The 15 Highest Paying Careers In The US In 2012

If you want to a six-figure salary, then study medicine, engineering or business management.

That's the short takeaway from a list of the 15 highest paying careers according to data compiled by CNBC from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The annual salaries come from 2011 data and range from $112,160 up to $234,950.

Check out the list in the slideshow below, and let us know if you found any surprises:

Loading Slideshow

• Pharmacist

  Average annual salary: $112,160

• Air traffic controller

  Average annual salary: $114,460

• Sales manager

  Average annual salary: $116,860 <blockquote>IN THE PHOTO: Sales Manager Barbara Hernandez with customers at the Bloomingdale's Loyallist Launch Party at Bloomingdale's Roosevelt Field Mall on March 8, 2012 in Garden City, New York. (Photo by Janette Pellegrini/Getty Images for Bloomingdales)</blockquote>

• Airline pilots, co-pilots and flight engineers

  •Average annual salary: $118,070 <blockquote>IN THE PHOTO: Former Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger talks to the media in front of the US Airways flight 1549 aircraft at the Carolina Aviation Museum, Saturday, June 11, 2011, in Charlotte, N.C. The plane that made a miraculous landing on the Hudson River two years ago will be displayed in the museum in Charlotte. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)</blockquote>

• Financial manager

  •Average annual salary: $120,450

• Industrial-organizational psychologist

  •Average annual salary: $124,160

• Computer and information systems manager

  •Average annual salary: $125,660

• Marketing manager

  •Average annual salary: $126,190 <blockquote>IN THE PHOTO: Greg Welch, Oakley Sports Marketing Manager, speaks during the Oakley 'Beyond Reason' Global Launch at Oakley Store Soho on April 17, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Cohen/Getty Images)</blockquote>

• Natural science manager

  •Average annual salary: $128,230

• Architectural and engineering managers

  •Average annual salary: $129,350 <blockquote>IN THE PHOTO: Thursday, May 31, 2012, One World Trade Center towers above the construction site of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York. The hub is designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)</blockquote>

• Lawyer

  •Average annual salary: $130,490 <blockquote>IN THE PHOTO: FILE - In a Jan. 7, 2008, file photo Attorney Donald Verrilli talks to media outside the Supreme Court after arguing against the use of a three drug cocktail for lethal injections in death penalty executions. Now Obama's top Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General Verilli was maligned for his performance in both the health care and Arizona immigration cases. Turns out, he largely prevailed in both cases, in which he also was in charge of producing the administration's written legal briefs. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)</blockquote>

• Petroleum engineer

  •Average annual salary: $138,980

• Chief Excecutive Officer

  •Average annual salary: $176,550 <blockquote>IN THE PHOTO: Airbus President & CEO Fabrice Bregier walks away from a JetBlue Airbus A320 aircraft at Brookley Field. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)</blockquote>

• Orthodontists and dentists

  •Average annual salary: $161,750-$204,670

• Doctors and surgeons

  •Average annual salary: $168,650-$234,950

From our partners

• 25 Signs You're A Hot Mess | Thought Catalog - thoughtcatalog.com

Comments

[JohnG34]

08:17 PM on 11/06/2012

Great content and information. Many of these top paying careers require college. This just shows that education pays off in the end. Thanks

[EdandBarbara Hill]

11:50 PM on 10/14/2012

Those averages probably seem unrealistic to some readers, but the truth is that if people apply themselves, maybe even work for themselves or sell their services on the market, they will find that there is a life beyond minimum wage.
Ed http://youtu.be/8hPgjUkzyP4

[duafe]

11:23 PM on 08/22/2012

This is misleading...you'll never meet a pre-med graduate making $100,000 a year. They still have the run the gamut of med school and their medical residency, which takes much more than four years total.

[heidirochemusic]

01:18 PM on 08/15/2012

I can't wait to be a doctor!! I chose a great career but I can't ever imagine someone choosing it because they wanted money... you seriously have to love it.

[classy chic]

10:06 AM on 09/19/2012

Yes, you have to not mind seeing and touching the inside of the human body. You can't get grossed out by the sight of diseases and severe injuries. I guess nature works it out that those with the aptitude to be a doctor also have the "stomach" for it.

[Pam Y]

09:44 PM on 07/12/2012

Why aren't University Professors on this list? I know for a fact that they make avg. of $200k. There are different categories of professors: professors (tenured), associate professors, assistant professors and lecturers. The different categories differentiate pay and experience.

[Andrew Castillo]

08:42 PM on 08/01/2012

That is so true!

[HoyaHoyaSaxa]

07:59 PM on 08/29/2012

Professors are paid peanuts.

[ricchh]

09:17 AM on 07/10/2012

They forgot being one of Romneys children.

[Quis Custodiet]

04:39 AM on 07/10/2012

I love these little articles as they amount to nothing more than "inception" style baiting of people into fields that they are ill suited for due the fact that there are going to be mass retirements in said areas of the economy. Flood an industry with fresh graduates and you can bump down the wages, as many a nursing major is learning.

Well, anyone stupid enough to jump on these bandwagons to upper class deserves what they get in 4 to 8 years.

[Jorjor91]

08:57 PM on 07/09/2012

As someone who is planning to be a doctor, let me clarify. The average private med school is 70k/year, the avg public school is 50-60k/year. Medical school aid is sparse and during residency, doctors don't get paid that much. The six figure salaries don't come until you are an attending. If doctor's weren't paid that much money, nobody would go to med school because they would never be able to pay their loans back and then we would have a serious shortage of physicians. I am all for getting paid the same a a teacher or police officer IF medical school costs go down accordingly, and I think the majority of doctors would agree with me. Most doctors don't do it for the money. It is the kind of job where no matter how much you get paid, if you don't love it, you will be absolutely miserable.

[ricchh]

09:14 AM on 07/10/2012

Per hour, doctors are probably one of the lower paid occupations.

[DrSully]

05:52 AM on 01/30/2013

Well said... A lot of people that think doctor's are overpaid need to look at the cost of medical school. I am one year away from graduation, but probably realistically 10 years away from paying off the debt

[Shanda Smalls]

06:34 PM on 07/09/2012

Of course there are no jobs listed on here that actually are beneficial to society (i.e. teachers, fireman, police, military, or child care workers).

[Payam Shakouri]

07:35 PM on 07/24/2012

So being a doctor or a surgeon is not beneficial to society?! Last week I saved a father of two with Respiratory failure!......Ahhhhh Why do I even bother?!

[Shanda Smalls]

12:21 PM on 07/28/2012

I stand corrected of course a Dr. is valuable to society...I just thing the people who teach them how to do those valuable things should be paid more!

[Payam Shakouri]

07:23 PM on 07/29/2012

Thanks for the comment. These articles are somehow misleading, They dont take into account athlete, celebrities, media moguls,....they just list salaried people. They also dont take into account taxes, fees, malpractice, .... We as a society pay 35-45% tax. However our millioners dont pay at the same rate. They pay about 10-15 %

[classy chic]

10:16 AM on 09/19/2012

The don't mention the various kinds of celebs (actors, athletes, singers, models etc) because they are so few in relation to the general population. You always stand a better chance of becoming a doctor or engineer than becoming a singer or actress.

[theaustralian]

05:36 AM on 07/09/2012

what about hollywood a-list actor or actress/ reality star. kim k makes millions a year being a w*ho*e.

[Just1Ashley]

07:51 PM on 09/18/2012

I think you misplaced one of your asterisks dear

[sabrinamatias]

05:34 PM on 07/08/2012

Hey, I made the list. Studying, hard work, responsibility and knowledge pay.

[DrSully]

05:54 AM on 01/30/2013

Well Said

[The Aviator]

01:57 PM on 07/08/2012

I am glad that I'm studying a field in which I can easily get a good-paying job (materials science and engineering).

[Briarcircle]

10:30 AM on 07/08/2012

Chief Excecutive Officer ...executive

[Dave Gasque]

10:17 AM on 07/08/2012

They forgot Lifelong Politicians. After all, all of the PACs representing the occupations mentioned in the 15 employment paths report to their Congressman at some point.

[Andrew Carvin]

10:05 AM on 07/08/2012

Education = Much like gambling these days, only with far more to lose. Studying those courses might be a good idea, but you are just as likely to end up unemployed, or as a fry cook with a medical degree. I made a video about unemployment, and how we can fix it. It’s at my YouTube channel Zarrakan, and here’s the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6qjvLSCtpc

Watch it, share it, and join the fight against those who want to kill all of us with destructive social policies.