Technology-related positions dominate Glassdoor’s “25 Highest Paying Jobs in America for 2016” list, but physicians rank at the top with a median base salary of $180,000.
Other healthcare jobs in the top 25 include pharmacy manager, which ranked fifth overall, and pharmacist, which placed 13th.
All of the top 25 positions earned at least $106,000, and Glassdoor said that higher-paying jobs were tied to higher education, skills that are in demand and professions safe from excessive competition or automation. According to Glassdoor, 68% of people said that salary and compensation is a leading consideration for choosing a job.
But Glassdoor Chief Economist Andrew Chamberlain noted that money isn’t everything.
“There’s no doubt that pay is among the leading factors most job seekers weigh when determining where to work. However, our research shows that a big paycheck isn’t necessarily tied to long-term satisfaction in your job,” he said. “Instead, when we dig deeper into what keeps employees satisfied once they’re in a job and with a company, we find that culture and values, career opportunities and trust in senior leadership are the biggest drivers of employee satisfaction.”
Glassdoor compiled its report by considering all job titles receiving 75 or more salary reports from U.S.-based employees over the past year. Similar job titles were combined, and C-suite level jobs were excluded. It also compiled the number of job listings for each position as of Feb. 23.
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Other Report Numbers
The second-highest-paying job was lawyer with a median base salary of $144,500, followed closely by research and development manager at $142,120. Rounding out the top five were software development manager ($132,000) and pharmacy manager ($130,000).
Positions 6 through 10 included strategy manager ($130,000), software architect ($128,250), integrated circuit design engineer ($127,500), IT manager ($120,000) and solutions architect ($120,000).
The most in-demand job on Glassdoor’s highest-paying list was product manager, with 7,758 job listings; the median base salary is $107,000. Pharmacist ($118,000) also was in high demand with 4,502 openings.
Healthcare jobs
Here’s a brief look at the list’s three healthcare jobs.
Physicians – They diagnose and treat illnesses, while surgeons operate on patients to treat injuries, diseases and deformities, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In addition, the job outlook for physicians is expected to grow 14% through 2024. As of 2014, there already were 708,300 U.S. physician jobs.
Physicians typically require an extensive education, including four years as an undergraduate, four years of medical school and three to seven years of internships and residency programs.
Pharmacists – These healthcare professionals dispense medications to patients and offer expertise in the safe use of prescriptions. They also may conduct health and wellness screenings, provide immunizations, oversee the medications given to patients and provide advice on healthy lifestyles, according to the BLS. A job growth rate of 3% is anticipated through 2024, which is slightly less than the national average for all other occupations.
Aside from an undergraduate degree, pharmacists must complete a four-year Doctor of Pharmacy program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).
Pharmacy Manager – Pharmacy managers oversee pharmacists in tasks such as transferring prescriptions, logging data and conducting drug use reviews.
At least a bachelor’s degree is required and/or an advanced degree in pharmacy with at least four years of experience, as well as a license to practice. Required years of experience may vary by employer, but generally, job applicants should have a minimum of four to five years of prior management experience.
