Are you planning to immigrate because of the highest-paying jobs in the USA? Perfect! However, you’ll need to apply for jobs and secure one before immigrating. You are probably thinking of jobs that offer the best salaries and benefits. The United States of America is a land of numerous opportunities, where people from diverse backgrounds and skills can pursue their dreams and passions.
Although, many of these highest-paying jobs in the USA require advanced degrees such as a PhD or medical degree, while some require just an undergraduate degree. Getting a high-paying job can sometimes be difficult when competing against job applicants with higher-level degrees. Therefore, you need to top your game academically as well.
How high you’ll earn is dependent on some factors like the kind of job, levels of experience, educational knowledge, and location. In addition, salaries can go from $44,050 to as high as $355,400 per year on average. The job could also come with other benefits such as housing and transportation.
In this article, we’ll list some of the highest-paying jobs in USA, each with an average salary of more than $100,000.
Eight Highest-paying Jobs in the USA
This is a list of some highest-paying jobs in the USA. Read on!
1. Cardiologist
A cardiologist diagnoses, treats, controls, and prevents diseases or infections of the cardiovascular system. However, some cardiologists specialize in procedures developed to intervene in heart conditions like balloon angioplasty and stent placement. While others concentrate on echocardiography which is the use of electrodes to scrutinize and treat the chambers of the heart.
Cardiologists usually work during regular business hours which could turn into a 55 to 60-hour work week due to lots of patients and some beyond-control heart issues. After completing an undergraduate degree, an aspiring cardiologist must complete four years of medical school and four years of residency. To be a qualified cardiologist, you must also pass a certification exam administered by the American Board of Internal Medicine. This is likely the highest-paying job in the medical field and you can earn an average salary of $353,950 annually.
2. Anesthesiologist
The anesthesiologists are physicians who dispense anesthetics and analgesics for pain control before, during, or after surgery. This career is a technical one and second on the list of highest-paying jobs in the USA. However, anesthesiologists can work for long and unexpected hours because they work directly with the operating room.
This profession demands that you’re always available for both expected surgeries and emergency procedures, contributing to the unpredictable nature of the job. Once you complete four years of medical school, you’ll also have to complete a four-year residency in anesthesiology and perhaps even more, depending on the subspecialty, and pass a licensing exam. Anesthesiologists may earn an average salary of $331,150 annually.
3. Dermatologist
Dermatologists are those who diagnose and treat skin, hair, and nail diseases. They may conduct both medical and dermatological surgeries on their patients. However, they can either work in private practice or attend clinics at teaching hospitals and institutions.
Dermatologists don’t work unscheduled or irregular hours but have normal working hours of between 35-40 a week. Like every other physician, you must complete a bachelor’s degree as well as a degree from a medical school, which takes an extra four years to finish. Depending on the specialty, an additional three to nine years of internship and residency is necessary and must pass certification exams. In addition, you may earn an average salary of $302,700 per year.
4. Surgeon
A surgeon takes up the responsibility of operating on patients with injuries or ailments. Their job functions include checking patient X-rays and speaking with the patient about the procedure, preparing for surgery, and conducting surgeries with fellow surgeons, nurses, and surgical personnel. However, a general surgeon may work 55-60 hours per week, excluding time available for on-call duties. Depending on the practice, surgeons may work tirelessly all around the clock.
As an aspiring surgeon, you must first complete an undergraduate degree program, usually in biology or chemistry. Followed by four years of medical school and a three-year residency. Also, years of internship in the surgery department of a hospital is required, plus licensing and certification. A surgeon may likely earn an average salary of $298,500 annually.
5. Obstetrician-Gynecologist
Doctors who specialize in women’s reproductive organs (vaginal, ovarian, uterine, cervical, and childbirth) are known as obstetricians-gynecologists or OB-GYNs. Obstetricians-gynecologists focus on providing medical care and attention to pregnancy or childbirth. They also diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases of the female reproductive system. However, OB-GYNs treat patients on a regularly scheduled basis.
Attending to a patient giving birth to a child can occur at any time of the day or night and requires being on call for these events throughout a career. To be an OB-GYN, you need a bachelor’s degree, graduation from medical school, and the completion of an obstetrics program. Also, you need a gynecology residency program which normally lasts four years, two years of clinical practice, and must pass a licensure exam. You may earn an average salary of $298,200 annually.
6. Pediatric Surgeon
Pediatric surgeons diagnose and perform surgery to treat fetal abnormalities and birth defects, ailments, and injuries in fetuses, premature and newborn infants, children, and adolescents. They can work at children’s hospitals, community hospitals, or university medical centers. Furthermore, pediatric surgeons don’t work alone but rather with a team of professionals that may include pediatricians, nurses, and surgical technicians.
An aspiring pediatric surgeon must complete at least four years of medical school and five years of adult general surgery training. Also, an additional two years of fellowship training in pediatric surgery, with licensing and certification is necessary. With an average annual salary of $290,250.
7. Nurse Anesthetist
Generally, nurses get paid well compared to most other career paths, and nurse anesthetists do exceptionally well. Therefore, a nurse anesthetist dispenses anesthesia and provides care before, during, and after surgical, therapeutic, diagnostic, and obstetrical operations. Although their job role is comparable to that of an anesthesiologist, their level of training quite differs. This means that becoming a nurse anesthetist takes less time and money than going to medical school and becoming a physician.
However, certified registered nurse anesthetists may work in hospital surgical suites, obstetrical delivery rooms, ambulatory surgical centers, doctor’s offices, and pain-management centers. You must graduate with a master’s degree from an accredited program, which normally takes 24 to 51 months. Also, you need at least one year of full-time experience working as a registered nurse in a critical-care setting. Registered nurse anesthetists often earn $202,400 annually.
8. Pilot
Pilot is another high-paying job in the USA, though not as high as a dermatologist or a surgeon. A career in the aviation industry simply means you’ll always be away from home, but you also get paid well in most cases. The pilot or captain has a wide range of experience operating a plane and leads all other members of the flight crew.
The co-pilot is the second in command during the flight and assists the captain with responsibilities in the cockpit. Other members of the flight crew include the flight engineers, who perform pre-flight checks, monitor the plane’s cabin pressure, and evaluate used and needed fuel. However, they also perform other important duties but since new aircraft are mostly automated, there are fewer jobs for flight engineers than before.
A bachelor’s degree and an airline transport pilot certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration are required. They often begin as commercial pilots and acquire thousands of hours of experience in the cockpit before gaining employment with an airline. Pilots often earn an average salary of $199,500.
Conclusion
When talking about the highest-paying jobs in the USA, a healthcare career usually comes first. Professionals always earn the largest salaries due to a wide range of experience gathered over the years. Although general practitioners and even non-physician roles, such as nurse anesthetists, also bring in attractive salaries.
Are you looking for a career change? Then, you should consider these highest-paying jobs in the USA. They can offer you a rewarding and fulfilling career that pays well, a good work-life balance, and is highly in-demand in the future. Healthcare is not the only option, therefore, if you’re uncomfortable with jobs involving blood or flying there are other choices. In other words, careers such as engineering and management can also generate high-paying and lucrative jobs.