What Are The Highest Paying Jobs In Healthcare

Best Jobs In Healthcare

If your primary career goal is to earn an impressive salary while putting your talents to use caring for ailing individuals, you're no doubt wondering what the highest paying jobs in healthcare are. This list of 6 top-paying jobs gives you a variety of lucrative healthcare jobs to consider pursuing.

1. Anesthesiologist

Anesthesiologists are rewarded well for the risky, challenging work they do. In 2016 these healthcare professionals earned annual median salaries of $443,859. The mean annual salary for this specialization was $269,600, and the mean hourly rate of pay was $129.62. The highest paid anesthesiologists worked in outpatient centers and physician's offices; their mean annual paychecks were even higher at $279,700 and $278,140 respectively.

2. Surgeons

As of 2016, surgeons were earning annual median paychecks of $395,456. Surgeons worked in a variety of specializations and healthcare facilities, and the rate of pay could vary significantly depending on the employing facility and specialization. Orthopedic surgeons earn average annual paychecks of about $475,000 per year, according to data Linkedin provided to Forbes.

As of 2016, government-employed surgeons were earning annual mean salaries of $270,540. For surgeons working in physician's offices, mean annual earnings were $262,050. Outpatient care centers paid surgeons annual mean salaries of $248,440.

3. Cardiologists

According to Forbes, cardiologists earn average annual paychecks of about $400,000 per year. Payscale reports the median annual salary for this specialization at $225,656. The US Bureau of Labor statistics groups this specialization into the "physicians and surgeons: other" category. They note a separate designation for cardiovascular technologists. The technologist specialization does not require the same level of education or expertise, and the corresponding annual median paycheck is much lower at $64,280.

4. Obstetrician Gynecologist

Obstetrician gynecologists provide a range of healthcare services to women throughout pregnancy, miscarriages, childbirth and everyday circumstances. Some administer "well woman" exams and advise women regarding all kinds of health and reproductive issues. They earn median annual paychecks of $317,496 for providing these services. The highest paying employers for this specialization are diagnostic laboratories, offering mean yearly salaries of $282,750. Physician's offices are a distant second with mean yearly salaries of $239,490.

5. Psychiatrist

Psychiatrists are mental healthcare professionals who are able to prescribe pharmaceutical medications for their patients. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, psychiatrists were earning annual median paychecks of $245,673 as of 2016.

6. Primary Care Physicians and Pediatricians

The BLS reports that the median annual paycheck for generalist physicians who focus on providing primary care was $241,273 as of 2016. Pediatricians were earning median annual pay of $226,408.

Keep in mind that these figures are gross amounts, and they may not represent the true take-home pay in all cases. There can be high expenses associated with many of these specializations that offset the high paychecks to varying degrees. Some of these healthcare professionals may have office overhead and other expenses such as malpractice insurance and medical supplies to cover out of pocket.

We hope this list satisfies your curiosity about which jobs in the healthcare industry tend to pay best. If you're interested in working in one of the highest paying jobs in healthcare, be sure to prepare yourself for the career by tailoring your major course of study, academic coursework and work experience to acquire the credentials you need.

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