SeventyFour // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $112,250
- Median hourly wage: $53.97
- Total employment: 100 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Ann Arbor
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 Ann Arbor. 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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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $113,520
- Median hourly wage: $54.58
- Total employment: 1,170 people (5.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $114,990
- Median hourly wage: $55.28
- Total employment: 70 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $115,420
- Median hourly wage: $55.49
- Total employment: 190 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $115,580
- Median hourly wage: $55.57
- Total employment: 30 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $119,270
- Median hourly wage: $57.34
- Total employment: 140 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $119,310
- Median hourly wage: $57.36
- Total employment: 2,450 people (11.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Petekub // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Economists
- Median annual wage: $120,410
- Median hourly wage: $57.89
- Total employment: 50 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $121,010
- Median hourly wage: $58.18
- Total employment: 90 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $122,510
- Median hourly wage: $58.90
- Total employment: 690 people (3.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $122,960
- Median hourly wage: $59.11
- Total employment: 80 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $125,000
- Median hourly wage: $60.09
- Total employment: 370 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $126,840
- Median hourly wage: $60.98
- Total employment: 40 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $127,830
- Median hourly wage: $61.46
- Total employment: 130 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
antoniodiaz // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Nurse midwives
- Median annual wage: $130,170
- Median hourly wage: $62.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SeventyFour // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. History teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $131,090
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $131,580
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 550 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $131,860
- Median hourly wage: $63.39
- Total employment: 160 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Political science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $131,880
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 140 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $132,160
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 310 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $132,450
- Median hourly wage: $63.68
- Total employment: 50 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Chemistry teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $132,750
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel Besic // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. English language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $132,830
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 350 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $133,160
- Median hourly wage: $64.02
- Total employment: 590 people (2.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $133,620
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 730 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $134,780
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 710 people (3.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $135,680
- Median hourly wage: $65.23
- Total employment: 270 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Physics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $135,700
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $136,350
- Median hourly wage: $65.56
- Total employment: 470 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $136,450
- Median hourly wage: $65.60
- Total employment: 170 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Computer science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $136,490
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 160 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Psychology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $137,070
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 140 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $137,570
- Median hourly wage: $66.14
- Total employment: 710 people (3.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $138,080
- Median hourly wage: $66.39
- Total employment: 450 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $138,900
- Median hourly wage: $66.78
- Total employment: 790 people (3.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $139,840
- Median hourly wage: $67.23
- Total employment: 800 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $139,850
- Median hourly wage: $67.23
- Total employment: 170 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $142,840
- Median hourly wage: $68.67
- Total employment: 250 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $146,560
- Median hourly wage: $70.46
- Total employment: 600 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $154,100
- Median hourly wage: $74.09
- Total employment: 190 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $161,420
- Median hourly wage: $77.61
- Total employment: 620 people (2.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $166,370
- Median hourly wage: $79.99
- Total employment: 1,080 people (4.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $170,060
- Median hourly wage: $81.76
- Total employment: 850 people (3.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $176,310
- Median hourly wage: $84.77
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $230,940
- Median hourly wage: $111.03
- Total employment: 2,380 people (10.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BlurryMe // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. General internal medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $233,740
- Median hourly wage: $112.37
- Total employment: 90 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $234,760
- Median hourly wage: $112.87
- Total employment: 140 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Nurse anesthetists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 270 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.18 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: 200 people (0.93 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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