Whether you’re planning your future or changing careers, annual salary is an essential consideration.
Managers who have the skills to complete projects successfully will always garner higher salaries. Healthcare professionals and managers who lead information technology or information security departments can also demand higher salaries as they gain experience and expertise.
These career sectors are vitally important and in more demand, and even starting salaries can be higher than those in other career fields.
The trends of working from home, virtual meetings and classes on Zoom, not to mention shopping and banking online, have underscored the need for computer specialists, so they also figure into our list of high-paying jobs.
- Highest-Paying Jobs
- Chief Executives
- Anesthesiologists
- Gynecologists
- Obstetricians
- Podiatrists
- Prosthodontists
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
- Pediatricians
- Nurse Anesthetists
- Information Systems Managers
- Engineering Managers
- Financial Managers
- Orthodontists
- Optometrists
- Sales Managers
- Nurse Practitioners
- Actuaries
- Software Developers
- Petroleum Engineers
- Medical Managers
- Marketing Managers
- Your Career Path
Highest-Paying Jobs
We created this list of the top best paying jobs with reference to the salary statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
While some of these positions require extensive education up to the doctoral degree level, most of them require an undergraduate degree and years of experience. Education can be expensive, but these high-paying jobs bring an excellent return on investment along the career path.
Here’s the My Job Search list of the best paying jobs in order of annual salary, which can help you as you choose your career path.
Chief Executives
Chief executives bring home salaries that are among the highest in average salary. Their responsibilities include leading companies and determining their strategy for the future.
Median salary: $768,300
Typical educational requirements: four-year degrees or master’s-level degrees can be required, depending on the company
Anesthesiologists
Among the top earners in the medical field, anesthesiologists administer local, intravenous, or spinal anesthetic and determine the condition of patients before, during, and after sedation.
Median salary: $394,500
Typical educational requirements: Medical school degree, residency in anesthesiology, and license to practice
Gynecologists
These medical specialists care for women’s reproductive systems and diagnose and treat conditions relating to female reproductive organs.
Median salary: $290,500
Typical educational requirements: Medical degree plus a residency in gynecology
Obstetricians
Physicians specializing in obstetrics care for women before, during and after childbirth.
Median salary: $290,490
Typical educational requirements: Degree in medicine from an accredited school and license to practice
Podiatrists
Podiatrists diagnose and treat disorders, diseases, deformities or injuries of the foot.
Median salary: $208,860
Typical educational requirements: Medical degree plus additional training in podiatry
Prosthodontists
Prosthodontists care for patients’ oral function and comfort, appearance, and health in relation to missing or deficient teeth.
Median salary: $208,000
Typical educational requirements: A dental degree and at least three additional years of advanced training and education in a prosthodontic graduate program.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons treat a wide spectrum of conditions in the face, head, neck, and jaws through surgery.
Median salary: $208,000
Typical educational requirements: A dental degree and advanced training and education in an oral and maxillofacial surgery graduate program
Pediatricians
Physicians who specialize in pediatrics diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries in babies and children.
Median salary: $205,195
Typical educational requirements: Degree in medicine from an accredited school and license to practice, plus a residency in pediatrics
Nurse Anesthetists
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists give anesthesia and other medications to patients in surgical care. These registered nurses have special licensing for advanced care.
Median salary: $181,040, according to the BLS
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, nursing experience in an intensive care setting, training in an accredited nurse anesthesia program and licensing as a registered nurse and CRNA
Information Systems Managers
Systems administrators and IT managers develop, install and maintain computer systems for businesses and organizations.
In addition to keeping these systems running well, systems administrators are constantly working to keep systems secure. With increasing use of virtual work, meetings and classes, systems administrators are in demand.
Median salary: $146,360
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field
Engineering Managers
These engineering professionals manage all engineering activities, including design, development, production and testing, within a business, department or organization.
Median salary: $134,110
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree plus experience in engineering
Financial Managers
Financial managers help new and established businesses reach their financial goals or guide a population interested in making the most of their money now and in retirement. A rising stock market has increased interest in this lucrative career.
Median salary: $129,890
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree
Orthodontists
These specialists correct malformations of teeth in youths and adults. Orthodontists’ expertise can be used to help in the function of teeth as well as appearance.
Median salary: $127,885
Typical educational requirements: A dental degree (DDS or DMD) plus a residency in orthodontics
Optometrists
Optometrists care for the eye’s primary health, performing eye exams and vision tests, prescribing and fitting patients with glasses or contact lenses and monitoring and treating eye conditions. Patients requiring surgery will be referred to ophthalmologists.
Median salary: $127,598
Typical educational requirements: A Doctor of Optometry degree, as well as approval by a board of licensure to practice
Sales Managers
Sales managers direct a sales force to achieve sales and profit goals for a business. Their work drives business growth and profits.
Median salary: $118,196
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree
Nurse Practitioners
Nurse practitioners blend clinical care with disease prevention, counseling, and health management. This combination is resulting in fewer emergency room visits, shorter hospital stays, and lower medication costs for patients who get their healthcare from NPs.
Median salary: $109,820
Typical educational requirements: Master’s degree and appropriate licensing
Actuaries
Actuaries use mathematics, statistics, and financial theory to measure, manage and mitigate financial risk and uncertainty in insurance and other business sectors.
Median salary: $108,350
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree plus training in actuary science and passing a series of actuarial exams
Software Developers
Development of new software applications and helping businesses by maintaining software will see significant growth in job numbers and salary.
Median salary: $107,510
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field
Petroleum Engineers
Petroleum engineers design and oversee the production and methods for retrieving oil and natural gas from various depths beneath the earth’s surface. Entry level engineers may earn less than the median salary.
Median salary: $101,302
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s or master’s degree in petroleum engineering
Medical Managers
Medical managers plan and direct the business side of healthcare. Their responsibilities can range from a single medical practice to a hospital.
With an aging population and increased demands for health care, we see this position growing in salary and the number of job openings.
Median annual earnings: $100,980
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree
Marketing Managers
Marketing is a fast-paced, creative and competitive career. From large corporations to state agencies and start-ups, effective marketing skills are in demand and involve social media as well as traditional marketing methods such as print and broadcast advertising and billboards.
Median salary: $63,790
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree
Your Career Path
Choosing one of these best-paying jobs will ensure that your skills will be in demand and that you will be among the highest earners throughout your career. Choosing a higher paying profession will result in a higher return on the investment of education and a more secure future for you.
Consider your skills and interests as well as the annual salary and training needed when choosing your future career path, and you will find a high-paying job that is also fulfilling professionally as well as personally.