Best-Paying Jobs for the Years of Training
Answer
Massage Therapist ($58,450), Welder ($53,750), Police Officer ($50,807) top this list. This list divides each career's median pay by the typical training time in our how-to-become guides, counted from the end of high school. It favors careers that pay well soon after a short program; it does not count training costs, apprenticeship wages earned while training or how pay grows later.
How this ranking works
Includes: The careers on this site that require at least one year of training after high school, using the typical time in each how-to-become guide. Ranked by: Median annual wage divided by typical years of training. Data: BLS OEWS, May 2025; training time from this site's how-to-become guides. Occupations without a published median and the residual “all other” categories are left out. Methodology
| 1 | Massage Therapist | $58,450 | 9-15 months | $58,450 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Welder | $53,750 | About 1 year | $53,750 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| 3 | Police Officer | $50,807 | 1-2 years | $76,210 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| 4 | Dental Assistant | $48,070 | 1 year | $48,070 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| 5 | Airline Pilot | $46,428 | 4-6 years | $232,140 | Bachelor's degree |
| 6 | Pharmacy Technician | $45,750 | Under 1 year | $45,750 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| 7 | Medical Assistant | $45,690 | About 1 year | $45,690 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| 8 | Phlebotomist | $45,230 | Under 1 year | $45,230 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| 9 | LPN | $42,933 | 18 months | $64,400 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| 10 | IT Support Specialist | $41,240 | 1 to 2 years | $61,860 | Some college, no degree |
| 11 | Commercial Pilot | $41,073 | 2-4 years (part-time training or a college aviation degree) | $123,220 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| 12 | Aircraft Mechanic | $39,935 | 1.5-2.5 years | $79,870 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| 13 | Firefighter | $39,520 | 1-2 years | $59,280 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| 14 | Ultrasound Technician | $38,636 | 2-3 years | $96,590 | Associate's degree |
| 15 | Barber | $38,210 | About 1 year | $38,210 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| 16 | Cosmetologist | $35,790 | 9 to 15 months | $35,790 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| 17 | Radiation Therapist | $35,103 | 2-4 years | $105,310 | Associate's degree |
| 18 | Medical Billing and Coding Specialist | $34,093 | 1-2 years | $51,140 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| 19 | Software Engineer | $33,995 | 4 years | $135,980 | Bachelor's degree |
| 20 | Cardiologist | $33,067 | 14-16 years | $496,010 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 21 | Respiratory Therapist | $32,912 | 2-3 years | $82,280 | Associate's degree |
| 22 | Dental Hygienist | $32,700 | 3 years | $98,100 | Associate's degree |
| 23 | Registered Nurse | $32,517 | 2-4 years | $97,550 | Bachelor's degree |
| 24 | Actuary | $32,500 | 4 years of college plus up to 7 years to associate (ASA or ACAS) | $130,000 | Bachelor's degree |
| 25 | Computer Engineer | $32,348 | 4-6 years (bachelor's, often followed by a master's) | $161,740 | Bachelor's degree |
| 26 | Surgical Technician | $32,325 | About 2 years | $64,650 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| 27 | Radiology Technician | $32,044 | 2-3 years | $80,110 | Associate's degree |
| 28 | MRI Technician | $31,827 | 3 years | $95,480 | Associate's degree |
| 29 | Paralegal | $31,445 | 2 years | $62,890 | Associate's degree |
| 30 | Anesthesiologist | $31,319 | 12-13 years | $391,490 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 31 | Radiologist | $31,175 | 13-14 years | $420,860 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 32 | Web Developer | $30,883 | 2-4 years (associate or bachelor's degree) | $92,650 | Bachelor's degree |
| 33 | Physical Therapist Assistant | $30,391 | 2-2.5 years | $68,380 | Associate's degree |
| 34 | Electrical Engineer | $30,158 | 4 years to start; about 8 years to a PE license | $120,630 | Bachelor's degree |
| 35 | Aerospace Engineer | $29,991 | 4-5 years | $134,960 | Bachelor's degree |
| 36 | Cardiovascular Technologist | $29,724 | 2-3 years (cardiovascular technologist) | $74,310 | Associate's degree |
| 37 | Court Reporter | $28,968 | 2 to 3 years | $72,420 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| 38 | Chemical Engineer | $27,787 | 4-5 years (degree, often with co-op or internships) | $125,040 | Bachelor's degree |
| 39 | Orthodontist | $27,537 | 10-11 years after high school | $289,140 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 40 | Crane Operator | $27,232 | 1-4 years | $68,080 | High school diploma or equivalent |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, national cross-industry estimates; projections and typical entry education from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Occupation names are the official BLS titles; linked names have a full pay and how-to-become page on this site.