ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $95,140
- Median hourly wage: $45.74
- Total employment: 140 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Peoria
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 Peoria. 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.
You may also like: Highest-rated Middle Eastern restaurants in Peoria by diners
fizkes // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $95,690
- Median hourly wage: $46.01
- Total employment: 3,900 people (23.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $96,040
- Median hourly wage: $46.17
- Total employment: 700 people (4.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,880
- Median hourly wage: $46.58
- Total employment: 290 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $96,990
- Median hourly wage: $46.63
- Total employment: 130 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best private high schools in the Peoria metro area
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $99,120
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 470 people (2.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $100,800
- Median hourly wage: $48.46
- Total employment: 530 people (3.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,080
- Median hourly wage: $48.60
- Total employment: 30 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $101,140
- Median hourly wage: $48.63
- Total employment: 210 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $101,750
- Median hourly wage: $48.92
- Total employment: 40 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Peoria's 2025 housing market year in review
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $102,630
- Median hourly wage: $49.34
- Total employment: 140 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $102,900
- Median hourly wage: $49.47
- Total employment: 170 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $104,330
- Median hourly wage: $50.16
- Total employment: 650 people (3.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $105,320
- Median hourly wage: $50.64
- Total employment: 400 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $105,420
- Median hourly wage: $50.69
- Total employment: Not available
You may also like: Best places to live in the Peoria metro area
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $106,060
- Median hourly wage: $50.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other
- Median annual wage: $107,240
- Median hourly wage: $51.56
- Total employment: 30 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $108,210
- Median hourly wage: $52.02
- Total employment: 140 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $108,380
- Median hourly wage: $52.11
- Total employment: 30 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $109,980
- Median hourly wage: $52.88
- Total employment: 40 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated breakfast restaurants in the Peoria area by diners
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $111,330
- Median hourly wage: $53.53
- Total employment: 1,480 people (8.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $112,180
- Median hourly wage: $53.94
- Total employment: 30 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $114,140
- Median hourly wage: $54.88
- Total employment: 760 people (4.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $115,350
- Median hourly wage: $55.46
- Total employment: 1,080 people (6.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $119,330
- Median hourly wage: $57.37
- Total employment: 90 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying science jobs for people in Peoria
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $120,110
- Median hourly wage: $57.74
- Total employment: 130 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $120,240
- Median hourly wage: $57.81
- Total employment: 380 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $122,290
- Median hourly wage: $58.79
- Total employment: 260 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $122,950
- Median hourly wage: $59.11
- Total employment: 120 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $124,030
- Median hourly wage: $59.63
- Total employment: 290 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Most expensive homes for sale in Peoria
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $124,790
- Median hourly wage: $60.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $125,690
- Median hourly wage: $60.43
- Total employment: 460 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $126,960
- Median hourly wage: $61.04
- Total employment: 590 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $126,980
- Median hourly wage: $61.05
- Total employment: 80 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $127,330
- Median hourly wage: $61.22
- Total employment: 840 people (5.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best public high schools in the Peoria metro area
Kzenon // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $131,270
- Median hourly wage: $63.11
- Total employment: 50 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $132,730
- Median hourly wage: $63.81
- Total employment: 1,050 people (6.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $134,500
- Median hourly wage: $64.66
- Total employment: 120 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $134,630
- Median hourly wage: $64.73
- Total employment: 450 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $136,340
- Median hourly wage: $65.55
- Total employment: 320 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best private K-12 schools in the Peoria metro area
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $146,860
- Median hourly wage: $70.61
- Total employment: 200 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $147,640
- Median hourly wage: $70.98
- Total employment: 520 people (3.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $157,650
- Median hourly wage: $75.80
- Total employment: 100 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $182,390
- Median hourly wage: $87.69
- Total employment: 530 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $220,430
- Median hourly wage: $105.98
- Total employment: 120 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best restaurants for 5 cuisines in Peoria
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. General internal medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $231,820
- Median hourly wage: $111.45
- Total employment: 50 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $232,850
- Median hourly wage: $111.95
- Total employment: Not available
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Nurse anesthetists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Physicians, pathologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Peoria by diners
