The Highest-Paying Jobs You Can Get Right Now

Looking to make a lot of money? These careers are where it's at.

By Lily Martis, Monster contributor

So, you’re looking for a way to make a lot money? Well, unless you’re in line for a big inheritance from a long-lost relative, your best bet lies within the job market. We all know that jobs are not created equal when it comes to making money. There are low-paying jobs and good-paying jobs. Then, there are highest-paying jobs. Those are the ones we’re most interested in right now.

Choosing a lucrative career path can mean having the means to enjoy the finer things in life, like taking luxury vacations, wearing designer clothes, and never having to check a price tag. But the road to get there isn’t paved with gold.

Sure, there are high-paying jobs you can get without a college degree, or even with an associate degree, but the highest-paying jobs of all typically require higher education and many years of experience (read: lots of work). If one thing’s for sure, though, it’s that the jobs that pay the most are definitely worth your efforts.

A Quick Note About High Salaries

Salaries for the highest-paying jobs largely depend on your specialty, experience level, and where in the country you're employed. For example, a surgeon salary in Pasadena, California, is 4% higher than the national median; a marketing manager salary in New Britain, Connecticut, is 7% higher than the national median; and a petroleum engineer salary in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, is 18% higher than the national median.

Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monster rounded up the 50 highest-paying jobs you can get right now—all boasting six-figure salaries.

You’ll notice many of the jobs on the list can be found in health care, with anesthesiologists, surgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeons (we looked it up for you: specializing in the jaw and face), OBGYNs, and orthodontists topping the list. Beyond health care, you’ll find that the best paying jobs also include occupations for engineers, executives, pilots, and financial professionals.

Check out the full list of highest-paying jobs below to see if applying to one of these jobs would be worth your while.

The 50 Highest-Paying Jobs

1. Anesthesiologists

Annual mean wage: $261,730 per year

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2. Surgeons

Annual mean wage: $252,040 per year

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3. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons

Annual mean wage: $237,570 per year

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4. Obstetricians and gynecologists

Annual mean wage: $233,610 per year

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5. Orthodontists

Annual mean wage: $230,830 per year

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6. Prosthodontists

Annual mean wage: $220,840 per year

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7. Psychiatrists

Annual mean wage: $220,430 per year

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8. Family medicine physicians

Annual mean wage: $213,270 per year

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9. Physicians (all other) and ophthalmologists (except pediatric)

Annual mean wage: $203,450 per year

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10. General internal medicine physicians

Annual mean wage: $201,440 per year

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11. Chief executives

Annual mean wage: $193,850 per year

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12. Pediatricians (general)

Annual mean wage: $184,410 per year

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13. Nurse anesthetists

Annual mean wage: $181,040 per year

Learn how to become a nurse anesthetist and find nurse anesthetist jobs on Monster.

14. Dentists (general)

Annual mean wage: $178,260 per year

Learn how to become a dentist and find dentist jobs on Monster.

15. Dentists (specialist)

Annual mean wage: $178,040 per year

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16. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers

Annual mean wage: $174,870 per year

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17. Petroleum engineers

Annual mean wage: $156,780 per year

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18. Computer and information systems managers

Annual mean wage: $156,390 per year

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19. Architectural and engineering managers

Annual mean wage: $152,930 per year

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20. Marketing managers

Annual mean wage: $149,200 per year

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21. Financial managers

Annual mean wage: $147,530 per year

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22. Natural sciences managers

Annual mean wage: $145,450 per year

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23. Lawyers

Annual mean wage: $145,300 per year

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24. Podiatrists

Annual mean wage: $142,680 per year

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25. Advertising and promotions managers

Annual mean wage: $141,890 per year

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26. Sales managers

Annual mean wage: $141,690 per year

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27. Compensation and benefits managers

Annual mean wage: $134,210 per year

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28. Public relations and fundraising managers

Annual mean wage: $132,630 per year

Learn how to become a public relations specialist and find public relations manager jobs on Monster.

29. Physicists

Annual mean wage: $131,080 per year

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30. Law teachers, postsecondary

Annual mean wage: $129,950 per year

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31. Human resources managers

Annual mean wage: $129,570 per year

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32. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates

Annual mean wage: $128,550 per year

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33. Purchasing managers

Annual mean wage: $128,400 per year

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34. Computer and information research scientists

Annual mean wage: $127,460 per year

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35. Pharmacists

Annual mean wage: $125,510 per year

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36. Training and development managers

Annual mean wage: $123,470 per year

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37. General and operations managers

Annual mean wage: $123,030 per year

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38. Computer hardware engineers

Annual mean wage: $123,030 per year

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39. Optometrists

Annual mean wage: $122,980 per year

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40. Astronomers

Annual mean wage: $122,270 per year

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41. Health specialty teachers, postsecondary

Annual mean wage: $121,620 per year

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42. Actuaries

Annual mean wage: $120,970 per year

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43. Nuclear engineers

Annual mean wage: $120,700 per year

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44. Political scientists

Annual mean wage: $120,260 per year

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45. Air traffic controllers

Annual mean wage: $120,140 per year

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46. Personal financial advisors

Annual mean wage: $119,290 per year

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47. Aerospace engineers

Annual mean wage: $119,220 per year

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48. Economics teachers, postsecondary

Annual mean wage: $119,160 per year

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49. Personal service managers, all other; entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling

Annual mean wage: $118,710 per year

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50. Chemical engineer

Annual mean wage: $117,090 per year

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Get One of the Highest-Paying Jobs

If you've got your eyes on big money, you should know that securing one of the highest-paying jobs in America is not easy—but it's definitely possible. After all, you've made it this far, completed your education and certifications, and now you need to get in front of hiring managers. Need some help? Upload up to five versions of your resume for free to Monster, where recruiters search to fill jobs all day long. It's an easy way to get connected to open positions that pay the big bucks.