- While the average employed American adult works almost 40 hours a week, people in some professions tend to work more hours in a week.
- Using US occupational employment data, we found the highest-paying jobs for employees that report working more than 45 hours a week.
- Surgeons, physicians, and chief executives and legislators made the top of the list.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
If you work far more than the next guy and get more excited about your job than about family or any other activity, you should consider one of these high-paying jobs with long hours.
To find jobs with the biggest payoff for people who , we analyzed US Census data for about 478 occupations from the Minnesota Population Center’s 2018 American Community Survey Integrated Public Use Microdata Series.
Based on that survey data, the average employed American adult works almost 40 hours a week and has a total earned average income – a combination of salary, business, and any other form of money earned in a year – of over $58,000.
Derrick, rotary drill, and service unit operators, who work around 59 hours a week, and surgeons, who work over 58 hours a week, are the two occupations where employees work the most hours a week on average. Of the professions that reportedly work at least 45 hours a week, the typical “workaholic” works over 48 hours a week, about eight hours more a week than the typical American.
While some may work more or less than the average depending on their employer or where they are in their career, people with the following professions report typically working an average of at least 45 hours a week and earning at least $58,000 a year.
We've also included brief descriptions of the careers based on the Department of Labor's O*NET job database. We excluded broad occupational titles from the dataset, such as physicians and military supervisors.
28. Paramedics
Average earned income: $58,796
Average hours typically worked a week: 49.7
According to O*NET: Assess injuries, administer emergency medical care, and extricate trapped individuals.
27. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
Average earned income: $65,710
Average hours typically worked a week: 50.1
According to O*NET: Plan, direct, or coordinate the management or operation of farms, ranches, and other agricultural areas.
26. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
Average earned income: $65,943
Average hours typically worked a week: 45.3
According to O*NET: They supervise and coordinate the activities of production and operating workers.
25. Boilermakers
Average earned income: $66,033
Average hours typically worked a week: 48.8
According to O*NET: Boilermakers construct, assemble, maintain, and repair stationary steam boilers and boiler house auxiliaries.
24. Underground mining machine operators
Average earned income: $66,766
Average hours typically worked a week: 51.2
According to O*NET: Mining machine operators run equipment for mining coal and other minerals.
23. Crane and tower operators
Average earned income: $67,075
Average hours typically worked a week: 49.5
According to O*NET: Crane and tower operators run equipment to move materials, machines, and products.
22. Millwrights
Average earned income: $67,410
Average hours typically worked a week: 46.7
According to O*NET: Millwrights install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment.
21. Derrick, rotary drill, and service unit operators, and roustabouts, oil, gas, and mining
Average earned income: $67,743
Average hours typically worked a week: 59.0
According to O*NET: They operate and maintain equipment for mining and oil and gas extraction.
20. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
Average earned income: $70,240
Average hours typically worked a week: 45.3
According to O*NET: They supervise and coordinate the activities of mechanics, installers, and repairers.
19. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
Average earned income: $70,442
Average hours typically worked a week: 45.6
According to O*NET: They directly supervise and coordinate the activities of construction and extraction workers.
18. Firefighters
Average earned income: $72,951
Average hours typically worked a week: 53.3
According to O*NET: Firefighters control and extinguish fires, and respond to emergency situations.
17. Railroad conductors and yardmasters
Average earned income: $74,515
Average hours typically worked a week: 49.6
According to O*NET: Railroad conductors and yardmasters coordinate the activity of train crews and workers at railroad yards.
16. Ship and boat captains and operators
Average earned income: $78,099
Average hours typically worked a week: 53.1
According to O*NET: Ship and boat captains and operators command and operate aquatic vessels.
15. Locomotive engineers and operators
Average earned income: $81,020
Average hours typically worked a week: 51.1
According to O*NET: Locomotive engineers and operators drive locomotives that power trains carrying people or goods.
14. Marine engineers and naval architects
Average earned income: $85,251
Average hours typically worked a week: 47.5
According to O*NET: Ship engineers and naval architects design and develop marine vessels and related systems.
13. Construction managers
Average earned income: $89,935
Average hours typically worked a week: 45.8
According to O*NET: Construction managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities around building construction and maintenance.
12. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
Average earned income: $91,256
Average hours typically worked a week: 45.3
According to O*NET: They directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.
11. Industrial production managers
Average earned income: $92,781
Average hours typically worked a week: 46.5
According to O*NET: Industrial production managers plan and direct the work activities and resources for manufacturing products.
10. General and operations managers
Average earned income: $94,638
Average hours typically worked a week: 46.9
According to O*NET: They plan, direct, and coordinate the operations of organizations.
9. Emergency management directors
Average earned income: $95,103
Average hours typically worked a week: 46.6
According to O*NET: They plan and direct disaster response or crisis management activities, provide disaster preparedness training, and prepare emergency plans and procedures.
8. First-line supervisors of fire fighting and prevention workers
Average earned income: $101,707
Average hours typically worked a week: 53.1
According to O*NET: They directly supervise and coordinate workers engaged in fire fighting or fire prevention.
7. Sales managers
Average earned income: $121,424
Average hours typically worked a week: 46.8
According to O*NET: They plan, direct, and coordinate marketing and sales policies and programs.
6. Sales engineers
Average earned income: $134,980
Average hours typically worked a week: 45.4
According to O*NET: They sell complex scientific and technological products or services to businesses.
5. Petroleum, mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
Average earned income: $139,088
Average hours typically worked a week: 49.3
According to O*NET: They conduct sub-surface surveys to identify the characteristics of potential land, oil or gas extraction sites, or mining development sites.
4. Architectural and engineering managers
Average earned income: $163,461
Average hours typically worked a week: 46.2
According to O*NET: They plan, direct, and coordinate activities in architectural and engineering companies.
3. Lawyers, and judges, magistrates, and other judicial workers
Average earned income: $175,732
Average hours typically worked a week: 45.0
According to O*NET: They apply the law to legal proceedings.
2. Chief executives and legislators
Average earned income: $197,462
Average hours typically worked a week: 46.8
According to O*NET: They determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body.
1. Surgeons
Average earned income: $342,836
Average hours typically worked a week: 58.1
According to O*NET: Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses.