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.
Marcus Webb
Compensation Research AnalystMarcus has 8+ years of experience in compensation analysis and tax research. He covers 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: