America’s 25 Best Paying Jobs
Career Mean Annual Wage Anesthesiologists $184,340 Surgeons $184,150 Obstetricians And $178,040 Gynecologists Orthodontists $176,900 Oral & $164,760 Maxillofacial Surgeons Internists, General $160,860 Prosthodontists $158,940 Psychiatrists $149,990 Family And $149,850 General Practitioners Chief Executives $144,600 Physicians& $142,220 Surgeons, All Other Pediatricians, $141,440 General Dentists, General $140,950 Airline Pilots, $140,380 Copilots & Flight Engineers Podiatrists $118,500 Lawyers $113,660 Air Traffic $110,270 Controllers Engineering $110,030 Managers Dentists, All $108,340 Other Specialists Natural Sciences $107,970 Managers Marketing $107,610 Managers One-Year Change 5.8% 3.6% 3.6% 8.3% 2.6% No. In Employment 29,890 51,900 22,520 5,200 5,320
2.8% 8.8% 2.6% 6.8%
48,700 480 24,730 109,400
3.4% 2.4%
299,520 208,960
1.6% 5.4% 4.0%
28,930 86,110 75,810
6.5% 2.8% 4.2% 4.3% 6.3% 8.9% 5.5%
9,020 547,710 23,240 183,960 4,560 38,660 159,950
Computer And $107,250 Information Systems Managers Sales Managers $102,730 Petroleum $101,620 Engineers Financial $101,450 Managers Notes
4.8%
251,210
4.3% 4.4% 5.0%
307,960 15,060 468,270
The numbers are drawn from the U.S. government’s National, State and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. The latest ones available use 2006 data and are based on a national survey of employers of every size and in all industry sectors. They examine 800 occupations. The survey covers full- and part-time workers who are paid a wage or salary. It does not include the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers and unpaid family workers. It asks about basic pay, incentive bonuses and commissions, but not overtime pay or non-wage compensation, such as stock options. Year-earlier comparisons are to the 2005 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.