Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $76,580
- Median hourly wage: $36.82
- Total employment: 30 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Decatur
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 Decatur. 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.
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,710
- Median hourly wage: $36.88
- Total employment: 40 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $77,730
- Median hourly wage: $37.37
- Total employment: 720 people (12.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $77,920
- Median hourly wage: $37.46
- Total employment: 90 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $77,980
- Median hourly wage: $37.49
- Total employment: 50 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $78,220
- Median hourly wage: $37.60
- Total employment: 220 people (3.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $78,460
- Median hourly wage: $37.72
- Total employment: 840 people (14.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $80,240
- Median hourly wage: $38.58
- Total employment: 470 people (8.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $80,770
- Median hourly wage: $38.83
- Total employment: 40 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $81,060
- Median hourly wage: $38.97
- Total employment: 60 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $81,510
- Median hourly wage: $39.19
- Total employment: 120 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $84,390
- Median hourly wage: $40.57
- Total employment: Not available
fizkes // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $84,490
- Median hourly wage: $40.62
- Total employment: 50 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $85,350
- Median hourly wage: $41.04
- Total employment: 180 people (3.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $86,820
- Median hourly wage: $41.74
- Total employment: 50 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $89,200
- Median hourly wage: $42.88
- Total employment: 120 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $93,040
- Median hourly wage: $44.73
- Total employment: 60 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $93,060
- Median hourly wage: $44.74
- Total employment: 210 people (3.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $93,700
- Median hourly wage: $45.05
- Total employment: 50 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $96,710
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $97,620
- Median hourly wage: $46.93
- Total employment: 50 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $98,550
- Median hourly wage: $47.38
- Total employment: 30 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $99,560
- Median hourly wage: $47.87
- Total employment: 80 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $101,890
- Median hourly wage: $48.99
- Total employment: 70 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $103,360
- Median hourly wage: $49.69
- Total employment: 70 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $105,830
- Median hourly wage: $50.88
- Total employment: 140 people (2.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $106,140
- Median hourly wage: $51.03
- Total employment: 440 people (7.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $106,410
- Median hourly wage: $51.16
- Total employment: 40 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $107,730
- Median hourly wage: $51.79
- Total employment: 950 people (16.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $108,040
- Median hourly wage: $51.94
- Total employment: 50 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $108,050
- Median hourly wage: $51.95
- Total employment: 70 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $108,220
- Median hourly wage: $52.03
- Total employment: 140 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,420
- Median hourly wage: $52.60
- Total employment: 150 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Akimov Igor // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $110,760
- Median hourly wage: $53.25
- Total employment: 60 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $111,360
- Median hourly wage: $53.54
- Total employment: 90 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $112,190
- Median hourly wage: $53.94
- Total employment: 320 people (5.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $113,180
- Median hourly wage: $54.41
- Total employment: 80 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $113,670
- Median hourly wage: $54.65
- Total employment: 80 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $122,010
- Median hourly wage: $58.66
- Total employment: 60 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $123,440
- Median hourly wage: $59.35
- Total employment: 160 people (2.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $124,010
- Median hourly wage: $59.62
- Total employment: 80 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $126,100
- Median hourly wage: $60.63
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $128,610
- Median hourly wage: $61.83
- Total employment: 90 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $128,660
- Median hourly wage: $61.86
- Total employment: 30 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $130,550
- Median hourly wage: $62.77
- Total employment: 50 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $132,320
- Median hourly wage: $63.62
- Total employment: 140 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $134,850
- Median hourly wage: $64.83
- Total employment: 140 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $146,990
- Median hourly wage: $70.67
- Total employment: 210 people (3.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $159,500
- Median hourly wage: $76.68
- Total employment: 130 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 60 people (1.06 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.
