Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $95,990
- Median hourly wage: $46.15
- Total employment: 250 people (3.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Redding
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 Redding. 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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Prath // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $96,880
- Median hourly wage: $46.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $97,990
- Median hourly wage: $47.11
- Total employment: 100 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $98,240
- Median hourly wage: $47.23
- Total employment: 1,200 people (17.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $98,950
- Median hourly wage: $47.57
- Total employment: 120 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $99,200
- Median hourly wage: $47.69
- Total employment: 90 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $99,210
- Median hourly wage: $47.70
- Total employment: 80 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $101,350
- Median hourly wage: $48.73
- Total employment: 70 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Kneschke // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Foresters
- Median annual wage: $101,520
- Median hourly wage: $48.81
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chad McDermott // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Urban and regional planners
- Median annual wage: $102,250
- Median hourly wage: $49.16
- Total employment: 60 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $103,680
- Median hourly wage: $49.85
- Total employment: 50 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,790
- Median hourly wage: $49.90
- Total employment: 60 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,800
- Median hourly wage: $49.90
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $104,190
- Median hourly wage: $50.09
- Total employment: 50 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $104,380
- Median hourly wage: $50.18
- Total employment: 40 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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pio3 // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $104,980
- Median hourly wage: $50.47
- Total employment: 420 people (6.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $106,960
- Median hourly wage: $51.42
- Total employment: 100 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $107,870
- Median hourly wage: $51.86
- Total employment: 40 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $113,150
- Median hourly wage: $54.40
- Total employment: 130 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $115,250
- Median hourly wage: $55.41
- Total employment: 50 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $115,360
- Median hourly wage: $55.46
- Total employment: 110 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $118,940
- Median hourly wage: $57.18
- Total employment: 90 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $119,560
- Median hourly wage: $57.48
- Total employment: 80 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedy // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $121,250
- Median hourly wage: $58.29
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $122,200
- Median hourly wage: $58.75
- Total employment: 190 people (2.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $123,320
- Median hourly wage: $59.29
- Total employment: 170 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $124,370
- Median hourly wage: $59.79
- Total employment: 330 people (4.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $124,990
- Median hourly wage: $60.09
- Total employment: 1,620 people (23.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $125,890
- Median hourly wage: $60.53
- Total employment: 80 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $127,130
- Median hourly wage: $61.12
- Total employment: 330 people (4.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $131,050
- Median hourly wage: $63.01
- Total employment: 240 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $131,120
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 180 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $131,220
- Median hourly wage: $63.09
- Total employment: 70 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $132,520
- Median hourly wage: $63.71
- Total employment: 70 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $137,810
- Median hourly wage: $66.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $138,230
- Median hourly wage: $66.46
- Total employment: 80 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $146,720
- Median hourly wage: $70.54
- Total employment: 30 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $147,070
- Median hourly wage: $70.71
- Total employment: 50 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $150,380
- Median hourly wage: $72.30
- Total employment: 60 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $153,780
- Median hourly wage: $73.93
- Total employment: 110 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $154,370
- Median hourly wage: $74.21
- Total employment: 120 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $157,510
- Median hourly wage: $75.73
- Total employment: 100 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $160,560
- Median hourly wage: $77.19
- Total employment: 130 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $163,770
- Median hourly wage: $78.74
- Total employment: 140 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $170,970
- Median hourly wage: $82.20
- Total employment: 60 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $176,890
- Median hourly wage: $85.04
- Total employment: 60 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $200,310
- Median hourly wage: $96.30
- Total employment: 130 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. General internal medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $230,060
- Median hourly wage: $110.61
- Total employment: 30 people (0.44 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: 70 people (1.06 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: 80 people (1.08 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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