Pediatric Surgeons Lead US Pay at $502,050 as 12 of Top 13 Jobs Are in Healthcare
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · May 15
Pediatric Surgeons Lead US Pay at $502,050 as 12 of Top 13 Jobs Are in Healthcare
1 articles · Updated · Business Insider · May 15
Summary
$502,050 was the average annual wage for pediatric surgeons in May 2025, the highest among U.S. occupations in new Bureau of Labor Statistics data ranked by Business Insider.
Healthcare dominated the list: cardiologists averaged $454,940, radiologists $381,530 and orthopedic surgeons $373,570, while almost all 13 top-paying jobs typically require a doctoral or professional degree.
Airline pilots, copilots and flight engineers were the main non-healthcare exception, ranking 10th with average pay of $288,650 and far larger employment of 103,560 than most medical specialties.
The pay snapshot lands as 7.2 million Americans were unemployed in March and average wages across all occupations stood at $69,770, underscoring how rare these six-figure roles are.