Highest-Paying Jobs by State (2025 OEWS Data)
Compare the highest-paying careers in the U.S. and across major states using 2025 BLS OEWS median wages—plus salary hubs, occupation pages, and take-home tools on US5.
Highest-Paying Jobs by State (2025 OEWS Data)
Quick Answer: On US5’s 2025 BLS OEWS coverage, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) lead nationally at about $236,590 median pay. Among large states, New York CRNAs sit near $321,030 and California near $292,410. Lawyers and software developers usually fill the next slots—unless you’re in a tech-heavy market like Washington, where software and data science rise into the Top 3.
Try it now: Browse salaries by state · California salaries · Take-home pay calculator
US5 publishes median wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) so you can compare careers and locations before you open a full offer letter. This guide ranks the top roles in our national set, then spotlights Top-3 leaders in 15 large states, with links into each salary hub and occupation page.
How We Rank These Jobs
- Source: BLS OEWS 2025 median annual wages (the midpoint—not the average—so a few ultra-high earners don’t skew the story).
- Scope: High-interest occupations US5 covers across 50 states + D.C. Open any linked page for the live median.
- What this is not: A complete census of every SOC code, a job board, or personalized career advice. Experience, setting, overtime, and benefits still matter.
National Top Earners (OEWS 2025)
Use the national list as a ceiling check, then jump to your state—coastal markets often pay more, but taxes and prices do too.
| Rank | Occupation | US median | Explore |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist | $236,590 | CRNA · CA · NY |
| 2 | Lawyer | $159,670 | Lawyer · CA · NY |
| 3 | Software Developer / Engineer | $135,980 | SWE · CA · WA |
| 4 | Nurse Practitioner | $132,300 | NP · CA · AZ |
| 5 | Information Security Analyst | $129,180 | Cyber · CA · NC |
| 6 | Data Scientist | $120,230 | Data scientist · WA · CA |
| 7 | Physical Therapist | $102,760 | PT · CA |
| 8 | Dental Hygienist | $98,100 | Dental hygienist · CA |
| 9 | Registered Nurse | $97,550 | RN · CA · TX |
| 10 | Accountant / Auditor | $83,680 | Accountant · CA · TX |
Start from a state hub, then drill into the role: California, Texas, New York, Florida, Washington.
Top-Paying Jobs in 15 Large States
Medians below are OEWS 2025. CRNA leads in most markets we sample; #2 and #3 rotate among lawyers, software, nurse practitioners, cybersecurity, and data science.
California
| # | Role | Median | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CRNA | $292,410 | /state/california/salary/crna |
| 2 | Lawyer | $195,080 | /state/california/salary/lawyer |
| 3 | Software engineer | $174,410 | /state/california/salary/software-engineer |
Hub: California salaries · Prices: California cost of living
New York
| # | Role | Median | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CRNA | $321,030 | /state/new-york/salary/crna |
| 2 | Lawyer | $207,860 | /state/new-york/salary/lawyer |
| 3 | Software engineer | $166,180 | /state/new-york/salary/software-engineer |
Hub: New York salaries
Texas
| # | Role | Median | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CRNA | $244,990 | /state/texas/salary/crna |
| 2 | Lawyer | $154,200 | /state/texas/salary/lawyer |
| 3 | Software engineer | $132,150 | /state/texas/salary/software-engineer |
Hub: Texas salaries · No state income tax helps take-home—try the take-home calculator.
Florida
| # | Role | Median | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CRNA | $210,570 | /state/florida/salary/crna |
| 2 | Lawyer | $133,180 | /state/florida/salary/lawyer |
| 3 | Software engineer | $130,980 | /state/florida/salary/software-engineer |
Hub: Florida salaries
Washington
| # | Role | Median | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CRNA | $274,390 | /state/washington/salary/crna |
| 2 | Software engineer | $166,540 | /state/washington/salary/software-engineer |
| 3 | Data scientist | $163,350 | /state/washington/salary/data-scientist |
Hub: Washington salaries
More Large States (Top 3 Snapshot)
| State | #1 | #2 | #3 | Hub |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | CRNA $286,830 | Lawyer $160,800 | SWE $132,110 | IL hub |
| Pennsylvania | CRNA $221,530 | Lawyer $157,180 | NP $130,140 | PA hub |
| Ohio | CRNA $231,810 | Lawyer $131,020 | NP $124,870 | OH hub |
| Georgia | CRNA $224,630 | Lawyer $134,830 | SWE $131,010 | GA hub |
| North Carolina | CRNA $224,610 | SWE $134,710 | Cyber $131,540 | NC hub |
| Arizona | CRNA $248,660 | NP $134,420 | Lawyer $134,260 | AZ hub |
| Massachusetts | CRNA $295,550 | Lawyer $176,680 | SWE $165,210 | MA hub |
| Virginia | CRNA $252,110 | Lawyer $167,210 | SWE $136,460 | VA hub |
| Michigan | CRNA $247,010 | NP $131,450 | Lawyer $130,520 | MI hub |
| Colorado | Lawyer $168,520 | SWE $138,390 | Cyber $135,220 | CO hub |
Occupation deep-dives: CRNA · IL · SWE · NC · NP · AZ · Lawyer · MA · Cyber · CO
Gross Pay Is Not What You Keep
A $150,000 offer in California and Texas is not the same paycheck after federal tax, FICA, and state income tax. On US5’s estimator, $100,000 gross becomes about:
| State | Est. take-home | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|
| California | ~$73,071 | State income tax + high prices |
| New York | ~$73,557 | Meaningful state tax |
| Ohio | ~$76,475 | Lower state tax than CA/NY |
| Texas / Florida / Washington | ~$78,509 | No broad state wage income tax in the model |
Run your own number on the take-home pay calculator, then check cost of living by state so a “high salary” market doesn’t fool you on purchasing power.
Suggested workflow: open California salary hub → pick software engineer → paste the median into take-home pay for CA vs Texas or Florida.
How to Find Your State’s Ranking
- Go to US5 Salary or jump to your state hub (examples above).
- Browse the occupations you care about—nursing, tech, law, therapy, accounting.
- Open the occupation page for the median, then cross-check cost and take-home before comparing offers.
- For wage floors, see minimum wage by state.
Related Reading
FAQ
Is CRNA really the highest-paying job everywhere?
In US5’s OEWS sample, CRNA leads most large states. A few markets (for example Colorado in our set) can rank lawyers or tech roles at the top when CRNA data is thin or the local mix differs. Always open the state salary hub for the live list.
Do these numbers include overtime or bonuses?
OEWS medians describe reported wage distributions for the occupation and area. They are not a promise of base salary, overtime, shift differentials, or equity. Treat them as a market midpoint.
Should I move just for a higher median wage?
Not by wage alone. Pair the salary page with take-home pay and the state’s cost hub (Regional Price Parity). A lower sticker salary in a cheaper state can leave more real buying power.
Where does the data come from?
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, year 2025, shown as median annual wages on US5 salary pages. Confirm edge cases in official BLS tables when you need audit-level detail.
Next Steps
- Salary home · California · Texas · New York
- Take-home pay calculator · Minimum wage map
- Cost of living hubs
Wage figures are OEWS medians for education and comparison—not job offers, guarantees, or tax advice. Confirm with employers, BLS publications, and a qualified professional for personal decisions.