Highest Paying Jobs in 2022

This year we have compiled the highest paying jobs in five industries and ranked them according to both salary average and salary range.

Whether you are new to the job market deciding on the direction of your future career, or simply looking for a career change, our list will surely help you in your goals.

Our list includes the most lucrative industries of 2022:

• Health Care
• Business, Management, and Administration
• Information Technology
• Legal
• Engineering

Highest Paying Jobs in Healthcare

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a large number of the highest paying jobs are in the medical field, the top four of which we have compiled here:

Anesthesiologist

Anesthesiology is the medical specialty where practitioners are responsible for the management of patients’ pain both before and during surgery. In addition, anesthesiologists tend to patients postoperatively, by prescribing medication, treatments, and techniques for pain relief.

Anesthesiology has arguably been one the highest paying jobs, not just in the past couple of years, but in the past few decades. It is always in high demand, therefore it is not a highly competitive field.

Salary range: $207K-$517K
Salary Average: $327k

Surgeon

Descriptions of surgeons will vary greatly depending on the field that they operate in, ranging from general surgery to specializations that cover a single organ or body part.

In general, surgeons’ responsibilities include diagnosing patients, surgical interventions, and providing post-operative care. Furthermore, they are also responsible for heading surgical teams, ensuring total cooperation between all members (which usually include other highly trained surgeons and the aforementioned anesthesiologists).

It is worth noting, however, that when it comes to the highest paying job, surgery is quite the broad category which includes a wide range of specialties, from plastic surgeons to orthopedic surgeons, each with their own salary ranges.

Salary range: $130K-$512K
Salary Average: $258k

Obstetrician and Gynecologist

Obstetrics and gynecology are two distinct, yet interlinked scientific fields, and practitioners are more often than not trained in both. In general, OB-GYNs are responsible for women’s health.

As gynecologists, they examine, care for, and remedy any illnesses pertaining to the reproductive health of women, while as obstetricians they are also specialists in all aspects of pregnancies, as well as prenatal and postnatal care.

As specialists in two fields, it is little wonder that they possess one of the highest paying jobs in the medical field.

Salary range: $130K-$512K
Salary Average: $258k

Orthodontist

Lastly, when discussing the highest paying jobs, we must also mention dentistry. In general, dentistry is one of the most profitable medical fields, however, the best paying job within dentistry is orthodontics.

These medical specialists focus on the straightening of teeth and the correction of bite disorders such as overbites and underbites, most commonly through the use of braces, to maintain the healthy function of patients’ bites.

Just the same as with anesthesiologists, orthodontists are in high demand, increasing the salary range.

Salary range: 96K – $505K
National Salary Average: $221K

Highest Paying Management Jobs

Whether owning your own business or managing a portion of an existing one, some of the highest paying jobs in 2022 are within the fields of business, management, and administration. Here are some of the highest paying roles:

Chief Executive Officer

We start our first pick within the areas of business, management, and administration at the top. Chief executive officers (or executive directors) head companies in almost every way. They guide a company in its strategy and financial investments as well as internal and external policies.

The job requirements of a CEO are not purely managerial, but social as well, and a large part of spreading one’s business is establishing connections with other companies and CEOs and maintaining healthy business relationships.

However, we should note that in this case salary is dependent on the size and success of the company that the CEO is in charge of, therefore it is exceedingly difficult to pinpoint exact salary ranges.

Salary range: $76K – $416K
Salary Average: $178K

Architectural and Engineering Manager

Architectural and engineering managers have an incredibly wide range of duties. From direct recruitment, implementing activities, and overseeing employees, to making new detailed plans, as well as managing existing ones in the development of a new construction project.

They are also largely in charge of the financial aspects and budgeting of projects and are responsible for consulting and negotiating project specifications.

Salary range: $161K – $242K
Salary Average: $197K

Enterprise Architect

Companies rely on various technologies to function smoothly, and it is the enterprise architect who ensures the standardization and organization of IT infrastructure.

Enterprise architects are key figures in analyzing, planning, and implementing changes for projects and policies to gain a substantial advantage over competitors through IT. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that they are on our list for the highest paying jobs in 2022.

Apart from the technical knowledge in both hardware and software, enterprise architects are also required to have impeccable management, organizational and social skills. In addition to providing input on technical changes, they also provide reports on the potential of a projects’ success or failure.

Salary range: $109K-$209K
Salary Average: $151k

Marketing Manager

Marketing managers oversee one of the most important aspects of a business. They promote products and/or services to gain as much outreach as possible to aid in the growth of a business.

They set objectives, but also analyze and evaluate marketing programs, manage marketing research, and propose new ways in which companies can advertise their products and services. As managers, they oversee the staff of the marketing department, therefore good interpersonal communication skills are a must for this position.

Just as with our first entry, the salary range for marketing managers varies greatly depending on the size of the company and the marketing department, however, on average they still remain one of the highest paying jobs in management and administration.

Salary range: $61K – $179K
Salary Average: $104K

Highest Paying Jobs in Information Technology

Information Technology is one of the highest paying industries in the world today. There is an abundance of well-paid job opportunities within the sector, some of which have, naturally, found their way onto our list of highest paying jobs in 2022.

For a more extensive view into the world of IT, check out our list on the Top 17 IT Careers.

Network Engineer

IT networks and systems are an essential part of any organization. They store all company data and allow users to access and share it at their own convenience.

The responsibility of Network Engineers is to create, implement, fix, and maintain these networks, security systems, and all programs that safeguard IT infrastructure and data.

They also troubleshoot and solve everyday network and system issues, along with running disaster recovery operations and backing up data in case of network or system failure.

Salary Range: $58K-$130K
Salary Average: $87k

Cybersecurity Engineer

Cybersecurity professionals protect systems, networks, devices, data, and programs from cyber attacks. In today’s digital world, the demand for cybersecurity and IT security professionals is extremely high due to a shortage of experts and the endless job opportunities within the field.

Cybersecurity Engineers have one of the highest paying jobs within cybersecurity, and rightfully so. They are expert coders and are in charge of developing secure systems that keep data and software secure from hackers.

They are a crucial part of any IT team and are usually also responsible for creating and enforcing security policies and procedures within the company.

Salary Range: $73K-$156k
Salary Average: $107k

Computer network architect

As we become more reliant on technology in both our private and work life, it is little wonder that those responsible for the upkeep of said technology have one of the highest paying jobs right now.

As experts in computer networks, computer network architects build both small and large-scale informational networks, creating layouts for local area networks, intranets, and cloud infrastructures serving anyone from private citizens to large corporations.

They ensure that all needs relating to computer networks are met and that operation proceeds smoothly and without issue.

Salary Range: $71K – $181K
Salary Average: $113K

Software engineer

Software development is the process of designing, building, implementing, and maintaining any software. Software engineers focus on applying the principles of engineering to software development.

They are responsible for building, testing, debugging, and maintaining software that is meant to meet user needs, as well as analyzing and modifying already existing software.

Software engineers are experts in programming languages and often collaborate across various teams within the company to find innovative solutions. They too, have one of the highest paying jobs within IT.

Salary Range: $73K-$160K
Salary Average: $108,249

Speaking of the highest paying IT jobs, here is a list of the Top 10 Tech Companies hiring now in California, to give you an idea of all the opportunities out there at the moment.

Highest Paying Legal Jobs

The legal field has maintained its status as one of the highest paying industries for a long time, no matter what one specializes in. Here are the highest paying jobs within the legal industry:

Patent attorney

As the name implies, patent attorneys advise clients on laws relating to trademarks and patents of products. These may include inventions as well as creative works such as movies, books, music, etc.

They may also defend their clients in court in matters of copyright infringement, or help them retain rights to their original work. Clients of these attorneys vary greatly, from private individuals looking for a big break, to multinational corporations seeking to defend their intellectual property from misuse.

Salary Range: $106K – $263K
Salary Average: $167K

Corporate Lawyer

Corporate lawyers are experts in the field of company law. Their primary duties are to advise companies on legal rights and regulations. Some of these include corporate restructuring, buyouts, joint ventures, mergers, and acquisitions.

Salary ranges for corporate lawyers vary depending on the size of the business and the scope of their duties as legal representatives. Clients of corporate lawyers include both start-up businesses and large multinational corporations, therefore on average, it remains one of the highest paying jobs in 2022.

Salary Range: $82K-$292K
Salary Average: $155k

Employment lawyer

Employment lawyers help both employers and employees navigate the legal matters related to the workplace. Primarily, they advise on legal matters related to contracts, salaries, benefits, and the legal rights of workers.

However, they can often be seen representing clients in contract negotiations. In cases where employers do not comply with the law, employment lawyers advise clients on further actions and even represent them in trials.

Vice versa, they also work with employers to make sure that all employment matters comply with the law. They help formulate and review contracts and even provide defense when said contracts are breached.

Salary Range: $60K – $211K
Salary Average: $112K

Judge

Lastly on our list of highest paying jobs in the legal field are judges. Judges oversee legal processes in court. Their job description varies depending on their field; however, they commonly preside over court cases, trials, and hearings, determining the legality and admissibility of evidence and arguments presented from both sides, as well as instructing jurors on applicable laws during trials.

There are many levels of court and therefore the judicial responsibilities of judges may be focused on local or state courts, dealing with small-claims cases and misdemeanors, or their duties might reach the federal level, which includes the decision and ruling of judges in all lower courts.

Salary Range: $20K – $202K
Salary Average: $63K

Highest Paying Engineering Jobs

The engineering industry comprises a broad range of sciences and engineering that are essential for the maintenance and advancement of modern life. Therefore, it is no wonder that these are some of the highest paying jobs in 2022:

Petroleum Engineers

Although renewable energy is one of the fastest-growing industries to date, we cannot ignore that one of the highest paying jobs in the United States is still extracting fossil fuels.

Petroleum engineers specialize in the production of hydrocarbons. Specifically, their primary duties are to design equipment and create drilling plans to extract natural gas and oil from set locations, and subsequently make sure that said equipment is installed, operated, and maintained in a proper manner.

Salary range: 80K – 181K
Salary Average: 120K

Computer Hardware Engineers

We mentioned before that IT is one of the highest paying industries to date. However, due to the consistent need for technological advancements in terms of hardware, computer hardware engineers are not so far behind in terms of demand.

As the name suggests, computer hardware engineers primarily design and develop hardware components for computers and electrical systems. However, their responsibilities might also include the modifying and upgrading of existing hardware components, and the testing components for any potential errors through the analysis of test data.

Although this occupation’s projected growth within the next 10 years is slower than average, the constant need for technological advancement will keep this field one of the highest paying jobs in the United States.

Salary range: $98K – $197K
Salary Average: $139K

Nuclear Engineers

Nuclear engineering is a broad field, containing a wide variety of responsibilities. In short, they design and develop means of harnessing uses from sources of nuclear energy and radiation.

Although they primarily design and develop instrumentation for nuclear power plants such as radiation shields and reactor cores, directly operating and or maintaining such equipment in power plants, they may also find work in the developing uses for radioactive material for medical purposes.

Many cyclotrons and positron emission tomography (PET) scanners were developed and designed by talented engineers working in this field.

Salary range: $66K – $139K
Salary Average: $95K

Aerospace Engineers

Just the same as nuclear engineering, aerospace engineering is an umbrella term for a wide range of professions. In general, aerospace engineers are responsible for the design, testing, and manufacture of aerospace products.

However, depending on one’s specialization, this might manifest in completely different forms, usually in either the field of aeronautical or astronautical engineering respectively.

Specializations might include the designing and development of commercial aircrafts such as airplanes and helicopters, military aircrafts and rockets, spacecraft propulsion systems, etc.

Salary range: $65K – $139K
Salary Average: $95K

Finally, here are 11 high-paying jobs that don’t require a college degree.

There is a huge variety of lucrative careers out there. Be it in health care, business, or IT, you can always find success and a good paying job in whichever industry you chose to pursue.

Once you have settled on a perfect career for yourself, be sure to prepare for the interview process with help from Big Interview!