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The government does not often come to mind when considering an employer paying large salaries. Government jobs are known for offering many benefits, such as stability and reasonable working hours, but earning a large salary, such as those offered by Goldman Sachs and Microsoft, is not always guaranteed. However, for professionals with college degrees and desirable professional skills, some government jobs can be quite lucrative.
Key Takeaways
- Government attorneys top out the highest-paid government jobs, averaging more than $166,000 per year.
- Astronomers and physicists are well paid by the government, averaging $164,280 for astronomers and $135,300 for physicists.
- Judges, hearing officers, architectural and engineering managers, financial managers, and engineers in general are also paid in excess of $125,000.
This list doesn’t include doctors or dentists, which are all highly paid by the government.
Attorney
Attorneys at posh New York law firms often make north of $215,000 in the infancy of their careers. However, these firms are notorious for demanding 80-hour workweeks, compromising a healthy work/life balance. For aspiring attorneys willing to accept modest pay, federal, state, and local governments hire tens of thousands of attorneys each year.
In addition, these government entities pay well above the national average and demand fewer workable hours, contributing to a more stable work/life balance. According to BLS, the average federal government attorney salary in 2023 was $166,030. Although the government needs attorneys as officers of the court, growing budgetary concerns will likely weaken growth.
Astronomer or Physicist
Astronomers and physicists are some of the highest-paid groups of government employees. Because of rigid standards and requirements, most applicants do not qualify.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for a government astronomer was $164,280 in 2023. Physicists averaged $135,300. A few jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree, but most demand a master’s or Ph.D. degree.
Architectural and Engineering Managers
Architectural and engineering managers oversee projects, supervise employees, and prepare budgets. Federal architectural and engineering managers typically need a bachelor’s and master’s degree in the field they work in or an amount of experience that’s equivalent.
These federal managers averaged $148,820 in 2023.
Judges and Hearing Officers
Federal judges preside in courts of appeal, district courts, and the Supreme Court (Article III positions). There are also magistrate judges and bankruptcy judges (Article I positions). Hearing officers conduct hearings in administrative or legal matters, adjudicate disputes between parties, and issue decisions.
Federal judges and hearing officers averaged $134,280 in 2023. Becoming a federal judge is a rigorous endeavor that generally has no formal qualifications. Article I judges must be lawyers, but there are no formal qualifications for Article III judges. However, the BLS states that a Juris Doctor degree is usually required to be a local, state, or federal judge, and judges are usually appointed or elected after years of experience practicing law.
Financial Manager
Financial management is another career in which a substantial amount of money can be earned in the private sector, but often at the expense of not having much personal time. The government provides an alternative for financial professionals who want more balance in life. While unlikely to match the salaries offered by investment banks and hedge funds, the government still pays six figures to top talent and provides attractive retirement plans and generous vacation allotments.
Moreover, the highest concentration of government financial management jobs is in New York, making the move from Wall Street relatively uncomplicated. As of 2023, the average federal financial manager salary is $129,850. The projected growth rate is expected to be 17% across all industries between 2023 and 2033.
Engineering
Rounding out some government careers with minimum six-figure salaries are engineers. The Department of Energy and Department of the Interior employ the most. Computer hardware engineers are among the highest paid, with an average salary of $128,020 in 2023.
The overall growth rate for engineers across all industries was 9%, and 7% for computer hardware engineers. It can be reasonably expected that the growth rate within the government industry will be the same. The minimum academic requirement is a bachelor’s degree in engineering; this field is known for high starting salaries right out of college for government workers.
What Is the Highest Paid Government Job?
The medical field is full of high-paying jobs, with gastroenterologists paid nearly $400,000 yearly by the Veteran’s Administration in December 2024.
Which Government Job Is Best for the Money?
There are many government jobs that pay more than $100,000 per year. Engineers, astronomers, mathematicians, judges, and lawyers top the list.
What Is the Highest Paid Federal Position?
The Tennessee Valley Authority was created in 1933 to improve quality of life and maintain power production, and control floods and reforestation in the Tennessee Valley. It is a government-owned entity, which makes its employees federal employees. Its CEO is the highest-paid government employee, but the position’s pay comes from the proceeds of energy sales, not tax-payer dollars. In 2024, Jeffrey Lyash was the CEO of the TVA and was granted a total compensation of $10.5 million.
The Bottom Line
The federal government may not be the best paying employer, but it is the largest employer in the U.S. It also pays certain careers very well, so if you’re looking for a decent paying job and find the Fortune 500 companies are full, government employment can provide a good living.
