Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $77,810
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Lafayette
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 Lafayette. 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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KSai23 // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Chiropractors
- Median annual wage: $78,780
- Median hourly wage: $37.87
- Total employment: Not available
SofikoS // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $79,210
- Median hourly wage: $38.08
- Total employment: 90 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $79,500
- Median hourly wage: $38.22
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $79,850
- Median hourly wage: $38.39
- Total employment: 110 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $82,250
- Median hourly wage: $39.54
- Total employment: 60 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $82,270
- Median hourly wage: $39.56
- Total employment: 250 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $82,640
- Median hourly wage: $39.73
- Total employment: 80 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $83,190
- Median hourly wage: $39.99
- Total employment: 130 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $83,800
- Median hourly wage: $40.29
- Total employment: 640 people (3.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santi lumubol // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $85,340
- Median hourly wage: $41.03
- Total employment: 270 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $85,520
- Median hourly wage: $41.12
- Total employment: 130 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $87,960
- Median hourly wage: $42.29
- Total employment: 230 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $88,380
- Median hourly wage: $42.49
- Total employment: 150 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $89,150
- Median hourly wage: $42.86
- Total employment: 30 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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creativemarc // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $91,280
- Median hourly wage: $43.89
- Total employment: 150 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $93,140
- Median hourly wage: $44.78
- Total employment: 130 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $93,560
- Median hourly wage: $44.98
- Total employment: 240 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $93,570
- Median hourly wage: $44.98
- Total employment: 1,780 people (10.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $94,430
- Median hourly wage: $45.40
- Total employment: 210 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,070
- Median hourly wage: $46.19
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,020
- Median hourly wage: $46.65
- Total employment: 240 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $97,250
- Median hourly wage: $46.75
- Total employment: 370 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $97,660
- Median hourly wage: $46.95
- Total employment: 150 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $99,210
- Median hourly wage: $47.70
- Total employment: 550 people (3.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $99,310
- Median hourly wage: $47.75
- Total employment: 50 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $100,200
- Median hourly wage: $48.18
- Total employment: 600 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $100,250
- Median hourly wage: $48.20
- Total employment: 4,400 people (25.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $101,410
- Median hourly wage: $48.75
- Total employment: Not available
Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Median annual wage: $101,680
- Median hourly wage: $48.88
- Total employment: 260 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Skycolors // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $102,790
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 140 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $103,590
- Median hourly wage: $49.80
- Total employment: 90 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $103,910
- Median hourly wage: $49.96
- Total employment: 290 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $105,290
- Median hourly wage: $50.62
- Total employment: 630 people (3.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $109,290
- Median hourly wage: $52.54
- Total employment: 90 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $110,240
- Median hourly wage: $53.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $115,220
- Median hourly wage: $55.40
- Total employment: 50 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $120,670
- Median hourly wage: $58.02
- Total employment: 390 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $121,780
- Median hourly wage: $58.55
- Total employment: 800 people (4.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $122,760
- Median hourly wage: $59.02
- Total employment: 140 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $123,560
- Median hourly wage: $59.40
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $126,140
- Median hourly wage: $60.65
- Total employment: 100 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $129,310
- Median hourly wage: $62.17
- Total employment: 450 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $130,930
- Median hourly wage: $62.95
- Total employment: 130 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $141,340
- Median hourly wage: $67.95
- Total employment: 80 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $154,010
- Median hourly wage: $74.04
- Total employment: 50 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $161,250
- Median hourly wage: $77.53
- Total employment: 120 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. General internal medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $180,960
- Median hourly wage: $87.00
- Total employment: 400 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $209,940
- Median hourly wage: $100.93
- Total employment: 100 people (0.59 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: 170 people (0.97 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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