45 Jobs That Can Make You a Millionaire Before Retirement

Becoming a millionaire is a dream harbored by many an American, but it’s also one that precious few manage to reach in their lifetime. After all, with all of the various costs that come with living your life and raising a family, having enough income held back to hit that second comma on your net worth is just not a simple 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 do 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 one would have left over after covering the basics. Using that figure, the study then calculates 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, 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.

45. Air Traffic Controllers

• Annual salary: $120,140
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $91,012
• Annual income after average expenditures: $28,574

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 34 years, 11 months and 20 days

Take a Look: The Best Jobs in America

44. Political Scientists

• Annual salary: $120,260
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $91,094
• Annual income after average expenditures: $28,656

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 34 years, 10 months and 14 days

Read: 30 Jobs That Will Soon Be Gone for Good

43. Nuclear Engineers

• Annual salary: $120,700
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $91,394
• Annual income after average expenditures: $28,956

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 34 years, 6 months and 5 days

42. Actuaries

• Annual salary: $120,970
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $91,580
• Annual income after average expenditures: $29,142

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 34 years, 3 months and 15 days

41. Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

• Annual salary: $121,620
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $92,024
• Annual income after average expenditures: $29,586

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 33 years, 9 months and 9 days

Find Out: 20 Highest-Paying Jobs That Let You Travel the World

40. Astronomers

• Annual salary: $122,270
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $92,468
• Annual income after average expenditures: $30,030

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 33 years, 3 months and 10 days

39. Optometrists

• Annual salary: $122,980
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $92,953
• Annual income after average expenditures: $30,515

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 32 years, 8 months and 29 days

38. Computer Hardware Engineers

• Annual salary: $123,030
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $92,987
• Annual income after average expenditures: $30,549

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 32 years, 8 months and 16 days

37. General and Operations Managers

• Annual salary: $123,030
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $92,987
• Annual income after average expenditures: $30,549

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 32 years, 8 months and 16 days

36. Training and Development Managers

• Annual salary: $123,470
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $93,289
• Annual income after average expenditures: $30,851

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 32 years, 4 months and 22 days

35. Pharmacists

• Annual salary: $125,510
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $94,682
• Annual income after average expenditures: $32,244

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 30 years, 11 months and 27 days

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34. Computer and Information Research Scientists

• Annual salary: $127,460
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $96,015
• Annual income after average expenditures: $33,577

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 29 years, 9 months and 4 days

33. Purchasing Managers

• Annual salary: $128,400
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $96,657
• Annual income after average expenditures: $34,219

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 29 years, 9 months and 14 days

32. Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates

• Annual salary: $128,550
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $96,760
• Annual income after average expenditures: $34,322

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 29 years, 1 month and 10 days

31. Human Resources Managers

• Annual salary: $129,570
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $97,458
• Annual income after average expenditures: $35,020

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 28 years, 6 months and 13 days

30. Law Teachers, Postsecondary

• Annual salary: $129,950
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $97,717
• Annual income after average expenditures: $35,279

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 28 years, 3 months and 28 days

29. Physicists

• Annual salary: $131,080
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $98,489
• Annual income after average expenditures: $36,051

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 27 years, 3 months and 19 days

Read On: It Takes Exactly This Long To Make a Million Dollars in America

28. Public Relations and Fundraising Managers

• Annual salary: $132,630
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $99,549
• Annual income after average expenditures: $37,111

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 26 years, 11 months and 4 days

27. Compensation and Benefits Managers

• Annual salary: $137,210
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $100,629
• Annual income after average expenditures: $38,191

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 26 years, 2 months and 1 day

26. Sales Managers

• Annual salary: $141,690
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $105,989
• Annual income after average expenditures: $43,551

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 22 years, 11 months and 10 days

25. Advertising and Promotions Managers

• Annual salary: $141,890
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $106,139
• Annual income after average expenditures: $43,701

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 22 years, 10 months and 12 days

24. Podiatrists

• Annual salary: $142,680
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $106,727
• Annual income after average expenditures: $44,289

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 22 years, 6 months and 24 days

23. Lawyers

• Annual salary: $145,300
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $108,680
• Annual income after average expenditures: $46,242

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 21 years, 7 months and 10 days

22. Natural Sciences Managers

• Annual salary: $145,450
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $108,792
• Annual income after average expenditures: $46,354

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 21 years, 6 months and 22 days

See: Here’s How 62% of Aspiring Millionaires Plan To Strike It Rich — Will It Work?

21. Financial Managers

• Annual salary: $147,530
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $110,343
• Annual income after average expenditures: $47,905

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 20 years, 10 months and 9 days

20. Marketing Managers

• Annual salary: $149,200
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $111,588
• Annual income after average expenditures: $49,150

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 20 years, 3 months and 30 days

19. Architectural and Engineering Managers

• Annual salary: $152,930
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $114,369
• Annual income after average expenditures: $51,931

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 19 years, 2 months and 29 days

18. Computer and Information Systems Managers

• Annual salary: $156,390
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $116,948
• Annual income after average expenditures: $54,510

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 18 years, 4 months and 1 day

17. Petroleum Engineers

• Annual salary: $156,780
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $117,239
• Annual income after average expenditures: $54,801

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 18 years, 2 months and 26 days

16. Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

• Annual salary: $174,870
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $130,725
• Annual income after average expenditures: $68,287

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 14 years, 7 months and 19 days

Useful Tips: 16 Money Rules That Millionaires Swear By

15. Dentists, All Other Specialists

• Annual salary: $178,040
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $132,901
• Annual income after average expenditures: $70,463

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 14 years, 2 months and 7 days

14. Dentists, General

• Annual salary: $178,260
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $133,047
• Annual income after average expenditures: $70,609

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 14 years, 1 month and 24 days

13. Nurse Anesthetists

• Annual salary: $181,040
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $134,898
• Annual income after average expenditures: $72,460

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 13 years, 9 months and 15 days

12. Pediatricians, General

• Annual salary: $184,410
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $137,140
• Annual income after average expenditures: $74,702

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 13 years, 4 months and 17 days

11. Chief Executives

• Annual salary: $193,850
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $143,422
• Annual income after average expenditures: $80,984

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 12 years, 4 months and 3 days

10. General Internal Medicine Physicians

• Annual salary: $201,440
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $148,474
• Annual income after average expenditures: $86,036

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 11 years, 7 months and 12 days

9. Physicians, All Other; and Ophthalmologists

• Annual salary: $203,450
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $149,811
• Annual income after average expenditures: $87,373

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 11 years, 5 months and 8 days

8. Family Medicine Physicians

• Annual salary: $213,270
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $156,347
• Annual income after average expenditures: $93,909

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 10 years, 7 months and 21 days

Not All Good: The Rich and Famous Reveal Their Struggles at Work — and in Life

7. Psychiatrists

• Annual salary: $220,430
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $161,091
• Annual income after average expenditures: $98,653

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 10 years, 1 month and 15 days

6. Prosthodontists

• Annual salary: $220,840
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $161,352
• Annual income after average expenditures: $98,914

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 10 years, 1 month and 6 days

5. Orthodontists

• Annual salary: $230,830
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $167,700
• Annual income after average expenditures: $105,262

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 9 years, 5 months and 28 days

4. Obstetricians and Gynecologists

• Annual salary: $233,610
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $169,467
• Annual income after average expenditures: $107,029

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 9 years, 4 months and 2 days

3. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

• Annual salary: $237,570
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $171,983
• Annual income after average expenditures: $109,545

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 9 years, 1 month and 12 days

2. Surgeons, Except Ophthalmologists

• Annual salary: $252,040
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $181,179
• Annual income after average expenditures: $118,741

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 8 years, 4 months and 30 days

1. Anesthesiologists

• Annual salary: $261,730
• Annual salary after federal taxes: $187,337
• Annual income after average expenditures: $124,899

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 7 years, 11 months and 31 days

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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 2019, 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’ midyear Consumer Expenditure Survey (July 2018 – June 2019); 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 year period. All income taxes calculated using in-house calculator using 2020 tax brackets as sourced from the Tax Foundation. All data was collected on and up to date as of June 26, 2020.

About the Author

Joel Anderson

Joel Anderson is a business and finance writer with over a decade of experience writing about the wide world of finance. Based in Los Angeles, he specializes in writing about the financial markets, stocks, macroeconomic concepts and focuses on helping make complex financial concepts digestible for the retail investor.

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