Advertiser Disclosure

43 Jobs That Can Make You a Millionaire Before Retirement

September 9, 2024

10 min Read

Written by Jami Farkas

Edited by Chris Cluff

Commitment to Our Readers

GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.

20 YearsHelping You Live Richer

Reviewed by Experts

Trusted by Millions of Readers

Many Americans dream of becoming a millionaire, but precious few reach that goal before retirement.

After all, the ever-rising costs of living and raising a family make saving enough to hit that second comma on your net worth a challenging feat. You need the sort of job that pays more than enough 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 takes to save that $1 million while making an average salary in the profession.

It doesn’t factor in the cost of your education — 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

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

Today’s Top Offers

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 months 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

Today’s Top Offers

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

Today’s Top Offers

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

Today’s Top Offers

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

Today’s Top Offers

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 month 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

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 June 5, 2024.

More From GOBankingRates