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Career Advice

Highest Paying Jobs

The 25 Highest-Paying Jobs of 2016

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Physicians take home the fattest paychecks, on average, of all Americans, a new report finds -- and by a big margin.

Doctors bank about $35,000 more each year then the next top earners -- lawyers -- according to report from Glassdoor, a jobs and recruiting website, which compiled data shared by the site's users to find each field's median base pay.

Most of the 25 highest-paying occupations require both a high level of experience and education.

“High pay continues to be tied to in-demand skills, higher education, and working in jobs that are protected from competition or automation," Andrew Chamberlain, Glassdoor's chief economist, said in a press release. "This is why we see several jobs within the technology and healthcare industries."

If you're not a software developer or in the medical field, don't despair. Paycheck size isn't always tied to long-term satisfaction in your job, Glassdoor finds. Rather, the biggest drivers of happiness are company culture, advancement opportunities, and trust in senior leadership.

Still: Nearly seven in 10 people say that compensation is among their top considerations before accepting a job. Below are the 25 highest-paying jobs in America this year, as well as the median pay Glassdoor users reported, the number of current job openings on the site, and links to those job postings.

1. Physician

· Median Base Salary: $180,000

· Number of Job Openings: 2,064

2. Lawyer

· Median Base Salary: $144,500

· Number of Job Openings: 995

3. Research & Development Manager

· Median Base Salary: $142,120

· Number of Job Openings: 112

4. Software Development Manager

· Median Base Salary: $132,000

· Number of Job Openings: 3,495