What jobs pay $500,000 a year in the US?

How can I make $500,000 a year?

To make $500k a year, you generally need to become a top performer in a high-paying field like specialized medicine, corporate law, or tech sales; become a successful entrepreneur with a scalable business; or reach elite status in a competitive field like high-end sales, finance, or entertainment, often requiring advanced education, immense skill, and significant strategic planning, possibly through leveraging online businesses or add-on services to existing ones. 

Who makes 700K a year?

What is a 700K Salary job? A $700K salary job typically refers to high-paying roles in industries such as technology, finance, law, or medicine.

Am I rich if I make 500k a year?

Yes, earning $500,000 a year generally places you in a high-income bracket, often considered wealthy or near the top 1-5% of earners in the U.S., depending on location and personal financial management, providing significant financial security and a comfortable lifestyle, though "rich" is subjective and affected by high living costs in some areas.
 

How much is $500,000 a year hourly?

$500,000 a year breaks down to approximately $240.38 per hour, assuming a standard 40-hour work week (2080 hours per year), which is calculated by dividing your annual salary by 2080. This means roughly $41,667 monthly, $9,615 weekly, and $1,923 daily before taxes. 

What salary is top 1% in the USA?

To be in the top 1% of US earners, you generally need an income well over $700,000 nationally, with figures around $794,000 cited for recent years, but this varies significantly by state, requiring over $1 million in places like Connecticut and Massachusetts, while being around $400,000-$450,000 in lower-cost states like West Virginia and Mississippi.
 

How many Americans retire with $500,000?

Roughly 7% to 9% of American households have $500,000 or more in retirement savings, though figures vary slightly by data source, with some reports showing about 9% and others around 7.2%, highlighting that less than one in ten households reaches this significant milestone, while nearly half have no savings at all. 

Do Millennials need 500k to be happy?

Gen Z, Gen X and boomers indicated they only needed a somewhat modest income of $124,000 – $130,000 to be happy, far below the “average” of $284,167 for the entire survey. But millennials greatly skewed the results, requiring a whopping $525,000 per year in income to be happy.

What professions make $300,000 a year?

Jobs paying $300k/year are typically high-level, specialized roles in Medicine (Surgeons, Anesthesiologists, Psychiatrists), Finance (Investment Bankers, Private Equity), Tech (Senior Engineers, Product Managers), Law (Big Law Attorneys), and Sales (Enterprise Software Sales), often requiring extensive experience or education, though successful entrepreneurs, high-end sales execs, and some skilled trades can also reach this income without traditional degrees. 

Which is the no. 1 high salary job?

The #1 highest-paying job consistently ranks as Surgeons, particularly Pediatric Surgeons, followed closely by Cardiologists, Anesthesiologists, and Orthodontists, all within the medical field, requiring extensive education and specialized skills for high-stakes procedures and patient care. Other top earners include Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Psychiatrists, and specialized IT roles like Enterprise Architects, but healthcare physicians generally dominate the very top of salary lists. 

What jobs make $500,000 a year in California?

Jobs paying $500k or more in California are typically high-level executive, specialized medical, and senior tech roles, including Surgeons, Dermatologists, Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), Airline Pilots, Lawyers, Senior AI/Software Engineers, and Executive Sales Directors, often found in the tech hubs of the Bay Area or major cities, leveraging significant experience, high demand, and sometimes equity or commission structures for earnings. 

How common is a $500,000 salary?

According to CNBC, the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland metropolitan area is also home to many high-paying jobs, with 2.08% of jobs paying over $500,000, which helps explain why those living there may have higher salary expectations.

How much do millionaires make an hour?

How much does a Millionaire make in California? As of Jan 16, 2026, the average annual pay for a Millionaire in California is $46,133 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $22.18 an hour.

What salary is $40 an hour?

$40 an hour is $83,200 per year (assuming a standard 40-hour week, 52 weeks a year), which breaks down to about $1,600 weekly, $3,200 bi-weekly, and roughly $6,933 monthly, calculated by multiplying your hourly rate by 2080 (40 hours x 52 weeks). 

What salary is considered rich in the USA?

Top earners across the United States earn nearly least six figures, with an average income of over $99,971 for those in the top 10% in 2022. Earners in the top 1% need to make $1 million annually in states like California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington.

What professions make $500,000 a year?

Jobs paying $500k or more annually are typically in specialized medicine (surgeons, specialists), high-level corporate leadership (CEOs, VPs, Directors), finance (investment banking, private equity), top-tier sales (Enterprise Account Executive), specialized tech, and successful entrepreneurship, often requiring extensive education, experience, or successful business ownership. Medical specialties like Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Cardiology, and Dermatology consistently offer such high salaries, as do roles in C-suite management, senior legal positions, and senior finance roles. 

How long will it take to turn $500k into $1 million?

Doubling $500k to $1 million depends heavily on your investment strategy, returns, and new contributions; you could do it in a few years with high-growth (e.g., 10%+ annual) real estate leveraging or the stock market, but it might take 6-10+ years with moderate stock market returns (8-10%) and adding new savings, as it requires a 100% return on your initial capital. 

What job pays 6 figures without a degree?

What Is the Highest-Paying Job Without a Degree?

• Commercial Pilots: $121,430.
• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers: $94,560.
• First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives: $91,090.
• Power Plant Operators, Distributors, and Dispatchers: $85,950.
• Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers: $84,990.

Is Netflix fully remote job that pays 700k?

Streaming giant Netflix is now hiring a fully remote Generative AI Product Manager role that offers up to US$700,000 a year. The job listing says it will focus on “selecting and implementing the generative AI products Netflix uses internally … guiding products from vision to execution.”

What salary is $35 an hour?

$35 an hour is $72,800 per year, assuming a standard 40-hour work week, calculated by multiplying $35/hour by 40 hours/week, and then by 52 weeks/year ($35 x 40 x 52). This breaks down to roughly $1,400 weekly, $6,067 monthly, and $2,800 bi-weekly before taxes.