Jobs That Pay Over $150,000 a Year (2026)

These are the 7 occupations tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics with national median salaries above $150,000. The list is dominated by healthcare specialists (physicians, dentists, pharmacists), engineering and technology managers, and financial/legal management roles. Each entry links to a city-by-city breakdown — pay above the median is concentrated in specific metros and large employers.

$150K is the threshold above which most jobs require either advanced credentials or substantial managerial scope. The "$150K club" is a useful framing because it filters out roles where the headline pay number is misleading (e.g., total comp inclusive of equity that BLS does not track). The figures below are base-wage medians from federal payroll surveys — apples-to-apples across roles.

Education and Credentials Required

Roughly two-thirds of $150K+ occupations require a master's degree or higher; the remainder are management roles where 10+ years of experience plus a bachelor's is typical. The fastest paths in technology (data science, ML engineering, cloud platform leadership) require strong technical credentials and a track record at well-paying employers.

How to Use This List

The figures above are national medians. Actual pay varies by metro area, employer size, and individual experience and credentials. For role-specific city data, click any occupation to see the full BLS percentile breakdown by metro. For pay benchmarking against your own offer, the salary percentile calculator places any number you enter into the BLS distribution.

For reaching this pay band, the practical path differs by occupation. Healthcare specialist roles in higher pay bands require specific licensure that takes years; technology roles often require demonstrated specialization plus a track record at well-paying employers; management roles require time-in-role plus willingness to take on scope. Each role page covers the typical credential and experience profile.