45 Jobs That Can Make You a Millionaire Before Retirement

Choosing one of these careers might help you retire rich.

By Jami Farkas Jun 18, 2022 Boost Your Career

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 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. Law Teachers, Postsecondary

Annual salary: $130,820
Annual salary after federal taxes: $98,688
Annual income after average expenditures: $37,354
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 26 years 9 months 1 days

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44. Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

Annual salary: $133,310
Annual salary after federal taxes: $100,390
Annual income after average expenditures: $39,056
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 25 years 7 months 1 day

43. Purchasing Managers

Annual salary: $134,590
Annual salary after federal taxes: $101,265
Annual income after average expenditures: $39,931
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 25 years 0 months 8 days

42. Computer Hardware Engineers

Annual salary: $136,230
Annual salary after federal taxes: $102,385
Annual income after average expenditures: $41,051
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 24 years 4 months 4 days

41. Human Resources Managers

Annual salary: $136,590
Annual salary after federal taxes: $102,632
Annual income after average expenditures: $41,298
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 24 years 2 months 12 days

40. Public Relations Managers

Annual salary: $138,000
Annual salary after federal taxes: $103,595
Annual income after average expenditures: $42,261
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 23 years 7 months 23 days

39. Astronomers

Annual salary: $139,410
Annual salary after federal taxes: $104,559
Annual income after average expenditures: $43,225
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 23 years 1 month 12 days

38. Compensation and Benefits Managers

Annual salary: $139,470
Annual salary after federal taxes: $104,601
Annual income after average expenditures: $43,267
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 23 years 1 month 3 days

37. Sales Managers

Annual salary: $142,390
Annual salary after federal taxes: $106,596
Annual income after average expenditures: $45,262
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 22 years 0 months 28 days

36. Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

Annual salary: $142,520
Annual salary after federal taxes: $106,653
Annual income after average expenditures: $45,319
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 22 years 0 months 18 days

35. Computer and Information Research Scientists

Annual salary: $142,650
Annual salary after federal taxes: $106,773
Annual income after average expenditures: $45,439
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 21 years 11 months 27 days

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34. Advertising and Promotions Managers

Annual salary: $142,860
Annual salary after federal taxes: $106,917
Annual income after average expenditures: $45,583
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 21 years 11 months 2 days

33. Prosthodontists

Annual salary: $143,730
Annual salary after federal taxes: $107,512
Annual income after average expenditures: $46,178
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 21 years 7 months 21 days

32. Petroleum Engineers

Annual salary: $145,720
Annual salary after federal taxes: $108,872
Annual income after average expenditures: $47,538
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 21 years 0 months 7 days

31. Lawyers

Annual salary: $148,030
Annual salary after federal taxes: $110,515
Annual income after average expenditures: $49,181
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 20 years 3 months 25 days

30. Physicists

Annual salary: $151,580
Annual salary after federal taxes: $113,161
Annual income after average expenditures: $51,827
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 19 years 3 months 12 days

29. Marketing Managers

Annual salary: $153,440
Annual salary after federal taxes: $114,548
Annual income after average expenditures: $53,214
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 18 years 9 months 11 days

28. Financial Managers

Annual salary: $153,460
Annual salary after federal taxes: $114,563
Annual income after average expenditures: $53,229
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 18 years 9 months 9 days

27. Natural Sciences Managers

Annual salary: $156,110
Annual salary after federal taxes: $116,538
Annual income after average expenditures: $55,204
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 18 years 1 month 5 days

26. Podiatrists

Annual salary: $158,380
Annual salary after federal taxes: $118,230
Annual income after average expenditures: $56,896
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 17 years 6 months 24 days

25. Architectural and Engineering Managers

Annual salary: $158,970
Annual salary after federal taxes: $118,671
Annual income after average expenditures: $57,337
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 17 years 5 months 4 days

24. Computer and Information Systems Managers

Annual salary: $162,930
Annual salary after federal taxes: $121,623
Annual income after average expenditures: $60,289
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 16 years 6 months 28 days

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23. Dentists, General

Annual salary: $167,160
Annual salary after federal taxes: $124,776
Annual income after average expenditures: $63,442
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 15 years 9 months 1 day

22. Dentists, All Other Specialists

Annual salary: $179,400
Annual salary after federal taxes: $133,901
Annual income after average expenditures: $72,567
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 13 years 9 months 7 days

21. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Annual salary: $198,190
Annual salary after federal taxes: $146,694
Annual income after average expenditures: $85,360
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 11 years 8 months 15 days

20. Pediatricians, General

Annual salary: $198,420
Annual salary after federal taxes: $146,847
Annual income after average expenditures: $85,513
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 11 years 8 months 7 days

19. Nurse Anesthetists

Annual salary: $202,470
Annual salary after federal taxes: $149,556
Annual income after average expenditures: $88,222
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 11 years 3 months 29 days

18. Physicians, All Other

Annual salary: $231,500
Annual salary after federal taxes: $168,957
Annual income after average expenditures: $107,623
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 9 years 3 months 13 days

17. Family Medicine Physicians

Annual salary: $235,930
Annual salary after federal taxes: $171,797
Annual income after average expenditures: $110,463
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 9 years 0 months 16 days

16. General Internal Medicine Physicians

Annual salary: $242,190
Annual salary after federal taxes: $175,809
Annual income after average expenditures: $114,475
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 8 years 8 months 22 days

15. Psychiatrists

Annual salary: $249,760
Annual salary after federal taxes: $180,661
Annual income after average expenditures: $119,327
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 8 years 4 months 15 days

14. Physicians, Pathologists

Annual salary: $267,180
Annual salary after federal taxes: $191,827
Annual income after average expenditures: $130,493
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 7 years 7 months 28 days

13. Orthodontists

Annual salary: $267,280
Annual salary after federal taxes: $191,891
Annual income after average expenditures: $130,557
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 7 years 7 months 26 days

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12. Neurologists

Annual salary: $267,660
Annual salary after federal taxes: $192,135
Annual income after average expenditures: $130,801
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 7 years 7 months 21 days

11. Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric

Annual salary: $270,090
Annual salary after federal taxes: $193,693
Annual income after average expenditures: $132,359
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 7 years 6 months 19 days

10. Pediatric Surgeons

Annual salary: $290,310
Annual salary after federal taxes: $206,654
Annual income after average expenditures: $145,320
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 6 years 10 months 15 days

9. Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Annual salary: $296,210
Annual salary after federal taxes: $210,436
Annual income after average expenditures: $149,102
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 6 years 8 months 12 days

8. Surgeons, All Other

Annual salary: $297,800
Annual salary after federal taxes: $211,455
Annual income after average expenditures: $150,121
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 6 years 7 months 27 days

7. Radiologists

Annual salary: $301,720
Annual salary after federal taxes: $213,968
Annual income after average expenditures: $152,634
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 6 years 6 months 18 days

6. Dermatologists

Annual salary: $302,740
Annual salary after federal taxes: $214,621
Annual income after average expenditures: $153,287
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 6 years 6 months 8 days

5. Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric

Annual salary: $306,220
Annual salary after federal taxes: $216,852
Annual income after average expenditures: $155,518
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 6 years 5 months 3 days

4. Emergency Medicine Physicians

Annual salary: $310,640
Annual salary after federal taxes: $219,685
Annual income after average expenditures: $158,351
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 6 years 3 months 23 days

3. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

Annual salary: $311,460
Annual salary after federal taxes: $220,211
Annual income after average expenditures: $158,877
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 6 years 3 months 15 days

2. Anesthesiologists

Annual salary: $331,190
Annual salary after federal taxes: $232,858
Annual income after average expenditures: $171,524
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 5 years 9 months 27 days

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1. Cardiologists

Annual salary: $353,970
Annual salary after federal taxes: $247,460
Annual income after average expenditures: $186,126
How long it takes to earn a million dollars: 5 years 4 months 14 days

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 2021, 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’ 2020 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 year period. All income taxes calculated using in-house calculator using 2022 tax brackets as sourced from the Tax Foundation. All data was collected on and up to date as of June 10, 2022.

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.