43 Jobs That Can Make You a Millionaire Before Retirement (2024)

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43 Jobs That Can Make You a Millionaire Before Retirement (1) Written by Jami Farkas

43 Jobs That Can Make You a Millionaire Before Retirement (2) Edited by Chris Cluff

43 Jobs That Can Make You a Millionaire Before Retirement (3)

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43 Jobs That Can Make You a Millionaire Before Retirement (4)

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Many Americans harbor a dream of becoming a millionaire, but precious few manage to reach that goal in their lifetime. After all, the multitude of costs that come with living and raising a family make saving enough income to hit that second comma on your net worth a challenging feat. You need the sort of job that’s going to pay well in excess of what it takes to cover your bills.

So which jobs can you expect to accomplish that? To answer the question, GOBankingRates used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine the average salaries of many common jobs. Then, it deducted the cost of federal taxes and the average cost of living from that figure to show how much income you would have left over after covering the basics. Using that figure, the study then calculated how long it will take you to save up that $1 million while making an average salary in the profession.

It doesn’t factor in the cost of your education — obviously a major expenditure for many of these occupations, based on their requirements — or how you can grow your savings through investment, but it should still give you a clear sense of how fast someone can stash away money in each job.

So, who can expect to reach that million-dollar goal the fastest? Here’s a look at which jobs will get you there.

43. Petroleum Engineers

  • Annual salary: $142,800
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $107,528
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $40,600
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 24 years 7 months 12 days

42. Compensation and Benefits Managers

  • Annual salary: $143,140
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $107,760
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $40,832
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 24 years 5 months 22 days

Check Out: 5 Ways To Use AI To Generate Passive Income

41. Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

  • Annual salary: $144,610
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $108,765
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $41,837
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 23 years 10 months 20 days

40. Human Resources Managers

  • Annual salary: $145,750
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $109,544
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $42,616
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 23 years 5 months 13 days

39. Advertising and Promotions Managers

  • Annual salary: $147,050
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $110,433
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $43,505
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 22 years 11 months 19 days

38. Public Relations Managers

  • Annual salary: $150,030
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $112,470
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $45,542
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 21 years 11 month 9 days

37. Physicists

  • Annual salary: $150,130
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $112,538
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $45,610
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 21 years 10 months 28 days

36. Sales Managers

  • Annual salary: $150,530
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $112,811
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $45,883
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 21 years 9 months 11 days

35. Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

  • Annual salary: $153,700
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $114,978
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $48,050
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 20 years 9 months 17 days

34. Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys

  • Annual salary: $155,730
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $116,366
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $49,438
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 20 years 2 months 16 days

33. Computer and Information Research Scientists

  • Annual salary: $155,880
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $116,468
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $49,540
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 20 years 2 months 1 days

32. Podiatrists

  • Annual salary: $157,970
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $118,896
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $50,968
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 19 years 7 months 10 days

31. Marketing Managers

  • Annual salary: $158,280
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $118,109
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $51,181
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 19 years 6 months 10 days

30. Architectural and Engineering Managers

  • Annual salary: $163,310
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $121,740
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $54,812
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 18 years 2 months 23 days

29. Natural Sciences Managers

  • Annual salary: $163,610
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $121,963
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $55,035
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 18 years 1 month 27 days

28. Lawyers

  • Annual salary: $163,770
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $122,082
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $55,154
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 18 years 1 month 12 days

27. Financial Managers

  • Annual salary: $166,050
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $123,782
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $56,854
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 17 years 6 month 28 days

26. Dentists, General

  • Annual salary: $172,290
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $128,433
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $61,505
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 16 years 3 months 0 days

25. Computer and Information Systems Managers

  • Annual salary: $173,670
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $129,462
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $62,534
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 15 years 11 months 23 days

24. Pediatricians, General

  • Annual salary: $203,240
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $150,894
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $83,966
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 11 years 10 months 25 days

23. Nurse Anesthetists

  • Annual salary: $205,770
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $152,556
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $85,628
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 11 years 8 months 2 days

22. Orthodontists

  • Annual salary: $216,320
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $159,482
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $92,554
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 10 years 9 months 17 days

21. Family Medicine Physicians

  • Annual salary: $224,4460
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $164,826
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $97,898
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 10 years 2 months 14 days

20. General Internal Medicine Physicians

  • Annual salary: $225,270
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $165,358
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $98,430
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 10 years 1 month 25 days

19. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

  • Annual salary: $225,740
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $165,666
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $98,738
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 10 years 1 month 13 days

18. Dentists, All Other Specialists

  • Annual salary: $233,430
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $170,714
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $103,786
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 9 years 7 months 17 days

17. Physicians, All Other

  • Annual salary: $238,700
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $174,174
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $107,246
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 9 years 3 months 26 days

16. Chief Executives

  • Annual salary: $246,440
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $179,215
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $112,287
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 8 years 10 months 24 days

15. Psychiatrists

  • Annual salary: $247,350
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $179,785
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $112,857
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 8 years 10 months 8 days

14. Physicians, Pathologists

  • Annual salary: $252,850
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $183,231
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $116,303
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 8 years 7 months 4 days

13. Neurologists

  • Annual salary: $255,510
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $184,897
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $117,969
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 8 years 5 months 21 days

12. Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric

  • Annual salary: $265,450
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $191,125
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $124,197
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 8 years 0 months 17 days

11. Obstetricians and Gynecologists

  • Annual salary: $277,320
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $198,562
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $131,634
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 7 years 7 months 4 days

10. Anesthesiologists

  • Annual salary: $302,970
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $214,631
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $147,703
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 6 years 9 months 6 days

9. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

  • Annual salary: $309,410
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $218,665
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $151,737
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 6 years 7 months 2 days

8. Emergency Medicine Physicians

  • Annual salary: $316,600
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $223,171
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $156,243
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 6 years 4 months 24 days

7. Dermatologists

  • Annual salary: $327,650
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $230,093
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $163,165
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 6 years 1 month 14 days

6. Radiologists

  • Annual salary: $329,080
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $230,989
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $164,061
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 6 years 1 months 2 days

5. Surgeons, All Other

  • Annual salary: $347,870
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $242,761
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $175,833
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 5 years 8 months 6 days

4. Athletes and Sports Competitors

  • Annual salary: $358,080
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $249,158
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $182,230
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 5 years 5 months 25 days

3. Pediatric Surgeons

  • Annual salary: $362,970
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $252,221
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $185,293
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 5 years 4 months 22 days

2. Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric

  • Annual salary: $371,400
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $257,503
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $190,575
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 5 years 2 months 27 days

1. Cardiologists

  • Annual salary: $421,330
  • Annual salary after federal taxes: $288,783
  • Annual income after average expenditures: $221,855
  • How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 4 years 6 months 2 days

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Jake Arky, Jordan Rosenfeld and Joel Anderson contributed to the reporting for this article.

Methodology: To determine the jobs that can make you a millionaire before 65, GOBankingRates analyzed salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; jobs used in this study have the highest mean pay as of May 2022, according to its Occupational Employment Statistics .The study takes the annual salary of each given job, subtracts Federal income taxes (FICA and Medicare taxes included) and the average cost of living in the United States, based on average annual expenditure, sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey; the difference left over is then multiplied by 35, 30, and 25 years in order to find out whether that job will get you past the $1 million threshold. *Note: The majority of these jobs require additional schooling and the cost of schooling is not accounted for in the study. The study assumes that the listed salary is the salary you earn every year for the given period. All income taxes calculated using in-house calculator using 2023 tax brackets as sourced from the Tax Foundation. All data was collected on and up to date as of May 1, 2023.

43 Jobs That Can Make You a Millionaire Before Retirement (2024)

FAQs

43 Jobs That Can Make You a Millionaire Before Retirement? ›

By those standards, the five jobs with the most millionaires are engineer, accountant, teacher, people in management, and lawyer.

What job makes you a millionaire the fastest? ›

10 high-paying jobs
  1. Pilot. ...
  2. Actuary. ...
  3. Computer network architect. ...
  4. Air traffic controller. ...
  5. Petroleum engineer. ...
  6. Lawyer. ...
  7. Physicist. ...
  8. Computer and information systems manager.
Apr 18, 2024

What are the top 5 jobs for millionaires? ›

By those standards, the five jobs with the most millionaires are engineer, accountant, teacher, people in management, and lawyer.

Which jobs pay $1 million a year? ›

Top Jobs That Pay Over $1 Million a Year
  • Content Creator. Best for: People who want to make videos, podcasts, blog articles, social media posts, and more. ...
  • Entrepreneur. ...
  • Real Estate Agent / Broker. ...
  • E-commerce Business Owner. ...
  • CEO / Corporate Executive. ...
  • Software Developer. ...
  • Hedge Fund Manager. ...
  • Pro Athlete.
Jul 24, 2024

What jobs can make you rich? ›

Jobs That Make a Lot of Money (17 high-paying careers in 2024)
  • Accountant. One of the best jobs that makes a lot of money and is stable, is an accountant. ...
  • Business Executive. ...
  • Computer System and IT Manager. ...
  • Engineer. ...
  • Chiropractor. ...
  • Clinical Psychologist. ...
  • Construction Manager. ...
  • Geophysicist.
Jun 7, 2024

What is the easiest job that gives the most money? ›

High-paying simple jobs
  • Dispatcher. ...
  • Customer service representative. ...
  • Chauffeur. ...
  • Claims adjuster. ...
  • Roofer. ...
  • Groundskeeper. ...
  • Accounting clerk. National average salary: $53,042 per year Primary duties: Accounting clerks work in offices, providing administrative and accounting support for their organization. ...
  • Massage therapist.
Jul 10, 2024

What is the most profitable job ever? ›

Topping the list, being a CEO gets you the highest paying job in the world, no matter where you work. A CEO is the highest-ranked position in any organisation's structure. Irrespective of the company's size, a CEO handles all its day-to-day corporate affairs, manages resources and handles all managerial processes.

What field do most millionaires come from? ›

Occupations that often produce many millionaires include entrepreneurship, finance and investment banking, technology, medicine, real estate, law, consulting, entertainment, sports, and high-level sales and marketing.

What skill makes the most millionaires? ›

12 MUST HAVE Skills of Every Millionaire
  • Product and Service Innovation. ...
  • Organizing. ...
  • Goal-Setting and Planning. ...
  • Money Management. ...
  • Philanthropy. ...
  • Networking. Building relationships is instrumental in the world of business. ...
  • Leadership. Every millionaire is a leader. ...
  • Time Management.

What degree makes the most millionaires? ›

The top 10 degrees that millionaires earn:
  • Economics.
  • Law.
  • Business Administration.
  • Commerce.
  • Accounting.
  • Computer Science.
  • Finance.
  • Politics.

What job pays the most in the world? ›

CEOs get paid the highest salaries in the world. People in this position get paid the highest salary in the world irrespective of the company's size and location because they manage the company's corporate affairs and manage its resources responsibly.

What makes a lot of money? ›

The careers that make the most money tend to be in medicine and technology as well as management positions.

What job makes $2 million a year? ›

That said, the very highest-earning people are in finance and law. The top 1% in finance earn over $2m per year. Since finance makes up 0.9% of the workforce of 160 million, that's well over 10,000 people.

What job makes the most money per hour? ›

Here are some high-paying hourly jobs:
  • Air traffic controller.
  • Veterinarian.
  • Senior creative director.
  • Management consultant.
  • Tattoo artist.
  • Psychiatrist.
  • Orthodontist.
  • Anesthesiologist.
Apr 18, 2024

What job gets a lot of money? ›

Here are the highest paying jobs of 2024:

Anesthesiologist: $239,200. Obstetrician and Gynecologist: $239,200. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon: $239,200. Psychiatrist: $226,880.

What field makes the most money? ›

Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs in USA (Inc Salaries)
  1. Chief Executive Officer. The company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is responsible for guiding the company towards success and growth. ...
  2. Physician/ Doctor. ...
  3. Psychiatrist. ...
  4. Airline Pilot. ...
  5. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. ...
  6. Orthodontist. ...
  7. Lawyer. ...
  8. Architectural and Engineering Manager.

What is the fastest way for me to become a millionaire? ›

8 Tips to Becoming a Millionaire
  • Stay away from debt.
  • Invest early and consistently.
  • Make savings a priority.
  • Increase your income to reach your goal faster.
  • Cut unnecessary expenses.
  • Keep your millionaire goal front and center.
  • Work with an investing professional.
  • Put your plan on repeat.
Jun 11, 2024

What industry makes the most millionaires? ›

Finance and investments remains the surest way to get ultra-rich. It's the industry with the highest number of billionaires, 372, including hedge fund and private equity tycoons, bankers, venture capitalists and fintech founders.

Is $2 million a multi-millionaire? ›

Still commonly used is multimillionaire, which refers to individuals with net assets of 2 million or more of a currency.

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