Highest-paying jobs in Pennsylvania
The highest published median in Pennsylvania is for cardiologists, at $579,120 a year. For 5 more occupations, BLS reports the median only as “$239,200 or more”; they are listed below the table. The median for all occupations in the state is $49,690, against $50,980 nationally.
Pennsylvania · all occupationsMay 2025
- Median / yr
- $49,690
- Mean / yr
- $65,730
- Price level (U.S.=100)
- 97.6
- Median, price-adjusted
- $50,926
- Adjusted rank
- 39 of 51
- Jobs
- 6,064,600
Price-adjusted = median ÷ (BEA 2024 regional price parity ÷ 100). Compare all states.
The 50 best-paid occupations in Pennsylvania
PA · Src BLS-OEWS · May 2025Top 50 of 773
| No. | Occupation | Median in PA | U.S. median | Employed in PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $579,120 | $496,010 | 640 |
| 2 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $553,740 | $352,220 | — |
| 3 | Anesthesiologists | $461,390 | $391,490 | 410 |
| 4 | Radiologists | $455,380 | $420,860 | 1,360 |
| 5 | Physicians, Pathologists | $413,370 | $312,400 | 210 |
| 6 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $354,020 | $358,550 | 240 |
| 7 | Orthodontists | $311,180 | $289,140 | — |
| 8 | Family Medicine Physicians | $306,030 | $244,180 | 4,190 |
| 9 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $304,290 | $300,080 | 310 |
| 10 | Psychiatrists | $278,970 | $281,870 | 830 |
| 11 | Chief Executives | $232,560 | $213,990 | 8,850 |
| 12 | Pediatricians, General | $226,440 | $210,040 | 1,120 |
| 13 | Nurse Anesthetists | $221,530 | $236,590 | 2,500 |
| 14 | Physicians, All Other | $217,310 | $265,930 | 23,800 |
| 15 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $213,310 | $256,560 | 990 |
| 16 | Physicists | $210,990 | $172,250 | 230 |
| 17 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $195,150 | $224,990 | 160 |
| 18 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $164,990 | $232,140 | 2,270 |
| 19 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $164,690 | $171,270 | 9,640 |
| 20 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $163,910 | $175,140 | 27,060 |
| 21 | Dentists, General | $163,390 | $170,950 | 4,460 |
| 22 | Lawyers | $157,180 | $159,670 | 27,170 |
| 23 | Podiatrists | $155,050 | $160,300 | 390 |
| 24 | Marketing Managers | $150,810 | $166,790 | 13,840 |
| 25 | Financial Managers | $145,610 | $166,570 | 32,180 |
| 26 | Medical Dosimetrists | $142,850 | $147,470 | 160 |
| 27 | Purchasing Managers | $141,790 | $148,080 | 2,530 |
| 28 | Political Scientists | $140,020 | $142,080 | 70 |
| 29 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $139,040 | $149,230 | 770 |
| 30 | Pharmacists | $138,160 | $140,910 | 14,090 |
| 31 | Natural Sciences Managers | $137,900 | $167,220 | 7,980 |
| 32 | Optometrists | $135,400 | $136,570 | 1,720 |
| 33 | Physical Scientists, All Other | $134,780 | $122,570 | 460 |
| 34 | Biochemists and Biophysicists | $134,090 | $127,410 | 2,750 |
| 35 | Commercial Pilots | $134,030 | $123,220 | 530 |
| 36 | Aerospace Engineers | $133,940 | $134,960 | 990 |
| 37 | Veterinarians | $133,520 | $130,100 | 3,490 |
| 38 | Nuclear Engineers | $133,250 | $133,970 | 340 |
| 39 | Human Resources Managers | $133,060 | $149,280 | 8,230 |
| 40 | Air Traffic Controllers | $132,350 | $148,080 | 460 |
| 41 | Computer Network Architects | $131,840 | $134,050 | 6,080 |
| 42 | Managers, All Other | $131,600 | $141,900 | 20,170 |
| 43 | Sales Managers | $130,610 | $148,270 | 20,460 |
| 44 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | $130,300 | $140,300 | 330 |
| 45 | Nurse Practitioners | $130,140 | $132,300 | 10,670 |
| 46 | Physician Assistants | $127,070 | $135,880 | 9,020 |
| 47 | Software Developers | $126,550 | $135,980 | 55,920 |
| 48 | Actuaries | $125,040 | $130,000 | 1,710 |
| 49 | Nuclear Technicians | $124,070 | $110,240 | 310 |
| 50 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $122,940 | $133,660 | 1,540 |
Median reported only as “$239,200 or more” in Pennsylvania: Surgeons, All Other, Emergency Medicine Physicians, Dermatologists, Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Neurologists. The exact figures are not published, so these are not ranked.
Dashes mean the employment estimate was not published.
Best-paid occupations with at least 1,000 jobs in Pennsylvania
- Radiologists — $455,380 (1,360 jobs)
- Family Medicine Physicians — $306,030 (4,190 jobs)
- Chief Executives — $232,560 (8,850 jobs)
- Pediatricians, General — $226,440 (1,120 jobs)
- Nurse Anesthetists — $221,530 (2,500 jobs)
- Physicians, All Other — $217,310 (23,800 jobs)
- Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers — $164,990 (2,270 jobs)
- Architectural and Engineering Managers — $164,690 (9,640 jobs)
- Computer and Information Systems Managers — $163,910 (27,060 jobs)
- Dentists, General — $163,390 (4,460 jobs)
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state file.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024.