sculpies // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $77,630
- Median hourly wage: $37.32
- Total employment: 220 people (4.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Lawrence
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 Lawrence. 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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Undrey // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $78,660
- Median hourly wage: $37.82
- Total employment: 80 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $79,510
- Median hourly wage: $38.23
- Total employment: 790 people (15.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $79,950
- Median hourly wage: $38.44
- Total employment: 340 people (6.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $80,110
- Median hourly wage: $38.52
- Total employment: 190 people (3.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Daniel Besic // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. English language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $80,120
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $80,240
- Median hourly wage: $38.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $80,330
- Median hourly wage: $38.62
- Total employment: 70 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $80,860
- Median hourly wage: $38.88
- Total employment: 70 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $80,970
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $81,540
- Median hourly wage: $39.20
- Total employment: 50 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $81,560
- Median hourly wage: $39.21
- Total employment: 920 people (17.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $82,250
- Median hourly wage: $39.54
- Total employment: 70 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $82,620
- Median hourly wage: $39.72
- Total employment: 90 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $83,510
- Median hourly wage: $40.15
- Total employment: 130 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $83,690
- Median hourly wage: $40.23
- Total employment: 120 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $86,800
- Median hourly wage: $41.73
- Total employment: 80 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $88,290
- Median hourly wage: $42.45
- Total employment: 160 people (3.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
19 / 50#31. Human resources managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $89,990
- Median hourly wage: $43.26
- Total employment: 70 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Web developers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $89,990
- Median hourly wage: $43.26
- Total employment: 30 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $90,410
- Median hourly wage: $43.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $91,450
- Median hourly wage: $43.97
- Total employment: 60 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $93,030
- Median hourly wage: $44.72
- Total employment: 90 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $94,640
- Median hourly wage: $45.50
- Total employment: 40 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $95,560
- Median hourly wage: $45.94
- Total employment: 150 people (3.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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creativemarc // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $96,040
- Median hourly wage: $46.17
- Total employment: 90 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $96,470
- Median hourly wage: $46.38
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $98,620
- Median hourly wage: $47.41
- Total employment: 40 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $98,720
- Median hourly wage: $47.46
- Total employment: 70 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $100,480
- Median hourly wage: $48.31
- Total employment: 80 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,240
- Median hourly wage: $48.67
- Total employment: 40 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $101,540
- Median hourly wage: $48.82
- Total employment: 90 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $101,640
- Median hourly wage: $48.87
- Total employment: 120 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $104,260
- Median hourly wage: $50.13
- Total employment: 330 people (6.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $104,590
- Median hourly wage: $50.28
- Total employment: 140 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $105,200
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $105,350
- Median hourly wage: $50.65
- Total employment: 30 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $120,210
- Median hourly wage: $57.79
- Total employment: 30 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $122,280
- Median hourly wage: $58.79
- Total employment: 50 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $124,580
- Median hourly wage: $59.90
- Total employment: 160 people (3.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $126,580
- Median hourly wage: $60.85
- Total employment: 90 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $128,270
- Median hourly wage: $61.67
- Total employment: 110 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $132,410
- Median hourly wage: $63.66
- Total employment: 30 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $140,470
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $147,830
- Median hourly wage: $71.07
- Total employment: 50 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $149,180
- Median hourly wage: $71.72
- Total employment: 130 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $150,390
- Median hourly wage: $72.30
- Total employment: 110 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $155,420
- Median hourly wage: $74.72
- Total employment: 70 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $162,300
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 150 people (2.87 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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