management | $104,900 | +8% |
| 37 | Statistician Science | $104,860 | +31% |
| 38 | Environmental Engineer Engineering | $100,090 | +6% |
| 39 | Financial Analyst Finance | $99,890 | +9% |
| 40 | Mechanical Engineer Engineering | $99,830 | +11% |
| 41 | Physical Therapist Healthcare | $99,710 | +17% |
| 42 | Biomedical Engineer Engineering | $99,550 | +10% |
| 43 | Occupational Therapist Healthcare | $96,370 | +12% |
| 44 | Network & Systems Administrator Technology | $90,520 | +3% |
| 45 | Speech-Language Pathologist Healthcare | $89,290 | +19% |
| 46 | Operations Research Analyst Business | $84,810 | +23% |
| 47 | Dental Hygienist Healthcare | $81,400 | +8% |
| 48 | Registered Nurse Healthcare | $81,220 | +6% |
| 49 | Epidemiologist Science | $81,110 | +27% |
| 50 | Urban & Regional Planner Government | $79,100 | +4% |
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024. Growth projections from BLS Employment Projections 2022–2032. Salaries are median annual wages; salary ranges represent 25th–75th percentile.
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Fastest Growing High-Salary Careers
These roles combine strong current salaries with exceptional projected growth through 2032: