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1 / 50#50. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $99,450
- Median hourly wage: $47.81
- Total employment: 90 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Napa
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 Napa. 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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2 / 50#49. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $100,010
- Median hourly wage: $48.08
- Total employment: 60 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 50#48. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $100,720
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 240 people (3.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $100,950
- Median hourly wage: $48.53
- Total employment: 30 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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5 / 50#46. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $101,430
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 170 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $101,560
- Median hourly wage: $48.83
- Total employment: 260 people (3.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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7 / 50#44. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $103,820
- Median hourly wage: $49.91
- Total employment: 50 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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8 / 50#43. Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling
- Median annual wage: $104,480
- Median hourly wage: $50.23
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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9 / 50#42. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $105,290
- Median hourly wage: $50.62
- Total employment: 100 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50#41. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $106,720
- Median hourly wage: $51.31
- Total employment: 330 people (4.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $108,170
- Median hourly wage: $52.01
- Total employment: 100 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. Teachers and instructors, all other
- Median annual wage: $108,980
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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13 / 50#38. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $112,950
- Median hourly wage: $54.31
- Total employment: 140 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50#37. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $115,440
- Median hourly wage: $55.50
- Total employment: 150 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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15 / 50#36. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $116,070
- Median hourly wage: $55.80
- Total employment: 30 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Urban and regional planners
- Median annual wage: $121,750
- Median hourly wage: $58.53
- Total employment: 40 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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17 / 50#34. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $122,820
- Median hourly wage: $59.05
- Total employment: 160 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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18 / 50#33. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $124,170
- Median hourly wage: $59.70
- Total employment: 70 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $124,680
- Median hourly wage: $59.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $124,890
- Median hourly wage: $60.05
- Total employment: 1,320 people (16.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $126,440
- Median hourly wage: $60.79
- Total employment: 550 people (7.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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22 / 50#29. Instructional coordinators
- Median annual wage: $127,810
- Median hourly wage: $61.45
- Total employment: 60 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $127,840
- Median hourly wage: $61.46
- Total employment: 100 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $128,760
- Median hourly wage: $61.90
- Total employment: 60 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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25 / 50#26. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $128,980
- Median hourly wage: $62.01
- Total employment: 280 people (3.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $131,050
- Median hourly wage: $63.01
- Total employment: 120 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $133,370
- Median hourly wage: $64.12
- Total employment: 160 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $135,550
- Median hourly wage: $65.17
- Total employment: 40 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $139,500
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 120 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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30 / 50#21. Healthcare social workers
- Median annual wage: $141,490
- Median hourly wage: $68.03
- Total employment: 180 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $142,270
- Median hourly wage: $68.40
- Total employment: 50 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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32 / 50#19. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $145,750
- Median hourly wage: $70.07
- Total employment: 230 people (2.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $154,990
- Median hourly wage: $74.51
- Total employment: 240 people (3.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $156,950
- Median hourly wage: $75.46
- Total employment: 120 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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35 / 50#16. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $159,180
- Median hourly wage: $76.53
- Total employment: 30 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $159,270
- Median hourly wage: $76.57
- Total employment: 120 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $161,570
- Median hourly wage: $77.68
- Total employment: 330 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $162,260
- Median hourly wage: $78.01
- Total employment: 120 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $163,380
- Median hourly wage: $78.55
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $168,580
- Median hourly wage: $81.05
- Total employment: 50 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $170,760
- Median hourly wage: $82.10
- Total employment: 110 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $172,560
- Median hourly wage: $82.96
- Total employment: 50 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $177,270
- Median hourly wage: $85.23
- Total employment: 30 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $179,080
- Median hourly wage: $86.10
- Total employment: 30 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $183,930
- Median hourly wage: $88.43
- Total employment: Not available
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46 / 50#5. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $203,950
- Median hourly wage: $98.05
- Total employment: 160 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $216,380
- Median hourly wage: $104.03
- Total employment: 90 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Chief executives (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 130 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 110 people (1.35 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: 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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