LinkedIn Announces Inaugural State of Salary Report (U.S.) Published on Aug 30, 2017 Categories: Research
LinkedIn Corporate Communications Team
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Introduction From Guy Berger, LinkedIn's Economist
The job market in the United States is tightening, and that's a good thing for professionals. The unemployment rate is the lowest its been since 2001, and the percentage of prime working age adults who are employed is the highest it's been since 2008.
While the steady improvement of the job market over the past year hasn't been the same across all industries and job functions, things have gotten better for workers across skill levels, industries and regions. What does this mean for you? Bargaining power for many workers, like you, is increasing and opens the door to raises, and greater economic opportunity
Salary is a key factor in most career decisions. When deciding where to work, where to live, or what to study, pay is often top of mind. The problem is, you don't always have the compensation data you need to make the best decisions. You decide between paths without knowing the payoffs.
To give you more visibility into your next career move, we examined data from more than two million LinkedIn members. We looked at how salaries vary by job title, education level and field of study, location, company size, and industry.
Key Findings
Swipe
Job title Highest-paying job overall: orthopedic Surgeon, $450,000
Experience level Highest-paying junior-level job: investment banking analyst, $105,000
Education level Highest-paying degree: doctor of medicine (MD), $161,200
Field of study Highest-paying field of study: computer science, $92,300
Company size Highest-paying company size: 10,001 employees, $90,600
Industry Highest-paying industry: software and IT services, $104,700
Location Highest-paying region: San Francisco Bay Area, $112,400
Read on to see how your pay stacks up and what path you might want to take as you evaluate your next career opportunity. Explore how much you could make if you went back to school, moved to another city, or switched industries. Get inspired by what you could do to increase your compensation.
There's no one path to high earning potential, but now you can better assess your choices along the way. Use this guide to gut-check your professional instincts and learn more about your own salary in the LinkedIn Salary tool, and your career will thank you.
Highest-Paying Jobs In the U.S.
Let's start at the top with the highest-paying jobs overall.
Medicine pays the most, but once you reach the top ranks in business, you're paid generously too. Leadership roles in finance, sales, tax, human resources, strategy, supply chain, research and development, marketing, and legal are all alternate routes to a high salary.
Doctors account for eight of the top 20 highest-paying jobs, with most earning more than $300,000 annually. Orthopaedic surgeons take the top spot at $450,000.
Finance pays the largest bonuses. This means greater salary variability but also greater potential upside. If you have a higher tolerance for risk, finance may suit you.
Investment banking associate is the only mid-level role in the top 20.
For certain job roles four cities stand out as more lucrative places to live: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston.
Highest Paying Jobs: Overall
Swipe
Role* Median Total Compensation (includes bonus and commission if applicable) Median Cash Bonus
1. Orthopaedic Surgeon $450,000 $60,000
2. Cardiologist $382,000 $50,000
3. Radiologist $374,000 $50,000
4. Plastic Surgeon $350,000 $90,000
5. Anesthesiologist $350,000 $25,000
6. Emergency Physician $314,000 $20,000
7. Senior Vice President, Finance $300,000 $80,000
8. Senior Vice President, Sales $300,000 $60,000
9. Senior Managing Director $298,000 $100,000
10. Vice President, Tax $272,000 $67,500
11. Senior Vice President, Human Resources $272,000 $57,500
12. Senior Vice President, Strategy $256,000 $50,000
13. Vice President, Supply Chain $255,000 $62,500
14. Ophthalmologist
$250,000 $50,000
15. Medical Director $250,000 $36,000
16. Vice President, Research & Development $248,000 $60,000
17. Senior Vice President, Marketing $245,000 $50,000
18. Associate General Counsel $242,000 $46,000
19. Investment Banking Associate $240,000 $100,000
20. Senior Director, Engineering $239,000 $40,000
*If total median salary was the same for more than one role, the role with a higher annual bonus placed higher on this list
Highest-Paying Entry and Mid-Level Jobs
It can take years to gain the skills you need to land one of the highest-paying jobs. So let's consider the highest-paying jobs at the more junior level, ones that only require 1-3 years of experience.
If you're early in your career, you can still make six figures. Both investment banking analysts and associate brand managers have a median income of more than $100,000.
The most lucrative entry and mid-level jobs are in finance, but roles in sales, marketing, and engineering also take spots on the list.
Highest Paying: Entry and Mid-Level Jobs
Swipe
Role* Median Total Compensation (includes bonus and commission if applicable) Median Cash Bonus (if applicable)
1. Investment Banking Analyst $105,000 $40,000
2. Associate Brand Manager $105,000 $10,000
3. Equity Research Analyst $79,500 $8,700
4. Pharmaceutical Sales Representative $75,000 N/A
5. User Experience Designer $72,000 $5,000
6. Pilot $70,000 N/A
7. Product Development Engineer $68,000 $3,300
8. Associate Marketing Manager $66,000 $6,700
9. Associate Software Engineer $65,000 $5,000
10. Outside Sales Representative $57,000
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LinkedIn Announces Inaugural State of Salary Report (U.S.) Published on Aug 30, 2017 Categories: Research 
