By YOUNG MONEY Staff
11 October 2010

Want to earn a lot? Better enroll in medical school. The best paying positions in the country are in medicine; all of the top 10 jobs, except for one, are in medical fields.

Data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and was collected in 2009.

No. 1: Surgeon

Surgeons earned an average of $219,770 in 2009. That's the equivalent of $105.66 an hour - but surgeons don't always work a typical 9-to-5 schedule. If a patient needs emergency surgery in the middle of the night, it will be the surgeon's responsibility to perform it.

No. 2: Anesthesiologist

Close behind surgeons were anesthesiologists; they earned an average of $211,750 last year.

No. 3: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

Oral surgeons, earning more than $210,000, on average, are few and far between: According to the BLS, there were just 6,700 oral surgeons in the country in 2008.

No. 4: Orthodontist

Many young people have dealt with orthodontists at some point in their lives - but they might not know how much an orthodontist can earn. In 2009, orthodontists' salaries averaged slightly more than $206,000.

No. 5: Obstetrician/Gynecologist

OB/GYNs, like surgeons, can work irregular hours - but their salaries average a substantial $204,470.

No. 6: Internist

No, internists don't deal with interns - they treat internal injuries or diseases. Internists earned $183,990 last year.

No. 7: Physician and Surgeon

The BLS says "Physician and Surgeon" is defined as any doctor - like a cardiologist - that doesn't fit in the other categories. Doctors in this group earn $173,860, on average.

No. 8: General Practitioner

Family doctors fall into this category. They earned $168,500 in 2009, on average.

No. 9: CEO

Thought chief executives would be higher on the list? Some are extremely high earners - but, on average, CEOs earn $167,280 per year.

No. 10: Psychiatrist

Budding Freuds can expect to earn $163,660 each year.

Medicine can be extremely lucrative, as the BLS data shows. Yet what the data doesn't take into account is the amount of schooling required to become a doctor of any stripe. Anesthesiologists must train for more than 10 years to become fully certified, for example; other specialties require just as much formal training.

And all that schooling comes at a price. To be sure, a top-10 earner will be able to pay off her student loan bills before too long - but the thought of taking on that much debt might be off-putting to some people.

While being a doctor can ensure a high salary, it's not the best career for everyone. The education a medical career requires - and the lifestyle challenges it can present - should be taken into account.