The top 25 occupations in Pennsylvania ranked by 2026 median annual salary. Based on BLS data projected forward with Pennsylvania cost-of-living adjustment.
Ranked by median annual base salary. Click any role for full Pennsylvania-specific detail.
| Rank | Role | Median 2026 | 75th % | Top 10% (P90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | CEO (Mid-Market) Business & Management | $529,600 | $688,500 | $873,800 |
| #2 | Surgeon Healthcare | $435,700 | $566,400 | $718,900 |
| #3 | Chief Financial Officer Finance | $398,800 | $518,500 | $658,100 |
| #4 | Physician (MD/DO) Healthcare | $280,900 | $365,200 | $463,500 |
| #5 | Corporate Lawyer Legal | $239,500 | $311,400 | $395,200 |
| #6 | Investment Banker Finance | $217,200 | $282,400 | $358,500 |
| #7 | Dentist Healthcare | $206,400 | $268,300 | $340,500 |
| #8 | AI Engineer Technology | $205,400 | $267,000 | $338,900 |
| #9 | Machine Learning Engineer Technology | $187,900 | $244,300 | $310,100 |
| #10 | Senior Software Engineer Technology | $183,600 | $238,600 | $302,900 |
| #11 | Site Reliability Engineer Technology | $177,000 | $230,100 | $292,100 |
| #12 | IT Manager Technology | $172,600 | $224,400 | $284,900 |
| #13 | Controller Finance | $169,300 | $220,100 | $279,400 |
| #14 | Judge / Magistrate Legal | $169,300 | $220,100 | $279,400 |
| #15 | Management Consultant Business & Management | $167,700 | $218,000 | $276,700 |
| #16 | Product Manager Technology | $166,100 | $215,900 | $274,000 |
| #17 | Lawyer / Attorney Legal | $164,900 | $214,300 | $272,100 |
| #18 | Petroleum Engineer Engineering | $163,300 | $212,300 | $269,400 |
| #19 | Sales Engineer Sales | $163,300 | $212,300 | $269,400 |
| #20 | Data Scientist Technology | $161,700 | $210,200 | $266,800 |
| #21 | Marketing Manager Business & Management | $160,000 | $208,000 | $264,000 |
| #22 | Pharmacist Healthcare | $158,200 | $205,700 | $261,100 |
| #23 | Actuary Finance | $157,700 | $205,000 | $260,200 |
| #24 | Account Executive (SaaS) Sales | $156,700 | $203,700 | $258,500 |
| #25 | Data Engineer Technology | $155,200 | $201,700 | $256,000 |
In Pennsylvania, the highest-paying job tracked is CEO (Mid-Market), with a median salary of $529,600 in 2026. The 90th percentile reaches $873,800.
Salaries are based on BLS OEWS data, projected forward to 2026 using category-specific wage growth and adjusted for Pennsylvania's cost-of-living index. The ranking shows median annual base pay (excluding bonuses, equity, and benefits).
Most of the top 25 highest-paying jobs in Pennsylvania typically require at least a bachelor's degree, and many require advanced degrees (medicine, law, engineering specializations). Trades roles are notable exceptions — they appear in some state rankings without requiring four-year degrees.