U.S. Employment

If You Want America's Best Paid Jobs, Go to Med School

Health care professionals are extremely well paid in the United States and dominate the country's best-paid jobs. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, cardiologists are the highest earners overall, with annual mean wages of $421,330 as of 2022. Orthopedic surgeons follow with $371,400 while pediatric surgeons round off the top three. They earn an impressive annual mean wage of $362,970. Out of America's top 10 highest paid professions, only athletes and sports competitors can compete with the health care sector. The highest annual mean wage of an athlete or sports competitor in the United States is $358,080.

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This chart show the highest annual mean wages in the United States in 2022.

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Highest paying occupations in the United States as of May 2024, by mean annual pay (in U.S. dollars)
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Average annual compensation earned by U.S. physicians as of 2025, by specialty (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)
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Annual wage of surgeons employed in the United States in 2025, by state (in U.S. dollars)
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Annual wage of cardiologists employed in the United States in 2025, by state (in U.S. dollars)
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Annual wage of employees in legal occupations in the United States in 2025, by category (in U.S. dollars)
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Leading 20 physician specialties with the highest average annual compensation in the United States in 2025 (in U.S. dollars)

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