Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $128,910
- Median hourly wage: $61.98
- Total employment: 17,810 people (6.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Atlanta
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 Atlanta. 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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Dmitry Lobanov // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Nuclear engineers
- Median annual wage: $129,820
- Median hourly wage: $62.42
- Total employment: 60 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $130,830
- Median hourly wage: $62.90
- Total employment: 35,900 people (12.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Psychologists, all other
- Median annual wage: $131,020
- Median hourly wage: $62.99
- Total employment: 240 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
5 / 50#45. Engineers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $131,120
- Median hourly wage: $63.04
- Total employment: 2,470 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BlurryMe // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $131,120
- Median hourly wage: $63.04
- Total employment: 2,530 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Physicists
- Median annual wage: $131,560
- Median hourly wage: $63.25
- Total employment: 140 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $131,770
- Median hourly wage: $63.35
- Total employment: 940 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $132,070
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 3,250 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kokulina // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Makeup artists, theatrical and performance
- Median annual wage: $133,050
- Median hourly wage: $63.96
- Total employment: 40 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $133,550
- Median hourly wage: $64.21
- Total employment: 410 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Advertising and promotions managers
- Median annual wage: $134,090
- Median hourly wage: $64.46
- Total employment: 370 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Art directors
- Median annual wage: $134,280
- Median hourly wage: $64.56
- Total employment: 880 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $134,880
- Median hourly wage: $64.84
- Total employment: 4,730 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $135,280
- Median hourly wage: $65.04
- Total employment: 2,390 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $135,760
- Median hourly wage: $65.27
- Total employment: 1,080 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $136,260
- Median hourly wage: $65.51
- Total employment: 6,760 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $136,470
- Median hourly wage: $65.61
- Total employment: 690 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $137,520
- Median hourly wage: $66.12
- Total employment: 1,870 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $139,350
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 500 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $139,870
- Median hourly wage: $67.25
- Total employment: 1,380 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Djols // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Emergency medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $139,990
- Median hourly wage: $67.30
- Total employment: 2,760 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $141,790
- Median hourly wage: $68.17
- Total employment: 560 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $143,850
- Median hourly wage: $69.16
- Total employment: 5,500 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lovely Bird // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $145,780
- Median hourly wage: $70.09
- Total employment: 100 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $152,300
- Median hourly wage: $73.22
- Total employment: 5,140 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $152,790
- Median hourly wage: $73.46
- Total employment: 650 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $156,950
- Median hourly wage: $75.46
- Total employment: 12,540 people (4.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mark_Kostich // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Medical dosimetrists
- Median annual wage: $159,790
- Median hourly wage: $76.82
- Total employment: 80 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elnur // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Podiatrists
- Median annual wage: $161,810
- Median hourly wage: $77.79
- Total employment: 80 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $162,290
- Median hourly wage: $78.02
- Total employment: Not available
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $164,010
- Median hourly wage: $78.85
- Total employment: 2,650 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $164,650
- Median hourly wage: $79.16
- Total employment: 7,080 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $168,990
- Median hourly wage: $81.25
- Total employment: 16,620 people (5.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $171,360
- Median hourly wage: $82.38
- Total employment: 13,500 people (4.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Burben // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $182,310
- Median hourly wage: $87.65
- Total employment: 820 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Anesthesiologists
- Median annual wage: $206,890
- Median hourly wage: $99.47
- Total employment: Not available
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Dentists, all other specialists
- Median annual wage: $211,370
- Median hourly wage: $101.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $214,490
- Median hourly wage: $103.12
- Total employment: 1,900 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $217,720
- Median hourly wage: $104.67
- Total employment: 510 people (0.18 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: 300 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photoroyalty // Shutterstock
42 / 50#1. Surgeons, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
43 / 50#1. Chief executives (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 3,310 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
44 / 50#1. Ophthalmologists, except pediatric (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
Komsan Loonprom // Shutterstock
45 / 50#1. Cardiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
46 / 50#1. Obstetricians and gynecologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 1,510 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 4,170 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 680 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- 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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