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Careers Requiring a Doctoral Degree

Careers requiring a doctoral or first-professional degree (PhD, MD, JD, DDS, DVM, PsyD, OD, PharmD, EdD). The highest educational tier in U.S. occupational data. Median salaries are typically the highest across all education levels, with substantial concentrations in healthcare, law, academia, and scientific research.

Repit catalogs 73 occupations at this education level, accounting for approximately 4,511,300 jobs in the U.S. workforce and roughly 236,300 annual openings. Median salaries range up to $238,380 for the highest-paying roles in this tier.
73
Careers
$95,830
Median Salary
236,300
Annual Openings

Family medicine physicians

$238,380 +2.7% growth 3,300 annual openings

General internal medicine physicians

$236,350 +3.3% growth 2,100 annual openings

Dentists, all other specialists

$225,770 +0.3% growth 200 annual openings

Pediatricians, general

$210,130 +0.8% growth 1,200 annual openings

Dentists, general

$172,790 +4.1% growth 3,900 annual openings

Physicists

$166,290 +4.0% growth 1,700 annual openings

Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates

$156,210 +2.5% growth 900 annual openings

Podiatrists

$152,800 +1.8% growth 300 annual openings

Lawyers

$151,160 +4.1% growth 31,500 annual openings

Pharmacists

$137,480 +4.6% growth 14,200 annual openings

Optometrists

$134,830 +8.0% growth 2,400 annual openings

Astronomers

$132,170 +2.2% growth 100 annual openings

Law teachers, postsecondary

$126,650 +2.2% growth 2,200 annual openings

Veterinarians

$125,510 +9.6% growth 3,000 annual openings

Economics teachers, postsecondary

$119,980 +2.1% growth 1,200 annual openings

Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers

$115,230 -0.7% growth 500 annual openings

Engineering teachers, postsecondary

$106,120 +8.1% growth 4,100 annual openings

Health specialties teachers, postsecondary

$105,620 +17.3% growth 27,400 annual openings

Biochemists and biophysicists

$103,650 +5.8% growth 2,900 annual openings

Architecture teachers, postsecondary

$101,480 +2.0% growth 900 annual openings

Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary

$101,390 +2.6% growth 1,000 annual openings

Physical therapists

$101,020 +10.9% growth 13,200 annual openings

Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary

$100,830 +4.0% growth 100 annual openings

Medical scientists, except epidemiologists

$100,590 +8.7% growth 9,600 annual openings

Physics teachers, postsecondary

$97,360 +2.5% growth 1,300 annual openings

Business teachers, postsecondary

$97,270 +5.7% growth 8,100 annual openings

Computer science teachers, postsecondary

$96,690 +5.3% growth 3,500 annual openings

Clinical and counseling psychologists

$95,830 +11.2% growth 4,800 annual openings

Anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary

$95,770 +2.7% growth 500 annual openings

Political science teachers, postsecondary

$94,680 +2.0% growth 1,600 annual openings

Audiologists

$92,120 +9.5% growth 700 annual openings

Environmental science teachers, postsecondary

$87,710 +2.9% growth 700 annual openings

Geography teachers, postsecondary

$86,730 +3.3% growth 300 annual openings

Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary

$86,350 +4.1% growth 800 annual openings

Chemistry teachers, postsecondary

$86,220 +2.2% growth 1,900 annual openings

Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary

$84,290 +2.4% growth 1,100 annual openings

Biological science teachers, postsecondary

$83,460 +7.3% growth 5,400 annual openings

Sociology teachers, postsecondary

$82,540 +2.1% growth 1,100 annual openings

History teachers, postsecondary

$81,500 -0.2% growth 1,700 annual openings

Psychology teachers, postsecondary

$80,330 +3.6% growth 4,000 annual openings

Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary

$79,940 +16.8% growth 8,600 annual openings

Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary

$79,350 +2.3% growth 4,400 annual openings

Chiropractors

$79,000 +9.5% growth 2,800 annual openings

Library science teachers, postsecondary

$78,630 +3.0% growth 400 annual openings

Postsecondary teachers, all other

$78,490 +1.8% growth 13,500 annual openings

English language and literature teachers, postsecondary

$78,270 +0.0% growth 5,100 annual openings

Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary

$78,050 +0.7% growth 2,000 annual openings

Communications teachers, postsecondary

$77,800 +2.1% growth 2,700 annual openings

Family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary

$77,280 +3.4% growth 200 annual openings

Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary

$77,010 -0.2% growth 1,900 annual openings

Social work teachers, postsecondary

$76,210 +2.3% growth 1,300 annual openings

Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary

$75,890 +2.4% growth 1,100 annual openings

Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other

$75,040 +1.7% growth 1,500 annual openings

Education teachers, postsecondary

$72,090 +2.1% growth 5,600 annual openings

Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary

$71,470 +2.0% growth 1,200 annual openings

Judicial law clerks

$60,400 +2.5% growth 1,000 annual openings

Surgeons, all other

+3.9% growth 600 annual openings

Pediatric surgeons

+1.5% growth

Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric

+4.1% growth 400 annual openings

Ophthalmologists, except pediatric

+4.3% growth 300 annual openings

Physicians, all other

+2.5% growth 9,600 annual openings

Radiologists

+2.7% growth 800 annual openings

Psychiatrists

+6.1% growth 900 annual openings

Physicians, pathologists

+4.2% growth 400 annual openings

Obstetricians and gynecologists

+1.2% growth 600 annual openings

Neurologists

+5.4% growth 300 annual openings

Emergency medicine physicians

+2.7% growth 1,000 annual openings

Dermatologists

+6.4% growth 400 annual openings

Cardiologists

+4.1% growth 600 annual openings

Anesthesiologists

+3.2% growth 1,300 annual openings

Prosthodontists

+4.5% growth

Orthodontists

+4.4% growth 200 annual openings

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons

+4.1% growth 200 annual openings

Other education levels

📜 Master's Degree 🎓 Bachelor's Degree 📖 Associate's Degree 📋 Postsecondary Certificate 📓 Some College, No Degree 🏫 High School Diploma 💼 No Formal Educational Credential