This is our second annual study identifying the Careers with highest Total Employment and Annual Median Wage (in $)s.
The table below contains data on hundreds of careers. The 2nd column ("Total Employment") represents the number of jobs for a given occupation. You can also see the Highest Annual Median wage for any particular career in the third column ("Annual Median Wage (in $)").
Note: Clicking on any of the hyperlinked Career names will bring you to a detailed profile page for the Career, including the Top Cities (a list of salaries by metro area), Top Industries (a list of industries which employ the most people in the job) and Related Career Stories for a particular Career.
List of schools providing the programs in order to pursue a particular career is also available upon clicking the Career names.
| Career | Total Employment | Annual Median Wage (in $) |
|---|---|---|
| Accountants and Auditors | 1,280,700 | 71,550 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 22,090 | 122,990 |
| Art Directors | 42,890 | 94,220 |
| Athletic Trainers | 28,600 | 48,440 |
| Avionics Technicians | 21,750 | 65,700 |
| Bakers | 184,990 | 27,700 |
| Barbers | 20,030 | 30,150 |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | 31,360 | 94,490 |
| Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | 19,780 | 91,410 |
| Biological Technicians | 79,530 | 45,860 |
| Broadcast Technicians | 28,650 | 40,570 |
| Budget Analysts | 51,460 | 76,540 |
| Carpenters | 734,170 | 48,330 |
| Chemical Engineers | 30,120 | 108,770 |
| Chemists | 83,530 | 77,630 |
| Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 68,870 | 53,410 |
| Civil Engineers | 310,850 | 87,060 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | 16,900 | 122,270 |
| Computer Programmers | 199,540 | 86,550 |
| Construction and Building Inspectors | 110,420 | 60,710 |
| Construction Managers | 293,380 | 95,260 |
| Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | 14,530 | 60,130 |
| Craft Artists | 4,640 | 34,710 |
| Credit Analysts | 73,930 | 73,650 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,919,230 | 34,710 |
| Database Administrators and Architects | 125,460 | 93,750 |
| Dental Assistants | 351,470 | 40,080 |
| Dental Hygienists | 221,560 | 76,220 |
| Dental Laboratory Technicians | 34,460 | 41,340 |
| Desktop Publishers | 8,740 | 45,390 |
| Dietetic Technicians | 29,230 | 28,400 |
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 67,670 | 61,270 |
| Economists | 19,000 | 105,020 |
| Editors | 95,970 | 61,370 |
| Electrical Engineers | 185,570 | 98,530 |
| Electricians | 688,620 | 56,180 |
| Engineers | 1,730,720 | 94,500 |
| Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 18,010 | 50,620 |
| Environmental Engineers | 53,150 | 88,860 |
| Fashion Designers | 22,030 | 73,790 |
| Film and Video Editors | 27,570 | 63,780 |
| Financial and Investment Analysts, Financial Risk Specialists, and Financial Specialists, All Other | 458,510 | 81,590 |
| Financial Examiners | 64,550 | 81,090 |
| Financial Managers | 654,790 | 129,890 |
| Floral Designers | 41,770 | 28,040 |
| Food Service Managers | 235,470 | 55,320 |
| Forensic Science Technicians | 16,520 | 59,150 |
| Forest and Conservation Workers | 6,760 | 31,770 |
| Foresters | 9,510 | 61,790 |
| Graphic Designers | 215,930 | 52,110 |
| Health Technologists and Technicians | 2,902,300 | 44,380 |
| Home Appliance Repairers | 31,100 | 40,260 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 3,161,500 | 25,280 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 3,161,500 | 25,280 |
| Human Resources Managers | 154,800 | 116,720 |
| Human Resources Specialists | 633,040 | 61,920 |
| Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 67,110 | 56,550 |
| Industrial Engineers | 291,710 | 88,020 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 387,630 | 53,590 |
| Loan Officers | 308,370 | 63,270 |
| Management Analysts | 709,750 | 85,260 |
| Marketing Managers | 263,680 | 136,850 |
| Medical Assistants | 712,430 | 34,800 |
| Medical Dosimetrists, Medical Records Specialists, and Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other | 331,790 | 42,630 |
| Medical Equipment Repairers | 46,370 | 49,280 |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 604,780 | 36,580 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | 117,770 | 46,650 |
| Motorcycle Mechanics | 15,590 | 37,600 |
| Pharmacy Technicians | 417,780 | 33,950 |
| Physical Therapist Aides | 49,270 | 27,000 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | 96,840 | 58,790 |
| Psychiatric Technicians | 78,470 | 33,780 |
| Recreational Therapists | 19,070 | 48,220 |
| Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians | 15,580 | 38,570 |
| Registered Nurses | 2,982,280 | 73,300 |
| Respiratory Therapists | 132,090 | 61,330 |
| Surgical Technologists | 109,000 | 48,300 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,346,910 | 27,920 |
| Travel Agents | 66,670 | 40,660 |
