Men looking to bring home serious paychecks will want to consider jobs in medicine, law and technology — or land the title “CEO.”
Compensation can vary widely according to role, employer and industry as well as according to demographics such as age, race, ethnicity and gender. One of few factors that workers can control if they want to increase their earning potential is to enter into a high-paying field.
Earlier this year, CNBC Make It analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which calculates median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers, in order to rank the 15 best-paying jobs for women. Now, we’ve taken another look at the data in order to rank the jobs offering men the highest wages.
15. Environmental scientist/Geoscientist
Number of men: 51,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $1,746
Estimated annual earnings for men: $90,792
14. Marketing and sales manager
Number of men: 566,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $1,747
Estimated annual earnings for men: $90,844
13. Human resources manager
Number of men: 92,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $1,748
Estimated annual earnings for men: $90,896
12. Aircraft pilot/Flight engineer
Number of men: 105,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $1,750
Estimated annual earnings for men: $91,000
11. Electrical and electronics engineer
Number of men: 245,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $1,772
Estimated annual earnings for men: $92,144
10. Information security analyst
Number of men: 74,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $1,773
Estimated annual earnings for men: $92,196
9. Computer hardware engineer
Number of men: 60,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $1,793
Estimated annual earnings for men: $93,236
8. Software developer
Number of men: 1,174,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $1,863
Estimated annual earnings for men: $96,876
7. Aerospace engineer
Number of men: 128,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $1,891
Estimated annual earnings for men: $98,332
6. Computer and information systems manager
Number of men: 428,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $1,897
Estimated annual earnings for men: $98,332
5. Architectural and engineering manager
Number of men: 119,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $2,020
Estimated annual earnings for men: $105,040
4. Lawyer
Number of men: 444,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $2,105
Estimated annual earnings for men: $109,460
3. Pharmacist
Number of men: 107,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $2,228
Estimated annual earnings for men: $115,856
2. Physician/Surgeon
Number of men: 463,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $2,277
Estimated annual earnings for men: $118,404
1. Chief executive
Number of men: 823,000
Median weekly earnings for men: $2,415
Estimated annual earnings for men: $125,580
Chief executive topped the list as the highest-paying job for men (it was also the highest-paying job for women.) According to BLS data, there were roughly 823,000 men working as chief executives in the U.S. in 2017. These workers reported median weekly earnings of $2,415 — about $125,580 a year.
When you compare these figures to the amounts that C-suite women are making, the gap is noticeable. BLS data indicates that just 313,000 women held the top-paying title of chief executive in 2017. On average, women chief executives in the U.S. make $1,920 per week — approximately $99,840 a year.
Along with CEO, the jobs that round out the five highest-paying jobs for men all pay more than $100,000. Men who work as physicians and surgeons, pharmacists, lawyers and architectural and engineering managers can all expect to earn six-figure salaries.
Many of the top-paying jobs for men require skills and experience in STEM, fields in which men tend to make up the majority of the workforce.