1. Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Median Salary: $209,734
Top Earners: $325,780
Education: Doctor of Medicine degree
What they do: A cardiothoracic surgeon is a specialist who operates on the heart, lungs and other thoracic (chest) organs. As well as performing surgery, they also diagnose and treat diseases of these organs.
2. Psychiatrist
Median Salary: $223,248
Top Earners: $308,198
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: A medical doctor (an M.D. or D.O.) who specializes in mental health, including substance use disorders. Psychiatrists are licensed to prescribe medication to their patients.
3. Trial Lawyer
Median Salary: $227,252
Top Earners: $356,708
Education: Juris Doctor
What they do: Trial lawyers meet with clients and agree to represent them in court cases. After performing legal research, trial lawyers go to court to argue their client’s case on their behalf to the judge or jury.
4. Associate Litigation Attorney
Median Salary: $237,726
Top Earners: $361,179
Education: Juris Doctor
What they do: A litigation attorney is a lawyer who represents people and companies in civil lawsuits brought before the courts.
5. Emergency Physician
Median Salary: $238,049
Top Earners: $371,213
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Works at an emergency department to care for ill patients. The emergency physician is a specialist in advanced cardiac life support, resuscitation, trauma care such as fractures and soft tissue injuries, and management of other life-threatening situations.
6. Professor of Medicine
Median Salary: $226,898
Top Earners: $408,884
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Works at a university and engages in practical instruction of professional medical students. Members of such faculty are expected to have considerable practical experience in their respective fields of expertise.
7. Partner (Law)
Median Salary: $242,673
Top Earners: $406,069
Education: Juris Doctor; Bachelor’s Degree
What they do: Partners are primarily those senior lawyers who are responsible for generating most of the firm’s revenue.
8. Special Counsel
Median Salary: $244,798
Top Earners: $343,437
Education: Juris Doctor
What they do: Investigate, and potentially prosecute, a particular case of suspected wrongdoing for which a conflict of interest exists for the usual prosecuting authority.
9. Distinguished Engineer
Median Salary: $245,309
Top Earners: $338,801
Education: Bachelor’s Degree
What they do: A distinguished engineer is someone a team can build around for any project, a person who will spend time developing others and making them far better at their job then they were before.
10. Corporate Controller
Median Salary: $249,729
Top Earners: $334,953
Education: Bachelor’s Degree
What they do: Oversees all the financial and accounting functions of a given organization, including billing, accounts payable and receivable, budgeting, and other functions.
11. Orthopedic Surgeon
Median Salary: $247,049
Top Earners: $445,199
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Work on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles.
12. Obstetrician/Gynecologist
Median Salary: $250,737
Top Earners: $402,710
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: An obstetrician-gynecologist, or OB-GYN, is a healthcare professional that specializes in female reproductive health. People trained as OB-GYNs specialize in both obstetrics and gynecology: obstetrics involves working with pregnant women, including delivering babies. Gynecology involves the female reproductive system, treating a wide range of conditions.
13. Nephrologist
Median Salary: $258,312
Top Earners: $394,650
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: A medical professional who specializes in kidney care and treating diseases of the kidneys.
14. Neurologist
Median Salary: $259,575
Top Earners: $359,701
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Treats disorders that affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
15. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
Median Salary: $262,248
Top Earners: $438,450
Education: Doctor of Dental Surgery; Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Dental specialists who treat conditions, defects, injuries and esthetic aspects of the mouth, teeth, jaws and face.
16. Principal Software Development Engineer
Median Salary: $276,546
Top Earners: $361,955
Education: Bachelor’s Degree
What they do: Develop, document, and test software to ensure that the software meets the needs of end-users and achieves business goals. Provide technical guidance to development teams and oversee the technical aspects of all projects.
17. Cardiac Surgeon
Median Salary: $277,708
Top Earners: $379,971
Education: Doctor of Medicine degree
What they do: Cardiac surgeons operate on the heart and surrounding vessels to treat cardiovascular diseases.
18. Radiation Oncologist
Median Salary: $283,017
Top Earners: $399,508
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Specialist physician who uses ionizing radiation in the treatment of cancer.
19. Orthodontist
Median Salary: $291,097
Top Earners: $384,862
Education: Doctor of Dental Surgery
What they do: Facial growth and dental development experts. They diagnose and treat crooked teeth, bad bites and poorly aligned jaws.
20. Flight Surgeon
Median Salary: $291,295
Top Earners: $451,287
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Physicians (MDs or DOs) who serve as the primary care physicians for a variety of military aviation personnel on special duty status.
21. Radiologist
Median Salary: $304,321
Top Earners: $463,895
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating disease and injury, using medical imaging techniques such as x-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography (PET), fusion imaging, and ultrasound.
22. Anesthesiologist
Median Salary: $304,623
Top Earners: $415,770
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Medical speciality concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, and pain medicine.
23. Principal Partner
Median Salary: $328,226
Top Earners: $584,111
Education: Bachelor’s Degree
What they do: The partner who is the qualified agent of a bail bond agency and who exercises operational control over the agency.
24. Dermatologist
Median Salary: $330,247
Top Earners: $451,192
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Dermatologists treat over 3,000 skin conditions, including acne, psoriasis, and skin cancer. They are trained to carry out skin grafts, laser treatments, the excision of lesions, and more.
25. Airman
Median Salary: $340,477
Top Earners: $494,993
Education: Military Flight Training; Bachelor’s Degree
What they do: Work on flight support missions, handling base affairs, protecting bases, constructing new airstrips, guarding missile sites, even doing rescues.
26. Plastic Surgeon
Median Salary: $342,681
Top Earners: $560,816
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Perform operations that change the shape or appearance of part of a patient’s body.
27. Intensivist
Median Salary: $348,298
Top Earners: $610,494
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: A board-certified physician who provides special care for critically ill patients.
28. Gastroenterologist
Median Salary: $356,838
Top Earners: $522,178
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Experts on the digestive system and how it works. Also called “GI doctors,” gastroenterologists treat problems and diseases of the digestive system and are experts in how the digestive system works.
29. Urologist
Median Salary: $384,304
Top Earners: $602,882
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Surgeons who diagnose and treat disorders of the urinary tract.
30. Vascular Surgeon
Median Salary: $384,853
Top Earners: $646,141
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Diagnoses, treats, and manages conditions in your arteries and veins, also called your blood vessels.
31. Cardiologist
Median Salary: $386,029
Top Earners: $606,936
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases of the cardiovascular system.
32. Neurosurgeon
Median Salary: $400,630
Top Earners: $534,032
Education: Doctor of Medicine
What they do: Physician who specializes in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system including congenital anomalies, trauma, tumors, vascular disorders, infections of the brain or spine, stroke, or degenerative diseases of the spine.
33. Principal Development Manager
Median Salary: $412,646
Top Earners: $693,474
Education: Bachelor’s Degree
What they do: Principal Development Manager creates the vision for the organization; driving the roadmap, and being an ambassador of best practice. They deliver thought leadership and influence across the business, whilst ensuring all competencies are aligned.
34. Audit Partner
Median Salary: $443,381
Top Earners: $799,000
Education: Bachelor’s Degree
What they do: Reviews a client’s financial information for accuracy, validity and timeliness. Accounting firms usually employ partners to find and retain clients, manage the audit department, and engage in client audits when necessary.
35. Tax Partner
Median Salary: $469,973
Top Earners: $690,081
Education: Bachelor’s Degree
What they do: Handle client relationships, ensure that new business is coming into the firm, and keep expenses in line. Partners also meet periodically to make decisions regarding hiring/firing/compensation decisions, as well as the overall direction of the firm.