Highest-paying occupations by mean wage
A national ranking by mean annual wage.
| Occupation | Employment | Median | Mean | Selected measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 103,560 | $232,140 | $288,650 | $288,650 |
| Chief Executives | 204,350 | $213,990 | $269,630 | $269,630 |
| Physicians, All Other | 342,720 | $265,930 | $262,040 | $262,040 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 107,510 | $244,180 | $255,820 | $255,820 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 670,570 | $175,140 | $192,160 | $192,160 |
| Dentists, General | 124,390 | $170,950 | $191,350 | $191,350 |
| Financial Managers | 841,710 | $166,570 | $186,910 | $186,910 |
| Lawyers | 754,500 | $159,670 | $185,840 | $185,840 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 220,260 | $171,270 | $181,540 | $181,540 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 108,690 | $167,220 | $180,250 | $180,250 |
| Marketing Managers | 395,240 | $166,790 | $177,770 | $177,770 |
| Sales Managers | 637,080 | $148,270 | $164,350 | $164,350 |
| Human Resources Managers | 220,660 | $149,280 | $164,230 | $164,230 |
| Personal Financial Advisors | 266,800 | $105,070 | $156,670 | $156,670 |
| Purchasing Managers | 84,320 | $148,080 | $156,360 | $156,360 |
| Managers, All Other | 622,190 | $141,900 | $153,890 | $153,890 |
| Software Developers | 1,687,890 | $135,980 | $148,100 | $148,100 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 221,270 | $107,310 | $147,570 | $147,570 |
| Veterinarians | 83,900 | $130,100 | $142,680 | $142,680 |
| Physician Assistants | 162,150 | $135,880 | $141,280 | $141,280 |
How to read this comparison
This table is ordered by mean. That measure is kept distinct from the other columns so readers can see how a different question changes the ranking.
Every row uses the cross-industry national OEWS table for May 2025. The occupation code and period stay fixed within the ranking. Values are survey estimates and may be rounded; the ordering does not account for living costs, experience, industry, work schedule, benefits, or individual qualifications.
A ranking answers only the question encoded by its sort key. Employment is not wage, mean is not median, and a wide percentile spread is not a forecast of wage growth. Open an occupation profile for the complete set of published measures before treating a position in this table as meaningful.
LaborBrief does not fill suppressed estimates, combine releases, or infer future values. The pages in the methods library explain mean versus median, percentiles, source dates, and responsible use.
For state context, use the state index and only compare cells that carry all six required BLS values. A state page can show concentration and employment scale that a national ranking cannot. Return to the wages hub for other sorting questions.
Primary sources
- BLS OEWS tables — BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS questions and answers — methods and limitations