🏆 2026 Job Rankings

Highest-Paying Entry-Level Jobs in Pittsburgh, PA (2026)

If you are comparing highest-paying entry-level jobs in Pittsburgh, PA, this guide uses Careerclev salary benchmarks built from the latest official BLS wage baseline to show where early-career pay starts strongest in the Pittsburgh, PA metro area. Because BLS does not publish a dedicated entry-level wage for every role, the ranking uses lower wage percentiles as a transparent proxy so the projected pay picture stays realistic for new and junior workers.

From the current ranking, General Internal Medicine Physician leads at $226,839/year, while Computer and Information Systems Manager stands out for employment depth at about 4,360 workers. That contrast helps you weigh pure pay against the size of the hiring market.

📅 Updated April 2026📊 Modeled salary benchmarks🇺🇸 Pittsburgh, PA · 12 jobs ranked⏱ 12 min read
1
General Internal Medicine Physician
$227K est.
2
Psychiatrist
$235K est.
3
Physicist
$221K est.
4
Pediatrician
$204K est.
5
Nurse Anesthetist
$204K est.
#1 Job
General Internal Medicine Physician
$227K
Jobs Ranked
12
top roles
Data Layer
Metro
Careerclev salary model
Top Employment
N/A
employment estimate
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Highest-Paying Entry-Level Jobs in Pittsburgh, PA: Full Ranking

If you're targeting high-paying jobs in Pittsburgh, PA, General Internal Medicine Physician sits at the top of this 12-job ranking at $226,839 per year in Careerclev's current salary model. From there, the second spot belongs to Psychiatrist at $235,230, which helps show whether the pay curve drops quickly or stays fairly tight after the leader. On entry-level pages, Careerclev uses lower wage percentiles as a transparent proxy for starting pay, because the public source data does not offer a clean entry-level field for every role.

1
SOC 29-1216 · Healthcare · N/A employed
Entry proxyData year 2024Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
100% benchmark
$226,839
official baseline $234K
2
SOC 29-1223 · Healthcare · 150 employed
Entry proxyData year 2024Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
vs #1
$235,230
official baseline $264K
3
SOC 19-2012 · Science · N/A employed
Entry proxyData year 2024Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
vs #1
$220,788
official baseline $240K
4
SOC 29-1221 · Healthcare · 510 employed
Entry proxyData year 2024Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
vs #1
$204,157
official baseline $215K
5
SOC 29-1151 · Healthcare · 530 employed
Entry proxyData year 2024Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
vs #1
$204,277
official baseline $231K
6
SOC 11-1011 · Management · 2,560 employed
Entry proxyData year 2024Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
vs #1
$157,203
official baseline $231K
7
SOC 11-9041 · Management · 1,880 employed
Entry proxyData year 2024Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
vs #1
$138,161
official baseline $152K
8
SOC 29-1081 · Healthcare · 60 employed
Entry proxyData year 2024Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
vs #1
$132,929
official baseline $149K
9
SOC 29-1051 · Healthcare · 3,540 employed
Entry proxyData year 2024Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
vs #1
$126,655
official baseline $138K
10
SOC 11-3021 · Management · 4,360 employed
Entry proxyData year 2024Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
vs #1
$129,339
official baseline $165K
11
SOC 15-1221 · Technology · 60 employed
Entry proxyData year 2024Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
vs #1
$125,094
official baseline $140K
12
SOC 29-1021 · Healthcare · 750 employed
Entry proxyData year 2024Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
vs #1
$131,968
official baseline $172K

What General Internal Medicine Physician Does

Before the pay ranking means much, it helps to understand the work itself. General Internal Medicine Physician sits at the top of this guide because it combines strong pay with the work profile described below.

Diagnose and provide nonsurgical treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries of internal organ systems. Provide care mainly for adults and adolescents, and are based primarily in an outpatient care setting.

General Internal Medicine Physician Salary Trend

General Internal Medicine Physician leads this ranking on current pay, but the national salary trend helps show whether that pay ceiling is being reinforced by steady wage growth over time.

Careerclev's current 2026 estimate applies an annual modeled growth rate of -1.5% from the last confirmed BLS benchmark year, using wage history and employment outlook where available.

2026·$138KEstimated
$214K
2022
$223K
2023
$142K
2024
$140K
2025*
$138K
2026*
Official Data
May 2024 BLS
20222026 trend (est.)
35.9%
Forecast method
Trend + outlook model

* 2024–2026 values are modeled estimates extending from the last confirmed BLS benchmark. The last confirmed BLS figure ($142K, 2024) is extended with recent wage trend history, employment outlook, and tech-market signals where available, then replaced when official data is published.

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Highest-Paying Jobs by Category

High pay in Pittsburgh, PA is not concentrated in a single career path. The leading roles span Healthcare, Science, Management, and 1 more . That mix helps show whether the local labor market rewards specialist clinical work, technical depth, executive management, or a broader spread of roles. Each row below shows the top-paying role within that actual SOC category rather than an assumed one.

CategoryTop JobSalaryEmploymentPrep Signal
HealthcareGeneral Internal Medicine Physician$226,839N/AJob Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
SciencePhysicist$220,788N/AJob Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
ManagementChief Executive$157,2032,560Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
TechnologyComputer and Information Research Scientist$125,09460Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

Entry-Level Pay Signals

A high median salary only tells half the story. What matters for career planning is where starting pay actually lands. Because BLS does not publish a clean entry-level label for every role, Careerclev uses lower wage percentiles as a transparent proxy. Psychiatrist shows an estimated early-career pay signal of $235,230, compared with a long-run median of $264,261. In turn, that gap gives a better feel for both long-run upside and how quickly a role starts rewarding experience.

JobEntry ProxyMedian SalaryPrep PathTypical Education
General Internal Medicine Physician$226,839$233,727Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation NeededMost of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Psychiatrist$235,230$264,261Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation NeededMost of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Physicist$220,788$240,002Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation NeededMost of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Pediatrician$204,157$215,318Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation NeededMost of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Nurse Anesthetist$204,277$231,416Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation NeededMost of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Chief Executive$157,203$231,151Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation NeededMost of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Architectural and Engineering Manager$138,161$151,639Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation NeededMost of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Podiatrist$132,929$149,338Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation NeededMost of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Jobs With Strong Demand

Pay ceilings matter more when the local labor market is deep enough to generate real openings. In Pittsburgh, PA, Computer and Information Systems Manager combines a salary of $129,339 with roughly 4,360 employed workers, which makes it one of the more accessible high-pay options on this list. By contrast, some specialties rank higher on salary but operate as narrower niches where openings are harder to find and entry paths are longer.

Very Deep Market
Computer and Information Systems Manager
$129,339
4,360 employed
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. in a job zone four: considerable preparation needed pathway.
Very Deep Market
Pharmacist
$126,655
3,540 employed
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training. in a job zone five: extensive preparation needed pathway.
Strong Market
Chief Executive
$157,203
2,560 employed
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training. in a job zone five: extensive preparation needed pathway.
Strong Market
Architectural and Engineering Manager
$138,161
1,880 employed
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. in a job zone four: considerable preparation needed pathway.
Strong Market
General Dentist
$131,968
750 employed
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training. in a job zone five: extensive preparation needed pathway.
Strong Market
Nurse Anesthetist
$204,277
530 employed
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training. in a job zone five: extensive preparation needed pathway.

Salary vs Employment

The highest-paying job is not always the largest market, and that distinction changes the practical calculus. General Internal Medicine Physician leads on salary at $226,839, while Computer and Information Systems Manager supports roughly 4,360 workers locally, a useful sanity check before committing to a long training path for a role with limited local openings.

General Internal Medicine PhysicianSOC 29-1216
$227K
N/A
PsychiatristSOC 29-1223
$235K
150
PhysicistSOC 19-2012
$221K
N/A
PediatricianSOC 29-1221
$204K
510
Nurse AnesthetistSOC 29-1151
$204K
530
Chief ExecutiveSOC 11-1011
$157K
2,560
Architectural and Engineering ManagerSOC 11-9041
$138K
1,880
PodiatristSOC 29-1081
$133K
60

How to Choose a High-Paying Job Strategically

Salary rankings are a starting point, not a decision. In Pittsburgh, PA, the gap between General Internal Medicine Physician at $226,839 and the early-pay signal from Psychiatrist at $235,230 shows why access, market size, and training timelines belong in the same conversation as the headline number. That is where this page becomes more useful than a simple ranking list.

1
Match salary to access realistically
A high median means little if there are only a handful of openings per year. Check the employment estimate alongside the salary. A role with 4,360 workers in Pittsburgh, PA is fundamentally easier to enter than one with a few hundred.
2
Factor in education and licensure timelines
Some of the highest-paying roles on this list sit in prep bands such as Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed and often pair that with expectations like most of these occupations require graduate school. for example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a ph.d., m.d., or j.d. (law degree).. Build that timeline into your planning before targeting the salary ceiling.
3
Separate entry pay from long-run upside
The entry proxy column in this guide gives you an early-career anchor. A role that starts at $235,230 and scales to $264,261 offers a very different career arc than one that starts and peaks near the same figure.
4
Check the work before chasing the pay
Compare the day-to-day work with the training path before you commit. A role can rank highly on pay and still be a poor fit if the work itself does not match the kind of problems, environment, or responsibilities you want.
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Next Pages to Read

High-pay rankings are most useful when you read them alongside the core salary guide, the career entry path, and a few nearby role comparisons. That turns this page from a ranking into a better decision route for general internal medicine physician.

FAQs

These questions cover the practical parts of the ranking: how entry pay is estimated, why wage fields sometimes differ by source, and how to compare the top salary with the real size of the job market.

What is the highest-paying job in Pittsburgh, PA?
General Internal Medicine Physician is currently the highest-paying role in this ranking at $226,839 per year in Careerclev's current salary model, built from the latest available BLS OEWS wage baseline for Pittsburgh, PA.
Is the entry-level pay data directly from BLS?
Not exactly. BLS publishes wage percentiles rather than experience-level labels, so Careerclev uses the 25th percentile (or the low-end wage where available) as an entry-pay proxy. It is a transparent approximation, not a direct label.
Is Pittsburgh, PA a good market for General Internal Medicine Physician?
Pittsburgh, PA is a strong metro market for General Internal Medicine Physician. BLS data shows an employment estimate of N/A workers locally, with a median salary of $233,727. A deeper employment count generally points to more active hiring, which improves access alongside the pay ceiling.
How much preparation does General Internal Medicine Physician usually require?
General Internal Medicine Physician is currently tagged as job zone five: extensive preparation needed in the O*NET prep model. The most common education signal is most of these occupations require graduate school. for example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a ph.d., m.d., or j.d. (law degree)., while the training path is described as employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training..
Does the top-paying job also have the most openings?
Not always. Computer and Information Systems Manager may support a deeper employment market than the #1 salary role, which can make it more practical for job seekers despite a lower pay ceiling.
How should I compare salary with accessibility?
Use the ranking salary, entry-pay proxy, employment estimate, and preparation path together. The best target is usually the role that balances strong pay with a realistic path in.
Can a lower-ranked job be a better target than General Internal Medicine Physician?
Yes. A lower-ranked role can be the better choice if it has a shorter prep path, stronger entry pay, more openings, or a work profile that fits you better than General Internal Medicine Physician.
Why do some high-paying roles look hard to enter?
Many top-paying roles sit behind longer training, licensing, or related-experience requirements. That is why Careerclev shows preparation signals next to salary instead of treating all high-paying jobs as equally accessible.
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Data Sources & MethodologyRankings use Careerclev salary facts built from BLS OEWS wage data and extended through Careerclev's current salary projection model where applicable. National pages use U.S. aggregate data, state pages use state-level data, and city pages use the BLS metro dataset behind the largest-city public label. Category labels are derived from BLS Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) major group codes, while prep-path notes come from imported O*NET job-zone and career requirement data where available.
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