High-level healthcare professions offer some of the most substantial wages of any industry. Of the 10 highest paying jobs of 2017 per the CareerCast.me Jobs Rated report, seven are medical professions – including five of the six highest paying jobs overall.
However, be prepared to make a substantial investment in your future if you plan to pursue one of these careers.
From the highest paying job of this year’s Jobs Rated report, Surgeon, to No. 10 Pharmacist, all require doctoral or other post-graduate degrees in order to get started. The Association of American Medical Colleges reports that a year of tuition in a doctoral program averages about $36,000. That totals upwards of about $150,000 in medical school debt upon entering the workforce – and that does not take into account costs incurred during undergraduate studies.
The price to get started is high, but the monetary benefit upon entering into one of these jobs is commensurate. General surgery professions have a $409,665 annual median salary, far-and-away the most financially lucrative career tracked in the Jobs Rated report.
Second is Orthodontist, at $208,000. Both Psychiatrist and General Practice Physician earn annual median wages just south of $200,000.
For the highest paying jobs not requiring doctoral certification, Petroleum Engineer is the seventh highest paying job of 2017. Supporting that ranking is PayScale’s 2017-18 academic calendar findings on the most financially rewarding bachelor degree. Petroleum Engineering checks in as the No. 1 job with a bachelor degree.
Air Traffic Controller is the only field that made the 10 highest paying jobs of 2017 without requiring a minimum of a bachelor degree. It just made the top 10 at $122,410 annual median salary, with a recommended entry-level requirement of an associate’s degree. Getting started does require training from a Federal Aviation Administration-approved Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative.
And with Air Traffic Controllers – as with most of the jobs making the list of 10 highest paying – stress comes with pay. Positions like Air Traffic Controller, Surgeon and Senior Corporate Executive rank among the most stressful jobs tracked by the Jobs Rated report.
The 10 Highest Paying Jobs of 2017
1. Surgeon
Overall Rating: 390
Median Salary: $409,665
Projected Growth: 17.00%
2. Orthodontist
Overall Rating: 291
Median Salary: $208,000
Projected Growth: 17.00%
3. Psychiatrist
Overall Rating: 311
Median Salary: $194,740
Projected Growth: 13.00%
4. General Practice Physician
Overall Rating: 368
Median Salary: $190,490
Projected Growth: 15.00%
5. Senior Corporate Executive
Overall Rating: 475
Median Salary: $181,210
Projected Growth: 8.00%
6. Dentist
Overall Rating: 306
Median Salary: $153,900
Projected Growth: 17.00%
7. Petroleum Engineer
Overall Rating: 222
Median Salary: $128,230
Projected Growth: 15.00%
8. Podiatrist
Overall Rating: 272
Median Salary: $124,830
Projected Growth: 10.00%
9. Air Traffic Controller
Overall Rating: 514
Median Salary: $122,410
Projected Growth: 3.00%
10. Pharmacist
Overall Rating: 336
Median Salary: $122,230
Projected Growth: 6.00%
