Follow U.S. Immigration and U.S. News: Over the past two years, the median U.S. household income has increased slightly, but it remains more than 6% lower than it was before the economic recession.
According to research by Sentier, as of June this year, the median U.S. household income was estimated at $52,100.
This means that the vast majority of households have incomes far below a six-figure annual salary.
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment Statistics, out of 800 different occupations, only 30 have an estimated median annual salary of over $100,000.
Psychiatrists are estimated to earn the highest salaries, but there were fewer than 25,000 psychiatrists in the entire U.S. in 2012.
"24/7 Wall St." reviewed occupations with a median annual salary of over $100,000; for example, the median annual salary for lawyers is approximately $113,500, and there are over 500,000 lawyers in the U.S.
So, what are the most popular six-figure salary jobs in the U.S.?
Most of these high-paying occupations are management-level positions, including financial managers, sales managers, computer and information systems managers, and architectural and engineering managers.
These management-level professionals have worked in their respective fields for many years and possess sufficient expertise to guide multiple employees in various areas and oversee operations.
As of 2012, there were nearly 6.4 million management-level personnel in the U.S., and the median annual salary for managers was just under $94,000.
Some occupations have higher salaries, primarily due to the greater amount of training and education required.
For example, lawyers must complete three years of law school and then pass a state bar exam before they can begin practicing as lawyers.
Alternatively, pharmacists must first complete several years of undergraduate study and spend at least three to four years earning a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
Some pharmacists must even spend two years in clinical internships before they can obtain certain senior positions.
In fact, between 2002 and 2012, the number of marketing and financial managers declined by more than 10%.
During the same period, the number of computer and information systems managers rose by 17%, and the number of pharmacists grew by more than 23%.
Based on Occupational Employment Statistics, "24/7 Wall St." identified the following 9 most popular six-figure high-paying jobs in the U.S.
9) Family and General Practitioners
Number of employees: 110,050
Median salary: $172,020
8) Marketing Managers
Number of employees: 171,430
Median salary: $119,480
7) Architectural and Engineering Managers
Number of employees: 187,640
Median salary: $124,870
6) Chief Executives
Number of employees: 255,940
Median salary: $168,140
5) Pharmacists
Number of employees: 281,560
Median salary: $116,670
4) Computer and Information Systems Managers
Number of employees: 309,740
Median salary: $120,950
3) Sales Managers
Number of employees: 344,730
Median salary: $105,260
2) Financial Managers
Number of employees: 484,910
Median salary: $109,740
1) Lawyers
Number of employees: 581,920
Median salary: $113,530