The Highest-Paying American Jobs In 2025 Just Revealed By US Wage Report

The 50 highest-paying careers in the United States typically average anywhere from $140,000 to $450,810, and a large chunk of them were medical-related occupations, according to an analysis of wage estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Using data estimates that the BLS collected in May 2024 and released in April and July 2025, Stacker listed the 50 highest-paying careers based on mean (statistical average) annual and hourly salaries. 

Somewhat predictably, the results were filled with professions in medicine, science, business, and law, along with a few surprises. The average income of an American farmer was not included in this list, nor did Stacker provide any clue on how much a Chick-fil-A franchise owner really makes in a year. And the average salary of an astronomer was not provided, although it is often grouped with that of physicists, which was ranked at No. 30 with a mean annual salary of $166,000.

Yet what the Stacker piece did reveal was that airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers typically made $280,570 a year, the 12^th highest paid job on the list. That is more than what chief executives made in a year, which, ranked at No. 15, averaged at $262,930 annually. Notably, pilots who worked for airlines were the highest-paid occupation that had nothing to do with medicine.

Out of the 50 highest-paying occupations, 23 are in the medical field. In fact, the top 11 highest-paid jobs are all doctors. Pediatric surgeons, specializing in treating and operating on infants and minors, ranked at No. 1 on the Stacker list, with an annual salary of $450,810. Other top paying annual salaries in the top 11 are cardiologists ($432,490), orthopedic surgeons (non-pediatric, $365,060), oral and maxillofacial (face, teeth, mouth, neck and jaw) surgeons ($360,240), radiologists ($359,820), dermatologists ($347,810), anesthesiologists ($336,640), emergency room physicians ($320,700), ophthalmologists (non-pediatric, $301,500), neurologists ($286,310) and obstetricians and gynecologists ($281,130).

Additional doctor salaries in the top 50 were psychiatrists (No. 13: $269,120), physician pathologists (No. 14: $266,020), general internal medicine physicians (No. 16: $262,710), prosthodontists (No. 18: $258,660), family medicine physicians (No 19: $256,830), orthodontists (No. 20: $254,620), general pediatricians (No. 22: $222,340), general dentists (No. 23: $196,100) and podiatrists (No. 32: $163,960).

Three non-doctor jobs in the medical field also made the top 50 list. Ranked at No. 21 are nurse anesthetists, who administer anesthesia and help patients recover from its effects, earning an average annual salary of $231,700. Coming in at No. 48 are medical dosimetrists, professionals with at least a bachelor's degree who assist medical teams with radiation treatments, and earn a mean wage of $141,420 a year. And at No. 50 are optometrists who earn an average of $140,940 a year and can prescribe glasses but have not attended medical school.

One occupation that probably requires frequent treatment by those medical professionals is athletes and sports competitors, an occupation that placed No. 17 with a mean annual wage of $259,750. Agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes ranked at No. 31, earning a typical annual wage of $165,600.

Besides physicists, other jobs related to science made the list. Natural science managers (ranked at No. 28) made an average of $173,500 a year. Petroleum engineers, who figure out how to extract oil and gas from the ground, took the No. 39 spot with $153,560 a year. Architectural and engineering managers, ranked at No. 27, made $175,710 a year. Aerospace engineers (No. 49) averaged $141,180 a year. There were also several computer related occupations in the top 50 such as data architects (No. 47: $142,620), software developers (No. 43: $144,570), computer and information research scientists (No. 40: $152,310), computer hardware engineers (No. 37: $156,770) and computer and information system managers (No. 24: $187,990).

Other notable professions that made the list included personal financial advisors (No. 36: $160,210) and financial managers (No. 26: $180,470). Lawyers (No. 25: $182,760) and judges (No. 44: $143,110) also made the top 50 as did several management occupations such as public relations managers (No. 33: $163,520), sales managers (No. 34: $160,930), human resources managers (No. 35: $160,480), compensation and benefits managers (No. 38: $156,230), purchasing managers (No. 41: $150,630) and advertising and promotions managers (No 42: $149,270).