Who is making the most money from their careers in 2025? What jobs are driving high salaries and where are the top paying opportunities found?
Fresh research from Ladders, the job board for six-figure paying jobs, uncovered data from their analysis of more than half a million job postings, which reveals where you can expect to find the most lucrative job openings in 2025. Their report revealed that remote work availability for the highest-paying jobs (the roles that pay $250,000 and above) jumped by 18% in the past quarter, while one in 10 of all high-paying jobs are now offered remotely, signalling good news to high-earning professionals keen on keeping up the remote work trend.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs For 2025
Their research also revealed the top 10 roles that pay $250,000 or more, overall, including a mix of roles likely to be remote, as well as non-remote jobs:
1. Physician
This role can be carried out remotely or in person, depending on your career goals and the specific role you’re pursuing. You could work in telemedicine and deliver diagnosis, healthcare information, check-ins, and advice remotely via video-communication and other software, or you could work from a doctor’s office or hospital, or other healthcare facility.
Physicians who work remotely are not the only ones who benefit from remote work; their patients also benefit, particularly helping those who are unable to get out of the house and providing more convenient care and support when patients might avoid visiting the doctor otherwise.
Average salary range: $171,285 to $282,496
2. Solar Sales Representative
Solar sales representatives cold-call potential customers, “provide technical information to potential customers or dealers, accept quote requests or orders from dealers or customers, and demonstrate the use of solar-related equipment to customers or dealers,” says Solar Career Map. The green energy sector is budding and shows signs of strong job growth as more organizations, governments, and individuals move towards a greener future by 2050.
Due to the technical nature of the role, it’s highly unlikely that it could be offered as fully remote, although there are possibilities of a hybrid remote set-up for this type of position,
Average salary range: $90,510 to $121,504
3. Medical Director
Medical director sit at the helm of a healthcare facility, ensuring patients receive appropriate care and treatment, and directing all clinical and non-clinical staff. This role can be offered fully remotely, or as a mixture of hybrid and work-from-home.
Average salary range: $302,490 to $363,214
4. Dentist
As part of the top three medical professions, Ladders lists dentists as one of the top 10 roles for the highest-paying salaries of 2025. Dentists are a pivotal part of communities, providing care and treatment plans for patients within their practices to enable them to have better oral care. They resolve dental injuries and disease and educate patients on best practice for dental hygiene.
Average salary range: $175,292 to $220,861
5. Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a mental health specialist, and they diagnose and treat patients for emotional and mental health disorders. They also help patients suffering with substance abuse, and can work from private practices, military, hospital, and educational settings, and as part of community mental health teams.
Average salary range: $242,206 to $296,048
6. Principal Software Engineer
The role of a principal software engineer is in strong demand according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with job projections at 17% growth up until 2033—much higher than the average job growth rate. As a principal software engineer, you’d lead the entire SDLC (software development lifecycle) and orchestrate the architectural design and development of software while mentoring and managing junior software engineers.
Average salary range: $119,335 to $142,721 (some locations pay significantly more)
7. Outside Sales Representative
An outside sales rep is true to its name—the role is done outside, in-person, face-to-face. This makes it highly unlikely for a role like this to be available remotely—it just can’t happen, as you will be meeting clients at their place of business, at their homes, and at industry shows and other events. If you’re looking for a remote sales job, your best option is to try an inside sales role, where you’re contacting and meeting with leads virtually through videoconferencing, emails, and calls only.
Average salary range: $90,833 to $122,099 (bonuses and commission and the type of sales being made can influence the salary)
8. Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
CFOs direct every aspect of an company’s finances, and set the financial strategy in line with organizational goals. They oversee accounting and financial reporting processes and are key players in strategic company moves such as mergers and acquisitions. The finance industry is currently a strong player for remote jobs, so you can expect to find a higher number of remote roles here than in other industries.
Average salary range: $338,470 to $579,175
9. Veterinarian Radiologist
Although Ladders specifically mentions relief vet as a high-paying job, the numbers suggest that a veterinarian radiologist is one of the highest-paying roles within animal care, making up to $277,000 in some locations. In this role you would perform diagnostic imaging tests to enable the best treatment for patients.
Average salary range: $160,000 to $287,000
10. Endodontist
An endodontist is a highly specialized dentist, which means that this role requires a few extra years of training. According to the American Association of Endodontists, these dental professionals “focus exclusively on treatments of the dental pulp. They complete an average of 25 root canal treatments a week, while general dentists typically do two. Endodontists don’t place fillings or clean teeth—they dedicate their time to diagnosing and treating tooth pain. They are skilled specialists in finding the cause of oral and facial pain that has been difficult to diagnosis.”
Average salary range: $177,156 to $223,078
Based on the research above, if you’re looking to get an extremely lucrative job, your best choice is to opt for jobs within health and medicine, tech, or sales. These opportunities come with long-term career stability and offer a wide range of highly fulfilling careers.