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1 / 50#50. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $126,520
- Median hourly wage: $60.83
- Total employment: 1,550 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Denver
The rich are getting richer, and have been for some time.
Across the nation, wages have continued to rise this year despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to temper inflation. In June, average weekly earnings grew at a higher rate than the Consumer Price Index, the nation's primary inflation indicator.
While pay is increasing across income levels, the historical growth for high-income jobs has been most profound. High-income jobs have grown 69% over the past 50 years—more than both middle- and lower-income jobs, a Pew Trusts analysis shows.
The highest earners in the U.S. are what you'd expect: doctors and other medical professionals, engineers, tech workers, executives, and corporate leaders. Nationally, the 50 top-paying jobs all require at least a bachelor's degree, and many require a master's, doctorate, or another professional degree. Indeed, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that higher degree holders earn more in a typical week and face lower rates of unemployment.
Still, the exact positions that pay the most vary depending on where in the country you are located. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in Denver. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022, so jobs without annual compensation estimates available were excluded from this analysis.
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aappp // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $126,730
- Median hourly wage: $60.93
- Total employment: 1,470 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $129,140
- Median hourly wage: $62.09
- Total employment: Not available
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $129,450
- Median hourly wage: $62.24
- Total employment: 3,830 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $129,500
- Median hourly wage: $62.26
- Total employment: 25,060 people (16.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $130,400
- Median hourly wage: $62.69
- Total employment: 460 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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7 / 50#44. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $131,680
- Median hourly wage: $63.31
- Total employment: 27,020 people (17.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $132,360
- Median hourly wage: $63.64
- Total employment: 3,880 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $135,240
- Median hourly wage: $65.02
- Total employment: 670 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
indukas // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Physicists
- Median annual wage: $135,620
- Median hourly wage: $65.20
- Total employment: 100 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $135,890
- Median hourly wage: $65.33
- Total employment: 7,010 people (4.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $136,100
- Median hourly wage: $65.44
- Total employment: 2,990 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Dermatologists
- Median annual wage: $136,670
- Median hourly wage: $65.71
- Total employment: 300 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $136,800
- Median hourly wage: $65.77
- Total employment: 1,170 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
possohh // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Emergency management directors
- Median annual wage: $137,950
- Median hourly wage: $66.32
- Total employment: 60 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $139,050
- Median hourly wage: $66.85
- Total employment: 490 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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17 / 50#34. Petroleum engineers
- Median annual wage: $139,320
- Median hourly wage: $66.98
- Total employment: 670 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $139,560
- Median hourly wage: $67.10
- Total employment: 680 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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19 / 50#32. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $142,680
- Median hourly wage: $68.60
- Total employment: 610 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $147,510
- Median hourly wage: $70.92
- Total employment: 570 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Advertising and promotions managers
- Median annual wage: $149,850
- Median hourly wage: $72.04
- Total employment: 190 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $154,220
- Median hourly wage: $74.15
- Total employment: Not available
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23 / 50#28. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $154,790
- Median hourly wage: $74.42
- Total employment: 280 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $159,390
- Median hourly wage: $76.63
- Total employment: 150 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $159,880
- Median hourly wage: $76.87
- Total employment: 8,260 people (5.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $162,670
- Median hourly wage: $78.21
- Total employment: 6,510 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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27 / 50#24. Materials scientists
- Median annual wage: $164,010
- Median hourly wage: $78.85
- Total employment: Not available
fizkes // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $166,140
- Median hourly wage: $79.88
- Total employment: 4,350 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $167,380
- Median hourly wage: $80.47
- Total employment: 240 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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30 / 50#21. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $168,760
- Median hourly wage: $81.13
- Total employment: 2,130 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $170,160
- Median hourly wage: $81.81
- Total employment: 7,690 people (4.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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32 / 50#19. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $170,610
- Median hourly wage: $82.03
- Total employment: Not available
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33 / 50#18. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $170,690
- Median hourly wage: $82.06
- Total employment: 8,220 people (5.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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34 / 50#17. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $171,400
- Median hourly wage: $82.41
- Total employment: 11,550 people (7.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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35 / 50#16. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: $175,690
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 4,620 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $178,440
- Median hourly wage: $85.79
- Total employment: 300 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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37 / 50#14. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $188,700
- Median hourly wage: $90.72
- Total employment: 330 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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38 / 50#13. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $210,100
- Median hourly wage: $101.01
- Total employment: 1,680 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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39 / 50#12. Athletes and sports competitors
- Median annual wage: $215,530
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 260 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $220,560
- Median hourly wage: $106.04
- Total employment: 300 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. General internal medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $225,570
- Median hourly wage: $108.45
- Total employment: 410 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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42 / 50#9. Obstetricians and gynecologists
- Median annual wage: $229,530
- Median hourly wage: $110.35
- Total employment: 260 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Psychiatrists
- Median annual wage: $235,920
- Median hourly wage: $113.42
- Total employment: 130 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Komsan Loonprom // Shutterstock
44 / 50#1. Cardiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 150 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
45 / 50#1. Physicians, pathologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: Not available
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Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
46 / 50#1. Radiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: Not available
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 950 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Ophthalmologists, except pediatric (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 70 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 150 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photoroyalty // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Surgeons, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 380 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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