Highest-Paying Healthcare Jobs
Answer
Cardiologists ($496,010), Radiologists ($420,860), Anesthesiologists ($391,490) top this list. Physician specialties take the top places, followed by orthodontists, nurse anesthetists, dentists, podiatrists and pharmacists. Further down are associate-degree jobs such as radiation therapy and dental hygiene, which pay well for much shorter training.
How this ranking works
Includes: Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations (SOC 29) and healthcare support occupations (SOC 31); at least 5,000 US jobs. Ranked by: Median annual wage. Data: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Occupations without a published median and the residual “all other” categories are left out. Methodology
| 1 | Cardiologists | $496,010 | $238.47 | 17,290 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.8% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Radiologists | $420,860 | $202.34 | 26,770 | Doctoral or professional degree | +3.4% |
| 3 | Anesthesiologists | $391,490 | $188.22 | 38,760 | Doctoral or professional degree | +3.6% |
| 4 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $358,550 | $172.38 | 14,100 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.0% |
| 5 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $335,550 | $161.32 | 32,880 | Doctoral or professional degree | +3.2% |
| 6 | Dermatologists | $328,730 | $158.04 | 11,370 | Doctoral or professional degree | +6.8% |
| 7 | Physicians, Pathologists | $312,400 | $150.19 | 11,110 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.8% |
| 8 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $300,080 | $144.27 | 8,950 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.5% |
| 9 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $292,910 | $140.82 | 21,260 | Doctoral or professional degree | +1.7% |
| 10 | Orthodontists | $289,140 | $139.01 | 6,210 | Doctoral or professional degree | +6.0% |
| 11 | Psychiatrists | $281,870 | $135.51 | 27,980 | Doctoral or professional degree | +7.2% |
| 12 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $256,560 | $123.35 | 67,150 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.0% |
| 13 | Neurologists | $248,560 | $119.50 | 10,590 | Doctoral or professional degree | +6.4% |
| 14 | Family Medicine Physicians | $244,180 | $117.39 | 107,510 | Doctoral or professional degree | +3.3% |
| 15 | Nurse Anesthetists | $236,590 | $113.75 | 51,840 | Master's degree | +9.7% |
| 16 | Pediatricians, General | $210,040 | $100.98 | 39,390 | Doctoral or professional degree | +1.5% |
| 17 | Dentists, General | $170,950 | $82.19 | 124,390 | Doctoral or professional degree | +5.7% |
| 18 | Podiatrists | $160,300 | $77.07 | 9,680 | Doctoral or professional degree | +2.0% |
| 19 | Pharmacists | $140,910 | $67.75 | 321,970 | Doctoral or professional degree | +5.2% |
| 20 | Optometrists | $136,570 | $65.66 | 42,790 | Doctoral or professional degree | +9.5% |
| 21 | Physician Assistants | $135,880 | $65.33 | 162,150 | Master's degree | +21.1% |
| 22 | Nurse Midwives | $134,040 | $64.44 | 7,920 | Master's degree | +11.5% |
| 23 | Nurse Practitioners | $132,300 | $63.61 | 323,040 | Master's degree | +41.0% |
| 24 | Veterinarians | $130,100 | $62.55 | 83,900 | Doctoral or professional degree | +9.4% |
| 25 | Radiation Therapists | $105,310 | $50.63 | 17,070 | Associate's degree | +2.8% |
| 26 | Physical Therapists | $102,760 | $49.40 | 267,330 | Doctoral or professional degree | +11.9% |
| 27 | Nuclear Medicine Technologists | $101,370 | $48.74 | 17,080 | Associate's degree | +4.4% |
| 28 | Occupational Therapists | $100,330 | $48.24 | 162,450 | Master's degree | +14.8% |
| 29 | Dental Hygienists | $98,100 | $47.16 | 222,740 | Associate's degree | +8.0% |
| 30 | Speech-Language Pathologists | $97,870 | $47.05 | 183,390 | Master's degree | +16.6% |
| 31 | Registered Nurses | $97,550 | $46.90 | 3,379,720 | Bachelor's degree | +5.6% |
| 32 | Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $96,590 | $46.44 | 90,160 | Associate's degree | +13.9% |
| 33 | Audiologists | $95,780 | $46.05 | 13,660 | Doctoral or professional degree | +11.0% |
| 34 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | $95,480 | $45.91 | 43,390 | Associate's degree | +7.7% |
| 35 | Respiratory Therapists | $82,280 | $39.56 | 139,790 | Associate's degree | +8.5% |
| 36 | Orthotists and Prosthetists | $81,110 | $38.99 | 9,390 | Master's degree | +12.9% |
| 37 | Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $80,110 | $38.52 | 230,490 | Associate's degree | +5.0% |
| 38 | Chiropractors | $79,200 | $38.08 | 39,630 | Doctoral or professional degree | +8.7% |
| 39 | Dietitians and Nutritionists | $76,400 | $36.73 | 77,570 | Bachelor's degree | +7.7% |
| 40 | Acupuncturists | $76,040 | $36.56 | 7,830 | Master's degree | +8.6% |
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.