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1 / 50#50. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $79,940
- Median hourly wage: $38.43
- Total employment: 2,180 people (22.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Athens
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 Athens. 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. Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $80,560
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $80,810
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 160 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $80,860
- Median hourly wage: $38.87
- Total employment: 130 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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5 / 50#46. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $81,190
- Median hourly wage: $39.03
- Total employment: 70 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $82,060
- Median hourly wage: $39.45
- Total employment: 220 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $82,230
- Median hourly wage: $39.54
- Total employment: 110 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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8 / 50#43. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $82,400
- Median hourly wage: $39.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $83,370
- Median hourly wage: $40.08
- Total employment: 100 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50#41. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $84,390
- Median hourly wage: $40.57
- Total employment: 50 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $84,670
- Median hourly wage: $40.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $85,140
- Median hourly wage: $40.93
- Total employment: 140 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $85,440
- Median hourly wage: $41.08
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50#37. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $86,680
- Median hourly wage: $41.68
- Total employment: 120 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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15 / 50#36. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $89,060
- Median hourly wage: $42.82
- Total employment: 60 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $95,720
- Median hourly wage: $46.02
- Total employment: 520 people (5.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $97,460
- Median hourly wage: $46.86
- Total employment: 70 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $98,230
- Median hourly wage: $47.23
- Total employment: 130 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $98,320
- Median hourly wage: $47.27
- Total employment: 140 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $98,590
- Median hourly wage: $47.40
- Total employment: 40 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $100,060
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Psychology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $100,370
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: Not available
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23 / 50#28. English language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $101,700
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $102,870
- Median hourly wage: $49.46
- Total employment: 150 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,040
- Median hourly wage: $49.54
- Total employment: 70 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $103,240
- Median hourly wage: $49.64
- Total employment: 130 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $104,580
- Median hourly wage: $50.28
- Total employment: 40 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $107,000
- Median hourly wage: $51.44
- Total employment: 150 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $109,260
- Median hourly wage: $52.53
- Total employment: 80 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
angellodeco // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Microbiologists
- Median annual wage: $110,260
- Median hourly wage: $53.01
- Total employment: 80 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $110,350
- Median hourly wage: $53.05
- Total employment: 70 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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32 / 50#19. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $111,550
- Median hourly wage: $53.63
- Total employment: 30 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $117,530
- Median hourly wage: $56.51
- Total employment: 80 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $120,440
- Median hourly wage: $57.90
- Total employment: 30 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $123,250
- Median hourly wage: $59.25
- Total employment: 280 people (2.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $123,460
- Median hourly wage: $59.36
- Total employment: 50 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $126,100
- Median hourly wage: $60.63
- Total employment: 60 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $127,090
- Median hourly wage: $61.10
- Total employment: 270 people (2.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $127,380
- Median hourly wage: $61.24
- Total employment: 200 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $129,710
- Median hourly wage: $62.36
- Total employment: 140 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $133,750
- Median hourly wage: $64.30
- Total employment: 110 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $134,380
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $140,640
- Median hourly wage: $67.61
- Total employment: 210 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $156,010
- Median hourly wage: $75.01
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $170,180
- Median hourly wage: $81.82
- Total employment: 80 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $233,360
- Median hourly wage: $112.19
- Total employment: 80 people (0.82 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
Photoroyalty // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Surgeons, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 130 people (1.38 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: 140 people (1.43 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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