Only one of the 25 highest paying occupations in the United States doesn't require a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the Occupational Employment Statistics Survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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The survey found that anesthesiologists, general internists, obstetricians, oral surgeons, orthodontists, prosthodontists, psychiatrists, and surgeons are the jobs with the highest median wages. The median annual wages for all those occupations was greater than $145,600 in 2005. Thirteen of the 25 highest paying occupations are in the medical or dental fields.
Out of the 25 highest paying jobs, traffic controller is the only one that doesn't require a bachelor's degree or higher. To be a traffic controller, you need work experience or on-the-job training.
25 Highest Paying Occupations
|
Occupation |
Median Wages in 2005 |
Hourly |
Annual |
| |
|
1 |
Anesthesiologists |
$70.01+ |
$145,600+ |
2 |
Internists, General |
$70.01+ |
$145,600+ |
3 |
Obstetricians and Gynecologists |
$70.01+ |
$145,600+ |
4 |
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons |
$70.01+ |
$145,600+ |
5 |
Orthodontists |
$70.01+ |
$145,600+ |
6 |
Prosthodontists |
$70.01+ |
$145,600+ |
7 |
Psychiatrists |
$70.01+ |
$145,600+ |
8 |
Surgeons |
$70.01+ |
$145,600+ |
9 |
Physicians and Surgeons, All Other |
$68.98 |
$143,500 |
10 |
Chief Executives |
$68.48 |
$142,400 |
11 |
Family and General Practitioners |
$67.50 |
$140,400 |
12 |
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers |
N/A |
$138,200 |
13 |
Pediatricians, General |
$65.67 |
$136,600 |
14 |
Dentists, General |
$60.24 |
$125,300 |
15 |
Air Traffic Controllers |
$51.73 |
$107,600 |
16 |
Astronomers |
$50.32 |
$104,700 |
17 |
Engineering Managers |
$48.44 |
$100,800 |
18 |
Podiatrists |
$48.34 |
$100,500 |
19 |
Lawyers |
$47.56 |
$98,900 |
20 |
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates |
$46.91 |
$97,600 |
21 |
Computer and Information Systems Managers |
$46.41 |
$96,500 |
22 |
Dentists, All Other Specialists |
$45.48 |
$94,600 |
23 |
Natural Sciences Managers |
$44.75 |
$93,100 |
24 |
Petroleum Engineers |
$44.71 |
$93,000 |
25 |
Marketing Managers |
$44.56 |
$92,700 |