Highest-paying jobs in San Luis Obispo
Highest-paying jobs in San Luis Obispo
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 San Luis Obispo. 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.
#50. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $108,650
- Median hourly wage: $52.24
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#49. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $109,340
- Median hourly wage: $52.57
- Total employment: 50 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#48. School psychologists
- Median annual wage: $110,330
- Median hourly wage: $53.04
- Total employment: 50 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#47. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $110,920
- Median hourly wage: $53.33
- Total employment: 680 people (5.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#46. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $112,600
- Median hourly wage: $54.14
- Total employment: 140 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#45. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $112,960
- Median hourly wage: $54.31
- Total employment: 430 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#44. Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers
- Median annual wage: $115,240
- Median hourly wage: $55.41
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#43. Mental health and substance abuse social workers
- Median annual wage: $116,630
- Median hourly wage: $56.07
- Total employment: 120 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#42. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $119,810
- Median hourly wage: $57.60
- Total employment: 130 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#41. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $120,010
- Median hourly wage: $57.70
- Total employment: 240 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#40. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $120,680
- Median hourly wage: $58.02
- Total employment: 290 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#39. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $121,100
- Median hourly wage: $58.22
- Total employment: 220 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#38. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $124,460
- Median hourly wage: $59.84
- Total employment: 280 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#37. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $124,710
- Median hourly wage: $59.96
- Total employment: 390 people (3.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#36. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $125,120
- Median hourly wage: $60.16
- Total employment: 60 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#35. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $125,250
- Median hourly wage: $60.22
- Total employment: 60 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $126,490
- Median hourly wage: $60.81
- Total employment: 100 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#33. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $126,830
- Median hourly wage: $60.98
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#32. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $126,850
- Median hourly wage: $60.99
- Total employment: 50 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#31. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $127,720
- Median hourly wage: $61.41
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#30. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $127,850
- Median hourly wage: $61.47
- Total employment: 110 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#29. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $129,070
- Median hourly wage: $62.05
- Total employment: 110 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#28. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $131,550
- Median hourly wage: $63.24
- Total employment: 60 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#27. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $131,780
- Median hourly wage: $63.36
- Total employment: 130 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#26. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $132,010
- Median hourly wage: $63.47
- Total employment: 480 people (3.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#25. Healthcare social workers
- Median annual wage: $132,790
- Median hourly wage: $63.84
- Total employment: 180 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#24. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $133,470
- Median hourly wage: $64.17
- Total employment: 1,950 people (16.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#23. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $133,820
- Median hourly wage: $64.34
- Total employment: 100 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#22. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $136,490
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 200 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#21. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $138,230
- Median hourly wage: $66.46
- Total employment: 390 people (3.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#20. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $139,010
- Median hourly wage: $66.83
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#19. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $142,060
- Median hourly wage: $68.30
- Total employment: 110 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#18. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $147,960
- Median hourly wage: $71.14
- Total employment: 30 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#17. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $152,240
- Median hourly wage: $73.19
- Total employment: 100 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#16. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $152,270
- Median hourly wage: $73.21
- Total employment: 250 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#15. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $152,660
- Median hourly wage: $73.39
- Total employment: 40 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#14. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $156,840
- Median hourly wage: $75.40
- Total employment: 150 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#13. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $158,700
- Median hourly wage: $76.30
- Total employment: 110 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#12. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $162,290
- Median hourly wage: $78.03
- Total employment: 200 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#11. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $165,330
- Median hourly wage: $79.49
- Total employment: 230 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#10. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $170,480
- Median hourly wage: $81.96
- Total employment: 230 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#9. Technical writers
- Median annual wage: $182,450
- Median hourly wage: $87.72
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#8. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $188,850
- Median hourly wage: $90.79
- Total employment: 30 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#7. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $200,820
- Median hourly wage: $96.55
- Total employment: 200 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#6. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $210,140
- Median hourly wage: $101.03
- Total employment: 110 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 90 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Obstetricians and gynecologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 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.
