Highest-paying jobs in California, Maryland
The rich are getting richer, and have been for some time.
Across the nation, wages have continued to rise this year despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to temper inflation. In June, average weekly earnings grew at a higher rate than the Consumer Price Index, the nation's primary inflation indicator.
While pay is increasing across income levels, the historical growth for high-income jobs has been most profound. High-income jobs have grown 69% over the past 50 years—more than both middle- and lower-income jobs, a Pew Trusts analysis shows.
The highest earners in the U.S. are what you'd expect: doctors and other medical professionals, engineers, tech workers, executives, and corporate leaders. Nationally, the 50 top-paying jobs all require at least a bachelor's degree, and many require a master's, doctorate, or another professional degree. Indeed, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that higher degree holders earn more in a typical week and face lower rates of unemployment.
Still, the exact positions that pay the most vary depending on where in the country you are located. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in California, Maryland. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022, so jobs without annual compensation estimates available were excluded from this analysis.
#50. Instructional coordinators
- Median annual wage: $97,070
- Median hourly wage: $46.67
- Total employment: 70 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#49. Budget analysts
- Median annual wage: $97,780
- Median hourly wage: $47.01
- Total employment: 40 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#48. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $98,020
- Median hourly wage: $47.13
- Total employment: 80 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#47. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $98,800
- Median hourly wage: $47.50
- Total employment: 740 people (15.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#46. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $98,920
- Median hourly wage: $47.56
- Total employment: 70 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#45. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $99,640
- Median hourly wage: $47.90
- Total employment: 340 people (7.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#44. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $101,640
- Median hourly wage: $48.87
- Total employment: 730 people (15.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#43. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $101,760
- Median hourly wage: $48.92
- Total employment: 50 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#42. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $103,480
- Median hourly wage: $49.75
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#41. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $104,790
- Median hourly wage: $50.38
- Total employment: 250 people (5.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#40. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $105,290
- Median hourly wage: $50.62
- Total employment: 690 people (14.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#39. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $106,050
- Median hourly wage: $50.99
- Total employment: 190 people (3.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#38. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $107,810
- Median hourly wage: $51.83
- Total employment: 130 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#37. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $108,540
- Median hourly wage: $52.18
- Total employment: 270 people (5.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#36. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $108,550
- Median hourly wage: $52.19
- Total employment: 60 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#35. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,720
- Median hourly wage: $52.75
- Total employment: 360 people (7.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $110,670
- Median hourly wage: $53.21
- Total employment: 50 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#33. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $113,420
- Median hourly wage: $54.53
- Total employment: 210 people (4.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#32. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $113,820
- Median hourly wage: $54.72
- Total employment: 80 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#31. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $115,890
- Median hourly wage: $55.71
- Total employment: 430 people (9.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#30. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $116,080
- Median hourly wage: $55.81
- Total employment: 60 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#28. Computer occupations, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $117,500
- Median hourly wage: $56.49
- Total employment: 980 people (20.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#28. Financial specialists, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $117,500
- Median hourly wage: $56.49
- Total employment: 710 people (15.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#27. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $119,410
- Median hourly wage: $57.41
- Total employment: 1,210 people (25.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#26. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $120,590
- Median hourly wage: $57.98
- Total employment: 1,150 people (24.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#25. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $121,080
- Median hourly wage: $58.21
- Total employment: 340 people (7.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#24. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $122,300
- Median hourly wage: $58.80
- Total employment: 90 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#23. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $122,410
- Median hourly wage: $58.85
- Total employment: 150 people (3.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#22. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $123,240
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#21. Media and communication equipment workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $124,610
- Median hourly wage: $59.91
- Total employment: 60 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#20. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $125,620
- Median hourly wage: $60.40
- Total employment: 720 people (15.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#19. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $126,310
- Median hourly wage: $60.73
- Total employment: 1,910 people (40.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#18. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $126,420
- Median hourly wage: $60.78
- Total employment: 1,080 people (23.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#17. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $128,440
- Median hourly wage: $61.75
- Total employment: 60 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#16. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $129,780
- Median hourly wage: $62.39
- Total employment: 180 people (3.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#15. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $130,440
- Median hourly wage: $62.71
- Total employment: 130 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#14. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $134,640
- Median hourly wage: $64.73
- Total employment: 40 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#13. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $135,350
- Median hourly wage: $65.07
- Total employment: 110 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#12. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $137,270
- Median hourly wage: $65.99
- Total employment: 140 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#11. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $138,840
- Median hourly wage: $66.75
- Total employment: 270 people (5.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#10. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $138,860
- Median hourly wage: $66.76
- Total employment: 660 people (13.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#9. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $139,300
- Median hourly wage: $66.97
- Total employment: 440 people (9.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#8. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $149,760
- Median hourly wage: $72.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#7. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $149,990
- Median hourly wage: $72.11
- Total employment: 50 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#6. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $153,090
- Median hourly wage: $73.60
- Total employment: 780 people (16.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#5. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $158,050
- Median hourly wage: $75.98
- Total employment: 170 people (3.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#4. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $160,080
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 120 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $166,200
- Median hourly wage: $79.90
- Total employment: 140 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#2. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $214,960
- Median hourly wage: $103.35
- Total employment: 80 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $237,000
- Median hourly wage: $113.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
