Best-paying careers
Highest median annual wage, all education levels. Top 30 of 290 occupations we profile, from official BLS Employment Projections (2025–35). Use the Career Explorer to filter all of them.
Updated
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers | $232,140 | +8.3% | 11,200 | Bachelor's degree |
| Chief executives | $213,990 | +3.2% | 19,100 | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer and information systems managers | $175,140 | +15.8% | 53,500 | Bachelor's degree |
| Architectural and engineering managers | $171,270 | +5.5% | 14,900 | Bachelor's degree |
| Natural sciences managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | 9,200 | Bachelor's degree |
| Marketing managers | $166,790 | +6.9% | 34,000 | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial managers | $166,570 | +9.7% | 65,600 | Bachelor's degree |
| Lawyers | $159,670 | +4.7% | 28,700 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Human resources managers | $149,280 | +5.5% | 16,800 | Bachelor's degree |
| Sales managers | $148,270 | +4.5% | 47,300 | Bachelor's degree |
| Purchasing managers | $148,080 | +4.0% | 6,400 | Bachelor's degree |
| Public relations managers | $146,910 | +5.7% | 6,100 | Bachelor's degree |
| Pharmacists | $140,910 | +5.2% | 12,500 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Software developers | $135,980 | +10.2% | 95,300 | Bachelor's degree |
| Physician assistants | $135,880 | +21.1% | 11,500 | Master's degree |
| Computer network architects | $134,050 | +7.7% | 9,600 | Bachelor's degree |
| Nurse practitioners | $132,300 | +41.0% | 29,400 | Master's degree |
| Information security analysts | $129,180 | +21.0% | 14,100 | Bachelor's degree |
| Industrial production managers | $126,060 | +2.6% | 17,000 | Bachelor's degree |
| Medical and health services managers | $123,860 | +24.2% | 62,300 | Bachelor's degree |
| Commercial pilots | $123,220 | +5.2% | 5,200 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Electrical engineers | $120,630 | +9.9% | 11,400 | Bachelor's degree |
| Data scientists | $120,230 | +34.6% | 24,800 | Bachelor's degree |
| Construction managers | $114,990 | +9.1% | 49,700 | Bachelor's degree |
| Art directors | $114,850 | +4.2% | 12,200 | Bachelor's degree |
| Administrative services managers | $114,130 | +5.2% | 22,000 | Bachelor's degree |
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | $107,310 | +17.9% | 24,900 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers | $107,230 | +6.1% | 18,300 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Facilities managers | $106,660 | +4.6% | 14,200 | Bachelor's degree |
| Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary | $105,870 | -0.3% | 20,600 | Master's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025 ↗. Employment is for 2025, projections to 2035; median annual wage is for 2025; openings are the projected annual average for 2025–35. Figures are national, not local. Data last downloaded Oct 16, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is #1 on this list?
Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers: median pay $232,140 in 2025, projected growth +8.3% for 2025–35, about 11,200 openings a year (BLS).