Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $98,050
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 170 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in El Paso
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 El Paso. 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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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $98,060
- Median hourly wage: $47.14
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
socrates471 // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Media and communication equipment workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $98,550
- Median hourly wage: $47.38
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $99,170
- Median hourly wage: $47.68
- Total employment: 500 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $100,110
- Median hourly wage: $48.13
- Total employment: 160 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Diego Cervo // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $100,170
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $100,440
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $100,820
- Median hourly wage: $48.47
- Total employment: 190 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $100,830
- Median hourly wage: $48.48
- Total employment: 1,110 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Physics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $100,920
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SeventyFour // Shutterstock
11 / 50#39. History teachers, postsecondary (tie)
- Median annual wage: $101,140
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Medical and health services managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $101,140
- Median hourly wage: $48.62
- Total employment: 1,580 people (4.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Computer science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $101,490
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 140 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $101,550
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $102,250
- Median hourly wage: $49.16
- Total employment: 500 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $102,650
- Median hourly wage: $49.35
- Total employment: 150 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Biological science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $102,890
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 190 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $103,120
- Median hourly wage: $49.58
- Total employment: 100 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ITisha // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
- Median annual wage: $105,550
- Median hourly wage: $50.74
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $105,630
- Median hourly wage: $50.78
- Total employment: 220 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prath // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $107,240
- Median hourly wage: $51.56
- Total employment: 1,760 people (5.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $107,560
- Median hourly wage: $51.71
- Total employment: 70 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $107,880
- Median hourly wage: $51.86
- Total employment: 130 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $108,350
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 270 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $109,990
- Median hourly wage: $52.88
- Total employment: 300 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $110,690
- Median hourly wage: $53.22
- Total employment: 140 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $110,760
- Median hourly wage: $53.25
- Total employment: 290 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $112,380
- Median hourly wage: $54.03
- Total employment: 830 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $113,970
- Median hourly wage: $54.79
- Total employment: 80 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $117,090
- Median hourly wage: $56.29
- Total employment: 50 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $117,200
- Median hourly wage: $56.34
- Total employment: 170 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $121,160
- Median hourly wage: $58.25
- Total employment: 1,300 people (3.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $123,990
- Median hourly wage: $59.61
- Total employment: 70 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $125,730
- Median hourly wage: $60.45
- Total employment: 1,200 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $126,120
- Median hourly wage: $60.64
- Total employment: 560 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $126,560
- Median hourly wage: $60.85
- Total employment: 120 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $127,410
- Median hourly wage: $61.25
- Total employment: 870 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Another77 // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Petroleum engineers
- Median annual wage: $127,480
- Median hourly wage: $61.29
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Psychologists, all other
- Median annual wage: $130,750
- Median hourly wage: $62.86
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $131,390
- Median hourly wage: $63.17
- Total employment: 580 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $134,300
- Median hourly wage: $64.57
- Total employment: 80 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Political science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $134,510
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $139,050
- Median hourly wage: $66.85
- Total employment: 640 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel Besic // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. English language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $139,410
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 170 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $141,290
- Median hourly wage: $67.93
- Total employment: 150 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $164,310
- Median hourly wage: $78.99
- Total employment: 140 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $179,180
- Median hourly wage: $86.14
- Total employment: 140 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $187,700
- Median hourly wage: $90.24
- Total employment: 100 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 860 people (2.58 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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