It may not surprise you that the top-earning fields, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, are all in medicine.
The careers with the highest median salary nationwide include oral and maxillofacial surgeons, radiologists, dermatologists and cardiologists. Each of those jobs make a median wage equal to or greater than $239,200 per year, according to the bureau.
In the D.C. area, which includes parts of West Virginia, cardiologists and dermatologists have the highest salaries overall, with an average annual wage of $475,580 and $421,070, respectively.
But doctors often carry burdensome student loans and work long hours. The Association of American Medical Colleges found the median medical school debt is around $200,000. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, some studies also show a rising prevalence in burnout among health care clinicians, given the time pressures and chaotic work conditions.
There was only one nonmedical related field on the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s national list of the top 20 earning occupations — airline pilots, co-pilots and field engineers, with a median wage of $211,790 a year.
In the D.C. area, nonmedical related jobs on the top 20 salary list include chief executives, lawyers and public relations managers.
D.C. lawyers make the highest average annual salary nationwide — $226,510 a year compared to the average salary of $163,770, according to the bureau. The District also has the highest concentration of lawyers.
The BLS salary data is from May 2022 and was published in 2023. You can see a chart of the occupations and their salaries by visiting the BLS website.
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