Highest paying jobs in Baltimore that require a graduate degree
Highest paying jobs in Baltimore that require a graduate degree
Those with graduate degrees earn more on average than those without them—but not all jobs are equal. And while rising tuition costs are enough to turn people away from the prospect of a master’s or doctoral degree, many high-paying professions still require such degrees to get in the door. Stacker compiled a list of the highest- paying jobs that require a graduate degree in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2020 annual mean wage.
The best way to guarantee a high return on investment in a graduate degree is to be aware of professions that pay top-dollar for that added educational investment. Keep reading to see where a graduate degree is required—and can earn you the most.
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#50. Orthotists and prosthetists
- Annual mean salary: $77,880 (#18 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $74,120 (9,550 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Jackson, MS ($122,240)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($94,190)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($88,210)
Job description: Design, measure, fit, and adapt orthopedic braces, appliances or prostheses, such as limbs or facial parts for patients with disabling conditions.

#49. Communications teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $77,890 (#35 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $80,940 (28,430 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($143,510)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($127,650)
--- Fresno, CA ($122,590)
Job description: Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

#48. Architecture teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $79,310 (#8 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $100,820 (6,910 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($138,930)
--- Providence-Warwick, RI-MA ($117,380)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($106,330)
Job description: Teach courses in architecture and architectural design, such as architectural environmental design, interior architecture/design, and landscape architecture. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

#47. Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $79,620 (#21 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $88,790 (9,960 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($143,090)
--- Rochester, NY ($133,150)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($121,010)
Job description: Teach courses pertaining to the culture and development of an area, an ethnic group, or any other group, such as Latin American studies, women's studies, or urban affairs. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

#46. Urban and regional planners
- Annual mean salary: $80,580 (#46 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 400
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,410 (38,190 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($109,910)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($108,860)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($107,810)
Job description: Develop comprehensive plans and programs for use of land and physical facilities of jurisdictions, such as towns, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas.
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#45. Education teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $80,750 (#25 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 500
National
- Annual mean salary: $75,010 (57,560 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($104,950)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($103,700)
--- Stockton-Lodi, CA ($100,980)
Job description: Teach courses pertaining to education, such as counseling, curriculum, guidance, instruction, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

#44. Environmental science teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $83,010 (#15 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $94,520 (5,860 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($150,620)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($125,850)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($124,540)
Job description: Teach courses in environmental science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
#43. Speech-language pathologists
- Annual mean salary: $83,100 (#121 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 1,300
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,240 (148,450 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Modesto, CA ($128,540)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($120,920)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($115,480)
Job description: Assess and treat persons with speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. May select alternative communication systems and teach their use. May perform research related to speech and language problems.

#42. Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists
- Annual mean salary: $83,110 (#114 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 1,080
National
- Annual mean salary: $89,290 (111,320 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($138,550)
--- Jefferson City, MO ($133,640)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($125,020)
Job description: Assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders of individuals through observation, interview, and psychological tests. Help individuals with distress or maladjustment understand their problems through their knowledge of case history, interviews with patients, and theory. Provide individual or group counseling services to assist individuals in achieving more effective personal, social, educational, and vocational development and adjustment. May design behavior modification programs and consult with medical personnel regarding the best treatment for patients.
#41. Occupational therapists
- Annual mean salary: $83,500 (#183 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 2,110
National
- Annual mean salary: $87,480 (126,610 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- The Villages, FL ($115,920)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($115,060)
--- Modesto, CA ($112,870)
Job description: Assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental delays. Use therapeutic techniques, adapt the individual's environment, teach skills, and modify specific tasks that present barriers to the individual.
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#40. Optometrists
- Annual mean salary: $84,280 (#147 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $125,440 (36,690 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Columbia, SC ($228,340)
--- New Haven, CT ($186,950)
--- Evansville, IN-KY ($182,980)
Job description: Diagnose, manage, and treat conditions and diseases of the human eye and visual system. Examine eyes and visual system, diagnose problems or impairments, prescribe corrective lenses, and provide treatment. May prescribe therapeutic drugs to treat specific eye conditions.

#39. Political science teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $84,350 (#33 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $100,970 (15,130 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($163,420)
--- Providence-Warwick, RI-MA ($144,260)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($129,530)
Job description: Teach courses in political science, international affairs, and international relations. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
#38. Epidemiologists
- Annual mean salary: $84,810 (#17 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,620 (7,500 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($134,580)
--- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($122,520)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($121,560)
Job description: Investigate and describe the determinants and distribution of disease, disability, or health outcomes. May develop the means for prevention and control.
#37. Physical therapists
- Annual mean salary: $88,970 (#181 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 2,460
National
- Annual mean salary: $91,680 (220,870 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- El Centro, CA ($143,500)
--- Modesto, CA ($123,370)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($119,510)
Job description: Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.

#36. Biological science teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $91,120 (#51 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 390
National
- Annual mean salary: $101,320 (51,500 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR ($195,730)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($161,980)
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($147,290)
Job description: Teach courses in biological sciences. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
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#35. Computer science teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $93,560 (#38 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 560
National
- Annual mean salary: $98,680 (32,230 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($153,430)
--- College Station-Bryan, TX ($150,480)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($143,650)
Job description: Teach courses in computer science. May specialize in a field of computer science, such as the design and function of computers or operations and research analysis. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

#34. Survey researchers
- Annual mean salary: $95,010 (#1 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,960 (10,350 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($95,010)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($87,810)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($87,570)
Job description: Plan, develop, or conduct surveys. May analyze and interpret the meaning of survey data, determine survey objectives, or suggest or test question wording. Includes social scientists who primarily design questionnaires or supervise survey teams.

#33. Physics teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $96,560 (#32 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $101,290 (13,670 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Rochester, NY ($160,370)
--- College Station-Bryan, TX ($148,480)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($141,180)
Job description: Teach courses pertaining to the laws of matter and energy. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

#32. Statisticians
- Annual mean salary: $98,390 (#21 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 470
National
- Annual mean salary: $97,170 (38,860 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($127,080)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($120,850)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($118,900)
Job description: Develop or apply mathematical or statistical theory and methods to collect, organize, interpret, and summarize numerical data to provide usable information. May specialize in fields such as biostatistics, agricultural statistics, business statistics, or economic statistics. Includes mathematical and survey statisticians.
#31. Audiologists
- Annual mean salary: $102,650 (#12 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $89,230 (13,300 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Reno, NV ($151,460)
--- Tulsa, OK ($128,620)
--- Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR ($127,210)
Job description: Assess and treat persons with hearing and related disorders. May fit hearing aids and provide auditory training. May perform research related to hearing problems.
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#30. Economics teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $102,680 (#41 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $123,720 (13,080 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Providence-Warwick, RI-MA ($180,450)
--- Rochester, NY ($175,010)
--- Pittsburgh, PA ($171,450)
Job description: Teach courses in economics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

#29. Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers
- Annual mean salary: $102,690 (#34 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 240
National
- Annual mean salary: $102,050 (14,570 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($145,340)
--- Kansas City, MO-KS ($139,930)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($139,150)
Job description: Conduct hearings to recommend or make decisions on claims concerning government programs or other government-related matters. Determine liability, sanctions, or penalties, or recommend the acceptance or rejection of claims or settlements.
#28. Podiatrists
- Annual mean salary: $103,440 (#56 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $151,110 (9,710 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA ($229,330)
--- Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC ($226,260)
--- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ($221,380)
Job description: Diagnose and treat diseases and deformities of the human foot.
#27. Mathematicians
- Annual mean salary: $104,090 (#7 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $112,530 (2,460 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($138,160)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($135,980)
--- Trenton, NJ ($131,570)
Job description: Conduct research in fundamental mathematics or in application of mathematical techniques to science, management, and other fields. Solve problems in various fields using mathematical methods.

#26. Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $105,830 (#8 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $90,160 (22,900 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($140,300)
--- Providence-Warwick, RI-MA ($119,520)
--- Charlottesville, VA ($112,640)
Job description: Teach courses in philosophy, religion, and theology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
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#25. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $106,320 (#43 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 550
National
- Annual mean salary: $107,270 (79,810 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($174,050)
--- College Station-Bryan, TX ($172,650)
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($149,740)
Job description: Teach courses in business administration and management, such as accounting, finance, human resources, labor and industrial relations, marketing, and operations research. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

#24. Biochemists and biophysicists
- Annual mean salary: $107,090 (#7 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $104,810 (32,010 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($145,020)
--- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($132,280)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($131,720)
Job description: Study the chemical composition or physical principles of living cells and organisms, their electrical and mechanical energy, and related phenomena. May conduct research to further understanding of the complex chemical combinations and reactions involved in metabolism, reproduction, growth, and heredity. May determine the effects of foods, drugs, serums, hormones, and other substances on tissues and vital processes of living organisms.
#23. Nurse midwives
- Annual mean salary: $107,340 (#25 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $115,540 (7,120 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($191,440)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($171,000)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($167,870)
Job description: Diagnose and coordinate all aspects of the birthing process, either independently or as part of a healthcare team. May provide well-woman gynecological care. Must have specialized, graduate nursing education.

#22. Chemistry teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $109,600 (#10 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $94,630 (21,530 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($140,380)
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($136,630)
--- College Station-Bryan, TX ($136,080)
Job description: Teach courses pertaining to the chemical and physical properties and compositional changes of substances. Work may include providing instruction in the methods of qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching, and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
#21. Physician assistants
- Annual mean salary: $112,210 (#163 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 1,720
National
- Annual mean salary: $116,080 (125,280 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($168,220)
--- Waterbury, CT ($165,230)
--- Portsmouth, NH-ME ($158,020)
Job description: Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.
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#20. Nurse practitioners
- Annual mean salary: $116,550 (#108 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 2,140
National
- Annual mean salary: $114,510 (211,280 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($188,070)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($177,800)
--- Salinas, CA ($155,310)
Job description: Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. May focus on health promotion and disease prevention. May order, perform, or interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x rays. May prescribe medication. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
#19. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Annual mean salary: $118,960 (#44 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 1,910
National
- Annual mean salary: $103,010 (262,480 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Modesto, CA ($154,970)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($146,070)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($145,590)
Job description: Plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools.
#18. Pharmacists
- Annual mean salary: $120,540 (#269 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 3,110
National
- Annual mean salary: $125,460 (315,470 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Madera, CA ($165,350)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($162,540)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($161,120)
Job description: Dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. May advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications.
#17. Veterinarians
- Annual mean salary: $120,710 (#41 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 830
National
- Annual mean salary: $108,350 (73,710 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($169,220)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($150,370)
--- Akron, OH ($150,330)
Job description: Diagnose, treat, or research diseases and injuries of animals. Includes veterinarians who conduct research and development, inspect livestock, or care for pets and companion animals.
#16. Law teachers, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $124,600 (#12 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $134,760 (14,930 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN ($190,320)
--- Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA ($180,020)
--- Tallahassee, FL ($164,590)
Job description: Teach courses in law. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
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#15. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Annual mean salary: $131,220 (#35 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 1,480
National
- Annual mean salary: $115,200 (140,880 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Ithaca, NY ($205,810)
--- Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC ($178,210)
--- Charlottesville, VA ($176,040)
Job description: Plan, direct, or coordinate student instruction, administration, and services, as well as other research and educational activities, at postsecondary institutions, including universities, colleges, and junior and community colleges.

#14. Physicists
- Annual mean salary: $131,270 (#22 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $137,700 (16,160 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($170,690)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($164,420)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($159,290)
Job description: Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories.

#13. Computer and information research scientists
- Annual mean salary: $133,900 (#13 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 1,290
National
- Annual mean salary: $130,890 (30,220 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($170,890)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($163,330)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($150,090)
Job description: Conduct research into fundamental computer and information science as theorists, designers, or inventors. Develop solutions to problems in the field of computer hardware and software.
#12. Pediatricians, general
- Annual mean salary: $135,680 (#70 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $184,570 (27,550 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($280,860)
--- State College, PA ($275,730)
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($275,610)
Job description: Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries in children. May refer patients to specialists for further diagnosis or treatment, as needed.

#11. Economists
- Annual mean salary: $137,200 (#4 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $120,880 (17,520 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($153,610)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($148,980)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($142,580)
Job description: Conduct research, prepare reports, or formulate plans to address economic problems related to the production and distribution of goods and services or monetary and fiscal policy. May collect and process economic and statistical data using sampling techniques and econometric methods.
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#10. Lawyers
- Annual mean salary: $140,130 (#51 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 7,480
National
- Annual mean salary: $148,910 (658,120 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($231,610)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($201,920)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($186,070)
Job description: Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.
#9. Dentists, general
- Annual mean salary: $151,680 (#210 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 880
National
- Annual mean salary: $180,830 (95,920 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Dover-Durham, NH-ME ($286,540)
--- North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL ($278,790)
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($278,390)
Job description: Examine, diagnose, and treat diseases, injuries, and malformations of teeth and gums. May treat diseases of nerve, pulp, and other dental tissues affecting oral hygiene and retention of teeth. May fit dental appliances or provide preventive care.

#8. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Annual mean salary: $153,140 (#25 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $131,850 (28,550 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($211,940)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($210,160)
--- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL ($185,950)
Job description: Arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. May sentence defendant in criminal cases according to government statutes or sentencing guidelines. May determine liability of defendant in civil cases. May perform wedding ceremonies.
#7. Political scientists
- Annual mean salary: $156,110 (#1 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $124,100 (6,010 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($156,110)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($131,110)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($130,790)
Job description: Study the origin, development, and operation of political systems. May study topics, such as public opinion, political decisionmaking, and ideology. May analyze the structure and operation of governments, as well as various political entities. May conduct public opinion surveys, analyze election results, or analyze public documents.
#6. Nurse anesthetists
- Annual mean salary: $190,320 (#37 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 320
National
- Annual mean salary: $189,190 (41,960 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Master’s degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Duluth, MN-WI ($271,940)
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($262,890)
--- Green Bay, WI ($239,140)
Job description: Administer anesthesia, monitor patient's vital signs, and oversee patient recovery from anesthesia. May assist anesthesiologists, surgeons, other physicians, or dentists. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
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#5. Family medicine physicians
- Annual mean salary: $205,010 (#171 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 690
National
- Annual mean salary: $214,370 (98,590 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA ($309,800)
--- Napa, CA ($302,040)
--- Gadsden, AL ($292,110)
Job description: Diagnose, treat, and provide preventive care to individuals and families across the lifespan. May refer patients to specialists when needed for further diagnosis or treatment.

#4. Psychiatrists
- Annual mean salary: $222,440 (#52 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 490
National
- Annual mean salary: $217,100 (25,540 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($297,710)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($289,580)
--- Kansas City, MO-KS ($287,220)
Job description: Diagnose, treat, and help prevent mental disorders.
#3. General internal medicine physicians
- Annual mean salary: $235,630 (#45 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 490
National
- Annual mean salary: $210,960 (50,600 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Rochester, MN ($315,830)
--- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ($314,080)
--- Wichita Falls, TX ($311,260)
Job description: Diagnose and provide nonsurgical treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries of internal organ systems. Provide care mainly for adults and adolescents, and are based primarily in an outpatient care setting.
#2. Obstetricians and gynecologists
- Annual mean salary: $263,410 (#16 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $239,120 (18,900 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI ($294,450)
--- Tulsa, OK ($294,400)
--- Albuquerque, NM ($292,740)
Job description: Provide medical care related to pregnancy or childbirth. Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases of women, particularly those affecting the reproductive system. May also provide general care to women. May perform both medical and gynecological surgery functions.

#1. Surgeons, except ophthalmologists
- Annual mean salary: $278,100 (#23 highest pay among all metros)
- Employment: 240
National
- Annual mean salary: $251,650 (37,900 employed)
- Entry level education requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sioux City, IA-NE-SD ($305,480)
--- Akron, OH ($297,710)
--- Lincoln, NE ($296,150)
Job description: Diagnose and perform surgery to treat and prevent rheumatic and other diseases in the musculoskeletal system.
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