comzeal images // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $60,430
- Median hourly wage: $29.05
- Total employment: 100 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Anniston
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 Anniston. 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.
You may also like: Highest-paying computer and engineering jobs in Anniston
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Librarians and media collections specialists
- Median annual wage: $60,710
- Median hourly wage: $29.19
- Total employment: 50 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $61,380
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 70 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
4 / 50#46. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines (tie)
- Median annual wage: $61,480
- Median hourly wage: $29.56
- Total employment: 490 people (11.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Painters, construction and maintenance (tie)
- Median annual wage: $61,480
- Median hourly wage: $29.56
- Total employment: 80 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Most expensive homes for sale in Anniston
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $61,570
- Median hourly wage: $29.60
- Total employment: 40 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Fortish // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters
- Median annual wage: $62,050
- Median hourly wage: $29.83
- Total employment: 40 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $62,440
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 170 people (4.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $62,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 340 people (7.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GLRL // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $62,640
- Median hourly wage: $30.12
- Total employment: 170 people (4.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated cheap eats in Anniston by diners
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $64,200
- Median hourly wage: $30.86
- Total employment: 70 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $64,900
- Median hourly wage: $31.20
- Total employment: 80 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $66,820
- Median hourly wage: $32.13
- Total employment: 380 people (8.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $67,420
- Median hourly wage: $32.41
- Total employment: 30 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Teachers and instructors, all other
- Median annual wage: $68,580
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Coat drives near Anniston
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $68,720
- Median hourly wage: $33.04
- Total employment: 1,050 people (24.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $68,880
- Median hourly wage: $33.12
- Total employment: 30 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $69,280
- Median hourly wage: $33.31
- Total employment: 40 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $71,220
- Median hourly wage: $34.24
- Total employment: 80 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $71,230
- Median hourly wage: $34.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated steak restaurants in the Anniston area by diners
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $72,320
- Median hourly wage: $34.77
- Total employment: 110 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $74,820
- Median hourly wage: $35.97
- Total employment: 60 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $75,160
- Median hourly wage: $36.14
- Total employment: 50 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $76,190
- Median hourly wage: $36.63
- Total employment: 70 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $78,020
- Median hourly wage: $37.51
- Total employment: 260 people (6.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Cheapest gas stations in Anniston
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $79,050
- Median hourly wage: $38.01
- Total employment: 160 people (3.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $82,990
- Median hourly wage: $39.90
- Total employment: 380 people (8.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $83,080
- Median hourly wage: $39.94
- Total employment: 220 people (5.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $84,700
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $87,450
- Median hourly wage: $42.04
- Total employment: 70 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated barbecue restaurants in the Anniston area by diners
fizkes // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $87,860
- Median hourly wage: $42.24
- Total employment: 80 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $88,370
- Median hourly wage: $42.49
- Total employment: 60 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $93,300
- Median hourly wage: $44.86
- Total employment: 60 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $95,400
- Median hourly wage: $45.87
- Total employment: 570 people (13.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $95,590
- Median hourly wage: $45.96
- Total employment: Not available
You may also like: Cities with the most expensive homes in the Anniston metro area
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,530
- Median hourly wage: $46.41
- Total employment: 50 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $96,540
- Median hourly wage: $46.41
- Total employment: 40 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,780
- Median hourly wage: $48.45
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $101,800
- Median hourly wage: $48.94
- Total employment: 100 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $102,080
- Median hourly wage: $49.08
- Total employment: 60 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Mexican restaurants in the Anniston area by diners
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $103,630
- Median hourly wage: $49.82
- Total employment: 30 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $106,420
- Median hourly wage: $51.16
- Total employment: 90 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $106,970
- Median hourly wage: $51.43
- Total employment: 50 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $107,160
- Median hourly wage: $51.52
- Total employment: 60 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $114,390
- Median hourly wage: $55.00
- Total employment: 90 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Chinese restaurants in Anniston
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $118,580
- Median hourly wage: $57.01
- Total employment: 70 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $127,140
- Median hourly wage: $61.13
- Total employment: 110 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $136,740
- Median hourly wage: $65.74
- Total employment: 40 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $143,990
- Median hourly wage: $69.23
- Total employment: 50 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $150,960
- Median hourly wage: $72.58
- Total employment: 30 people (0.74 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.
You may also like: Biggest sources of immigrants to Anniston
