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1 / 50#50. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $102,040
- Median hourly wage: $49.06
- Total employment: 1,000 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Louisville
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 Louisville. 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. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $102,070
- Median hourly wage: $49.07
- Total employment: 350 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $103,250
- Median hourly wage: $49.64
- Total employment: 60 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,400
- Median hourly wage: $49.71
- Total employment: 110 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,410
- Median hourly wage: $49.72
- Total employment: 1,180 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $103,760
- Median hourly wage: $49.88
- Total employment: 730 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $103,860
- Median hourly wage: $49.93
- Total employment: 2,600 people (3.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tonhom1009 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
- Median annual wage: $104,790
- Median hourly wage: $50.38
- Total employment: 90 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $104,970
- Median hourly wage: $50.47
- Total employment: 950 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50#41. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $105,320
- Median hourly wage: $50.64
- Total employment: 50 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $105,930
- Median hourly wage: $50.93
- Total employment: 270 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $106,440
- Median hourly wage: $51.18
- Total employment: 280 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $106,470
- Median hourly wage: $51.19
- Total employment: 2,850 people (4.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50#37. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $106,850
- Median hourly wage: $51.37
- Total employment: 100 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $107,370
- Median hourly wage: $51.62
- Total employment: 60 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $107,440
- Median hourly wage: $51.65
- Total employment: 220 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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17 / 50#34. Podiatrists
- Median annual wage: $107,600
- Median hourly wage: $51.73
- Total employment: 30 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $108,100
- Median hourly wage: $51.97
- Total employment: 70 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $108,170
- Median hourly wage: $52.01
- Total employment: 2,650 people (3.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $109,000
- Median hourly wage: $52.40
- Total employment: 1,530 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $109,770
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 200 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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22 / 50#29. Statisticians
- Median annual wage: $110,140
- Median hourly wage: $52.95
- Total employment: 90 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $113,950
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,240 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $116,170
- Median hourly wage: $55.85
- Total employment: 600 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $117,370
- Median hourly wage: $56.43
- Total employment: 220 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $118,790
- Median hourly wage: $57.11
- Total employment: 1,710 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $119,790
- Median hourly wage: $57.59
- Total employment: 280 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $121,000
- Median hourly wage: $58.17
- Total employment: 740 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Psychologists, all other
- Median annual wage: $122,440
- Median hourly wage: $58.87
- Total employment: 70 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $126,150
- Median hourly wage: $60.65
- Total employment: 450 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $130,980
- Median hourly wage: $62.97
- Total employment: 880 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $131,770
- Median hourly wage: $63.35
- Total employment: 1,040 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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33 / 50#18. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $132,000
- Median hourly wage: $63.46
- Total employment: 200 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $132,750
- Median hourly wage: $63.82
- Total employment: 2,360 people (3.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $133,660
- Median hourly wage: $64.26
- Total employment: 2,870 people (4.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $136,260
- Median hourly wage: $65.51
- Total employment: 1,290 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $136,890
- Median hourly wage: $65.81
- Total employment: 1,690 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $138,190
- Median hourly wage: $66.44
- Total employment: 490 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $151,990
- Median hourly wage: $73.07
- Total employment: 100 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $154,780
- Median hourly wage: $74.41
- Total employment: 110 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $159,460
- Median hourly wage: $76.67
- Total employment: 300 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $193,830
- Median hourly wage: $93.19
- Total employment: 80 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $205,570
- Median hourly wage: $98.83
- Total employment: 960 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $208,800
- Median hourly wage: $100.39
- Total employment: Not available
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Psychiatrists
- Median annual wage: $229,440
- Median hourly wage: $110.31
- Total employment: 70 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#1. Anesthesiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 220 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Komsan Loonprom // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Cardiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 140 people (0.21 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: 1,330 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Physicians, pathologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Djols // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Emergency medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 130 people (0.19 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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