fizkes // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $78,650
- Median hourly wage: $37.81
- Total employment: 180 people (3.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Hanford
Despite recession fears and falling consumer confidence, the job market in the United States has remained relatively stable in 2025 thus far. According to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, around 177,000 new jobs were added in April, a slight decrease from the 185,000 new jobs added in the month before, but an extension of the country's 52-month streak of job growth. Unemployment rates also held relatively steady between April 2024 and April 2025, coming in at around 4%.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Americans have it easy in the workplace. A December 2024 Payscale report found that nearly half (47%) of business organizations struggle to balance fair pay practices with spend optimization, and 18% plan to reduce pay increases in 2025 as a result.
For context, median weekly earnings across all employees in the U.S. stood at $1,194 in the first quarter of 2025. This represents an increase of 4.8% from a year prior and exceeds the Consumer Price Index's 2.7% increase in the same time period. However, there's one caveat: Earnings go much further in some places than in others.
In fact, the very definition of a "high-paying" job varies by location, as well as other factors such as industry and benefits. Even a six-figure salary may be considered low-income in places with an unusually high cost of living. Meanwhile, technology, finance, and health care jobs lead in terms of salary, but benefits like remote work can make other lower-paying jobs more desirable.
Regardless, anyone seeking a high-paying job should start by looking at the numbers. Stacker used BLS data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in Hanford. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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Lopolo // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $78,830
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 200 people (4.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $79,890
- Median hourly wage: $38.41
- Total employment: 40 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $80,620
- Median hourly wage: $38.76
- Total employment: 140 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $81,900
- Median hourly wage: $39.38
- Total employment: Not available
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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $82,190
- Median hourly wage: $39.52
- Total employment: 260 people (5.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Healthcare social workers
- Median annual wage: $82,240
- Median hourly wage: $39.54
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $83,600
- Median hourly wage: $40.19
- Total employment: 200 people (4.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $86,270
- Median hourly wage: $41.48
- Total employment: 50 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $86,380
- Median hourly wage: $41.53
- Total employment: 160 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $87,880
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
- Median annual wage: $88,110
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Mental health and substance abuse social workers
- Median annual wage: $89,500
- Median hourly wage: $43.03
- Total employment: 70 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $90,700
- Median hourly wage: $43.61
- Total employment: 110 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Teachers and instructors, all other
- Median annual wage: $92,140
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SatawatK // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $92,290
- Median hourly wage: $44.37
- Total employment: 40 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Iam_Anupong // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $92,800
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
- Median annual wage: $95,770
- Median hourly wage: $46.04
- Total employment: 120 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $95,910
- Median hourly wage: $46.11
- Total employment: 70 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $98,250
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 730 people (15.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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industryviews // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $99,530
- Median hourly wage: $47.85
- Total employment: 40 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $99,750
- Median hourly wage: $47.96
- Total employment: 120 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
B Brown // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $99,800
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 750 people (15.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $100,680
- Median hourly wage: $48.41
- Total employment: 510 people (10.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $100,770
- Median hourly wage: $48.45
- Total employment: 50 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $101,760
- Median hourly wage: $48.92
- Total employment: 50 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $102,330
- Median hourly wage: $49.20
- Total employment: 60 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. School psychologists
- Median annual wage: $103,010
- Median hourly wage: $49.53
- Total employment: 50 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,210
- Median hourly wage: $49.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $109,700
- Median hourly wage: $52.74
- Total employment: 60 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Instructional coordinators
- Median annual wage: $110,970
- Median hourly wage: $53.35
- Total employment: 50 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $115,430
- Median hourly wage: $55.50
- Total employment: 60 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $118,390
- Median hourly wage: $56.92
- Total employment: 40 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $119,320
- Median hourly wage: $57.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $120,720
- Median hourly wage: $58.04
- Total employment: 140 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $123,700
- Median hourly wage: $59.47
- Total employment: 90 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $126,190
- Median hourly wage: $60.67
- Total employment: 60 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $129,160
- Median hourly wage: $62.09
- Total employment: 70 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $130,740
- Median hourly wage: $62.86
- Total employment: 810 people (17.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $131,350
- Median hourly wage: $63.15
- Total employment: 90 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $133,560
- Median hourly wage: $64.21
- Total employment: 30 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $139,440
- Median hourly wage: $67.04
- Total employment: 40 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $152,850
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 160 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $156,410
- Median hourly wage: $75.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $158,400
- Median hourly wage: $76.16
- Total employment: 70 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $159,530
- Median hourly wage: $76.70
- Total employment: 90 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $173,150
- Median hourly wage: $83.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $174,150
- Median hourly wage: $83.73
- Total employment: 60 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $228,700
- Median hourly wage: $109.95
- Total employment: 60 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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