Medical schools continue to produce some of the highest-earning workers in the United States.
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the average cost of attending one year of medical schools is $36,755 a year for in-state students at public institutions, $60,802 a year for out-of-state students at public institutions and $59,076 a year at private institutions.
Over four years of medical school, those costs total as much as $243,208. While some financial aid for medical students exists, many students rely on heft student debt to finance their advanced degrees with the hope that their hard work and loans will pay off with a high-impact and high-earning job.
And when GOBankingRates analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they found that highest-paying job in every single state in the U.S. is in the medical profession.
Here are the highest-paying jobs in every state:
Alabama
Highest-paying job: Orthodontists
Mean hourly wage: $139.30
Mean annual wage: $289,740.00
Alaska
Highest-paying job: General Pediatricians
Mean hourly wage: $127.76
Mean annual wage: $265,750.00
Arizona
Highest-paying job: Orthodontists
Mean hourly wage: $136.69
Mean annual wage: $284,310.00
Arkansas
Highest-paying job: General Internists
Mean hourly wage: $118.88
Mean annual wage: $247,280.00
California
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $136.47
Mean annual wage: $283,860.00
Colorado
Highest-paying job: Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Mean hourly wage: $133.55
Mean annual wage: $277,770.00
Connecticut
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $129.50
Mean annual wage: $269,350.00
Delaware
Highest-paying job: Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $137.69
Mean annual wage: $286,400.00
Florida
Highest-paying job: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $138.68
Mean annual wage: $288,450.00
Georgia
Highest-paying job: Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $133.30
Mean annual wage: $277,260.00
Hawaii
Highest-paying job: Podiatrists
Mean hourly wage: $135.04
Mean annual wage: $280,880.00
Idaho
Highest-paying job: Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Mean hourly wage: $135.44
Mean annual wage: $281,710.00
Illinois
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $124.77
Mean annual wage: $259,520.00
Indiana
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $131.52
Mean annual wage: $273,570.00
Iowa
Highest-paying job: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $127.36
Mean annual wage: $264,910.00
Kansas
Highest-paying job: Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $133.68
Mean annual wage: $278,060.00
Kentucky
Highest-paying job: Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $129.95
Mean annual wage: $270,300.00
Louisiana
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $136.78
Mean annual wage: $284,510.00
Maine
Highest-paying job: Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $138.00
Mean annual wage: $287,030.00
Maryland
Highest-paying job: Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $129.61
Mean annual wage: $269,590.00
Massachusetts
Highest-paying job: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $136.23
Mean annual wage: $283,350.00
Michigan
Highest-paying job: Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $135.37
Mean annual wage: $281,570.00
Minnesota
Highest-paying job: General Internists
Mean hourly wage: $125.24
Mean annual wage: $260,500.00
Mississippi
Highest-paying job: General Pediatricians
Mean hourly wage: $131.96
Mean annual wage: $274,470.00
Missouri
Highest-paying job: Orthodontists
Mean hourly wage: $130.65
Mean annual wage: $271,750.00
Montana
Highest-paying job: Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Mean hourly wage: $125.99
Mean annual wage: $262,060.00
Nebraska
Highest-paying job: Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $136.43
Mean annual wage: $283,760.00
Nevada
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $129.29
Mean annual wage: $268,920.00
New Hampshire
Highest-paying job: Physicians and Surgeons, All Other
Mean hourly wage: $132.24
Mean annual wage: $275,050.00
New Jersey
Highest-paying job: Orthodontists
Mean hourly wage: $126.87
Mean annual wage: $263,880.00
New Mexico
Highest-paying job: Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $135.56
Mean annual wage: $281,960.00
New York
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $130.53
Mean annual wage: $271,510.00
North Carolina
Highest-paying job: Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $134.39
Mean annual wage: $279,530.00
North Dakota
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $137.62
Mean annual wage: $286,250.00
Ohio
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $133.18
Mean annual wage: $277,020.00
Oklahoma
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $131.26
Mean annual wage: $273,020.00
Oregon
Highest-paying job: Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Mean hourly wage: $123.13
Mean annual wage: $256,100.00
Pennsylvania
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $128.83
Mean annual wage: $267,960.00
Rhode Island
Highest-paying job: Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $133.80
Mean annual wage: $278,300.00
South Carolina
Highest-paying job: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $128.83
Mean annual wage: $267,960.00
South Dakota
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $137.44
Mean annual wage: $285,880.00
Tennessee
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $121.72
Mean annual wage: $253,180.00
Texas
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $125.80
Mean annual wage: $261,670.00
Utah
Highest-paying job: Dentists, All Other Specialists
Mean hourly wage: $123.94
Mean annual wage: $257,800.00
Vermont
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $133.47
Mean annual wage: $277,620.00
Virginia
Highest-paying job: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $135.16
Mean annual wage: $281,130.00
Washington
Highest-paying job: Anesthesiologists
Mean hourly wage: $125.19
Mean annual wage: $260,390.00
West Virginia
Highest-paying job: Physicians and Surgeons, All Other
Mean hourly wage: $115.21
Mean annual wage: $239,630.00
Wisconsin
Highest-paying job: Surgeons
Mean hourly wage: $134.38
Mean annual wage: $279,510.00
Wyoming
Highest-paying job: Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Mean hourly wage: $126.68
Mean annual wage: $263,490.00
Anesthesiologist was the most common highest-paying job, with data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicating that the role is the most lucrative job in 16 states. Surgeon and OB/GYN roles were also highly represented on GOBankingRates' list. The highest-paying job on the list, overall, was orthodontists, who make about $289,740 a year on average in the state of Alabama.
Some may wonder why medical professionals managed to consistently beat out traditionally high-paying business roles like CEO and COO.
The "big reason why medical careers dominate is because other high-paying positions, such as chief executives, COOs, high-level managers, etc., [is because they] tend to receive a large portion of their income in the form of stock sharing, stock options and the like, in addition purely income worked through labor (i.e. their salaries), versus the medical fields were their incomes is composed primarily from their wages," Andrew DePietro, lead researcher at GOBankingRates, tells CNBC Make It.
"Plus," he says, "because the time and money required to reach these medical career positions is so costly, these costs tend to be reflected in the high salaries of medical fields."
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