Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $107,240
- Median hourly wage: $51.56
- Total employment: 170 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Albuquerque
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 Albuquerque. 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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2 / 50#49. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $108,330
- Median hourly wage: $52.08
- Total employment: 90 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $109,160
- Median hourly wage: $52.48
- Total employment: 240 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $109,420
- Median hourly wage: $52.61
- Total employment: 720 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $111,240
- Median hourly wage: $53.48
- Total employment: 1,950 people (4.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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creativemarc // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $112,260
- Median hourly wage: $53.97
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $113,070
- Median hourly wage: $54.36
- Total employment: 420 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Atmospheric and space scientists
- Median annual wage: $114,230
- Median hourly wage: $54.92
- Total employment: 30 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $115,610
- Median hourly wage: $55.58
- Total employment: 160 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $118,320
- Median hourly wage: $56.89
- Total employment: 400 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $120,970
- Median hourly wage: $58.16
- Total employment: 90 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $121,380
- Median hourly wage: $58.36
- Total employment: 350 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $121,910
- Median hourly wage: $58.61
- Total employment: 210 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $125,450
- Median hourly wage: $60.31
- Total employment: 2,830 people (7.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $125,480
- Median hourly wage: $60.33
- Total employment: 580 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $126,230
- Median hourly wage: $60.69
- Total employment: 1,470 people (3.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $127,420
- Median hourly wage: $61.26
- Total employment: 1,340 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $131,030
- Median hourly wage: $62.99
- Total employment: 1,640 people (4.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $132,410
- Median hourly wage: $63.66
- Total employment: 180 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $132,570
- Median hourly wage: $63.74
- Total employment: 120 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stokkete // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $135,020
- Median hourly wage: $64.91
- Total employment: 360 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $136,290
- Median hourly wage: $65.52
- Total employment: 970 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $137,530
- Median hourly wage: $66.12
- Total employment: 1,010 people (2.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $137,740
- Median hourly wage: $66.22
- Total employment: 160 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $138,440
- Median hourly wage: $66.56
- Total employment: 1,000 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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aappp // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $139,610
- Median hourly wage: $67.12
- Total employment: 320 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: $141,190
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 30 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $142,240
- Median hourly wage: $68.39
- Total employment: 730 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Lobanov // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Nuclear engineers
- Median annual wage: $142,640
- Median hourly wage: $68.58
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $143,050
- Median hourly wage: $68.78
- Total employment: 1,080 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $143,660
- Median hourly wage: $69.07
- Total employment: 610 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $143,850
- Median hourly wage: $69.16
- Total employment: 1,270 people (3.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $156,110
- Median hourly wage: $75.05
- Total employment: 300 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $162,050
- Median hourly wage: $77.91
- Total employment: 210 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $165,050
- Median hourly wage: $79.35
- Total employment: 70 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $171,090
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,340 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $172,990
- Median hourly wage: $83.17
- Total employment: 80 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Physicists
- Median annual wage: $175,160
- Median hourly wage: $84.21
- Total employment: 360 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $180,520
- Median hourly wage: $86.79
- Total employment: 270 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $219,420
- Median hourly wage: $105.49
- Total employment: Not available
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Elnur // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Podiatrists
- Median annual wage: $221,980
- Median hourly wage: $106.72
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $237,950
- Median hourly wage: $114.40
- Total employment: 160 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photoroyalty // Shutterstock
43 / 50#1. Surgeons, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
44 / 50#1. Obstetricians and gynecologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
45 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 240 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50#1. Anesthesiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 800 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
Djols // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Emergency medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 190 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Komsan Loonprom // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Cardiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 200 people (0.5 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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