Ranked list · updated 2026-10-09
Highest-paying admissions & academic testing credentials
33 admissions & academic testing credentials are ranked below by the median annual wage published for the occupation each one unlocks. Every figure is quoted from the source named inside that credential's own guide, and the exam fee shown beside it comes from the awarding body.
- Credentials ranked
- 33
- Exam fees
- $10–$525
- Field
- Admissions & Academic Testing
Which admissions & academic testing credentials lead to the highest published pay?
The 33 credentials below are ordered by the median annual wage published for the occupation each one unlocks. The order is computed from the researched guides; the sentence printed for each credential is that guide's own sourced headline, reproduced verbatim so its attribution stays attached to the number.
| # | Credential | Published median for the occupation it unlocks (quoted) | Exam fee | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical College Admission Test | ≥$239,200 median for physicians and surgeons (BLS OOH, May 2024) — the end-state salary the MCAT gates. | $355 (US); plus $130 international | 2026-08 |
| 2 | Dental Admission Test | The DAT gates dental-school admission: dentists earned a $179,210 median in May 2024 (BLS) | ~$525 | 2026-08 |
| 3 | Law School Admission Test | $151,160 median annual wage for lawyers, SOC 23-1011 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024) | $238 (fee waiver available) | 2026-08 |
| 4 | Pharmacy College Admission Test | No current exam — and the career it fed pays a median of $137,480 (BLS, May 2024): pharmacists, SOC 29-1051 | Discontinued | 2026-08 |
| 5 | Casper Situational Judgment Test | $130,020 median for physician assistants — a representative health-professions career CASPer applicants target (BLS, May 2024) | About $85 base plus ~$18 per additional school (US) | 2026-08 |
| 6 | GMAT Focus Edition | The GMAT gates MBA access: master’s-degree median weekly earnings were $1,732 in 2024 (BLS) | $275-$350 | 2026-08 |
| 7 | GRE General Test | The GRE gates graduate access: master’s-degree median weekly earnings were $1,732 in 2024 (BLS) | $220 | 2026-08 |
| 8 | ACT | The ACT gates college access: bachelor-degree median weekly earnings were $1,543 in 2024, versus $998 with a high-school diploma (BLS) | ~$68-$93 | 2026-08 |
| 9 | IELTS Academic | IELTS Academic is an access gate for study and skilled migration: bachelor-degree median weekly earnings were $1,543 in 2024 (BLS) | ~$245-$270 | 2026-08 |
| 10 | Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, Eighth Edition | OLSAT-8 gates access to gifted programs and selective schools: bachelor-degree median weekly earnings were $1,543 in 2024 (BLS) | District-paid | 2026-08 |
| 11 | PreACT 8/9 | PreACT is a no-stakes readiness check: bachelor-degree median weekly earnings were $1,543 in 2024 (BLS) | ~$15 | 2026-08 |
| 12 | PSAT/NMSQT | A strong NMSQT score is a scholarship gate: bachelor-degree median weekly earnings were $1,543 in 2024 (BLS) | ~$18 | 2026-08 |
| 13 | SAT | The SAT gates college access, and degree-level earnings dominate the data: bachelor-degree median weekly earnings were $1,543 in 2024 (BLS) | $69 | 2026-08 |
| 14 | SSAT Upper Level | The SSAT gates independent-school admission: bachelor-degree median weekly earnings were $1,543 in 2024 (BLS) | ~$135 | 2026-08 |
| 15 | TOEFL iBT | TOEFL iBT is an academic-access gate, not a job credential: bachelor-degree median weekly earnings were $1,543 in 2024 (BLS) | ~$235 | 2026-08 |
| 16 | AP English Literature and Composition | No direct occupation — AP English Literature scores earn college credit and strengthen admissions, and the payoff is the degree-completion premium: bachelor’s-degree holders earned a median of $1,493/week vs $899 for high-school-only workers (BLS, 2023) | $99 (US) / $129 (intl) | 2026-08 |
| 17 | AP Psychology | No direct occupation — AP Psychology scores earn college credit and strengthen admissions, and the payoff is the degree-completion premium: bachelor’s-degree holders earned a median of $1,493/week vs $899 for high-school-only workers (BLS, 2023) | $99 (US) / $129 (intl) | 2026-08 |
| 18 | AP United States History | No direct occupation — AP U.S. History scores earn college credit and strengthen admissions, and the payoff is the degree-completion premium: bachelor’s-degree holders earned a median of $1,493/week vs $899 for high-school-only workers (BLS, 2023) | $99 (US) / $129 (intl) | 2026-08 |
| 19 | AP World History: Modern | No direct occupation — AP World History: Modern scores earn college credit and strengthen admissions, and the payoff is the degree-completion premium: bachelor’s-degree holders earned a median of $1,493/week vs $899 for high-school-only workers (BLS, 2023) | $99 (US) / $129 (intl) | 2026-08 |
| 20 | CLEP American Government | No direct occupation — a CLEP American Government score of 50 earns 3 semester hours of college credit (a one-semester introductory course), and the payoff is the education-return premium: bachelor’s-degree holders earned $1,493/week vs $1,059 for associate and $899 for high-school-only (BLS, 2023) | $97 (2025–26) + test-center fee | 2026-08 |
| 21 | CLEP Biology | No direct occupation — a CLEP Biology score of 50 earns 6 semester hours of college credit (a full year of general biology), and the payoff is the education-return premium: bachelor’s-degree holders earn $1,493/week vs $1,059 for associate and $899 for high-school-only (BLS, 2023) | $97 (2025–26) + test-center fee | 2026-08 |
| 22 | CLEP Calculus | No direct occupation — a CLEP Calculus score of 50 earns 4 semester hours of college credit, and the payoff is the education-return premium: bachelor’s-degree holders earn $1,493/week vs $1,059 for associate and $899 for high-school-only (BLS, 2023) | $97 (2025–26) + test-center fee | 2026-08 |
| 23 | CLEP College Algebra | No direct occupation — a CLEP College Algebra score of 50 earns 3 semester hours of college credit, and the payoff is the education-return premium: bachelor’s-degree holders earn $1,493/week vs $1,059 for associate and $899 for high-school-only (BLS, 2023) | $97 (2025–26) + test-center fee | 2026-08 |
| 24 | CLEP College Mathematics | No direct occupation — a CLEP College Mathematics score of 50 earns 3 semester hours of general-education math credit, and the payoff is the education-return premium: bachelor’s-degree holders earn $1,493/week vs $1,059 for associate and $899 for high-school-only (BLS, 2023) | $97 (2025–26) + test-center fee | 2026-08 |
| 25 | CLEP History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877 | No direct occupation — a CLEP score of 50 earns college credit, and the payoff is the education-return premium: bachelor’s-degree holders earn $1,493/week vs $1,059 for associate and $899 for high-school-only (BLS, 2023) | $97 (2025–26) + test-center fee | 2026-08 |
| 26 | CLEP Humanities | No direct occupation — a CLEP Humanities score of 50 earns 3 semester hours of college credit, and the payoff is the education-return premium: bachelor’s-degree holders earned $1,493/week vs $1,059 for associate and $899 for high-school-only (BLS, 2023) | $97 (2025–26) + test-center fee | 2026-08 |
| 27 | CLEP Introductory Psychology | No direct occupation — a CLEP Introductory Psychology score of 50 earns 3 semester hours of college credit, and the payoff is the education-return premium: bachelor’s-degree holders earn $1,493/week vs $1,059 for associate and $899 for high-school-only (BLS, 2023) | $97 (2025–26) + test-center fee | 2026-08 |
| 28 | CLEP Natural Sciences | No direct occupation — a CLEP Natural Sciences score of 50 earns 6 semester hours of college credit (a two-semester survey of biological and physical science), and the payoff is the education-return premium: bachelor’s-degree holders earned $1,493/week vs $1,059 for associate and $899 for high-school-only (BLS, 2023) | $97 (2025–26) + test-center fee | 2026-08 |
| 29 | CLEP Spanish Language | No direct occupation — a CLEP Spanish Language score of 50 earns 6 semester hours of college credit (Level 1) and 63 earns 9 (Level 2), and the payoff is the education-return premium: bachelor’s-degree holders earned $1,493/week vs $1,059 for associate and $899 for high-school-only (BLS, 2023) | $97 (2025–26) + test-center fee | 2026-08 |
| 30 | AP English Language and Composition | No direct occupation — AP scores earn college credit and strengthen admissions, and the payoff is the degree-completion premium: associate-degree holders earn $1,059/week vs $899 for high-school-only (BLS, 2023) | $99 (US) / $129 (intl) | 2026-08 |
| 31 | ACT WorkKeys Assessments | NCRC is a skills signal, not a job license: median weekly earnings for full-time workers with a high-school diploma were $998 in 2024 (BLS) | ~$10-$20 per assessment | 2026-08 |
| 32 | GED Test | No direct occupation — the GED is the high-school-equivalency key to jobs and college, and the payoff is the credential gap: workers with a high school diploma earned a median of $899/week vs $706 for those without one (BLS, 2023) | Set by each state; commonly $32 to $46 per subtest | 2026-08 |
| 33 | HiSET Exam | No direct occupation — the HiSET is the high-school-equivalency key to jobs and college, and the payoff is the credential gap: workers with a high school diploma earned a median of $899/week vs $706 for those without one (BLS, 2023) | Set by each state; commonly $10 to $25 per subtest plus an ETS fee | 2026-08 |
What does this ranking actually measure?
Ranked by the median annual wage published for the occupation each credential unlocks, most recent figure per occupation, quoted from the source named in the guide (usually the BLS occupational series). A credential is the entry ticket to an occupation, not a pay guarantee: these are occupation medians, not starting salaries.
Each row also carries the month its guide was last checked against the primary source, so you can see how current the figure is before you rely on it. Fees and pass rules change; the guide linked from every row carries the authoritative reference.
Where does this field sit in the site-wide ranking?
The main ranking pools all 424 credential-with-median pairs across 15 fields, so a credential that leads this page may still sit outside the site-wide top 25 — and a credential outside this page's top few may rank highly overall. Use whichever view matches the question you are answering.
- All fields, site-wide ranking 424 ranked
- Accounting & Tax 8 ranked
- Allied Health & Medical Support 43 ranked
- Finance & Securities 20 ranked
- Fitness, Wellness & Personal Care 27 ranked
- Food Safety & Hospitality 17 ranked
- Government & Public Safety 18 ranked
- Healthcare & Clinical Licensure 10 ranked
- Insurance & Risk 7 ranked
- IT, Cloud & Cybersecurity 122 ranked
- Project Management & Business 22 ranked
- Teaching & Education 42 ranked
- Trades, Construction & Engineering 24 ranked
- Transportation & Aviation 16 ranked
- Workplace Safety 15 ranked
Frequently asked questions
How many admissions & academic testing credentials are ranked here?
33 of this field's published guides carry a citable occupation median and are ranked below. Site-wide, 424 credentials across 15 fields are ranked, so this page is a subset of the main list rather than an alternative to it.
What does a admissions & academic testing credential cost to attempt?
Exam fees across this field's ranked credentials run from about $10 to $525. Fee is what the exam costs to sit; the median quoted for each row is what the occupation pays once you hold the credential, and the two do not move together.
Is the highest-paying admissions & academic testing credential the right one to start with?
Not necessarily. The ranking orders by the median for the occupation each credential unlocks, and several of the credentials here are sequential steps in the same career path rather than competing alternatives — one may be the prerequisite for another on this list. Read the guide for a credential's eligibility rules before treating its position here as a starting recommendation.
Why is a credential I expected to see missing?
Only credentials with a published occupation median appear. A credential whose guide does not carry a citable median is left out rather than estimated, and any credential whose researched text marks its exam as retired, withdrawn or no longer obtainable is removed — pointing at a dead exam in a recommendation list would be actively misleading.