Not every rewarding career pays well, and not every well-paid career feels rewarding, but this list splits the difference. These are twenty jobs that reportedly land at the top of the earnings chart, based on figures from a US News and World Report survey, ranked from a solid six-figure floor up to the single highest paid occupation on record. Whether you are mapping out a first career or eyeing a pivot, the requirements, the day to day work, and the reported paychecks are laid out below so you know exactly what the climb actually costs.
20. Optometrist
Vision care sits at the entry point of this list, and it still clears six figures. Optometrists are reported to average $113,010 a year for catching and managing eye conditions like glaucoma, correcting vision problems, and writing prescriptions for glasses and contacts. The path there is not a shortcut: candidates need an undergraduate degree first, followed by four full years in a doctor of optometry program before they are licensed to practice. It is a career built on precision and patient trust rather than flash, but the training investment pays back steadily over a working lifetime.
