High-Paying Jobs for Baby Boomers

By Catherine Conlan, Monster Contributing Writer

Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials bring a wide range of skills to the workplace, and it turns out they aren’t all landing the same jobs. In its recent Generations at Work report, Payscale took a closer look at the pay, job types, values, education and lifestyles of each generation. Not surprisingly given their age level and experience, some of the best-paying jobs are primarily held by Boomers. Here are a few of the best-paying jobs held mainly by Baby Boomers, with median pay.

Note that salaries are affected not only by experience but also by specialty and location. For example, a surgeon salary in Indianapolis is 1% lower than the national median and a surgeon salary in Palo Alto, California, is 7% higher than the national median.

Chief Medical Officer, $300,700

Chief medical officers usually oversee medical activities at hospitals and other health-care systems. They track such metrics as physician performance, patient safety, infection control, service and so on; manage other directors; set up performance standards; and track compliance with accrediting and licensing agencies. Degrees required often include an M.D. and MBA, and certification in a specialty is a plus.

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General Surgeon, $285,900

General surgeons operate on the major systems of the body, rather than specializing in a certain organ, system or joint. General surgeons are often the ones to remove an appendix or gallbladder, perform removals or transplants, and perform colonoscopies. They may go on to get a specialty, or assist other specialized surgeons.

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Physician/Doctor, Emergency Room, $253,900

Doctors who work in emergency rooms diagnose and treat injuries in urgent situations. Training is intense, and ER doctors need to guard against burnout from stress or difficult schedules. ER doctors work with paramedics and emergency room staff members to assess situations and put together treatment plans. They must be able to think quickly and under pressure.

Search for Physician-Emergency jobs.

Psychiatrist, $215,200

Psychiatrists specialize in the treatment of mental disorders. They earn medical degrees and are able to prescribe medications to help their patients with psychological disorders. After earning an M.D. or D.O., a psychiatrist may practice generally or specialize in addiction, forensics, organizational psychiatry, or other areas. Psychiatrists often run their own practices.

Search for Psychiatrist jobs.

Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, $208,500

No matter what the company does, the SVP of sales and marketing is in charge of developing marketing tactics and growing sales. EVPs of sales and marketing may be asked to track metrics regarding sales and marketing, develop a marketing vision for the organization, make contact with clients, oversee sales managers and establish mentoring and training programs for the sales department. This position often requires a higher degree and a long history of sales and marketing successes at smaller companies.

Search for Vice President of Sales and Marketing jobs.

President and CEO, $183,200

Presidents and CEOs of companies are the ones who run the show. They serve as the public face of the company, oversee all reports and provide strategic leadership to department managers. Depending on the size of the company, they may be asked to fill sales, marketing or other management roles. They are in charge of setting fiscal goals and approving budgets, policies and organizational plans.

Search for President and CEO jobs.

Dentist, $165,600

Dentists provide care for people’s teeth, including preventive care. They clean and X-ray teeth, perform procedures and educate patients on proper dental care. They may work at community offices or be self-employed, or work at larger institutions. Dentists need to enroll in an accredited program, which is often quite competitive. They study anatomy, radiology and use of anesthesia. Some dentists may specialize in orthodontic or periodontics.

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(Median income for each position includes total cash compensation, bonuses, profit sharing and commissions, but not stock compensation, retirement benefits or cash value of other benefits, such as health care.)