Highest-paying jobs in America
The occupations with the biggest official median paychecks.
| # | Occupation | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pediatric Surgeon | $559,030 | $268.76 |
| 2 | Cardiologist | $496,010 | $238.47 |
| 3 | Radiologist | $420,860 | $202.34 |
| 4 | Surgeon, All Other | $414,010 | $199.04 |
| 5 | Anesthesiologist | $391,490 | $188.22 |
| 6 | Orthopedic Surgeon, Except Pediatric | $358,550 | $172.38 |
| 7 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $352,220 | $169.34 |
| 8 | Emergency Medicine Physician | $335,550 | $161.32 |
| 9 | Dermatologist | $328,730 | $158.04 |
| 10 | Physician, Pathologists | $312,400 | $150.19 |
| 11 | Prosthodontist | $311,180 | $149.61 |
| 12 | Ophthalmologist, Except Pediatric | $300,080 | $144.27 |
Browse salaries by field
From six-figure specialists to skilled trades — every career field, ranked by average pay.
America’s biggest occupations
The jobs the most Americans actually do, by official BLS employment counts.
Popular salary searches
The occupations Americans look up most.
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping CleanersLaborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandCook, RestaurantMaintenance and Repair Workers, GeneralTeaching Assistant, Except PostsecondaryFirst-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support WorkersGeneral and Operations ManagersSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific ProductsWaiters and WaitressesElementary School Teacher, Except Special EducationFast Food and Counter WorkersFirst-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
Why SalaryLens?
Official government data
Every figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program — the same wage data economists and journalists cite.
Real state-level pay
Not modeled estimates: each occupation gets its official BLS wage for every state that reports it — 34524 local salary reports.
Full pay ranges
See what the bottom 10%, the middle 50%, and top earners actually make, in annual and hourly terms — plus typical education requirements.