When it comes to the U.S.’s highest-paying jobs, the medical profession held down eight of the top 15 spots — with salaries and bonuses reaching up to a half-million dollars annually, according to LinkedIn’s 2017 State of Salary report.
Orthopaedic surgeons topped the list — earning a median of $450,000 a year with a $60,000 cash bonus — while cardiologists, radiologists and plastic surgeons close behind, LinkedIn found.
Other heavy hitters in the top-earning professions included senior roles in business and finance, as well as in engineering.
For junior staff, some of the most lucrative careers were in investment banking — at $105,000 per year, plus a $40,000 cash bonus — pharmaceutical sales reps, who made a median of $75,000, and user experience designers, $75,000 annually with a $5,000 bonus.
Not surprisingly, incomes increased along with education levels, as those with a Bachelors degree typically earned $30,000 more per year than someone with just a high school diploma.
Those with computer science degrees earned more, on average, after graduation — and both software and information technology as well as hardware and networking jobs were, on average, the top paying careers, LinkedIn found.
Geography also influenced income levels, with the San Francisco Bay Area topping the list for average salary, followed by Seattle, WA, Washington D.C., and New York City.
Here’s the full list:
1.Orthopaedic Surgeon
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable): $450,000
Median cash bonus: $60,000
2.Cardiologist
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable): $382,000
Median cash bonus: $50,000
3. Radiologist
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable): $374,000
Median cash bonus: $50,000
4. Plastic Surgeon
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable): $350,000
Median cash bonus: $90,000
5. Anesthesiologist
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable) $350,000
Median cash bonus: $25,000
6. Emergency Physician
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable): $314,000
Median cash bonus: $20,000
7. Senior Vice President, Finance
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable): $300,000
Median cash bonus: $80,000
8. Senior Vice President, Sales
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable): $300,000
Median cash bonus: $60,000
9. Senior Managing Director
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable): $298,000
Median cash bonus: $100,000
10. Vice President, Tax
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable): $272,000
Median cash bonus: $67,500
11. Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable): $272,000
Median cash bonus: $57,500
12. Senior Vice President, Strategy
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable): $256,000
Median cash bonus: $50,000
13. Vice President, Supply Chain
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable): $255,000
Median cash bonus: $62,500
14. Ophthalmologist
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable): $250,000
Median cash bonus: $50,000
15. Medical Director
Median salary (includes bonus and commission if applicable) $250,000
Median cash bonus: $36,00016
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