Cardiologist – $350,000
Cardiologists diagnose, treat, and manage conditions of the heart, so you can imagine the standard of qualifications required to do the job well. Top cardiologists get paid around $350,000 a year, after spending years training and studying to become the best in the profession.
Anesthesiologist – $330,000
Anesthesiologists are highly trained medical specialists who administer anesthetics to numb the pain of surgical procedures. It is an unpredictable job, as anesthesiologists are required to be on hand for both scheduled surgery and, on occasion, emergency procedures.
Oral Surgeon – $311,000
Oral surgeons treat a range of diseases related to the mouth and the jaw areas. The job is linked to dentistry, but focuses less on teeth checkups, and more on surgical procedures, such as tumor removal, sorting out misaligned jaws, and sometimes performing dental implant surgery.
Emergency Medicine Physician – $310,000
Emergency medicine physicians must be on hand to make big life-or-death decisions, so it’s not an occupation for indecisive people. It requires an extremely high level of proficiency and understanding of the medical field, as misdiagnosis can prove fatal. The hours are unpredictable, and often long, which explains the $310,000 annual salary.
Orthopedic Surgeon – $305,000
Orthopedic surgeons work on patients who need musculoskeletal surgery. This can involve spinal or neck surgeries, with some scheduled appointments and some emergency treatments. Orthopedic surgeons can often be the difference between life or paralysis and death, which justifies a $305,000 annual wage.
Dermatologist – $302,000
Dermatologists help treat and prevent issues with hair, skin, or nails. This can involve taking part in surgeries, or even visiting hospitals and lecture rooms, giving advice and consultations to other medical professionals and students. One bonus of the job is that there are rarely any calls for emergency procedures, meaning the work hours are often settled and predictable.
Radiologist – $300,000
If you want to be a radiologist, you’ll have to prepare for around 13 years of training and study. The job involves diagnosing, treating, and preventing illness and injury via the means of X-rays, ultrasound tests, and nuclear medicine. Radiologists often work alongside a patient’s physician to help solve any problems.
Surgeon – $297,000
General surgeons make a very good wage of around £297,000 a year. It is a stressful job, involving the steadiest of hands, and an occupation that often leads to long hours without a break. The job covers patient surgery from the X-ray reviewing stage, through the actual procedure, and then clearing the patients after the surgery has taken place.
Obstetrician Gynecologist – $297,000
Obstetrician gynecologists specialize in vaginal, uterine, ovarian, and cervical reproductive health, as well as pregnancy and childbirth. To do this job effectively, you have to be a strong specialist in the field of reproduction and childbirth. You will often be involved in a patient’s pregnancy from the early stages to the birth, so it is rewarding, but often stressful, as childbirth can be unpredictable.
Pediatric Surgeon – $290,000
Pediatric surgeons often work in children’s hospitals, tending to children as young as newborns to as old as teenagers. Performing surgical maneuvers on children is especially skilled work due to their smaller bodies, so proficiency in this specialty requires years of training and constant study.
Ophthalmologist – $270,000
Ophthalmologists perform surgeries and diagnoses related to the eye. They can also perform standard eye tests, informing patients on which type of glasses they may need. Most of their work is penciled in, such as appointments or scheduled surgeries, meaning their working hours are straightforward and predictable. Nevertheless, this specialty commands a high salary.
Neurologist – $267,000
Neurologists work to treat and prevent diseases related to the brain. They will diagnose patients with neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, stepping in to occasionally perform surgery. Neurologists don’t always work standard hours, with some shifts being a lot longer than others.
Orthodontist – $267,000
Orthodontists will usually work in tandem with a patient’s general dentist, performing more specialized surgeries and procedures. Their role will usually consist of fitting and removing braces, taking X-rays, and performing high-level dental practice. It is a highly-sought out and high-salaried specialty, meaning job openings in this field are very competitive.
Pathologist – $267,000
A pathologist is a type of physician who spends the majority of their working hours inside the laboratory. They conduct tests using bodily fluids, organs, and body tissues. Some pathologist labs will be open 24 hours a day, meaning that some pathologists will have to work night shifts, hence the high salary.
Psychiatrist – $250,000
There are many types of psychiatrists, with some sub-sections of the industry earning more than others. A general psychiatrist will work with patients to understand and diagnose mental health issues. Some will work in trauma care, helping patients to recover lost memories and move past difficult events in their lives.
General Internal Medicine Physician – $240,000
The role of the General Internal Medicine Physician is as broad as it suggests, meaning anyone looking to go for the role will need a vast knowledge of ailments and their treatments. It is a fairly non-stop job, and hours will differ depending on how many patients come through the hospital doors on any given day.
Family Medicine Physician – $235,000
Family medicine physicians will offer medical support, diagnoses, and treatment to patients throughout their lifespan, from children to adults. Physicians in this role will often work alongside other medical professionals, in order to make the referral process simpler.
Physician – $231,000
The role of a physician is fairly general, but centers around diagnosing patients, treating them, or referring them to other medical specialists. They will either work in-house at a hospital or medical center, or in a commercial setting, seeing to workers of a certain company.
Chief Executive – $213,000
Chief Executives are the highest-paid workers that aren’t involved in the medical sector. The role involves making critical personnel decisions for a company, determining the direction it is heading in, and meeting with other major players in the industry. The average wage for a CEO is $213,000 a year, but that can grow or shrink significantly depending on the company and the kind of work they do.
Nurse Anesthetist – $202,000
A nurse anesthetist’s role is extremely similar to that of an anesthesiologist, although they don’t complete their training to as high a level. Nurse anesthetists still play an important role though, administering anesthesia before surgery and looking after the patient during the surgical process, justifying their $202,000 yearly wage.
Pediatrician – $200,000
Pediatricians are essentially physicians, with the major difference being that they specialize in the healthcare of children. The role involves general medical checkups, the treatment of common illnesses and diseases, and the administering of vaccines. Pediatricians require a higher level of sensitivity and empathy for obvious reasons, which justifies their salary.
Airline Pilot – $200,000
Airline pilots get paid handsomely, as they not only have to spend a lot of their time away from home, but also have the lives of hundreds of people per flight in their hands. Pilots must spend thousands of hours in training and cockpit experience before they get cleared to take charge of commercial flights, and this training comes with a hefty pricetag.
Flight Engineer – $195,000
Flight engineers are responsible for doing routine pre-flight checks, maintaining cabin pressure, and assessing other in-flight data that needs to be overseen. The rise in automated data has seen a decline in the number of flight engineers that are required in the aviation industry. However, flight engineers are still paid a yearly wage of around $195,000.
Specialty Dentist – $175,000
Specialty dentists will perform surgeries such as root canals, wisdom teeth removal, and other forms of tooth-based surgical procedures. They often deal with issues affecting the inside of the tooth which are causing pain, but will also perform routine checkups and other simpler procedures.
Dentist – $167,000
The low-stress, appointment-based role of a dentist is appealing, especially when you consider the $167,000 average yearly wage that it pays. The job doesn’t involve the same types of surgery performed by orthodontists and oral surgeons, but still requires a great deal of training and a high-level degree.
IT Manager – $162,000
Computers and other forms of technology have streamlined the way the world works, with most companies taking the majority of their operations into the digital space. However, this technology often falters, making IT managers and technicians a vital cog in the corporate machine. Lead an IT team and you’ll find yourself earning a handsome wage.
Architect – $159,000
Architects are responsible for the designing and planning of new buildings and the restoration and maintenance of older ones. It is certainly a job role in demand as cities get larger and more commercial residential buildings need to be built. This justifies the average $159,000 yearly wage.
Judges/Magistrate – $151,000
Judges and magistrates will oversee the entirety of a case, listening to evidence from witnesses, defendants, and victims alike. Often with help from a panel of jurors, the judge will then decide whether the defendant is guilty or not, before handing out the punishment they deem appropriate and proportional.
Podiatrist – $148,000
Podiatrists specialize in helping people with mobility issues, helping to relieve pain, predominantly in the feet and legs. Podiatrists work with all ages from children to the elderly, with a lot of their work being done in the rehabilitation stage of injury recovery.
Physicist – $143,000
Physicists – not to be confused with physicians – explore the world of space, time, matter, and energy. This can involve analyzing tests and developing theories within a few subsections, for example, astronomers are physicists who operate in the field of outer space and interplanetary research. Between research, lecturing, and book publication, these scientists earn a very comfortable living.
Marketing Manager – $140,000
Marketing managers are responsible for strategizing and implementing advertising campaigns that bring further attention to the name of the brand they are working for. They will decide the direction of the advertising, and the demographic to which they want to advertise to, using both creativity and a data-led approach.
Data Warehouse Manager – $135,000
Data warehouse managers are responsible for building and constantly maintaining data warehouses. Data warehouses are an essential part of business data management systems, as they enable analytics to work successfully and store historical data that can be crucial for future development.
Cloud Engineer – $123,000
Contrary to what you might be thinking, cloud engineers don’t help to create the clouds in the sky. Instead, they work with cloud-based technology, which involves operating and maintaining software that holds and protects data that isn’t saved directly on to a device or hardrive.
Midwife – $105,000
Midwives are ultimately responsible for the safe and healthy delivery of newborn babies. This includes spotting high-risk pregnancies, providing full antenatal care, and ensuring the well-being of both mother and baby during and in the moments directly after labor.
Economist – $100,000
Economists analyze changes in the market while speculating on the growth of certain financial investments. They may also advise companies and governments on financial strategy while developing forecasts for the path that national and global economics will take over time, or in response to specific events.
Veterinarian – $95,000
Being a veterinarian is notoriously difficult, but also highly rewarding. It takes an extreme love for animals, and a strong desire to help save their lives. Sometimes this is not possible, which is partly the reason that there are many who end up diverting their career path earlier than they would have imagined.
Senior Scientist – $95,000
Senior scientists can work in a variety of fields, ranging from developing pharmaceuticals to teaching lectures at universities. Senior scientists oversee research projects and experiments, assigning roles to other scientists working on the project, and developing new research methods and theories.
Attorney – $90,000
Attorneys are always required, with a general description of their job being to represent people in court. Their jobs can range from small claims to high-profile criminal cases. Becoming an attorney is a fairly long process, requiring a law degree, an inside-out knowledge of every aspect of the law, and a great way with words.
Application Developer – $86,000
Application developers are the brains behind apps that you find on your phone or computer. They can work on anything from online banking apps, to social media programs, to time-killing mobile games. App developers are increasingly in demand, with high-level companies offering around $86,000 per year for the role.
Mechanical Engineer – $83,000
Mechanical engineers research and help to create mechanical products and systems, such as vehicle engines, power grids, and jet engines. Mechanical engineers will oversee the development of such products from beginning to end, before transferring the methods onto a production line.
