wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Psychologists, all other
- Median annual wage: $124,880
- Median hourly wage: $60.04
- Total employment: 200 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Phoenix
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 Phoenix. 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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eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $125,050
- Median hourly wage: $60.12
- Total employment: 90 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mark_Kostich // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Medical dosimetrists
- Median annual wage: $127,800
- Median hourly wage: $61.44
- Total employment: 30 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $128,990
- Median hourly wage: $62.02
- Total employment: 3,490 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $129,260
- Median hourly wage: $62.15
- Total employment: 2,650 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VE.Studio // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $129,270
- Median hourly wage: $62.15
- Total employment: 490 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $129,600
- Median hourly wage: $62.31
- Total employment: 26,950 people (11.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ESB Professional // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $129,980
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $130,390
- Median hourly wage: $62.69
- Total employment: 3,160 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Sociology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $131,110
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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dokurose // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $131,410
- Median hourly wage: $63.18
- Total employment: 10,700 people (4.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Economics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $131,710
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: Not available
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $131,930
- Median hourly wage: $63.43
- Total employment: 3,040 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $132,410
- Median hourly wage: $63.66
- Total employment: 710 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $133,970
- Median hourly wage: $64.41
- Total employment: 2,870 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $134,000
- Median hourly wage: $64.43
- Total employment: 6,040 people (2.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $134,430
- Median hourly wage: $64.63
- Total employment: 710 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $134,630
- Median hourly wage: $64.73
- Total employment: 5,970 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $135,360
- Median hourly wage: $65.08
- Total employment: 11,470 people (4.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $135,600
- Median hourly wage: $65.19
- Total employment: 9,520 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Elnur // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Podiatrists
- Median annual wage: $136,440
- Median hourly wage: $65.60
- Total employment: 190 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $136,660
- Median hourly wage: $65.70
- Total employment: 1,970 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $136,870
- Median hourly wage: $65.80
- Total employment: 5,720 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $137,370
- Median hourly wage: $66.04
- Total employment: 3,570 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $138,270
- Median hourly wage: $66.48
- Total employment: 1,190 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $138,420
- Median hourly wage: $66.55
- Total employment: 1,000 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $139,260
- Median hourly wage: $66.95
- Total employment: 1,210 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $156,020
- Median hourly wage: $75.01
- Total employment: 220 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $163,100
- Median hourly wage: $78.42
- Total employment: 210 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $163,220
- Median hourly wage: $78.47
- Total employment: 3,200 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $163,970
- Median hourly wage: $78.83
- Total employment: 11,700 people (4.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $164,980
- Median hourly wage: $79.32
- Total employment: 2,160 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $169,560
- Median hourly wage: $81.52
- Total employment: 1,130 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: $198,800
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,990 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Physicists
- Median annual wage: $206,070
- Median hourly wage: $99.07
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $211,260
- Median hourly wage: $101.57
- Total employment: 2,160 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $227,410
- Median hourly wage: $109.33
- Total employment: 780 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
38 / 50#1. Dentists, all other specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 120 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
create jobs 51 // Shutterstock
39 / 50#1. Neurologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 100 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
40 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 1,390 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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LightField Studios // Shutterstock
41 / 50#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 270 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
42 / 50#1. Physicians, pathologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 360 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
43 / 50#1. Radiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 180 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
44 / 50#1. Obstetricians and gynecologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
Photoroyalty // Shutterstock
45 / 50#1. Surgeons, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
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PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
46 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 3,150 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Djols // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Emergency medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 160 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Dermatologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Nurse anesthetists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
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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