America is the land where anyone can grow up and be whatever they want to be. While some people may go for the job of their dreams, others may have more of a financial drive when picking their career path. Today, we’ll take a look at the highest-paying jobs in the United States and explore if they’re actually worth the salary number.

Number ten — Prosthodontists  
$191,100 per year

The first on our list is the prosthodontists. They make a staggering thousand dollars per year on average. However, they should not be confused with orthodontists.

Prosthodontists are trained in replacing and repairing teeth or gums whether it’s through veneers, dentures, or more extensive surgery. Their job often includes performing reconstruction surgery after traumatic injuries, cancer, or neglect. If you think you’d enjoy giving someone a perfect smile, well, this may be the career path for you.

And if you’ve never heard of this career, that’s not surprising with only 380 practicing prosthodontists in the United States. It’s safe to say you wouldn’t have a lot of competition if you went to a school for this — that is, as long as you’re willing to get the certification that takes a whopping number of years to complete.

Number nine — Internists  
$196,490 per year

Internists are the next on our list of the highest paying careers though the name may make you think of interns. They are certainly far from it after anywhere between 11 to 16 years of college and training. We can imagine they’d be a little bit upset to be that mislabeled.

The main job of an internist is to treat patients without surgery and through a combination of prescriptions and lifestyle changes. They are trained and able to diagnose and treat any condition in any body part. They are the go-to person who can help patients with complex diseases

If you got an achy spleen and a cough, pop in to see an internist, and you’ll be back to know the reason behind it in no time.

Number eight — Physicians  
$203, 880 per year

The broadest career on our list is the physicians, with an average salary of $203, 880 per year.

The physicians’ roles would range across several categories, depending on their specialty. However, regardless of their specialty, their primary role is always the same — to diagnose and treat illnesses.

A job with a phenomena outlook, physicians benefit from the fact that they’re an incredibly necessary career with immense potential for growth. A four-year bachelor’s degree followed by four years of medical school and another three to seven-year residency means the journey to becoming a physician is a long one. Still, there’s certainly a lot of money at the end of the road.

Unfortunately, being a physician is also a lot more work than some of the other careers. Out of a group of physicians surveyed, one quarter responded with working 61 to 80 hours per week on average. That doesn’t exactly leave them with a lot of spare time to spend the money that they’re earning.

Number seven — Family and General Practice Physicians  
$211, 780 per year

Earning this amount of money per year, it’s no wonder why your family doctor always smiles when they see you come into the exam room.

Family and general practice physicians work in family doctor offices where they diagnose and treat common illnesses. This often includes sending their patients to specialists for further testing, doing checkups, and writing a prescription for mild illnesses.

They’re also able to treat patients of all ages which might just be where the family in their name comes from and like many careers on this list, you must have eight years of schooling followed by three to eight-year residency just to become a general practitioner.

Number six — Psychiatrists  
$220, 380 per year 

Psychiatrists make a shocking $220, 380 per year. If you have the floral Shea’s lounge chair and phrase “how does that make you feel” bringing in your head right now, you may want to keep listening.

The main job of psychiatrists is to diagnose patients and prescribe medication to treat their mental health issues. Along with this, their role is to develop a treatment plan which may include sending patients to therapy, but they don’t administer therapy themselves. Depending on their specific area of study, psychiatrists often have 12 years of schooling while a lot of psychiatrists report burnout.

Number five — Orthodontists  
$225, 760 per year

Orthodontists sure do make a lot of money while they keep the “Braceface” nickname alive for children around the globe

Specializing in braces, teeth alignment, and even jaw alignment, orthodontists are more like doctors for the structure of your teeth and jaw rather than the teeth themselves.

If you’re not a fan of school but want to pick a career on the list, then being an orthodontist might be the path for you. At just ten years of schooling, this career gives you a chance to pay off your student debt a bit faster than the others on this list.

Number four — Obstetricians and Gynaecologists  
$238, 320 

We have Obstetricians and Gynaecologists making $238, 320 per year. The backbone of women’s reproductive health, OBGYNs are in-charge of helping women pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, birth, and post-birth. From doing annual exams to delivering actual babies, OBGYNs have had a hand in all of us being here today.

Unfortunately, for this profession or career path, it takes twelve years of education, and in a recent study, only 62% said they enjoyed their job. However, the career is always in demand, and with that huge salary, I’m sure pushing the 40-hour workweek would be totally doable.

Number three — Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons  
$242, 370 per year 

If you ever had your wisdom teeth removed, you’ve got our third-highest paying profession to thank for. With that procedure, oral & maxillofacial Surgeons make $242, 370 a year on average.

Think that’s a lot for just yanking out teeth? Well, they’ve got a few more jobs on top of that. These surgeons focus on any surgery in the neck, jaw, and mouth, and that certainly keeps them busy. If the thought of doing this career grosses you out or sounds something like no one would want to do, know that actual oral surgeons certainly don’t have an issue. A recent survey showed that 74% of oral and maxillofacial surgeons like their job, and 82% feel that their job is very meaningful.

Hey, having a meaningful job where you can earn $240,000 a year, we’d say that doesn’t sound too bad.

Number two — Surgeons  
$267,000 

If you don’t mind seeing a little or a lot of blood, then this next job might actually be fit for you. Surgeons ranked as the second-highest paying job in America at an average of $267, 000 per year.

Surgeons often work in a specific study of the medical field, but all surgeons are required to go for the same schooling. After four years to get a bachelor’s degree, four years of medical school, and a three to ten-year residency, you’d think surgeons would be done with school forever. Unfortunately for them, that’s not the case. Surgeons are required to take part in near-constant training and assessments to make sure that they’re educated on the latest strategies and discoveries.

Luckily, in the time they don’t spend studying or opening people up, I’m sure they can do a lot with that huge salary.

Number one — Anesthesiologists  
$270, 000 a year

The top-paying job in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics is an anesthesiologist.

Anesthesiologists are in charge of making sure patients don’t feel pain before, during, or after surgery. While putting a mask on someone’s face may seem like a simple task, but in reality, an anesthesiologist is in charge of much more than that.

Before surgery, they meet with the patient to determine the correct mix of medication during surgery. While the patient is being cut open, anesthesiologists are in charge of making sure the patient remains unconscious and pain-free throughout the length of the operation. No pressure, right?

But before aspiring anesthesiologists can even start their high-stress life-or-death career, they have a colossal amount of school to go to. First, a four-year bachelor’s degree is required, followed by a test to get into medical school. Once they’re in medical school, they’ve got another four years of medical school to further their education. Unfortunately for them, they’re not done there. Next, they’ve got four more years working in an anesthesia residency program until finally, they sit for their final exam to get their certification. It is going to be twelve years of school. Is it worth it to be making this much money? It’s hard to say, but we can all agree we are thankful that these jobs exist.

Well, that concludes our list of highest-paying jobs in the United States. What do you think? Is all the schooling worth all the money and would you want any of these careers?

In a recent survey, 90% of psychiatrists reported their job as being rewarding. It’s not surprising that helping people who are struggling would leave you feeling proud at the end of the day.