All these stories about rising unemployment and the impending fight over Obama's jobs bill are bumming us out. So let's take a look at some gainfully employed folks in the D.C. area — namely, those who make tens of millions of dollars.

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The Washington Business Journal has rounded up the 50 highest-paid CEOs in the region, a list topped by Discovery's David Zaslav, who took home $42.5 million in 2010 in "total compensation" (base salary plus bonuses and "other compensation"). Maybe he could use some of that money to give Mike Rowe a raise? God knows he deserves one, if only for an industrial-strength shower.

The top 10:

1. David Zaslav of Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, Md. Compensation: $2.5 million. Company revenue: $3.77 billion.

2: Paul C. Saville of NVR Inc. in Reston, Va. Compensation: $30.8 million. Revenue: $2.98 billion.

3: Wesley G. Bush of Northrop Grumman in Falls Church, Va. Compensation: $22.85 million. Revenue: $34.76 billion.

4: Robert J. Stevens of Lockheed Martin in Bethesda. Compensation: $21.9 million. Revenue: $45.8 billion.

5: Martine A. Rothblatt's United Therapeutics Corp. in Silver Spring. Compensation: $17.6 million. Revenue: $603.8 million.

6: H. Lawrence Culp Jr. of Danaher Corp in D.C. Compensation: $17.03 million. Revenue: $13.2 billion.

7: Michael W. Laphen of CSC of Falls Church, Va. Compensation: $15.53 million. Revenue: $16.13 billion.

8: Richard D. Fairbank of Capital One Financial Corp in McLean, Va. Compensation: 14.86 million. Revenue: $12.26 billion.

9: Jay L. Johnson of General Dynamics Corp. in Falls Church Va. Compensation: $13.75 million. Revenue: $32.47 billion.

10: Allen F. Wise of Coventry Health Care in Bethesda. Compensation: $13.65 million. Revenue: $11.59 billion.