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What are the highest paying jobs in the U.S.?

6 August 2006

If you’re young and still deciding on a career, or thinking about shifting fields, this is a key piece of information for you to know. And Monster.com has gone through some government data to figure it out.

Not suprisingly, doctors of various kinds make the most money on average. Surgeons top the list with an average salary of $190,000! Not a bad reward for all those years of study. Chief Executives average $140,000 - but that’s a hard job to get because you don’t have much choice about whether you’re going to be one or not. Dentists and airline pilots both average $130,000. Lawyers clock in at $107,000. Engineering and Information systems managers are $100,000 and $95,000, respectively. Optometrists make $95,000, while air traffic controllers make $93,000. There are some other careers on the list, so you can go check it out - all tend to be variations of the other jobs somehow.

It’s also important to know that just because you go into a field doesn’t mean you’re going to make the average salary. I know the legal field - and there are lots of factors that affect that $107,000 average. If you live in New York City, you’re going to make a lot more. If you’re in Tulsa, you won’t even approach that on average. The best lawyers will make a lot more - I know baby lawyers fresh out of law school making $150,000 - because they did really well, and lots of firms want to hire them. I also know lawyers making closer to $50,000, or even less if they don’t work in the private sector. Getting a job on this list isn’t a guaranteed path to riches. But it is a good way to set yourself on the right path. Even if you’re a lower paid dentist, you’re still in a good career that will always have a demand for it.

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    One Response to “What are the highest paying jobs in the U.S.?”

  1. Bryan C. Fleming » Blog Archive » Personal Growth Carnival for August 8th Says:

    [...] Wondering which jobs pay the most? Kevin Kneupper answers this with What are the highest paying jobs in the U.S [...]

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