The lists in this section separate the 250 jobs that met our criteria for this book into lists based on the education or training typically required for entry. Unlike many of the other lists, these lists are not broken down into separate lists for highest pay, growth, or number of openings. Instead, we provided one list that includes all the best-paying occupations in our database that fit into each of the education levels and ranked the occupations by their earnings. Where jobs have equal earnings, we ordered them alphabetically.
You can use these lists in a variety of ways. For example, they can help you identify a highpaying job with higher potential but with a similar level of education to the job you now hold.
You can also use these lists to figure out additional job possibilities that would open up if you were to get additional training, education, or work experience. For example, maybe you are a high school graduate working in the transportation field and want to advance to a high-paying job. There are many jobs in this field at all levels of education. You can identify the job you're interested in and the related training you need so you can move ahead in the your field.
The lists of jobs by education should also help you when you're planning your education. For example, you might be thinking about a job in the business field, but you aren't sure what kind of work you want to do. The lists show that a job as a Sales Representative requires moderate-term on-the-job training and pays $60,760, while a job as a Loan Officer requires a bachelor's degree but pays less-$49,440. If you want higher earnings without lengthy training, this information might make a difference in your choice.
As you review these lists, doubtless you will notice that the lists grow more crowded and feature higher-paying jobs as the amount of training or education increases. It is a basic fact of the labor market that the highest-paying jobs tend to require considerable preparation. Nevertheless, if you want to minimize the time, expense, and commitment of preparing for a career, you will find several high-paying jobs with lots of openings in the first few lists.
The Education Levels
Here are brief descriptions used by the U.S. Department of Labor for the training and education levels used in the lists that follow:
- Short-term on-the-job training-It is possible to work in these occupations and achieve an average level of performance within a few days or weeks through on-the-job training.
- Moderate-term on-the-job training-Occupations that require this type of training can be performed adequately after a 1- to 12-month period of combined on-the-job and informal training. Typically, untrained workers observe experienced workers performing tasks and are gradually moved into progressively more difficult assignments.
- Long-term on-the-job training-This type of job requires more than 12 months of on-the-job training or combined work experience and formal classroom instruction. This includes occupations that use formal apprenticeships for training workers that may take up to four years. It also includes intensive occupation-specific, employer-sponsored training like police academies. Furthermore, it includes occupations that require natural talent that must be developed over many years.
- Work experience in a related occupation-This type of job requires a worker to have experience-usually several years of experience-in a related occupation (such as Police Detectives, who are selected based on their experience as Police Patrol Officers).
- Postsecondary vocational training-This requirement involves training that lasts at least a few months but usually less than one year. In a few instances, there may be as many as four years of training.
- Associate degree-This degree typically requires two years of full-time academic work beyond high school.
- Bachelor's degree-A bachelor's degree usually requires 120 to 130 semester hours to complete. A full-time student usually takes four to five years to complete a bachelor's degree, depending on the complexity of courses. Traditionally, people have thought of the bachelor's degree as a four-year degree. There are some bachelor's degrees-like the Bachelor of Architecture-that are considered a first professional degree and take five or more years to complete.
- Work experience plus degree-Some jobs require work experience in a related job in addition to a degree. For example, almost all managers have worked in a related job before being promoted into a management position. Most of the jobs in this group require a four-year bachelor's degree, although some require an associate degree or a master's degree.
- Master's degree-This degree usually requires 33 to 60 semester hours beyond the bachelor's degree. The academic master's degrees-such as a Master of Arts in Political Science-usually require 33 to 36 hours. A first professional degree at the master's level-such as a Master of Social Work-requires almost two years of full-time work.
- Doctoral degree-The doctoral degree prepares students for careers that consist primarily of theory development, research, and/or college teaching. This type of degree is typically the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Education (Ed.D.). Normally, a requirement for a doctoral degree is the completion of a master's degree plus an additional two to three years of full-time coursework and a one- to two-semester research project and paper called the dissertation. It usually takes four to five years beyond the bachelor's degree to complete a doctoral degree.
- First professional degree-Some professional degrees require three or more years of full-time academic study beyond the bachelor's degree. A professional degree prepares students for a specific profession. It uses theory and research to teach practical applications in a professional occupation. Examples of this type of degree are Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) for physicians, Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) for clergy, and Juris Doctor (J.D.) for attorneys.
Another Warning About the Data
We warned you in the introduction to use caution in interpreting the data we use, and we want to do it again here. The occupational data we use is the most accurate available anywhere, but it has its limitations. For example, the education or training requirements for entry into a job are those typically required as a minimum-but some people working in those jobs may have considerably more or different credentials. For example, most Registered Nurses now have a four-year bachelor's degree, although the two-year associate degree is the minimum level of training this job requires.
In a similar way, people with jobs that require long-term on-the-job training typically earn more than people with jobs that require moderate-term on-the-job training. However, some people with moderate-term on-the-job training do earn more than the average for the highest- paying occupations listed in this book. On the other hand, some people with long-term on-the-job training earn much less than the average shown in this book-this is particularly true early in a person's career.
So as you browse the lists that follow, please use them as a way to be encouraged rather than discouraged. Education and training are very important for success in the labor market of the future, but so are ability, drive, initiative, and, yes, luck.
Having said this, we encourage you to get as much education and training as you can. It used to be that you got your schooling and never went back, but this is not a good attitude to have now. You will probably need to continue learning new things throughout your working life. You can do so by going to school, and this is a good thing for many people to do.
But there are also many other ways to learn, such as workshops, certification programs, employer training, professional conferences, Internet training, reading related books and magazines, and many others. Upgrading your computer and other technical skills is particularly important in our rapidly changing workplace, and you avoid doing so at your peril.
As one of our grandfathers used to say, "The harder you work, the luckier you get." It is just as true now as it was then.
| Best-Paying Jobs Requiring Short-Term On-the-Job Training | |||
| Job | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Postal Service Clerks | $48,310 | 0.0% | 4,000 |
| 2. Postal Service Mail Carriers | $46,330 | 0.0% | 19,000 |
| Best-Paying Jobs Requiring Moderate-Term On-the-Job Training | |||
| Job | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Sales Representatives, Agricultural | $60,760 | 14.4% | 47,000 |
| 2. Sales Representatives, Chemical and Pharmaceutical | $60,760 | 14.4% | 47,000 |
| 3. Sales Representatives, Electrical/Electronic | $60,760 | 14.4% | 47,000 |
| 4. Sales Representatives, Instruments | $60,760 | 14.4% | 47,000 |
| 5. Sales Representatives, Mechanical Equipment and Supplies | $60,760 | 14.4% | 47,000 |
| 6. Sales Representatives, Medical | $60,760 | 14.4% | 47,000 |
| 7. Signal and Track Switch Repairers | $49,200 | 2.3% | 1,000 |
| 8. Pile-Driver Operators | $48,900 | 11.9% | fewer than 500 |
| 9. Subway and Streetcar Operators | $47,500 | 13.7% | 1,000 |
| 10. Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $47,380 | 12.9% | 169,000 |
| 11. Caption Writers | $46,420 | 17.7% | 14,000 |
Jobs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 share 47,000 job openings. Job 11 shares 14,000 job openings with three other jobs not included in this list.
| Best-Paying Jobs Requiring Long-Term On-the-Job Training | |||
| Job | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Air Traffic Controllers | $107,590 | 14.3% | 2,000 |
| 2. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators | $66,230 | -0.5% | 1,000 |
| 3. Elevator Installers and Repairers | $59,190 | 14.8% | 3,000 |
| 4. Power Distributors and Dispatchers | $59,160 | 0.0% | 1,000 |
| 5. Talent Directors | $53,860 | 16.6% | 11,000 |
| 6. Technical Directors/Managers | $53,860 | 16.6% | 11,000 |
| 7. Auxiliary Equipment Operators, Power | $53,170 | -0.4% | 5,000 |
| 8. Power Generating Plant Operators, Except Auxiliary Equipment Operators | $53,170 | -0.4% | 5,000 |
| 9. Gas Distribution Plant Operators | $51,920 | 7.7% | 2,000 |
| 10. Gas Processing Plant Operators | $51,920 | 7.7% | 2,000 |
| 11. Gaugers | $51,060 | -8.6% | 6,000 |
| 12. Petroleum Pump System Operators | $51,060 | -8.6% | 6,000 |
| 13. Petroleum Refinery and Control Panel Operators | $51,060 | -8.6% | 6,000 |
| 14. Central Office and PBX Installers and Repairers | $50,620 | -4.9% | 21,000 |
| 15. Communication Equipment Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $50,620 | -4.9% | 21,000 |
| 16. Frame Wirers, Central Office | $50,620 | -4.9% | 21,000 |
| 17. Station Installers and Repairers, Telephone | $50,620 | -4.9% | 21,000 |
| 18. Telecommunications Facility Examiners | $50,620 | -4.9% | 21,000 |
| 19. Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $50,150 | 2.5% | 11,000 |
| 20. Environmental Compliance Inspectors | $49,360 | 11.6% | 17,000 |
| 21. Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers | $49,360 | 11.6% | 17,000 |
| 22. Government Property Inspectors and Investigators | $49,360 | 11.6% | 17,000 |
| 23. Licensing Examiners and Inspectors | $49,360 | 11.6% | 17,000 |
| 24. Pressure Vessel Inspectors | $49,360 | 11.6% | 17,000 |
| 25. Transit and Railroad Police | $48,850 | 9.2% | fewer than 500 |
| 26. Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage | $48,090 | 16.6% | 2,000 |
| 27. Boilermakers | $48,050 | 8.7% | 2,000 |
| 28. Chemical Plant and System Operators | $46,710 | -17.7% | 8,000 |
| 29. Flight Attendants | $46,680 | 16.3% | 7,000 |
Jobs 5 and 6 share 11,000 job openings with each other and with three other jobs not included in this list. Jobs 7 and 8 share 5,000 job openings. Jobs 9 and 10 share 2,000 job openings. Jobs 11, 12, and 13 share 6,000 job openings. Jobs 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 share 21,000 job openings. Jobs 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 share 17,000 job openings with each other and with another job not included in this list.
| Best-Paying Jobs Requiring Work Experience in a Related Occupation | |||
| Job | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Industrial Production Managers | $75,580 | 0.8% | 13,000 |
| 2. Storage and Distribution Managers | $69,120 | 12.7% | 15,000 |
| 3. Transportation Managers | $69,120 | 12.7% | 15,000 |
| 4. First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Police and Detectives | $65,570 | 15.5% | 9,000 |
| 5. First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $61,970 | 1.9% | 38,000 |
| 6. Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisors | $60,840 | 21.1% | 4,000 |
| 7. Municipal Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisors | $60,840 | 21.1% | 4,000 |
| 8. Gaming Managers | $59,940 | 22.6% | 1,000 |
| 9. Real Estate Brokers | $57,190 | 7.8% | 12,000 |
| 10. Child Support, Missing Persons, and Unemployment Insurance Fraud Investigators | $55,790 | 16.3% | 9,000 |
| 11. Criminal Investigators and Special Agents | $55,790 | 16.3% | 9,000 |
| 12. Immigration and Customs Inspectors | $55,790 | 16.3% | 9,000 |
| 13. Police Detectives | $55,790 | 16.3% | 9,000 |
| 14. Police Identification and Records Officers | $55,790 | 16.3% | 9,000 |
| 15. Locomotive Engineers | $55,520 | -2.5% | 2,000 |
| 16. Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | $54,040 | 20.3% | 3,000 |
| 17. Postmasters and Mail Superintendents | $52,710 | 0.0% | 2,000 |
| 18. Cost Estimators | $52,020 | 18.2% | 15,000 |
| 19. First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $51,980 | 12.4% | 33,000 |
| 20. First-Line Supervisors and Manager/Supervisors-Construction Trades Workers | $51,970 | 10.9% | 57,000 |
| 21. First-Line Supervisors and Manager/Supervisors-Extractive Workers | $51,970 | 10.9% | 57,000 |
| 22. Mates-Ship, Boat, and Barge | $50,940 | 4.8% | 2,000 |
| 23. Pilots, Ship | $50,940 | 4.8% | 2,000 |
| 24. Ship and Boat Captains | $50,940 | 4.8% | 2,000 |
| 25. Railroad Yard Workers | $49,700 | -38.5% | 1,000 |
| 26. Train Crew Members | $49,700 | -38.5% | 1,000 |
| 27. Aviation Inspectors | $49,490 | 11.4% | 2,000 |
| 28. Freight Inspectors | $49,490 | 11.4% | 2,000 |
| 29. Marine Cargo Inspectors | $49,490 | 11.4% | 2,000 |
| 30. Motor Vehicle Inspectors | $49,490 | 11.4% | 2,000 |
| 31. Public Transportation Inspectors | $49,490 | 11.4% | 2,000 |
| 32. Railroad Inspectors | $49,490 | 11.4% | 2,000 |
| 33. Coroners | $49,360 | 11.6% | 17,000 |
| 34. Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products | $49,030 | 8.1% | 19,000 |
| 35. First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Correctional Officers | $48,570 | 9.4% | 2,000 |
| 36. First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Transportation and Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators | $47,530 | 15.3% | 22,000 |
| 37. Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products | $46,680 | 7.0% | 2,000 |
Jobs 2 and 3 share 15,000 job openings. Jobs 6 and 7 share 4,000 job openings. Jobs 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 share 9,000 job openings. Job 15 shares 2,000 job openings with two other jobs not included in this list. Jobs 20 and 21 share 57,000 job openings. Jobs 22, 23, and 24 share 2,000 job openings. Jobs 25 and 26 share 1,000 job openings. Jobs 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32 share 2,000 job openings. Job 33 shares 17,000 job openings with five other jobs not included in this list.
| Best-Paying Jobs Requiring Postsecondary Vocational Training | |||
| Job | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Commercial Pilots | $55,810 | 16.8% | 2,000 |
| 2. Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | $54,970 | -0.4% | 2,000 |
| 3. Ship Engineers | $52,780 | 12.7% | 1,000 |
| 4. Aircraft Body and Bonded Structure Repairers | $47,310 | 13.4% | 11,000 |
| 5. Aircraft Engine Specialists | $47,310 | 13.4% | 11,000 |
| 6. Airframe-and-Power-Plant Mechanics | $47,310 | 13.4% | 11,000 |
| 7. Avionics Technicians | $46,630 | 9.1% | 2,000 |
Jobs 4, 5, and 6 share 11,000 job openings.
| Best-Paying Jobs Requiring an Associate Degree | |||
| Job | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Radiation Therapists | $62,340 | 26.3% | 1,000 |
| 2. Nuclear Equipment Operation Technicians | $61,120 | 13.7% | 1,000 |
| 3. Nuclear Monitoring Technicians | $61,120 | 13.7% | 1,000 |
| 4. Dental Hygienists | $60,890 | 43.3% | 17,000 |
| 5. Nuclear Medicine Technologists | $59,670 | 21.5% | 2,000 |
| 6. Registered Nurses | $54,670 | 29.4% | 229,000 |
| 7. Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $54,370 | 34.8% | 5,000 |
| 8. Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technicians | $52,450 | 8.5% | 1,000 |
| 9. Calibration and Instrumentation Technicians | $48,040 | 9.8% | 18,000 |
| 10. Electrical Engineering Technicians | $48,040 | 9.8% | 18,000 |
| 11. Electronics Engineering Technicians | $48,040 | 9.8% | 18,000 |
| 12. Funeral Directors | $47,630 | 6.7% | 3,000 |
Jobs 2 and 3 share 1,000 job openings. Jobs 9, 10, and 11 share 18,000 job openings.
| Best-Paying Jobs Requiring a Bachelor's Degree | |||
| Job | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $138,170 | 17.2% | 7,000 |
| 2. Petroleum Engineers | $93,000 | -0.1% | 1,000 |
| 3. Nuclear Engineers | $88,290 | 7.3% | 1,000 |
| 4. Computer Hardware Engineers | $84,420 | 10.1% | 5,000 |
| 5. Aerospace Engineers | $84,090 | 8.3% | 6,000 |
| 6. Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software | $82,120 | 43.0% | 37,000 |
| 7. Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $78,030 | 9.7% | 11,000 |
| 8. Chemical Engineers | $77,140 | 10.6% | 3,000 |
| 9. Computer Software Engineers, Applications | $77,090 | 48.4% | 54,000 |
| 10. Sales Engineers | $74,200 | 14.0% | 8,000 |
| 11. Atmospheric and Space Scientists | $73,940 | 16.5% | 1,000 |
| 12. Electrical Engineers | $73,510 | 11.8% | 12,000 |
| 13. Marine Architects | $72,920 | 8.5% | fewer than 500 |
| 14. Marine Engineers | $72,920 | 8.5% | fewer than 500 |
| 15. Construction Managers | $72,260 | 10.4% | 28,000 |
| 16. Physician Assistants | $72,030 | 49.6% | 10,000 |
| 17. Biomedical Engineers | $71,840 | 30.7% | 1,000 |
| 18. Materials Scientists | $71,450 | 8.0% | fewer than 500 |
| 19. Materials Engineers | $69,660 | 12.2% | 2,000 |
| 20. Computer Systems Analysts | $68,300 | 31.4% | 56,000 |
| 21. Environmental Engineers | $68,090 | 30.0% | 5,000 |
| 22. Mechanical Engineers | $67,590 | 11.1% | 11,000 |
| 23. Sales Agents, Financial Services | $67,130 | 11.5% | 37,000 |
| 24. Sales Agents, Securities and Commodities | $67,130 | 11.5% | 37,000 |
| 25. Industrial Engineers | $66,670 | 16.0% | 13,000 |
| 26. Civil Engineers | $66,190 | 16.5% | 19,000 |
| 27. Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers | $65,210 | 13.4% | 2,000 |
| 28. Industrial Safety and Health Engineers | $65,210 | 13.4% | 2,000 |
| 29. Product Safety Engineers | $65,210 | 13.4% | 2,000 |
| 30. Agricultural Engineers | $64,890 | 12.0% | fewer than 500 |
| 31. Financial Analysts | $63,860 | 17.3% | 28,000 |
| 32. Personal Financial Advisors | $63,500 | 25.9% | 17,000 |
| 33. Computer Programmers | $63,420 | 2.0% | 28,000 |
| 34. Database Administrators | $63,250 | 38.2% | 9,000 |
| 35. Financial Examiners | $63,090 | 9.5% | 3,000 |
| 36. Architects, Except Landscape and Naval | $62,850 | 17.3% | 7,000 |
| 37. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts | $61,750 | 54.6% | 43,000 |
| 38. Fashion Designers | $60,860 | 8.4% | 2,000 |
| 39. Logisticians | $60,110 | 13.2% | 7,000 |
| 40. Computer Security Specialists | $59,930 | 38.4% | 34,000 |
| 41. Network and Computer Systems Administrators | $59,930 | 38.4% | 34,000 |
| 42. Budget Analysts | $58,910 | 13.5% | 6,000 |
| 43. Chemists | $57,890 | 7.3% | 5,000 |
| 44. Occupational Therapists | $56,860 | 33.6% | 7,000 |
| 45. Technical Writers | $55,160 | 23.2% | 5,000 |
| 46. Plant Scientists | $54,530 | 13.9% | 1,000 |
| 47. Soil Scientists | $54,530 | 13.9% | 1,000 |
| 48. Landscape Architects | $54,220 | 19.4% | 1,000 |
| 49. Orthotists and Prosthetists | $53,760 | 18.0% | fewer than 500 |
| 50. Park Naturalists | $53,350 | 6.3% | 2,000 |
| 51. Range Managers | $53,350 | 6.3% | 2,000 |
| 52. Soil Conservationists | $53,350 | 6.3% | 2,000 |
| 53. Accountants | $52,210 | 22.4% | 157,000 |
| 54. Auditors | $52,210 | 22.4% | 157,000 |
| 55. Commercial and Industrial Designers | $52,200 | 10.8% | 7,000 |
| 56. Food Scientists and Technologists | $51,440 | 10.9% | 1,000 |
| 57. Insurance Underwriters | $51,270 | 8.0% | 13,000 |
| 58. Credit Analysts | $50,370 | 3.6% | 3,000 |
| 59. Multi-Media Artists and Animators | $50,290 | 14.1% | 14,000 |
| 60. Social and Community Service Managers | $49,500 | 25.5% | 17,000 |
| 61. Loan Officers | $49,440 | 8.3% | 38,000 |
| 62. Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists | $48,870 | 20.4% | 15,000 |
| 63. Foresters | $48,670 | 6.7% | 1,000 |
| 64. Cartographers and Photogrammetrists | $48,250 | 15.3% | 1,000 |
| 65. Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | $47,710 | 20.5% | 14,000 |
| 66. Film and Video Editors | $46,930 | 18.6% | 3,000 |
| 67. Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | $46,820 | 17.9% | 11,000 |
| 68. Copy Writers | $46,420 | 17.7% | 14,000 |
| 69. Creative Writers | $46,420 | 17.7% | 14,000 |
| 70. Poets and Lyricists | $46,420 | 17.7% | 14,000 |
Jobs 13 and 14 share fewer than 500 job openings. Jobs 23 and 24 share 37,000 job openings. Jobs 27, 28, and 29 share 2,000 job openings. Jobs 40 and 41 share 34,000 job openings. Jobs 46 and 47 share 34,000 job openings. Jobs 50, 51, and 52 share 2,000 job openings. Jobs 53 and 54 share 157,000 job openings. Jobs 68, 69, and 70 share 14,000 job openings.
| Best-Paying Jobs Requiring Work Experience Plus Degree | |||
| Job | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Chief Executives | $142,440 | 14.9% | 38,000 |
| 2. Government Service Executives | $142,440 | 14.9% | 38,000 |
| 3. Private Sector Executives | $142,440 | 14.9% | 38,000 |
| 4. Engineering Managers | $100,760 | 13.0% | 15,000 |
| 5. Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $97,570 | 6.9% | 1,000 |
| 6. Computer and Information Systems Managers | $96,520 | 25.9% | 25,000 |
| 7. Natural Sciences Managers | $93,090 | 13.6% | 5,000 |
| 8. Marketing Managers | $92,680 | 20.8% | 23,000 |
| 9. Sales Managers | $87,580 | 19.7% | 40,000 |
| 10. Financial Managers, Branch or Department | $86,280 | 14.8% | 63,000 |
| 11. Treasurers, Controllers, and Chief Financial Officers | $86,280 | 14.8% | 63,000 |
| 12. Actuaries | $81,640 | 23.2% | 3,000 |
| 13. General and Operations Managers | $81,480 | 17.0% | 208,000 |
| 14. Public Relations Managers | $76,450 | 21.7% | 5,000 |
| 15. Purchasing Managers | $76,270 | 7.0% | 8,000 |
| 16. Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School | $75,400 | 10.4% | 27,000 |
| 17. Training and Development Managers | $74,180 | 25.9% | 3,000 |
| 18. Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | $70,680 | 10.1% | 1,000 |
| 19. Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $70,350 | 21.3% | 18,000 |
| 20. Medical and Health Services Managers | $69,700 | 22.8% | 33,000 |
| 21. Compensation and Benefits Managers | $69,130 | 21.5% | 4,000 |
| 22. Advertising and Promotions Managers | $68,860 | 20.3% | 9,000 |
| 23. Management Analysts | $66,380 | 20.1% | 82,000 |
| 24. Administrative Services Managers | $64,020 | 16.9% | 25,000 |
| 25. Art Directors | $63,950 | 11.5% | 10,000 |
| 26. Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators | $54,360 | 15.5% | fewer than 500 |
| 27. Directors-Stage, Motion Pictures, Television, and Radio | $53,860 | 16.6% | 11,000 |
| 28. Producers | $53,860 | 16.6% | 11,000 |
| 29. Program Directors | $53,860 | 16.6% | 11,000 |
| 30. Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes | $53,800 | 11.8% | 2,000 |
| 31. Agricultural Crop Farm Managers | $51,160 | 4.0% | 20,000 |
| 32. Fish Hatchery Managers | $51,160 | 4.0% | 20,000 |
| 33. Nursery and Greenhouse Managers | $51,160 | 4.0% | 20,000 |
| 34. Vocational Education Teachers, Secondary School | $47,090 | 9.1% | 10,000 |
Jobs 1, 2, and 3 share 38,000 job openings. Jobs 27, 28, and 29 share 11,000 job openings with each other and with two other jobs not included in this list. Jobs 31, 32, and 33 share 20,000 job openings.
| Best-Paying Jobs Requiring a Master's Degree | |||
| Job | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | $84,690 | 20.4% | fewer than 500 |
| 2. Political Scientists | $84,100 | 7.3% | fewer than 500 |
| 3. Economists | $73,690 | 5.6% | 1,000 |
| 4. Geologists | $71,640 | 8.3% | 2,000 |
| 5. Hydrologists | $63,820 | 31.6% | 1,000 |
| 6. Geographers | $63,550 | 6.8% | fewer than 500 |
| 7. Physical Therapists | $63,080 | 36.7% | 13,000 |
| 8. Statisticians | $62,450 | 4.6% | 2,000 |
| 9. Operations Research Analysts | $62,180 | 8.4% | 7,000 |
| 10. Market Research Analysts | $57,300 | 19.6% | 20,000 |
| 11. Urban and Regional Planners | $55,170 | 15.2% | 3,000 |
| 12. Teachers, Postsecondary | $55,100 | 32.2% | 329,000 |
| 13. Speech-Language Pathologists | $54,880 | 14.6% | 5,000 |
| 14. Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | $53,710 | 12.4% | 3,000 |
| 15. Audiologists | $53,490 | 9.1% | fewer than 500 |
| 16. Sociologists | $52,760 | 4.7% | fewer than 500 |
| 17. Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $52,630 | 17.1% | 8,000 |
| 18. Instructional Coordinators | $50,430 | 27.5% | 15,000 |
| 19. Librarians | $47,400 | 4.9% | 8,000 |
| 20. Educational, Vocational, and School Counselors | $46,440 | 14.8% | 32,000 |
| Best-Paying Jobs Requiring a Doctoral Degree | |||
| Job | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Astronomers | $104,670 | 10.4% | fewer than 500 |
| 2. Physicists | $89,810 | 7.0% | 1,000 |
| 3. Biochemists | $71,000 | 21.0% | 1,000 |
| 4. Biophysicists | $71,000 | 21.0% | 1,000 |
| 5. Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $61,730 | 34.1% | 15,000 |
| 6. Clinical Psychologists | $57,170 | 19.1% | 10,000 |
| 7. Counseling Psychologists | $57,170 | 19.1% | 10,000 |
| 8. School Psychologists | $57,170 | 19.1% | 10,000 |
| 9. Microbiologists | $56,870 | 17.2% | 1,000 |
| 10. Epidemiologists | $52,170 | 26.2% | 1,000 |
| 11. Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists | $52,050 | 13.0% | 1,000 |
Jobs 3 and 4 share 1,000 job openings. Jobs 6, 7, and 8 share 10,000 job openings.
| Best-Paying Jobs Requiring a First Professional Degree | |||
| Job | Annual Earnings | Percent Growth | Annual Openings |
| 1. Anesthesiologists | more than $145,600 | 24.0% | 41,000 |
| 2. Internists, General | more than $145,600 | 24.0% | 41,000 |
| 3. Obstetricians and Gynecologists | more than $145,600 | 24.0% | 41,000 |
| 4. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | more than $145,600 | 16.2% | fewer than 500 |
| 5. Orthodontists | more than $145,600 | 12.8% | 1,000 |
| 6. Prosthodontists | more than $145,600 | 13.6% | fewer than 500 |
| 7. Psychiatrists | more than $145,600 | 24.0% | 41,000 |
| 8. Surgeons | more than $145,600 | 24.0% | 41,000 |
| 9. Family and General Practitioners | $140,400 | 24.0% | 41,000 |
| 10. Pediatricians, General | $136,600 | 24.0% | 41,000 |
| 11. Dentists, General | $125,300 | 13.5% | 7,000 |
| 12. Podiatrists | $100,550 | 16.2% | 1,000 |
| 13. Lawyers | $98,930 | 15.0% | 40,000 |
| 14. Pharmacists | $89,820 | 24.6% | 16,000 |
| 15. Optometrists | $88,040 | 19.7% | 2,000 |
| 16. Veterinarians | $68,910 | 17.4% | 8,000 |
| 17. Chiropractors | $67,200 | 22.4% | 4,000 |
Jobs 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 10 share 41,000 job openings.