32 Jobs With 6-Figure Salaries (With Job Duties)
What Is a 6-Figure Salary?
A six-figure salary is an annual income between $100,000 and $999,999. In most career discussions, people use the phrase to describe jobs that pay at least $100,000 per year.
For example, a salary of $105,000 is considered a six-figure salary. A salary of $250,000 is also a six-figure salary. The phrase focuses on the number of digits in the annual pay amount rather than a specific career field.
Six-figure jobs often require one or more of the following:
Advanced education
Professional licenses
Technical expertise
Leadership experience
Specialized industry knowledge
Strong sales or revenue impact
Years of proven performance
Some six-figure roles require graduate school or medical training, while others are more skills-based and can be reached through experience, certifications, or portfolio work.
32 Jobs With 6-Figure Salaries
Here are 32 jobs that can offer six-figure salary potential. Salary levels can vary by location, employer, experience, industry, credentials, and market demand.
1. Biostatistician
A biostatistician uses statistics to analyze data related to biology, medicine, public health, and clinical research. This role is common in pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, universities, research organizations, and government agencies.
Primary duties include designing studies, analyzing clinical trial data, creating statistical models, interpreting health-related data, and helping researchers understand whether treatments or interventions are effective. Biostatisticians may also prepare reports, review research methods, and support regulatory submissions.
This career can be a strong fit for people who enjoy math, research, healthcare, and data analysis.
2. Information Systems Manager
An information systems manager oversees a company’s technology systems and IT operations. They help organizations choose, maintain, and improve software, hardware, networks, cybersecurity systems, and internal technology processes.
Primary duties include managing IT teams, evaluating system performance, recommending technology upgrades, setting security policies, controlling IT budgets, and ensuring that technology supports business goals.
This role often requires both technical knowledge and leadership skills. Many information systems managers begin as software developers, network administrators, systems analysts, or IT specialists before moving into management.
3. Actuary
An actuary analyzes financial risk using mathematics, statistics, and business knowledge. Actuaries often work for insurance companies, consulting firms, banks, government agencies, and investment organizations.
Primary duties include estimating the likelihood of future events, calculating financial risk, designing insurance policies, analyzing pension plans, and helping companies prepare for uncertain costs. They may also create models to predict losses from accidents, illness, natural disasters, or market changes.
This career can be ideal for people who enjoy math, financial analysis, probability, and long-term planning.
4. Product Manager
A product manager guides the development, launch, and improvement of a product. Product managers are common in technology companies, software businesses, e-commerce brands, financial technology companies, and consumer product organizations.
Primary duties include researching customer needs, defining product requirements, prioritizing features, working with engineering and design teams, analyzing competitors, reviewing user feedback, and helping bring products to market.
A strong product manager combines business thinking, communication skills, user empathy, and technical understanding. In many companies, senior product managers and product leaders can earn six-figure salaries.
5. Director of Finance
A director of finance manages an organization’s financial planning, reporting, budgeting, and cash flow. This person helps senior leadership understand the company’s financial health and make better business decisions.
Primary duties include preparing financial reports, managing budgets, analyzing revenue and expenses, supervising accounting or finance teams, reviewing investment decisions, and developing long-term financial strategies.
This role usually requires experience in accounting, finance, business planning, or corporate strategy. Many finance directors have degrees in finance, accounting, economics, or business administration.
6. Software Developer
A software developer designs, builds, tests, and improves computer programs and applications. Developers may work on web applications, mobile apps, enterprise software, cloud platforms, internal tools, games, or artificial intelligence systems.
Primary duties include writing code, debugging software, reviewing user requirements, collaborating with designers and product managers, improving performance, and maintaining existing systems.
Software development can be one of the most accessible six-figure career paths for people with strong technical skills. While many developers have computer science degrees, others enter the field through bootcamps, self-study, certifications, or portfolio projects.
7. Physician Assistant
A physician assistant provides medical care under the supervision or collaboration of a physician, depending on local regulations. Physician assistants work in hospitals, clinics, private practices, urgent care centers, and specialty medical offices.
Primary duties include examining patients, diagnosing conditions, ordering tests, prescribing medication, assisting in procedures, creating treatment plans, and educating patients about preventive care.
This career typically requires a master’s degree from an accredited physician assistant program and clinical training. It can be a strong option for people who want a healthcare career with advanced responsibility but do not want to complete medical school.
8. Nurse Practitioner
A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice registered nurse who provides primary or specialized healthcare services. Nurse practitioners may work in family medicine, pediatrics, emergency care, women’s health, mental health, or other specialties.
Primary duties include examining patients, diagnosing illnesses, ordering lab tests, prescribing medication, managing treatment plans, and providing patient education.
This role usually requires a registered nursing background, graduate-level nursing education, certification, and licensing. Nurse practitioners can have strong earning potential, especially in high-demand specialties or underserved areas.
9. Petroleum Engineer
A petroleum engineer designs methods for extracting oil and gas from underground reservoirs. They often work for energy companies, engineering firms, drilling contractors, or consulting organizations.
Primary duties include designing extraction methods, evaluating drilling sites, improving production efficiency, monitoring equipment, analyzing reservoir data, and solving technical problems during drilling or production.
This role can offer high earning potential because it combines engineering expertise with work in a capital-intensive industry. However, job opportunities may be affected by energy prices, environmental regulations, and changes in global demand.
10. Data Scientist
A data scientist analyzes large datasets to help organizations make better decisions. Data scientists are common in technology, finance, healthcare, retail, logistics, marketing, and artificial intelligence companies.
Primary duties include cleaning data, building predictive models, identifying patterns, creating dashboards, testing algorithms, and explaining findings to business teams.
This role often requires skills in statistics, programming, machine learning, databases, and data visualization. A strong data scientist can translate complex data into practical business recommendations.
11. Veterinarian
A veterinarian provides medical care for animals. Veterinarians may work with household pets, livestock, zoo animals, laboratory animals, or wildlife.
Primary duties include diagnosing illnesses, performing exams, prescribing medication, conducting surgeries, giving vaccinations, interpreting lab results, and advising animal owners about health and nutrition.
This career usually requires a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a professional license. Veterinarians who own clinics, specialize, or work in high-demand areas may have stronger earning potential.
12. Pharmacist
A pharmacist prepares and dispenses medications, advises patients, and helps ensure safe drug use. Pharmacists may work in retail pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, pharmaceutical companies, or research organizations.
Primary duties include reviewing prescriptions, checking for drug interactions, explaining dosage instructions, managing inventory, consulting with healthcare providers, and advising patients on over-the-counter products.
This career typically requires a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and a license. Pharmacists need strong attention to detail, communication skills, and knowledge of medication safety.
13. Podiatrist
A podiatrist diagnoses and treats conditions affecting the feet, ankles, and lower legs. Podiatrists may work in private practices, hospitals, clinics, sports medicine centers, or surgical settings.
Primary duties include examining patients, ordering X-rays, diagnosing injuries or deformities, prescribing medication, performing foot and ankle procedures, and recommending orthotics or special footwear.
This role usually requires a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree, residency training, and a professional license.
14. Chief Executive Officer
A chief executive officer, or CEO, is the top executive responsible for leading an organization. CEOs work in companies, nonprofits, startups, public institutions, and private organizations.
Primary duties include setting company strategy, making major business decisions, managing executive teams, communicating with stakeholders, reviewing financial performance, and guiding long-term growth.
CEO compensation varies widely. Some CEOs earn modest salaries at small organizations, while executives at large or high-growth companies can earn significant six-figure or higher compensation.
15. Pediatrician
A pediatrician is a medical doctor who provides care for infants, children, teenagers, and young adults. Pediatricians may work in hospitals, clinics, private practices, or specialty care centers.
Primary duties include performing physical exams, diagnosing illnesses, giving vaccinations, monitoring development, treating injuries, advising parents, and managing chronic conditions in children.
This career requires medical school, residency training, and board certification or licensing. It can be a good fit for people who enjoy medicine and working with children and families.
16. Corporate Attorney
A corporate attorney provides legal advice to businesses. They help companies follow laws, manage risk, negotiate contracts, and complete commercial transactions.
Primary duties include drafting agreements, reviewing business deals, advising on compliance, supporting mergers and acquisitions, protecting intellectual property, and helping resolve legal disputes.
This role requires a law degree and a license to practice law. Corporate attorneys with experience in complex transactions, technology, finance, or international business may have especially strong earning potential.
17. Enterprise Architect
An enterprise architect designs and manages an organization’s technology structure. This role ensures that systems, applications, data, and infrastructure support the company’s business goals.
Primary duties include creating technology roadmaps, reviewing IT systems, setting architecture standards, improving system integration, advising leadership, and guiding large digital transformation projects.
Enterprise architects usually have deep experience in IT, software development, cloud systems, cybersecurity, or systems engineering.
18. Chief Financial Officer
A chief financial officer, or CFO, is a senior executive responsible for a company’s financial strategy. CFOs often report directly to the CEO and work closely with investors, board members, and department leaders.
Primary duties include managing financial planning, overseeing accounting and reporting, analyzing business performance, developing tax strategies, managing risk, and guiding major financial decisions.
This role typically requires years of finance leadership experience. Many CFOs have backgrounds in accounting, investment banking, corporate finance, auditing, or business strategy.
19. Cardiologist
A cardiologist is a physician who diagnoses and treats heart and blood vessel conditions. Cardiologists work in hospitals, specialty clinics, private practices, and academic medical centers.
Primary duties include evaluating symptoms, ordering heart tests, interpreting electrocardiograms and imaging results, prescribing medication, managing treatment plans, and advising patients on heart health.
This career requires medical school, internal medicine residency, cardiology fellowship training, and licensing. It is one of the more specialized and highly compensated medical career paths.
20. Oncologist
An oncologist is a physician who diagnoses and treats cancer. Oncologists may specialize in medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, pediatric oncology, or specific cancer types.
Primary duties include reviewing diagnostic tests, explaining treatment options, prescribing chemotherapy or other therapies, monitoring patient progress, coordinating with other specialists, and supporting patients through treatment.
This role requires extensive medical training and strong communication skills because oncologists often guide patients through complex and emotional care decisions.
21. Geriatric Physician
A geriatric physician specializes in healthcare for older adults. They help aging patients manage chronic conditions, medication plans, mobility issues, cognitive changes, and overall quality of life.
Primary duties include diagnosing illnesses, coordinating care with specialists, reviewing medications, helping prevent falls, advising families, and creating care plans for long-term health needs.
This career requires medical school, residency training, and often additional training in geriatric medicine. Demand for geriatric care may grow as populations age.
22. Nurse Anesthetist
A nurse anesthetist provides anesthesia care before, during, and after medical procedures. Nurse anesthetists often work in operating rooms, surgical centers, labor and delivery units, emergency departments, and pain management clinics.
Primary duties include reviewing patient history, preparing anesthesia plans, administering anesthesia, monitoring vital signs, adjusting anesthesia levels, and supporting patient recovery after procedures.
This role requires advanced nursing education, clinical experience, certification, and licensing. It is one of the highest-paying nursing specialties.
23. Dentist
A dentist diagnoses and treats problems involving teeth, gums, and oral health. Dentists may work in private practices, hospitals, community clinics, or specialty dental offices.
Primary duties include performing oral exams, filling cavities, removing damaged teeth, treating gum disease, reading X-rays, creating treatment plans, and educating patients about oral hygiene.
This career requires dental school and professional licensing. Dentists who own practices or specialize in areas such as oral surgery, orthodontics, or prosthodontics may earn more.
24. Dermatologist
A dermatologist is a physician who diagnoses and treats conditions affecting the skin, hair, and nails. Dermatologists may treat acne, eczema, psoriasis, skin cancer, infections, cosmetic concerns, and other skin conditions.
Primary duties include examining patients, performing skin biopsies, prescribing medication, removing lesions, conducting procedures, and advising patients on skin health.
This career requires medical school, residency training, and licensing. Dermatology is often considered a competitive medical specialty because of its earning potential and demand.
25. Neurologist
A neurologist is a physician who treats conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and nervous system. Neurologists may care for patients with epilepsy, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, migraines, or dementia.
Primary duties include reviewing medical history, conducting neurological exams, ordering imaging tests, prescribing medication, interpreting results, and creating long-term treatment plans.
This career requires medical school, residency training, and specialized knowledge of the nervous system.
26. Gastroenterologist
A gastroenterologist is a physician who diagnoses and treats conditions involving the digestive system, liver, stomach, intestines, pancreas, and related organs.
Primary duties include evaluating digestive symptoms, ordering tests, performing endoscopies or colonoscopies, diagnosing gastrointestinal diseases, prescribing treatment, and coordinating care with other specialists.
This role requires medical school, internal medicine residency, gastroenterology fellowship training, and licensing.
27. Orthodontist
An orthodontist is a dental specialist who corrects misaligned teeth and jaw issues. Orthodontists often work with braces, clear aligners, retainers, and other corrective devices.
Primary duties include examining patients, reviewing X-rays, designing treatment plans, adjusting braces or aligners, monitoring progress, and helping improve bite alignment and appearance.
This career requires dental school, orthodontic specialty training, and licensing. Orthodontists may work in private practices, group practices, or dental specialty clinics.
28. Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who diagnoses and treats mental health conditions. Psychiatrists may work in hospitals, private practices, community health centers, universities, or telehealth settings.
Primary duties include evaluating symptoms, diagnosing mental health disorders, prescribing medication, monitoring treatment results, creating care plans, and referring patients to therapists or other specialists when needed.
This career requires medical school, psychiatry residency training, and licensing. It combines medical knowledge with mental health care and patient communication.
29. Surgeon
A surgeon performs medical operations to treat injuries, diseases, deformities, and other health conditions. Surgeons may specialize in general surgery, orthopedic surgery, cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, or other fields.
Primary duties include evaluating patients, determining whether surgery is needed, performing operations, managing surgical teams, following safety protocols, and monitoring recovery.
This career requires extensive medical training, residency, licensing, and often fellowship training. Surgeons usually carry high responsibility because their work directly affects patient safety and outcomes.
30. Owner-Operator Driver
An owner-operator driver owns or leases a truck and transports goods for clients, carriers, or logistics companies. Unlike company drivers, owner-operators usually manage both driving duties and business operations.
Primary duties include planning routes, transporting freight, maintaining the vehicle, tracking expenses, communicating with dispatchers, managing contracts, and ensuring deliveries arrive safely and on time.
This career can offer six-figure revenue potential, but drivers must consider fuel, insurance, maintenance, taxes, financing, and downtime. Net income can vary significantly depending on expenses and workload.
31. Optometrist
An optometrist provides primary eye care. Optometrists diagnose vision problems, prescribe corrective lenses, detect eye diseases, and help patients maintain healthy vision.
Primary duties include performing eye exams, testing vision, prescribing glasses or contact lenses, identifying eye health issues, providing treatment for certain conditions, and referring patients to ophthalmologists when needed.
This career requires a Doctor of Optometry degree and a professional license. Optometrists may work in private practices, retail clinics, hospitals, or group healthcare settings.
32. Anesthesiologist
An anesthesiologist is a medical doctor who administers anesthesia and monitors patients during surgery or medical procedures. They play a key role in patient safety before, during, and after operations.
Primary duties include reviewing patient health history, choosing the right anesthesia method, administering anesthesia, monitoring vital signs, managing pain, responding to complications, and supporting recovery after procedures.
This career requires medical school, residency training in anesthesiology, licensing, and strong decision-making skills. Anesthesiologists are often among the highest-paid medical professionals because their work requires advanced expertise and high responsibility.
How To Choose the Right 6-Figure Career
Choosing a six-figure career is not only about salary. A high-paying role should also match your strengths, lifestyle goals, education plans, and long-term interests.
Start by considering how much training you are willing to complete. Some roles, such as anesthesiologist, surgeon, psychiatrist, and dentist, require many years of advanced education. Others, such as software developer, data scientist, product manager, and enterprise architect, may be more skills-based and can sometimes be reached through experience, certifications, and strong portfolios.
Next, think about your preferred work environment. Healthcare roles may involve direct patient care, long shifts, and high responsibility. Technology roles may involve problem-solving, product development, and collaboration across teams. Finance and executive roles may require decision-making under pressure, leadership ability, and strong business judgment.
You can also compare job stability, growth potential, work-life balance, and personal interest. A six-figure salary is valuable, but the best career path is one you can realistically build and sustain.
Skills That Can Help You Earn a 6-Figure Salary
Many six-figure jobs require specialized knowledge, but several transferable skills can help across industries.
Analytical thinking is useful in finance, data science, healthcare, engineering, and management. Communication skills are important for attorneys, executives, product managers, doctors, and consultants. Leadership ability can help professionals move into management, director, or executive roles.
Technical skills are especially valuable in software, data, cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and enterprise systems. Sales and business development skills can also lead to high earnings when compensation includes commissions or performance bonuses.
Other valuable skills include problem-solving, project management, decision-making, negotiation, research, writing, presentation, and strategic planning.
Do You Need a Degree To Earn a 6-Figure Salary?
Many six-figure jobs require a degree, especially in healthcare, law, dentistry, pharmacy, and advanced scientific fields. Doctors, dentists, pharmacists, attorneys, and nurse practitioners must complete formal education and licensing requirements before practicing.
However, not every six-figure role requires the same academic path. Some technology, sales, logistics, and business roles may be accessible through experience, certifications, professional networks, or a strong record of results.
For example, software developers, product managers, enterprise architects, owner-operator drivers, sales leaders, and some executives may reach six-figure income through practical experience and proven performance.
The key is understanding the requirements of your target field. Some careers require formal credentials, while others reward skills, results, and experience more heavily.
How Dokie Helps Professionals Present Career and Salary Research Clearly
When comparing high-paying careers, it is easy to collect a lot of information but difficult to present it clearly. Students, career coaches, HR teams, recruiters, and business professionals often need to turn salary data, job duties, career paths, and hiring trends into easy-to-understand presentations.
Dokie is an AI presentation maker that helps users create professional, business-ready slides from complex information. Instead of spending hours formatting a career research deck, users can use Dokie to organize job comparisons, salary insights, skill requirements, and career recommendations into clean, structured slides.
For example, a career coach could use Dokie to create a presentation comparing six-figure jobs by industry, education level, duties, and growth potential. An HR team could create a compensation training deck. A student could turn career research into a polished class presentation. Dokie helps make the information clearer, more visual, and easier to share.
FAQ About 6-Figure Salary Jobs
What does a 6-figure salary mean?
A six-figure salary means earning at least $100,000 per year. It includes any annual salary from $100,000 to $999,999 before taxes.
Are all 6-figure jobs hard to get?
Many six-figure jobs require specialized skills, education, experience, or licenses. However, the difficulty depends on the field. Some roles require years of graduate education, while others can be reached through experience, technical training, or strong performance.
What industries have the most 6-figure jobs?
Healthcare, technology, finance, law, engineering, executive management, energy, and logistics often include many six-figure roles.
Can you earn 6 figures without a degree?
Yes, it is possible in some fields, especially technology, sales, entrepreneurship, logistics, and certain management roles. However, many six-figure careers still require degrees, licenses, or advanced credentials.
What is the fastest path to a 6-figure salary?
There is no single fastest path for everyone. Technology, sales, data, and specialized trades may offer faster routes for some people, while healthcare and law often require longer education but can provide high earning potential after qualification.
Are 6-figure salaries the same in every city?
No. A six-figure salary can feel very different depending on the cost of living. Earning $100,000 in a low-cost city may provide more financial comfort than earning the same amount in a high-cost city.
Do 6-figure jobs always have good work-life balance?
Not always. Some six-figure jobs involve long hours, high stress, emergency responsibilities, travel, or leadership pressure. Salary is important, but it is also worth considering workload, schedule, benefits, and lifestyle.
How can I prepare for a 6-figure career?
You can prepare by researching career requirements, building relevant skills, earning needed credentials, gaining experience, networking with professionals, and creating a clear development plan. It also helps to track salary ranges and understand what employers value in your target field.
Conclusion
Six-figure jobs are available across many industries, from healthcare and law to technology, finance, engineering, logistics, and executive leadership. Some require years of formal education, while others reward technical skills, business impact, leadership ability, or specialized experience.
If earning a six-figure salary is one of your career goals, start by identifying roles that match your strengths and long-term interests. Then research the qualifications, duties, salary potential, and lifestyle expectations of each path. A high salary can be a powerful motivator, but the best career choice is one that fits both your financial goals and the kind of work you want to do.