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1 / 50#50. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $95,180
- Median hourly wage: $45.76
- Total employment: 120 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Champaign
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 Champaign. 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. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $95,290
- Median hourly wage: $45.81
- Total employment: 70 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,000
- Median hourly wage: $46.16
- Total employment: 180 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $96,100
- Median hourly wage: $46.20
- Total employment: 260 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $96,530
- Median hourly wage: $46.41
- Total employment: 120 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SofikoS // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $97,460
- Median hourly wage: $46.86
- Total employment: 110 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $97,800
- Median hourly wage: $47.02
- Total employment: 210 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
M2020 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $98,730
- Median hourly wage: $47.47
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Psychology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $99,250
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $99,540
- Median hourly wage: $47.86
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $100,240
- Median hourly wage: $48.19
- Total employment: 220 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $100,260
- Median hourly wage: $48.20
- Total employment: 160 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $101,030
- Median hourly wage: $48.57
- Total employment: 120 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $101,060
- Median hourly wage: $48.59
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $101,110
- Median hourly wage: $48.61
- Total employment: 600 people (5.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $101,620
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $101,680
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 290 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $102,330
- Median hourly wage: $49.20
- Total employment: 220 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lovely Bird // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $103,520
- Median hourly wage: $49.77
- Total employment: 60 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $103,570
- Median hourly wage: $49.79
- Total employment: 150 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $104,170
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 30 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $104,200
- Median hourly wage: $50.10
- Total employment: 60 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $104,400
- Median hourly wage: $50.19
- Total employment: 200 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $104,860
- Median hourly wage: $50.41
- Total employment: 80 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $105,230
- Median hourly wage: $50.59
- Total employment: 100 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $106,030
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 160 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $106,470
- Median hourly wage: $51.19
- Total employment: 190 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $107,600
- Median hourly wage: $51.73
- Total employment: 240 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $108,230
- Median hourly wage: $52.03
- Total employment: 90 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $108,550
- Median hourly wage: $52.19
- Total employment: 90 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $109,330
- Median hourly wage: $52.56
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $111,860
- Median hourly wage: $53.78
- Total employment: 450 people (4.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $112,110
- Median hourly wage: $53.90
- Total employment: 70 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $117,470
- Median hourly wage: $56.48
- Total employment: 160 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $118,070
- Median hourly wage: $56.76
- Total employment: 310 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $121,770
- Median hourly wage: $58.54
- Total employment: 630 people (6.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $124,740
- Median hourly wage: $59.97
- Total employment: 230 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $127,080
- Median hourly wage: $61.10
- Total employment: 290 people (2.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $129,160
- Median hourly wage: $62.10
- Total employment: 400 people (3.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $129,170
- Median hourly wage: $62.10
- Total employment: 110 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stokkete // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $129,570
- Median hourly wage: $62.29
- Total employment: 70 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $132,180
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 470 people (4.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $134,830
- Median hourly wage: $64.82
- Total employment: 220 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
create jobs 51 // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Legislators
- Median annual wage: $137,740
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Computer science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $140,320
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 250 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $169,800
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 380 people (3.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $211,890
- Median hourly wage: $101.87
- Total employment: 40 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $213,580
- Median hourly wage: $102.69
- Total employment: 410 people (3.88 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: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.69 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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