Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $85,380
- Median hourly wage: $41.05
- Total employment: 380 people (3.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Topeka
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 Topeka. 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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wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $87,980
- Median hourly wage: $42.30
- Total employment: 250 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $88,420
- Median hourly wage: $42.51
- Total employment: 130 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sabthai // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Budget analysts
- Median annual wage: $89,250
- Median hourly wage: $42.91
- Total employment: 40 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $91,420
- Median hourly wage: $43.95
- Total employment: 310 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $92,290
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 240 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Insurance underwriters
- Median annual wage: $92,520
- Median hourly wage: $44.48
- Total employment: 90 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $92,990
- Median hourly wage: $44.71
- Total employment: 180 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $93,600
- Median hourly wage: $45.00
- Total employment: Not available
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $93,640
- Median hourly wage: $45.02
- Total employment: 220 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $94,200
- Median hourly wage: $45.29
- Total employment: 160 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $94,740
- Median hourly wage: $45.55
- Total employment: 100 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $94,990
- Median hourly wage: $45.67
- Total employment: 160 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $95,260
- Median hourly wage: $45.80
- Total employment: 670 people (5.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $96,230
- Median hourly wage: $46.26
- Total employment: 260 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $96,320
- Median hourly wage: $46.31
- Total employment: 330 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $96,740
- Median hourly wage: $46.51
- Total employment: 30 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $97,170
- Median hourly wage: $46.72
- Total employment: 90 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,250
- Median hourly wage: $47.24
- Total employment: 100 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $99,610
- Median hourly wage: $47.89
- Total employment: 160 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $101,920
- Median hourly wage: $49.00
- Total employment: 100 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $102,240
- Median hourly wage: $49.15
- Total employment: 1,220 people (10.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $104,340
- Median hourly wage: $50.17
- Total employment: 70 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $105,680
- Median hourly wage: $50.81
- Total employment: 120 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $105,890
- Median hourly wage: $50.91
- Total employment: 310 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $106,500
- Median hourly wage: $51.20
- Total employment: 390 people (3.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $106,530
- Median hourly wage: $51.21
- Total employment: 270 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $106,720
- Median hourly wage: $51.31
- Total employment: 280 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,250
- Median hourly wage: $52.53
- Total employment: 120 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $111,200
- Median hourly wage: $53.46
- Total employment: 100 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $115,540
- Median hourly wage: $55.55
- Total employment: 60 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $116,950
- Median hourly wage: $56.23
- Total employment: 90 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $117,950
- Median hourly wage: $56.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $120,200
- Median hourly wage: $57.79
- Total employment: 90 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $122,040
- Median hourly wage: $58.67
- Total employment: 300 people (2.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $123,010
- Median hourly wage: $59.14
- Total employment: 100 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $123,700
- Median hourly wage: $59.47
- Total employment: 180 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $124,580
- Median hourly wage: $59.90
- Total employment: 140 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $127,960
- Median hourly wage: $61.52
- Total employment: 440 people (3.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $128,510
- Median hourly wage: $61.79
- Total employment: 30 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stokkete // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $132,040
- Median hourly wage: $63.48
- Total employment: 60 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $133,730
- Median hourly wage: $64.30
- Total employment: 280 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $135,970
- Median hourly wage: $65.37
- Total employment: 330 people (2.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $136,100
- Median hourly wage: $65.43
- Total employment: 370 people (3.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $142,490
- Median hourly wage: $68.51
- Total employment: 90 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $142,770
- Median hourly wage: $68.64
- Total employment: 70 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $148,910
- Median hourly wage: $71.59
- Total employment: 70 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $151,580
- Median hourly wage: $72.87
- Total employment: 300 people (2.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $162,030
- Median hourly wage: $77.90
- Total employment: 100 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 500 people (4.42 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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