The top 25 most sought after jobs with the United States Federal Government all pay over $50,000 and some even pay over $100,000. Review the list of the top paying jobs in government outside of the Executive Office, Judicial Branch, and Congress. The list is rather surprising and shows how the Government is becoming more competitive with the private sector.

Why not have a meaningful career in public service working for the government and still get paid well? This question surfaces more and more as the private sector takes a beating from the economic downturn. Below is a list of the top 25 best paying jobs in government. Anyone care to learn how to star gaze or play with chemicals and call it a career?

1. Astronomer – $116,072
2. Attorney – $114,240
3. Financial Manager – $101,022
4. General Engineer – $100,051
5. Economist – $94,098
6. Computer Scientist – $90,929
7. Chemist – $89,954
8. Criminal Investigator – $88,174
9. Microbiologist – $87,206
10. Architect – $85,690
11. Statistician – $81,524
12. Librarian – $78,665
13. Accountant – $78,030
14. Chaplain – $76,511
15. Ecologist – $76,511
16. Human Resources Manager – $76,503
17. Health and Safety Specialist – $73,003
18. Air Traffic Controller – $72,049
19. Budget Analyst – $71,267
20. Correctional Officer – $67,140
21. Nurse – $65,345
22. Technical Engineer – $63,951
23. Border Patrol Agent – $63,550
24. Medical Technician- $59,840
25. Customs Inspector – $59,248

(Top 25 High Paying Jobs, Source From: GovCentral at Monster.com)