Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
65 Highest Paying Jobs in Maryland (2026)
The highest-paying job in Maryland is Family Medicine Physician with a state-aggregated median salary of $307,400 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data weighted across the state's 1 BLS-tracked metro. Across all 65 occupations the average median is $117,336, with 44 occupations paying a six-figure ($100K+) median. Maryland's average cost-of-living index is 114, so the average median equates to $102,926 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
The 65 occupations below are ranked by median wage across Maryland — rolling up wage data across all metropolitan areas in the state. State-level rollups smooth over the substantial intra-state wage variation typical of larger states. For state-level wage comparisons, BLS OEWS state files aggregate across MSAs and non-MSA areas. The aggregation hides legitimate within-state differences: a job in Maryland's primary metro often pays substantially more (and costs substantially more to live near) than the same job in smaller cities.
Use the per-metro pages for the geographic-specific view. The state-level ranking is most useful for comparing Maryland to other states, not for comparing within-state options.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Maryland
Ranked by state-aggregated median (50th percentile) salary, employment-weighted across Maryland's single tracked metro.
State median $307,400 · 760 jobs · top metro: Baltimore ($307,400)
Family Medicine Physicians in Maryland earn $307,400 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Baltimore) pays $307,400 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $304,220 · 90 jobs · top metro: Baltimore ($304,220)
Obstetrician/Gynecologists in Maryland earn $304,220 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Baltimore) pays $304,220 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $172,110 · 880 jobs · top metro: Baltimore ($172,110)
Dentists in Maryland earn $172,110 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Baltimore) pays $172,110 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $168,520 · 7,010 jobs · top metro: Baltimore ($168,520)
Computer and Information Systems Managers in Maryland earn $168,520 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Baltimore) pays $168,520 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $162,930 · 700 jobs · top metro: Baltimore ($162,930)
Veterinarians in Maryland earn $162,930 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Baltimore) pays $162,930 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $160,340 · 2,480 jobs · top metro: Baltimore ($160,340)
Computer Network Architects in Maryland earn $160,340 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Baltimore) pays $160,340 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $160,160 · 420 jobs · top metro: Baltimore ($160,160)
Pediatricians in Maryland earn $160,160 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Baltimore) pays $160,160 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $157,990 · 9,990 jobs · top metro: Baltimore ($157,990)
Financial Managers in Maryland earn $157,990 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Baltimore) pays $157,990 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $156,750 · 1,070 jobs · top metro: Baltimore ($156,750)
Software Quality Assurance Analysts in Maryland earn $156,750 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Baltimore) pays $156,750 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $146,370 · 1,980 jobs · top metro: Baltimore ($146,370)
Human Resources Managers in Maryland earn $146,370 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Baltimore) pays $146,370 median, materially above the state aggregate.
Full Ranking: All 65 Tracked Occupations
| Rank | Role | Category | State Median | Top Metro | Top Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $307,400 | Baltimore | $307,400 | 760 |
| 2 | Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $304,220 | Baltimore | $304,220 | 90 |
| 3 | Dentist | Healthcare | $172,110 | Baltimore | $172,110 | 880 |
| 4 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $168,520 | Baltimore | $168,520 | 7,010 |
| 5 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $162,930 | Baltimore | $162,930 | 700 |
| 6 | Computer Network Architect | Technology | $160,340 | Baltimore | $160,340 | 2,480 |
| 7 | Pediatrician | Healthcare | $160,160 | Baltimore | $160,160 | 420 |
| 8 | Financial Manager | Finance | $157,990 | Baltimore | $157,990 | 9,990 |
| 9 | Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $156,750 | Baltimore | $156,750 | 1,070 |
| 10 | Human Resources Manager | Management | $146,370 | Baltimore | $146,370 | 1,980 |
| 11 | Optometrist | Healthcare | $144,270 | Baltimore | $144,270 | 330 |
| 12 | Marketing Manager | Management | $140,180 | Baltimore | $140,180 | 3,430 |
| 13 | Software Developer | Technology | $138,900 | Baltimore | $138,900 | 16,850 |
| 14 | Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $138,790 | Baltimore | $138,790 | 1,660 |
| 15 | Information Security Analyst | Technology | $138,170 | Baltimore | $138,170 | 4,600 |
| 16 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $138,110 | Baltimore | $138,110 | 2,730 |
| 17 | Sales Manager | Management | $135,910 | Baltimore | $135,910 | 0 |
| 18 | Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $135,600 | Baltimore | $135,600 | 9,010 |
| 19 | Data Scientist | Technology | $134,320 | Baltimore | $134,320 | 1,090 |
| 20 | Lawyer | Legal | $132,400 | Baltimore | $132,400 | 7,520 |
| 21 | Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $131,990 | Baltimore | $131,990 | 3,800 |
| 22 | Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $129,880 | Baltimore | $129,880 | 2,670 |
| 23 | Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $124,990 | Baltimore | $124,990 | 8,060 |
| 24 | Database Architect | Technology | $123,730 | Baltimore | $123,730 | 1,190 |
| 25 | Network Architect | Technology | $122,950 | Baltimore | $122,950 | 4,620 |
| 26 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $119,990 | Baltimore | $119,990 | 2,110 |
| 27 | Management Analyst | Management | $117,750 | Baltimore | $117,750 | 8,500 |
| 28 | General and Operations Manager | Management | $117,040 | Baltimore | $117,040 | 44,960 |
| 29 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $116,700 | Baltimore | $116,700 | 3,050 |
| 30 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $116,650 | Baltimore | $116,650 | 2,770 |
| 31 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $116,130 | Baltimore | $116,130 | 1,900 |
| 32 | Architect | Engineering | $115,960 | Baltimore | $115,960 | 1,140 |
| 33 | Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $113,880 | Baltimore | $113,880 | 2,340 |
| 34 | Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $108,980 | Baltimore | $108,980 | 6,850 |
| 35 | Statistician | Technology | $108,820 | Baltimore | $108,820 | 420 |
| 36 | Web Designer | Technology | $107,590 | Baltimore | $107,590 | 790 |
| 37 | Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $107,120 | Baltimore | $107,120 | 1,590 |
| 38 | Computer Programmer | Technology | $106,420 | Baltimore | $106,420 | 780 |
| 39 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $105,810 | Baltimore | $105,810 | 2,050 |
| 40 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $105,490 | Baltimore | $105,490 | 1,200 |
| 41 | Financial Examiner | Finance | $103,460 | Baltimore | $103,460 | 260 |
| 42 | Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $102,980 | Baltimore | $102,980 | 4,910 |
| 43 | Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $101,160 | Baltimore | $101,160 | 1,830 |
| 44 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $100,500 | Baltimore | $100,500 | 2,540 |
| 45 | Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $99,550 | Baltimore | $99,550 | 30,930 |
| 46 | Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $98,970 | Baltimore | $98,970 | 3,240 |
| 47 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $98,880 | Baltimore | $98,880 | 3,040 |
| 48 | Web Developer | Technology | $96,760 | Baltimore | $96,760 | 500 |
| 49 | Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $94,440 | Baltimore | $94,440 | 2,350 |
| 50 | Writer/Author | Creative | $87,020 | Baltimore | $87,020 | 240 |
| 51 | Accountant | Finance | $85,160 | Baltimore | $85,160 | 13,550 |
| 52 | Audiologist | Healthcare | $81,130 | Baltimore | $81,130 | 0 |
| 53 | Secondary School Teacher | Education | $78,350 | Baltimore | $78,350 | 9,300 |
| 54 | Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $77,570 | Baltimore | $77,570 | 1,880 |
| 55 | Elementary School Teacher | Education | $76,400 | Baltimore | $76,400 | 13,150 |
| 56 | Graphic Designer | Creative | $75,790 | Baltimore | $75,790 | 1,350 |
| 57 | Market Research Analyst | Management | $74,620 | Baltimore | $74,620 | 5,920 |
| 58 | Loan Officer | Finance | $68,470 | Baltimore | $68,470 | 1,810 |
| 59 | Paralegal | Legal | $65,640 | Baltimore | $65,640 | 3,880 |
| 60 | Electrician | Trades | $65,590 | Baltimore | $65,590 | 6,930 |
| 61 | Plumber | Trades | $63,200 | Baltimore | $63,200 | 5,220 |
| 62 | Carpenter | Trades | $62,380 | Baltimore | $62,380 | 3,870 |
| 63 | Welder | Trades | $61,920 | Baltimore | $61,920 | 1,290 |
| 64 | Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $57,930 | Baltimore | $57,930 | 3,970 |
| 65 | Automotive Technician | Trades | $57,630 | Baltimore | $57,630 | 6,340 |
Why These Roles Pay the Most in Maryland
Maryland's pay distribution reflects its mix of regional employers and industries, plus the local cost of living that affects nominal salary levels in the BLS data.
$Maryland tracks $1 BLS-published metros covering approximately $301,690 workers across the $65 occupations on this page. State-aggregated medians are employment-weighted across metros, which is the right way to read "state pay" when BLS publishes by metro. The Family Medicine Physician top spot reflects Baltimore pulling the upper end of the distribution; smaller metros in Maryland typically pay 10–25% less for the same role.
Metro-by-Metro Detail
For salary data specific to one metro within Maryland, see:
Frequently Asked Questions
The highest paying job in Maryland is Family Medicine Physician with a state median salary of $307,400. The top-paying metro for this role is Baltimore at $307,400 median. The role employs roughly 760 workers across Maryland.
44 of the 65 BLS-tracked occupations in Maryland have a state-aggregated median salary of $100,000 or higher. That places this state in the upper tier nationally for high-paying occupations.
Across 65 BLS-tracked occupations, the average median salary in Maryland is $117,336. The figure is employment-weighted across 1 metros, so larger occupations and larger metros contribute proportionally more. Cost-of-living-adjusted to a national-average baseline, it equates to $102,926.
BLS OEWS publishes wage data by Metropolitan Statistical Area. For Maryland, this page aggregates Baltimore. Some non-MSA areas (small towns, rural counties) are excluded from OEWS metro tables but covered in BLS state-level summaries; we use metro-level data to preserve the percentile granularity.
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. State aggregates are computed by employment-weighting metro-level percentile wages across the BLS-tracked metros in Maryland.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in Maryland, using OEWS 2025 data.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.