fizkes // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $82,990
- Median hourly wage: $39.90
- Total employment: 380 people (4.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Panama City
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 Panama City. 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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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Instructional coordinators
- Median annual wage: $83,770
- Median hourly wage: $40.27
- Total employment: 60 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $83,810
- Median hourly wage: $40.29
- Total employment: 120 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $84,290
- Median hourly wage: $40.53
- Total employment: 50 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $84,300
- Median hourly wage: $40.53
- Total employment: 240 people (2.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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creativemarc // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $84,350
- Median hourly wage: $40.55
- Total employment: 140 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $84,510
- Median hourly wage: $40.63
- Total employment: 780 people (8.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $84,800
- Median hourly wage: $40.77
- Total employment: 560 people (6.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $84,870
- Median hourly wage: $40.81
- Total employment: 2,050 people (23.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $85,340
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 140 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ground Picture // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $87,920
- Median hourly wage: $42.27
- Total employment: 130 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $91,800
- Median hourly wage: $44.13
- Total employment: 280 people (3.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $91,980
- Median hourly wage: $44.22
- Total employment: 50 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $92,870
- Median hourly wage: $44.65
- Total employment: 210 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $93,230
- Median hourly wage: $44.82
- Total employment: 160 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $93,950
- Median hourly wage: $45.17
- Total employment: 200 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $95,290
- Median hourly wage: $45.81
- Total employment: 280 people (3.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $95,640
- Median hourly wage: $45.98
- Total employment: 290 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $96,180
- Median hourly wage: $46.24
- Total employment: 170 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $97,800
- Median hourly wage: $47.02
- Total employment: 90 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $98,330
- Median hourly wage: $47.28
- Total employment: 320 people (3.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $99,210
- Median hourly wage: $47.70
- Total employment: 70 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $100,060
- Median hourly wage: $48.10
- Total employment: 50 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $101,140
- Median hourly wage: $48.63
- Total employment: 240 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $101,410
- Median hourly wage: $48.76
- Total employment: 120 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $101,440
- Median hourly wage: $48.77
- Total employment: 60 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $102,030
- Median hourly wage: $49.05
- Total employment: 340 people (3.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $102,900
- Median hourly wage: $49.47
- Total employment: 200 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $102,990
- Median hourly wage: $49.52
- Total employment: 90 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $103,380
- Median hourly wage: $49.70
- Total employment: 70 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,800
- Median hourly wage: $49.91
- Total employment: 70 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $104,680
- Median hourly wage: $50.33
- Total employment: 60 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $106,620
- Median hourly wage: $51.26
- Total employment: 130 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $111,940
- Median hourly wage: $53.82
- Total employment: 60 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $114,550
- Median hourly wage: $55.07
- Total employment: 90 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $115,170
- Median hourly wage: $55.37
- Total employment: 440 people (4.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $116,700
- Median hourly wage: $56.11
- Total employment: 160 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $117,270
- Median hourly wage: $56.38
- Total employment: 330 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $118,620
- Median hourly wage: $57.03
- Total employment: 210 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $120,000
- Median hourly wage: $57.69
- Total employment: 90 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $121,470
- Median hourly wage: $58.40
- Total employment: 160 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $121,700
- Median hourly wage: $58.51
- Total employment: 70 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $123,760
- Median hourly wage: $59.50
- Total employment: 250 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $129,020
- Median hourly wage: $62.03
- Total employment: 120 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $130,160
- Median hourly wage: $62.58
- Total employment: 30 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $132,360
- Median hourly wage: $63.64
- Total employment: 160 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $142,560
- Median hourly wage: $68.54
- Total employment: 100 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $187,990
- Median hourly wage: $90.38
- Total employment: 70 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.79 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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