Top 10 Highest Earning Professions in the USA

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Anesthesiologists:

The practitioners of the highest paying profession in the USA are responsible for the delivery of anesthetics to patient undergoing surgery. Their job is to make sure that the patient suffers no pain during the surgery. They also monitor the patient’s vital signs while the surgery is being performed. This means that the job comes with a high level of responsibility and also a high level of risk, their salary is intended to reflect that. As with many medical professionals, a large portion of their salary goes to paying malpractice insurance and student loans. The average salary for an anesthesiologist in America is $234,950 per year.

Surgeons:

This covers the range of medical professionals who make their living treating injuries and conditions via surgical operations, the sub-specialties here include orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery. The procedures they conduct may be considered “minimally invasive” or they may be major surgeries like organ transplants. Like most medical professionals in the US, they pay a considerable portion of their salary in malpractice insurance premiums due to the high risk of lawsuits that comes with their job. The average salary for a surgeon in the US is $231,550 a year.

Obstetricians/Gynecologists:

These specialists deal with the female reproductive system, and handle such issues as childbirth and care of pregnant women. In addition to this, they handle ailments that are specific to women, like cervical cancer and problems resulting from menopause. They also perform certain surgical procedures specific to women, including hysterectomies and delivering babies via c-section. The average OB/GYN makes $218,610 annually.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons:

These medical professionals work to correct defects in the mouth jaws and face in their patients. The surgery may be limited to helping with the patient’s appearance, or it may involve improving function. While many consider it to be a subspecialty of dentistry, a degree in medicine is necessary to specialize in oral and maxillofacial surgery. These surgeons make $217,380 per year on average.

Orthodontists:

These dental specialists work revolves around straightening the teeth of their patients and correcting various other structural irregularities in the mouth. If someone needs braces or other oral appliances to correct their bite or the appearance of their teeth, this is the type of dentist they would visit. Orthodontists make $204,670 on average every year.

General Internists:

These are specialists in internal medicine and chiefly care for adults. Their practice is concerned mostly with internal organs and diagnosis of conditions that affect them. In most cases a general internist will care for their patients in both outpatient and inpatient settings. On average they make $189,210 per year.

Physicians:

For this top 10 list “physicians” refers to the range of medical doctors with the exception of maxillofacial surgeons, surgeons and psychiatrists (see below). The average physician makes $184, 650 each year.

General Practitioners:

These are doctors whose specialty is assessing and treating a wide range of relatively minor ailments across all age groups and both genders. For more serious problems they will usually refer the patient to a specialist. A general practitioner earns $177,330 per year on average.

Chief Executives:

This is the only profession in the top ten not related to some form of healthcare. Chief executives typically are in charge of running a private company or a public entity under the guidance of a board of directors. They are in charge of high level decisions and the development of the organization’s policy and strategy. The average chief executive in America makes $176,550 each year.

Psychiatrists:

These doctors are at the bottom of the top ten highest earning jobs in the US. They are medical doctors who have chosen the treatment of mental disorders as a specialty. As medical doctors, they are allowed to prescribe drugs and may order certain tests in the course of treating a patient, unlike most other mental health professionals. The treatment a psychiatrist administers may consist of psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, medication and even hospitalization in extreme cases. On average, psychiatrists earn $174,170 per year.