Salary Rankings June 22, 2026
25 Highest Paying Jobs in America (2026)
What are the highest paying careers? We ranked every occupation by median salary to find the top 25. The cutoff: $126,010. Here's the complete list with education requirements, growth outlook, and where each job pays the most.
$350,000
#1 Salary
$171,238
Top 25 Average
$126,010
#25 Cutoff
7
Industries
Complete Top 25 Rankings
Healthcare
$350,000
median
Entry: $170,000
Senior: $480,000
Growth: +3%
Edu: Doctoral degree
Healthcare
$310,000
median
Entry: $185,000
Senior: $460,000
Growth: +4%
Edu: Doctoral degree
Healthcare
$302,970
median
Entry: $150,000
Senior: $430,000
Growth: +3%
Edu: Doctoral degree
Healthcare
$255,630
median
Entry: $125,000
Senior: $385,000
Growth: +7%
Edu: Doctoral degree
5
Surgeon
Healthcare
$255,110
median
Entry: $130,000
Senior: $400,000
Growth: +3%
Edu: Doctoral degree
Business & Finance
$185,000
median
Entry: $90,000
Senior: $480,000
Growth: +6%
Edu: Bachelor's degree
7
Dentist
Healthcare
$160,370
median
Entry: $85,000
Senior: $235,000
Growth: +4%
Edu: Doctoral degree
Science & Research
$152,430
median
Entry: $82,000
Senior: $220,000
Growth: +8%
Edu: Doctoral degree
Technology
$150,000
median
Entry: $95,000
Senior: $215,000
Growth: +15%
Edu: Bachelor's degree
10
Judge
Legal
$148,030
median
Entry: $65,000
Senior: $215,000
Growth: +3%
Edu: Doctoral degree
Technology
$145,000
median
Entry: $92,000
Senior: $210,000
Growth: +22%
Edu: Bachelor's degree
Technology
$141,000
median
Entry: $98,000
Senior: $195,000
Growth: +23%
Edu: Bachelor's degree
Business & Finance
$140,040
median
Entry: $62,000
Senior: $180,000
Growth: +6%
Edu: Bachelor's degree
Technology
$140,000
median
Entry: $88,000
Senior: $205,000
Growth: +10%
Edu: Bachelor's degree
Transportation & Logistics
$137,380
median
Entry: $85,000
Senior: $190,000
Growth: +3%
Edu: Bachelor's degree
16
Lawyer
Legal
$135,740
median
Entry: $70,000
Senior: $220,000
Growth: +8%
Edu: Doctoral degree
Technology
$135,000
median
Entry: $85,000
Senior: $200,000
Growth: +25%
Edu: Bachelor's degree
Technology
$133,000
median
Entry: $88,000
Senior: $192,000
Growth: +40%
Edu: Master's degree
19
Pharmacist
Healthcare
$132,750
median
Entry: $100,000
Senior: $158,000
Growth: +2%
Edu: Doctoral degree
Engineering
$131,800
median
Entry: $84,000
Senior: $195,000
Growth: +8%
Edu: Bachelor's degree
Business & Finance
$130,000
median
Entry: $65,000
Senior: $165,000
Growth: +5%
Edu: Bachelor's degree
Business & Finance
$130,000
median
Entry: $80,000
Senior: $300,000
Growth: +7%
Edu: Bachelor's degree
Engineering
$126,880
median
Entry: $80,000
Senior: $185,000
Growth: +6%
Edu: Bachelor's degree
Technology
$126,800
median
Entry: $82,000
Senior: $178,000
Growth: +22%
Edu: Bachelor's degree
Healthcare
$126,010
median
Entry: $88,000
Senior: $162,000
Growth: +28%
Edu: Master's degree
Key Takeaways
- Healthcare dominates — medical specialties account for many top spots due to advanced education requirements and high demand
- Tech pays without an MD — software engineering, data science, and cloud architecture offer $100K+ without medical school
- Management premiums — moving into management (IT, financial, marketing) adds $20-40K over individual contributor roles
- Location matters enormously — the same job can pay 50-100% more in high-cost states. Use our state comparison to find your best fit
Explore Career Data
Drill into any career above to see salary by state, city, and experience level.