2017 Highest paying jobs

Still trying to decide which career path you’d like to take? While there are many important factors, including location, industry, growth potential, benefits, etc., many times the choice between one position and another will be the pay rate.

Glassdoor has compiled a list of the top paying jobs, excluding C-Suite level positions, with at least 100 salary reports over the past year (2/1/16 – 1/31/17).

Here are the top 25 highest paying jobs in the US:

1. Physician

$187,876 Median Base Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of physicians and surgeons are projected to grow 15 percent from 2016 to 2026 due to the aging population’s demand for healthcare services.

2. Pharmacy Manager

$149,064 Median Base Salary
Pharmacy Managers are what you would expect based on the title – pharmacists who also oversee the daily operations of the pharmacy.

3. Patent Attorney

$139,272 Median Base Salary
Licensed Patent Attorneys must graduate from law school and pass the state and “patent” bar. General lawyer positions are project to grow by 9% through 2026. This falls right in line with the national average occupational growth rate meaning that choosing this path would lead you to have a stable career for the foreseeable future.

4. Medical Science Liaison

$132,842 Median Base Salary
Medical Science Liaisons act as the bridge between clinical medicine and other healthcare industries, including medical devices and pharmaceuticals, educating consumers and physicians on either side of the coin. This is a non-clinical position, leading to this industry being highly competitive and Liaisons often come from a medical backward, though, not required.

5. Pharmacist

$125,847 Median Base Salary
Pharmacists dispense medicine to patients as prescribed by their physician. In order to practice pharmacy, one must obtain a 4 year Pharmacy degree. Job growth is projected to remain steady at 6% through 2026.

6. Enterprise Architect

$112,560 Median Base Salary
Enterprise Architects work with all stakeholders in a company in order to define and align all with the business’s overall strategy.

7. Physician Assistant

$112,529 Median Base Salary
Similar to Physicians, Physician Assistant positions are expected at an extremely high rate over the next decade due to the increased need to healthcare services. Physician Assistants are generally required to have a master’s degree, and are required by all states to be licensed.

8. Applications Development Manager

$112,045 Median Base Salary
Applications Development Managers manage a team of developers or analysts who are responsible for researching and producing applications for an organization. Typical positions require 1-3 years of supervisory experience and a college degree.

9. R&D Manager

$111,905 Median Base Salary
R&D managers manage a team of research and development for an organization. They usually are required to provide technical insight to the team in addition to the day-to-day management.

10. Corporate Controller

$110,855 Median Base Salary
A Controller is high level accounting position, often times at or just below the same level as a CFO (Chief Financial Officer). They are responsible for all or nearly all aspects of an organizations accounting.

11. Software Engineering Manager

$109,350 Median Base Salary
Software Engineering Managers oversee the design and development of a software solution, often times providing technical guidance while simultaneously being the typical “manager” for the team. They work closely with the development team, product managers, and higher levels within their department.

12. IT Architect

$105,303 Median Base Salary
IT Architects must have a strong business and IT background as they are responsible for developing the information technology solutions and services for an organization.

13. Software Architect

$104,754 Median Base Salary
Software Architects are responsible for the high level design and technology choices for a software solution. They work closely with Software Managers, Product Managers, and Software Developers in order to best deliver their platform.

14. Nurse Practitioner

$104,144 Median Base Salary
Nurse practitioners offer a wide variety of expertise related to patient care. They must earn at least a master’s degree and be licensed in the state they wish to practice in. Similar to other medical fields, job growth is expected to outpace the national average through the next decade.

15. Solutions Architect

$102,678 Median Base Salary
According to Monster.com:

A solution architect handles suites of large applications or software at a business to make sure they are working together properly. Additionally, this person must come up with the overall vision an application or software title will fulfill, and then work with other information technology team members to execute a plan that turns that idea into a reality.

16. Data Architect

$102,091 Median Base Salary
Data Architects create the overall design for data management systems.

17. Actuary

$99,507 Median Base Salary
Actuaries use statistics and mathematics to assess and analyze financial risks for an organization. They may work for insurance companies, consulting firms, hospitals, banks, or any other business that requires managing their financial risk.

18. IT Program Manager

$98,883 Median Base Salary
IT Program Managers oversee a team of information systems professionals.

19. UX Manager

$98,353 Median Base Salary
UX (User Experience) Managers generally work for software companies and deal with planning, management, testing, recording metrics, and communicating ideas that improve user’s experience. They work very closely with project managers and the development team to realize their goals.

20. Systems Architect

$97,873 Median Base Salary
Systems Architect define the architecture of a computerized system (hardware and software).

21. Plant Manager

$97,189 Median Base Salary
Plant managers manage the operations of a manufacturing plant or factory.

22. Scrum Master

$95,167 Median Base Salary
A Scrum Master is one who helps manage a team’s project using the scrum development process. They are responsible for maintaining a product backlog, defining acceptance criteria, and ensuring projects or tasks are easily understood so the development team can easily make progress.

23. Financial Planning & Analysis Manager

$94,862 Median Base Salary
Financial Planning and Analysis Managers lead all reporting, budgeting and financial modeling efforts for an organization. They work closely with account managers and the financial leaders within an organization.

24. Nuclear Engineer

$94,852 Median Base Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, Nuclear Engineering jobs are expected to grow at a rate of 4%, slightly below the average across all occupations. Declining positions for electric power generation while growing in positions for research and development.

25. Attorney

$94,695 Median Base Salary
Attorneys, or Lawyers, must obtain a law degree and pass a state’s bar exam.