Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $66,950
- Median hourly wage: $32.19
- Total employment: 60 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Owensboro
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 Owensboro. 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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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $67,140
- Median hourly wage: $32.28
- Total employment: 390 people (7.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $68,520
- Median hourly wage: $32.94
- Total employment: 80 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $68,830
- Median hourly wage: $33.09
- Total employment: 50 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
- Median annual wage: $69,250
- Median hourly wage: $33.29
- Total employment: 100 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $69,860
- Median hourly wage: $33.59
- Total employment: 50 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $70,040
- Median hourly wage: $33.67
- Total employment: 190 people (3.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $71,240
- Median hourly wage: $34.25
- Total employment: 480 people (9.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $71,340
- Median hourly wage: $34.30
- Total employment: 1,310 people (27.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $71,510
- Median hourly wage: $34.38
- Total employment: 200 people (4.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ground Picture // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $71,900
- Median hourly wage: $34.57
- Total employment: 40 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $73,150
- Median hourly wage: $35.17
- Total employment: 50 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $73,600
- Median hourly wage: $35.38
- Total employment: 80 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $73,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.48
- Total employment: 60 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $73,840
- Median hourly wage: $35.50
- Total employment: 220 people (4.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $74,290
- Median hourly wage: $35.72
- Total employment: 170 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $76,400
- Median hourly wage: $36.73
- Total employment: 50 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $79,030
- Median hourly wage: $38.00
- Total employment: 60 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $79,360
- Median hourly wage: $38.16
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $79,420
- Median hourly wage: $38.18
- Total employment: 60 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $79,470
- Median hourly wage: $38.21
- Total employment: 30 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $79,510
- Median hourly wage: $38.23
- Total employment: 1,660 people (34.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $80,610
- Median hourly wage: $38.76
- Total employment: 160 people (3.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $81,140
- Median hourly wage: $39.01
- Total employment: 30 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $81,700
- Median hourly wage: $39.28
- Total employment: 50 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $82,730
- Median hourly wage: $39.78
- Total employment: 70 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $82,960
- Median hourly wage: $39.89
- Total employment: 40 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $83,950
- Median hourly wage: $40.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
AlesiaKan // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Health education specialists
- Median annual wage: $85,250
- Median hourly wage: $40.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $86,090
- Median hourly wage: $41.39
- Total employment: 50 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $94,460
- Median hourly wage: $45.41
- Total employment: 90 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $95,840
- Median hourly wage: $46.08
- Total employment: 70 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $96,290
- Median hourly wage: $46.29
- Total employment: 160 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $96,340
- Median hourly wage: $46.32
- Total employment: 50 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,010
- Median hourly wage: $47.12
- Total employment: 30 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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creativemarc // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $100,080
- Median hourly wage: $48.11
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $100,480
- Median hourly wage: $48.31
- Total employment: 140 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $100,550
- Median hourly wage: $48.34
- Total employment: 100 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $101,190
- Median hourly wage: $48.65
- Total employment: 150 people (3.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $108,210
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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dokurose // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $108,360
- Median hourly wage: $52.10
- Total employment: 150 people (3.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $111,550
- Median hourly wage: $53.63
- Total employment: 30 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $112,720
- Median hourly wage: $54.19
- Total employment: 30 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $119,850
- Median hourly wage: $57.62
- Total employment: 120 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $125,140
- Median hourly wage: $60.16
- Total employment: 30 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $134,820
- Median hourly wage: $64.82
- Total employment: 100 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $135,760
- Median hourly wage: $65.27
- Total employment: 60 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $138,210
- Median hourly wage: $66.45
- Total employment: 50 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $216,650
- Median hourly wage: $104.16
- Total employment: 40 people (0.77 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: 110 people (2.27 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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