If you want to make a decent living at a job with good benefits, there are two ways to go about it. One is to develop specialized in-demand skills outside of the higher-educational system. The other is to hit the books and work your way toward an advanced degree in an in-demand field. By far, your best chance to get a high-paying job in America is through higher education.
To determine the 25 best paying jobs in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed Bureau of Labor Statistics’ data on median annual wage estimates for 789 occupations. The occupations were ranked based on the median annual earnings for all employees in 2020. (These are the highest paying jobs you can get without a college degree.)
As you would expect, lawyers, doctors, engineers, and company executives are among the highest paid professionals. But so are company administrators, managers, and scientists.
These well-paying jobs all require at least a bachelor’s degree, and in many cases they require more advanced degrees. Even when a more advanced degree is not required, a master’s degree or Ph.D. will garner you higher wages and greater job security.
Though more Americans than ever hold a degree from an accredited four-year university program, they are still a minority in the workforce. Just 32% of the U.S. adult population held at least a bachelor’s from 2015 to 2019, according to a 2021 report from the U.S. Census Bureau. Though this is about 5 percentage points higher than a decade earlier, the number of college-educated adults could stand to grow further.
Based on supply and demand in the labor market, the higher educated receive a pay-and-benefits premium not just because they have specialized, in-demand skills (those lacking a college degree can have specialized in-demand skills, too), but also because there are fewer of them to choose from relative to the total number of workers in the country’s labor force.
Additionally, some parts of the country suffer from shortages of higher-educated professionals compared to others. (This is the most educated city in every state.)
Click here to see the best paying jobs in America
Click here to read our detailed methodology
25. Compensation and benefits managers
> Median annual earnings: $125,130
> Total number of workers: 16,340
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +3.7%
> Compensation and benefits managers with a bachelor’s degree: 70.4%
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24. Political scientists
> Median annual earnings: $125,350
> Total number of workers: 6,010
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +8.6%
> Political scientists with a bachelor’s degree: 87.7%
23. Purchasing managers
> Median annual earnings: $125,940
> Total number of workers: 70,960
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +6.2%
> Purchasing managers with a bachelor’s degree: 62.1%
22. Computer and information research scientists
> Median annual earnings: $126,830
> Total number of workers: 30,220
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +21.8%
> Computer and information research scientists with a bachelor’s degree: 92.2%
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21. Lawyers
> Median annual earnings: $126,930
> Total number of workers: 658,120
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +8.9%
> Lawyers with a bachelor’s degree: 98.1%
20. Pharmacists
> Median annual earnings: $128,710
> Total number of workers: 315,470
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: -2.1%
> Pharmacists with a bachelor’s degree: 97.4%
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19. Physicists
> Median annual earnings: $129,850
> Total number of workers: 16,160
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +8.6%
> Physicists with a bachelor’s degree: 100.0%
18. Air traffic controllers
> Median annual earnings: $130,420
> Total number of workers: 22,190
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +4.1%
> Air traffic controllers with a bachelor’s degree: 41.9%
17. Sales managers
> Median annual earnings: $132,290
> Total number of workers: 390,170
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +7.0%
> Sales managers with a bachelor’s degree: 59.3%
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16. Advertising and promotions managers
> Median annual earnings: $133,460
> Total number of workers: 22,490
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +10.3%
> Advertising and promotions managers with a bachelor’s degree: 78.5%
15. Financial managers
> Median annual earnings: $134,180
> Total number of workers: 653,080
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +17.3%
> Financial managers with a bachelor’s degree: 64.0%
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14. Podiatrists
> Median annual earnings: $134,300
> Total number of workers: 9,710
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +1.7%
> Podiatrists with a bachelor’s degree: 100.0%
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13. Petroleum engineers
> Median annual earnings: $137,330
> Total number of workers: 27,850
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +7.7%
> Petroleum engineers with a bachelor’s degree: 85.3%
12. Natural sciences managers
> Median annual earnings: $137,940
> Total number of workers: 75,870
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +5.7%
> Natural sciences managers with a bachelor’s degree: 89.2%
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11. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
> Median annual earnings: $141,080
> Total number of workers: 28,550
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +3.4%
> Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates with a bachelor’s degree: 98.1%
10. Marketing managers
> Median annual earnings: $142,170
> Total number of workers: 270,200
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +10.0%
> Marketing managers with a bachelor’s degree: 81.3%
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9. Architectural and engineering managers
> Median annual earnings: $149,530
> Total number of workers: 195,900
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +4.1%
> Architectural and engineering managers with a bachelor’s degree: 83.5%
8. Computer and information systems managers
> Median annual earnings: $151,150
> Total number of workers: 457,290
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +10.9%
> Computer and information systems managers with a bachelor’s degree: 74.6%
7. Dentists
> Median annual earnings: $158,940
> Total number of workers: 95,920
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +8.1%
> Dentists with a bachelor’s degree: 100.0%
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6. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
> Median annual earnings: $160,970
> Total number of workers: 83,550
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +13.8%
> Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers with a bachelor’s degree: 74.5%
5. Pediatricians
> Median annual earnings: $177,130
> Total number of workers: 27,550
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: -2.0%
> Pediatricians with a bachelor’s degree: 100.0%
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4. Dental specialists
> Median annual earnings: $183,300
> Total number of workers: 5,610
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +4.4%
> Dental specialists with a bachelor’s degree: 100.0%
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3. Nurse anesthetists
> Median annual earnings: $183,580
> Total number of workers: 41,960
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +12.7%
> Nurse anesthetists with a bachelor’s degree: 97.4%
2. Chief executives
> Median annual earnings: $185,950
> Total number of workers: 202,360
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: -5.7%
> Chief executives with a bachelor’s degree: 70.9%
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1. Family medicine physicians
> Median annual earnings: $207,380
> Total number of workers: 98,590
> Projected employment change, 2020-2030: +4.9%
> Family medicine physicians with a bachelor’s degree: 100.0%
Methodology
To determine the best paying jobs in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on median annual wage estimates for 789 detailed occupations from the May 2020 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Detailed occupations were ranked based on the median annual earnings for all employees in 2020.
Data on projected employment change from 2020 to 2030 and the percentage of workers 25 and over with at least a bachelor’s degree in 2018-2019 came from the BLS Employment Projections program.
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