Highest Paying Jobs in Healthcare (2026)
The highest paying jobs in healthcare are physician roles. Family medicine physicians lead with a median salary of $238,380, followed closely by general internal medicine physicians at $236,350 and specialist dentists at $225,770. Nurse anesthetists are the top earners that don’t require a doctorate, at $223,210 with a master’s degree, and they are projected to grow 8.6% from 2024 to 2034.
The ranking below covers the 25 best-paid of the 71 healthcare occupations in the dataset. The median salary across all 71 is $65,510. Salary figures are 2024 medians. Some of the highest medians are reported as a floor, so treat the top values as minimums rather than exact figures.
| # | Career | Median salary | Growth 2024–34 | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family medicine physicians | $238,380 | +2.7% | 3,300 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 2 | General internal medicine physicians | $236,350 | +3.3% | 2,100 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 3 | Dentists, all other specialists | $225,770 | +0.3% | 200 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 4 | Nurse anesthetists | $223,210 | +8.6% | 2,700 | Master's degree |
| 5 | Pediatricians, general | $210,130 | +0.8% | 1,200 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 6 | Dentists, general | $172,790 | +4.1% | 3,900 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 7 | Podiatrists | $152,800 | +1.8% | 300 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 8 | Medical dosimetrists | $138,110 | +3.5% | 200 | Bachelor's degree |
| 9 | Pharmacists | $137,480 | +4.6% | 14,200 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 10 | Optometrists | $134,830 | +8.0% | 2,400 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 11 | Physician assistants | $133,260 | +20.4% | 12,000 | Master's degree |
| 12 | Nurse practitioners | $129,210 | +40.1% | 29,500 | Master's degree |
| 13 | Nurse midwives | $128,790 | +11.1% | 500 | Master's degree |
| 14 | Veterinarians | $125,510 | +9.6% | 3,000 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 15 | Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other | $113,730 | +2.0% | 2,400 | Master's degree |
| 16 | Radiation therapists | $101,990 | +1.9% | 900 | Associate's degree |
| 17 | Physical therapists | $101,020 | +10.9% | 13,200 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 18 | Genetic counselors | $98,910 | +9.3% | 300 | Master's degree |
| 19 | Occupational therapists | $98,340 | +13.8% | 10,200 | Master's degree |
| 20 | Nuclear medicine technologists | $97,020 | +3.0% | 900 | Associate's degree |
| 21 | Speech-language pathologists | $95,410 | +15.0% | 13,300 | Master's degree |
| 22 | Dental hygienists | $94,260 | +7.0% | 15,300 | Associate's degree |
| 23 | Registered nurses | $93,600 | +4.9% | 189,100 | Bachelor's degree |
| 24 | Audiologists | $92,120 | +9.5% | 700 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| 25 | Diagnostic medical sonographers | $89,340 | +13.0% | 5,800 | Associate's degree |
What separates the top of the list
The top five occupations all have medians above $210,000. After that, pay drops sharply. General pediatricians rank fifth at $210,130, while general dentists rank sixth at $172,790. That $37,340 gap is the largest step between any two neighboring ranks in the top ten.
Four of those five top jobs require a doctoral or professional degree. The exception is nurse anesthetists. Family medicine physicians earn about 3.6 times the field-wide median of $65,510, a difference of roughly $172,870 a year. Even the 25th job on the list, diagnostic medical sonographers at $89,340, earns about 1.36 times the field median.
The best-paid jobs are not always the fastest-growing. Projected 2024–2034 growth for the top five ranges from 0.3% for specialist dentists to 8.6% for nurse anesthetists:
- General internal medicine physicians: 3.3%
- Family medicine physicians: 2.7%
- General pediatricians: 0.8%
These are large, established occupations. Openings come mostly from people leaving the field rather than from expansion.
The top picks: education and outlook
1. Family medicine physicians: $238,380
This is the highest-paid healthcare occupation in the data. It requires a doctoral or professional degree. The field had 116,000 jobs in 2024 and is projected to grow 2.7% through 2034, with about 3,300 openings a year. It suits people who want broad, generalist medicine and are prepared for the longest training path on this list. Because top medians are reported as floors, the actual median may be higher.
2. General internal medicine physicians: $236,350
Pay is only $2,030 below family medicine, and projected growth is slightly faster at 3.3%. The occupation is smaller, with 73,200 jobs and about 2,100 annual openings. It also requires a doctoral or professional degree.
3. Dentists, all other specialists: $225,770
Specialist dentists earn the third-highest median, but this is a small occupation: 6,600 jobs and about 200 openings a year. Projected growth is just 0.3%, the lowest in the top 25. The pay is high, but the number of positions is limited.
4. Nurse anesthetists: $223,210
For readers searching the highest paying jobs in the medical field without medical or dental school, this is the standout. The typical entry education is a master’s degree. Median pay is within about $15,200 of family medicine physicians. Projected growth is 8.6%, the fastest in the top five, and there are about 2,700 openings a year from a base of 53,800 jobs. Nurse anesthetists offer the best combination of pay and outlook among the top-ranked roles.
5. General pediatricians: $210,130
Pediatricians round out the group above $200,000. They require a doctoral degree, held 46,400 jobs in 2024, and have about 1,200 openings a year. Projected growth is 0.8%.
The middle tier: strong pay, faster growth
Ranks 6 through 14 fall between about $125,000 and $173,000. The demand picture shifts noticeably in this tier.
Nurse practitioners rank 12th at $129,210. They have the fastest projected growth on the list at 40.1%, with about 29,500 openings a year. Openings for family medicine, internal medicine and pediatric physicians combined total about 6,600 a year. Nurse practitioners alone offer roughly 4.5 times as many.
Physician assistants rank 11th at $133,260, with 20.4% projected growth and about 12,000 openings a year. Both roles require a master’s degree.
Other options in this tier:
- Pharmacists earn $137,480. They are a large occupation, with 335,100 jobs and about 14,200 openings a year, and projected growth is 4.6%.
- Optometrists earn $134,830 with 8% projected growth.
- Veterinarians earn $125,510 with 9.6% projected growth.
- Nurse midwives earn $128,790 with 11.1% growth, but the occupation is small at 8,600 jobs.
- Podiatrists earn $152,800 with 1.8% projected growth and about 300 openings a year.
A practical pattern runs through this tier. A master’s-level clinical role such as nurse practitioner or physician assistant pays about $105,000 to $109,000 less than the top physician medians. In exchange, the training is shorter and the job market is growing much faster.
Well-paid options that need less schooling
Six of the top 25 jobs need only a bachelor’s or associate’s degree. Each still pays well above the $65,510 field median.
Bachelor’s degree
- Medical dosimetrists earn $138,110, the highest median of any bachelor’s-entry job on the list. They out-earn pharmacists, optometrists and physician assistants. The catch is size: 4,800 jobs, about 200 openings a year and 3.5% projected growth.
- Registered nurses earn $93,600. This is by far the largest occupation in the data, with 3,391,000 jobs and about 189,100 openings a year, and projected growth is 4.9%. Annual RN openings alone exceed the combined openings of every other job in the top 25.
Associate’s degree
- Radiation therapists earn $101,990, the best-paid associate’s-entry role. Projected growth is modest at 1.9%, with about 900 openings a year.
- Nuclear medicine technologists earn $97,020 with 3% projected growth.
- Dental hygienists earn $94,260 with 7% projected growth. They have about 15,300 openings a year, more than any other job in the top 25 except registered nurses and nurse practitioners.
- Diagnostic medical sonographers earn $89,340. Projected growth is 13%, the fastest among associate’s-entry roles, with about 5,800 openings a year.
For readers weighing training time against earnings, the associate’s-level imaging and therapy roles stand out. They pay between about 1.36 and 1.56 times the field median, and dental hygienists and sonographers pair that pay with above-average growth.
Patterns by category
Education level. Eleven of the top 25 jobs typically require a doctoral or professional degree. Eight require a master’s degree, two a bachelor’s degree and four an associate’s degree. Doctoral roles hold seven of the top ten spots. The exceptions are nurse anesthetists at fourth and medical dosimetrists at eighth.
Growth. The fastest-growing jobs on the list are concentrated in advanced-practice nursing and therapy, not in physician roles. Seven occupations are projected to grow by double digits:
- Nurse practitioners: 40.1%
- Physician assistants: 20.4%
- Speech-language pathologists: 15%
- Occupational therapists: 13.8%
- Diagnostic medical sonographers: 13%
- Nurse midwives: 11.1%
- Physical therapists: 10.9%
Their medians fall between about $89,000 and $134,000.
Rehabilitation and communication roles. Physical therapists earn $101,020, occupational therapists $98,340, speech-language pathologists $95,410 and audiologists $92,120. Together they form a cluster of six-figure or near-six-figure jobs with healthy growth. Each has more than 10,000 openings a year, except audiologists, who have about 700. Genetic counselors earn a similar $98,910 with 9.3% growth, but the occupation is small at 4,000 jobs.
Who each option suits
- Maximum earnings, long training horizon: family medicine, internal medicine or pediatrics. Expect the doctoral path and slow growth.
- Near-physician pay with a master’s degree: nurse anesthetists.
- Strongest job market at six figures: nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
- High pay from a bachelor’s degree in a niche field: medical dosimetrists.
- Two-year entry with solid pay: radiation therapists, nuclear medicine technologists, dental hygienists and sonographers.
- Broadest hiring: registered nurses.
What this data does and doesn’t cover
These figures are national medians for 2024, with job projections for 2024–2034. They do not show pay by state, metro or ZIP code, and they do not cover the cost of living or student debt in a given area. Because some top medians are reported as floors, the true medians for the highest-paid jobs may be higher than shown. Specialties not listed here fall outside this ranking. For more detail on any role, see its career page or browse the Repit careers hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest paying job in healthcare?
Family medicine physicians have the highest median salary in the data, at $238,380. General internal medicine physicians follow closely at $236,350. Some top medians are reported as floors, so treat these figures as minimums.
What is the highest paying healthcare job without medical school?
Nurse anesthetists earn a median of $223,210 and typically need a master's degree. Projected growth for the role is 8.6% from 2024 to 2034.
Which high-paying healthcare jobs need only an associate's degree?
Radiation therapists earn $101,990, nuclear medicine technologists $97,020, dental hygienists $94,260 and diagnostic medical sonographers $89,340. All four typically require an associate's degree.
Which well-paid healthcare job is growing fastest?
Nurse practitioners are projected to grow 40.1% from 2024 to 2034, with about 29,500 openings a year and a $129,210 median salary. Physician assistants are next at 20.4% growth.
How much more do top healthcare jobs pay than the typical healthcare job?
The median across all 71 healthcare occupations is $65,510. Family medicine physicians earn about 3.6 times that amount.
Sources and methodology
Median annual wages, 2024 employment, 2024–2034 projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and Employment Projections, 2024). Occupations are grouped by Standard Occupational Classification codes.