Surgeons top the list of highest paying jobs in 2026, with a median of $414,010 a year, followed by anesthesiologists at $391,490. This top 10 ranks jobs by 2025 median annual pay from US government data, and it keeps the spirit of our 2013 list while replacing every number.
The 2013 list had a CEO at number 2 and air traffic controllers at number 7. Median pay changes the picture: top executives across all company sizes have a median of $108,780, so they fall out of the top 10 on this method, while nurse anesthetists enter it. Big-company chief executives are paid far above that median, but that is a different dataset.
Highest paying jobs in 2026: summary table
| Rank | Job | Median pay (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surgeons | $414,010 |
| 2 | Anesthesiologists | $391,490 |
| 3 | Nurse anesthetists | $236,590 |
| 4 | Airline and commercial pilots | $210,020 |
| 5 | Dentists | $176,110 |
| 6 | Computer and information systems managers | $175,140 |
| 7 | Architectural and engineering managers | $171,270 |
| 8 | Natural sciences managers | $167,220 |
| 9 | Marketing managers | $165,780 |
| 10 | Lawyers | $159,670 |
Top 10 highest paying jobs in 2026
10. Lawyers: $159,670 median pay
Lawyers handle everything from copyright to contracts to entertainment deals, and the median is $159,670 a year. The job needs a doctoral or professional degree, and there were about 863,700 lawyers in the US in 2025. Government projections see 5% growth over the decade to 2035.
9. Marketing managers: $165,780 median pay
Advertising, promotions and marketing managers plan campaigns and decide where the money goes. Median pay is $165,780. A bachelor’s degree plus related experience is the usual route, and the field counted about 454,800 jobs in 2025.
8. Natural sciences managers: $167,220 median pay
These managers supervise research in fields such as biology, chemistry and agriculture, and the median is $167,220. The job count is small (around 112,200 in 2025) but government projections put growth at 8% to 2035.
7. Architectural and engineering managers: $171,270 median pay
This is the 2026 version of our old “engineering managers” entry. They direct design, research and production, and earn a median of $171,270. There were roughly 220,900 of them in 2025.
6. Computer and information systems managers: $175,140 median pay
If your company runs on software, these are the people who keep the servers up and the data safe. Pay sits at $175,140 and this is the fast mover on the list: government projections show 16% growth through 2035, with about 108,100 new jobs.
5. Dentists: $176,110 median pay
Our 2013 list put “dental surgeon” at number 5 and dentists still sit there. Across all dentists the figure is $176,110, and specialists earn more: oral and maxillofacial surgeons have a median of $352,220, and prosthodontists $311,180. Entry takes a doctoral or professional degree.
4. Airline and commercial pilots: $210,020 median pay
Pilots held the same spot in 2013 and have pulled well ahead of the managers beneath them. Pilots earn $210,020 at the median, spread over about 154,900 jobs, with growth of 7% projected to 2035, which is described as much faster than average.
3. Nurse anesthetists: $236,590 median pay
A new entry. Nurse anesthetists earn a median of $236,590. That is a bigger paycheck than any manager on this list, and about 60% of what a physician anesthesiologist earns.
2. Anesthesiologists: $391,490 median pay
These doctors keep surgery patients asleep and safe, and the median is $391,490. Cardiologists, at $496,010, and radiologists, at $420,860, also out-earn most of the list, but they are specialist physicians rather than a separate rung of the career ladder, so we treat the physician field as one group. Across all physicians and surgeons, median pay is $275,930.
1. Surgeons: $414,010 median pay
Surgeons were first in 2013 and are first again. The median for “surgeons, all other” is $414,010. Among specialties, pediatric surgeons come in at $559,030 and orthopedic surgeons (not pediatric) at $358,550. Years of training come first: a doctoral or professional degree is the entry requirement.
What happened to CEOs and air traffic controllers?
Air traffic controllers earn a median of $148,080, which is high for a job that needs an associate’s degree, but it no longer makes the top 10 by median pay. Top executives have a median of $108,780 because that group includes the owners and managers of very small businesses.
Back in 2013 we ranked the CEO second, and our CEO had a view on that:
Being the CEO of any company is a huge responsibility and it usually means a lot of hard working hours put into the development of the company. The best paid CEOs in the world are paid 7 or 8 figure yearly salaries and I would personally rank them on the #1 position, but taking into account the overall numbers they’re fighting for the 1st spot!
~ Emil’s reply
How we put this list together
We ranked jobs by the 2025 median annual pay published in the US government’s Occupational Outlook Handbook. Median pay is the figure at which half of workers earn more and half earn less, so it understates top earners such as chief executives of large companies.
Keep reading
- 10 career moves that never fail: what to do once you have picked a field
- How successful people got out of a career rut: for when the pay is good but the job is not
- Why the career ladder is broken: a counterpoint to chasing the highest salary
FAQ
What is the highest paying job in 2026?
Surgeons, with a 2025 median pay of $414,010 a year for the group the government labels ‘surgeons, all other’. Pediatric surgeons have a median of $559,030.
Which non-medical job pays the most?
Among the jobs on this list, airline and commercial pilots lead with a median of $210,020, followed by computer and information systems managers at $175,140.
Do CEOs earn the most?
Not by median. Top executives have a median of $108,780 across all company sizes. Chief executives at large companies are paid much more, but that is a narrow group.
Which highest paying job is growing fastest?
Computer and information systems managers, with 16% projected growth from 2025 to 2035. Natural sciences managers are next at 8%, and pilots at 7%.
How were these jobs ranked?
By 2025 median annual pay from the US government’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, which reports what half of workers in each job earn above and below.
What changed from our 2013 list?
Nurse anesthetists entered the top 10, while CEOs and air traffic controllers fell out when measured by median pay. All 2013 salary figures are replaced.
Last updated: October 2026.
Originally written in 2013 by Irina. You can visit her blog here: [button color=”red” size=”small” link=”http://imapuma.wordpress.com” target=”blank” ]I’m a puma [/button]
