25 highest-paying jobs in Pittsburgh

Written by:
February 15, 2019
Updated on February 16, 2019
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25 highest-paying jobs in Pittsburgh

Careers in law, medicine, and business have long been considered paths to wealth. Digging into the nuances of a city’s labor landscape, however, reveals that each region has a blend of traditional industries and unique regional opportunities that provide a range of routes to a lucrative calling.

To help discover the top-paying jobs in the Pittsburgh metro, Stacker compiled 2017 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Zippia, which ranked occupations by their average annual salary. For each occupation, the research team has also included the entry level salary and the estimated number of workers employed within the metro area.

Some of these professions have humble starting salaries with serious upsides, with the potential to triple or even quadruple in time. Read on to discover the top earning occupations in the Pittsburgh area.

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#25. Optometrists

- Average annual salary: $109,760
- Entry level salary: $38,200
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 490

#24. Advertising and promotions managers

- Average annual salary: $112,720
- Entry level salary: $43,180
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 80

#23. Construction managers

- Average annual salary: $114,120
- Entry level salary: $58,480
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 1,540

#22. Dentists, general

- Average annual salary: $114,500
- Entry level salary: $48,760
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 830

#21. Petroleum engineers

- Average annual salary: $117,980
- Entry level salary: $63,480
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 440

#20. Purchasing managers

- Average annual salary: $118,660
- Entry level salary: $68,940
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 370

#19. Compensation and benefits managers

- Average annual salary: $121,280
- Entry level salary: $67,330
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 150

#18. Personal financial advisors

- Average annual salary: $123,280
- Entry level salary: $50,030
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 1,830

#17. General and operations managers

- Average annual salary: $123,890
- Entry level salary: $50,000
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 14,080

#16. Training and development managers

- Average annual salary: $125,060
- Entry level salary: $66,350
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 170

#15. Computer and information systems managers

- Average annual salary: $126,890
- Entry level salary: $78,160
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 2,660

#14. Human resources managers

- Average annual salary: $130,380
- Entry level salary: $71,650
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 660

#13. Architectural and engineering managers

- Average annual salary: $138,860
- Entry level salary: $81,310
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 1,560

#12. Lawyers

- Average annual salary: $139,500
- Entry level salary: $54,750
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 5,110

#11. Sales managers

- Average annual salary: $141,230
- Entry level salary: $64,190
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 1,890

#10. Podiatrists

- Average annual salary: $142,640
- Entry level salary: $54,630
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 90

#9. Nurse anesthetists

- Average annual salary: $143,320
- Entry level salary: $118,030
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 900

#8. Financial managers

- Average annual salary: $143,490
- Entry level salary: $78,370
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 3,100

#7. Marketing managers

- Average annual salary: $145,350
- Entry level salary: $79,280
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 1,040

#6. Physicists

- Average annual salary: $145,850
- Entry level salary: $93,030
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 30

#5. Psychiatrists

- Average annual salary: $163,130
- Entry level salary: $67,080
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 120

#4. Chief executives

- Average annual salary: $196,580
- Entry level salary: $81,990
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 1,920

#3. Physicians and surgeons, all other

- Average annual salary: $196,850
- Entry level salary: $54,250
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 3,890

#2. Family and general practitioners

- Average annual salary: $200,460
- Entry level salary: $74,060
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 410

#1. Surgeons

- Average annual salary: $244,560
- Entry level salary: $106,030
- Total employment in Pittsburgh: 190

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