America's Most Popular Six Figure Jobs

In honor of Labor Day,  where does your profession rank in terms of popularity?  USA Today says #1.

The median household income in the United States has increased slightly over the past two years, but it is still down more than 6% from the start of the recession. As of June, a U.S. family earned an estimated median of $52,100 annually, according to Sentier Research. This means that the vast majority of families, let alone individuals, earn far less than the coveted six-figure annual salary that is often associated with prosperity.

Of the more than 800 different occupations considered in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment Statistics Database, only 30 earned an estimated median of more than $100,000 annually. Psychiatrists were estimated to earn the most, but there were less than 25,000 psychiatrists in the country in 2012. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the occupations with a median annual salary of more than $100,000 that employed the most people. Lawyers, for example, earned a median annual salary of roughly $113,500, and there are well more than half a million lawyers in the country. These are America's most popular six-figure jobs.

1. Lawyers
• Employment: 581,920
• Median wage: $113,530

There were well over half a million lawyers in the United States as of 2012, making the profession the largest among those with a median wage of at least $100,000 annually. Attorneys are required to first earn a bachelor's degree. They then typically have to complete a law school education and pass a state's bar exam. Lawyers can specialize in criminal law, tax law, litigation or many other areas. However, in recent years, many of the most lucrative positions — those at the firms collectively known as Big Law — have disappeared. According to a July report by The New Republic, most Big Law firms may soon disappear as businesses cut costs and demand for high-cost legal services continues to decline.

24/7 Wall St. is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.