45 Jobs That Can Make You a Millionaire Before Retirement

Choosing one of these careers might help you retire rich.

By Jami Farkas May 19, 2022 Boost Your Career

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.

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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 you 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 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.

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45. Personal Services Managers

Annual salary: $123,980
Annual salary after federal taxes: $93,732
Annual income after average expenditures: $31,983

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 31 years, 2 months and 30 days

44. Political Scientists

Annual salary: $124,100
Annual salary after federal taxes: $93,813
Annual income after average expenditures: $32,064

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 31 years, 2 months and 1 day

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43. Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

Annual salary: $124,890
Annual salary after federal taxes: $94,354
Annual income after average expenditures: $32,605

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 30 years, 7 months and 24 days

42. Nuclear Engineers

Annual salary: $125,130
Annual salary after federal taxes: $94,518
Annual income after average expenditures: $32,769

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 30 years, 5 months and 29 days

41. Optometrists

Annual salary: $125,440
Annual salary after federal taxes: $94,730
Annual income after average expenditures: $32,981

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 30 years, 3 months and 18 days

40. Pharmacists

Annual salary: $125,460
Annual salary after federal taxes: $94,743
Annual income after average expenditures: $32,994

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 30 years, 3 months and 14 days

39. General and Operations Managers

Annual salary: $125,740
Annual salary after federal taxes: $94,935
Annual income after average expenditures: $33,186

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 30 years, 1 month and 9 days

38. Training and Development Managers

Annual salary: $125,920
Annual salary after federal taxes: $95,057
Annual income after average expenditures: $33,308

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 29 years, 11 months and 31 days

37. Computer Hardware Engineers

Annual salary: $126,140
Annual salary after federal taxes: $95,208
Annual income after average expenditures: $33,459

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 29 years, 10 months and 11 days

36. Astronomers

Annual salary: $126,250
Annual salary after federal taxes: $95,283
Annual income after average expenditures: $33,534

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 29 years, 9 months and 18 days

35. Air Traffic Controllers

Annual salary: $127,440
Annual salary after federal taxes: $96,097
Annual income after average expenditures: $34,348

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 29 years, 1 month and 2 days

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34. Computer and Information Research Scientists

Annual salary: $130,890
Annual salary after federal taxes: $98,455
Annual income after average expenditures: $36,706

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 27 years, 2 months and 22 days

33. Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates

Annual salary: $131,850
Annual salary after federal taxes: $99,110
Annual income after average expenditures: $37,361

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 26 years, 8 months and 29 days

32. Purchasing Managers

Annual salary: $132,660
Annual salary after federal taxes: $99,665
Annual income after average expenditures: $37,916

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 26 years, 4 months and 9 days

31. Human Resources Managers

Annual salary: $134,580
Annual salary after federal taxes: $100,977
Annual income after average expenditures: $39,228

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 25 years, 5 months and 21 days

30. Law Teachers, Postsecondary

Annual salary: $134,760
Annual salary after federal taxes: $101,100
Annual income after average expenditures: $39,351

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 25 years, 4 months and 23 days

29. Public Relations and Fundraising Managers

Annual salary: $135,580
Annual salary after federal taxes: $101,660
Annual income after average expenditures: $39,911

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 25 years, 0 months and 13 days

28. Compensation and Benefits Managers

Annual salary: $137,160
Annual salary after federal taxes: $102,740
Annual income after average expenditures: $40,991

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 24 years, 4 months and 17 days

27. Physicists

Annual salary: $137,700
Annual salary after federal taxes: $103,109
Annual income after average expenditures: $41,360

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 24 years, 1 month and 27 days

26. Advertising and Promotions Managers

Annual salary: $147,560
Annual salary after federal taxes: $110,144
Annual income after average expenditures: $48,395

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 20 years, 7 months and 24 days

25. Sales Managers

Annual salary: $147,580
Annual salary after federal taxes: $110,158
Annual income after average expenditures: $48,409

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 20 years, 7 months and 21 days

24. Lawyers

Annual salary: $148,910
Annual salary after federal taxes: $111,150
Annual income after average expenditures: $49,401

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 20 years, 2 months and 23 days

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23. Podiatrists

Annual salary: $151,110
Annual salary after federal taxes: $112,790
Annual income after average expenditures: $51,041

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 19 years, 6 months and 30 days

22. Financial Managers

Annual salary: $151,510
Annual salary after federal taxes: $113,089
Annual income after average expenditures: $51,340

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 19 years, 5 months and 18 days

21. Petroleum Engineers

Annual salary: $154,330
Annual salary after federal taxes: $115,191
Annual income after average expenditures: $53,442

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 18 years, 8 months and 11 days

20. Marketing Managers

Annual salary: $154,470
Annual salary after federal taxes: $115,295
Annual income after average expenditures: $53,546

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 18 years, 7 months and 29 days

19. Natural Sciences Managers

Annual salary: $154,930
Annual salary after federal taxes: $115,638
Annual income after average expenditures: $53,889

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 18 years, 6 months and 17 days

18. Architectural and Engineering Managers

Annual salary: $158,100
Annual salary after federal taxes: $118,001
Annual income after average expenditures: $56,252

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 17 years, 9 months and 5 days

17. Computer and Information Systems Managers

Annual salary: $161,730
Annual salary after federal taxes: $120,707
Annual income after average expenditures: $58,958

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 16 years, 11 months and 11 days

16. Dentists, General

Annual salary: $180,830
Annual salary after federal taxes: $134,678
Annual income after average expenditures: $72,929

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 13 years, 8 months and 12 days

15. Pediatricians, General

Annual salary: $184,570
Annual salary after federal taxes: $137,167
Annual income after average expenditures: $75,418

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 13 years, 2 months and 31 days

14. Airline Pilots, Copilots and Flight Engineers

Annual salary: $186,870
Annual salary after federal taxes: $138,698
Annual income after average expenditures: $76,949

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 12 years, 11 months and 25 days

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13. Nurse Anesthetists

Annual salary: $189,190
Annual salary after federal taxes: $140,241
Annual income after average expenditures: $78,492

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 12 years, 8 months and 23 days

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12. Dentists, All Other Specialists

Annual salary: $194,930
Annual salary after federal taxes: $144,062
Annual income after average expenditures: $82,313

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 12 years, 1 month and 20 days

11. Chief Executives

Annual salary: $197,840
Annual salary after federal taxes: $145,998
Annual income after average expenditures: $84,249

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

10. General Internal Medicine Physicians

Annual salary: $210,960
Annual salary after federal taxes: $154,790
Annual income after average expenditures: $93,041

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 11 years, 8 months and 27 days

9. Family Medicine Physicians

Annual salary: $214,370
Annual salary after federal taxes: $157,078
Annual income after average expenditures: $95,329

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 10 years, 5 months and 24 days

8. Prosthodontists

Annual salary: $214,870
Annual salary after federal taxes: $157,414
Annual income after average expenditures: $95,665

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 10 years, 5 months and 11 days

7. Psychiatrists

Annual salary: $217,100
Annual salary after federal taxes: $158,910
Annual income after average expenditures: $97,161

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 10 years, 3 months and 13 days

6. Physicians, All Other; and Ophthalmologists

Annual salary: $218,850
Annual salary after federal taxes: $160,084
Annual income after average expenditures: $98,335

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 10 years, 1 month and 27 days

5. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

Annual salary: $234,990
Annual salary after federal taxes: $170,523
Annual income after average expenditures: $108,774

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 9 years, 2 months and 8 days

4. Orthodontists

Annual salary: $237,990
Annual salary after federal taxes: $172,446
Annual income after average expenditures: $110,697

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 9 years, 0 months and 9 days

3. Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Annual salary: $239,120
Annual salary after federal taxes: $173,170
Annual income after average expenditures: $111,421

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 8 years, 11 months and 18 days

2. Surgeons, Except Ophthalmologists

Annual salary: $251,650
Annual salary after federal taxes: $181,203
Annual income after average expenditures: $119,454

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 8 years, 4 months and 12 days

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1. Anesthesiologists

Annual salary: $271,440
Annual salary after federal taxes: $193,887
Annual income after average expenditures: $132,138

How long it takes to become a millionaire: 7 years, 6 months and 24 days

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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 2020, 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 2019 – June 2020). 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 2021 tax brackets as sourced from the Tax Foundation. All data was collected on and up to date as of June 2, 2021.

About the Author

Jami Farkas

Jami Farkas holds a communications degree from California State University, Fullerton, and has worked as a reporter or editor at daily newspapers in all four corners of the United States. She brings to GOBankingRates experience as a sports editor, business editor, religion editor, digital editor — and more. With a passion for real estate, she passed the real estate licensing exam in her state and is still weighing whether to take the plunge into selling homes — or just writing about selling homes.