Highest-Paying Careers by Education Level

BLS-sourced median pay for the top 5 occupations at each education tier, plus their projected job growth through 2034.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook classifies every occupation by "typical entry-level education." The table that follows synthesizes BLS OEWS May 2024 medians with the Handbook's education classifications. All growth figures are from BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034.

High school diploma — top 5

Each requires significant on-the-job training (apprenticeship, FAA certification, police academy) but no college degree.

Associate's degree — top 5

Air traffic controllers earn more than most bachelor's-degree professions — but entry requires passing an FAA Air Traffic Skills Assessment with a low pass rate and completing an intense academy training.

Bachelor's degree — top 10

"Software developers" and "Computer and information research scientists" combined will add roughly 410,000 new positions through 2034 — the largest absolute openings of any single occupation cluster.

Master's degree — top 5

Nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) are the highest-paid master's-level occupation in the U.S., per BLS. Training is a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program after a BSN and 2+ years of ICU experience.

Doctorate or professional degree — top 5

BLS reports physician medians by specialty but caps several at $239,200+ because so many physicians earn above the survey's top wage threshold. AMGA Compensation and Productivity Survey data suggests the realistic medians for anesthesiologists and orthopedic surgeons are above $400,000.

What this table doesn't show

Cost of the credential

An MBA from a top-20 program has an all-in cost of roughly $200,000–$250,000 (College Scorecard plus opportunity cost). A medical school is $250,000+ tuition plus 4 years of foregone earnings plus 3–7 years of low-paid residency. A master's of social work is $40,000–$80,000 at a public university. The pay alone doesn't tell you whether the path is worth it.

Time to peak earnings

A software developer hits the median by year 4–6 in industry. A surgeon doesn't hit median pay until age 32–35 after 4 years of medical school plus 5–7 years of residency. The lifetime earnings comparison flips depending on how steeply you discount future income.

State variance

Use BLS OEWS state tables to look up your specific state. A nurse practitioner in California earns $158,130 (median); in Tennessee it's $103,360.

How TruePath helps with this

The summary tables on this page show national medians. Pay varies significantly by state — for example, registered nurses (bachelor's level) earn a median of $137,690 in California versus $74,870 in Alabama. TruePath publishes state-level medians for every BLS occupation, so a user planning a career in Texas or Ohio sees the median pay specific to their job market rather than the national average.

TruePath's career comparison tool lets you put any two or three occupations side by side with state-personalized salary, projected growth, automation risk, work-life balance, and remote-work percentage. The comparison is free for up to two careers and unlimited with the Full Access tier ($75 one-time).

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest-paying job in the United States?

Per BLS OEWS May 2024, anesthesiologists, surgeons, and obstetricians/gynecologists are the highest-paid occupations, with medians at or above the BLS reporting cap of $239,200. Compensation surveys from AMGA and Medical Group Management Association estimate realistic medians for these specialties at $300,000–$500,000+. All three require a doctoral or professional degree plus residency.

What is the highest-paying job without a bachelor's degree?

Commercial pilots ($113,080), elevator installers ($102,420), detectives and criminal investigators ($91,100), power line installers ($85,420), and subway operators ($83,700) are the top five high-school-only occupations per BLS OEWS May 2024. All require significant trade-specific training but no four-year degree.

What is the highest-paying associate degree job?

Air traffic controllers earn a median of $137,380 — the highest of any associate-level occupation per BLS OEWS. Entry is highly competitive: candidates must pass the FAA Air Traffic Skills Assessment (low pass rate) and complete intensive academy training. Nuclear technicians ($104,240) and radiation therapists ($98,300) are the next highest.

Is a master's degree worth it for the pay bump?

It depends on the field. A master's in nursing (NP path) takes a $86,070 RN salary to $126,260 NP pay — a $40,000 annual bump that recovers a $60,000 master's cost in about 18 months. A master's in social work takes $58,000 BSW pay to $68,000 MSW pay — a $10,000 bump that takes 6+ years to recoup a $60,000 master's cost. Run the math per field.

Why does BLS cap several physician salaries at $239,200?

BLS OEWS reports the median for high-earning occupations only up to the survey's top wage threshold ($239,200 in the most recent release). For occupations where 50% or more of workers earn above the threshold, BLS lists the median as "equal to or greater than $239,200" rather than a specific number. The actual median for anesthesiologists and surgeons is well above this cap per AMGA and MGMA compensation surveys.

Are doctorate-level salaries worth the time and tuition?

For medicine, dentistry, and law, the credential is the gatekeeper for the career — without it you cannot practice. For PhDs in academic fields, the financial return on a doctorate is often negative compared to a master's in the same field. Academic salary medians in humanities and social sciences are typically $60,000–$90,000 after 5–7 years of low-stipend doctoral work.

Do these salaries account for cost of living?

No — BLS OEWS reports gross wages, not cost-of-living-adjusted pay. A $130,000 software engineering job in San Francisco buys less than an $80,000 software engineering job in Austin once housing, taxes, and groceries are factored in. The MIT Living Wage Calculator and BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey are useful complements.

How accurate are the 2034 growth projections?

BLS Employment Projections are updated every two years and have a mixed track record — actual occupational employment 10 years later typically matches the projection within ±5 percentage points for most occupations. Projections miss when an unexpected technology shift occurs (e.g. solar PV installer projections were too low pre-2018 because rooftop solar grew faster than expected).