Ermolaev Alexander // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Special education teachers, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,240
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Jackson, Michigan
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 Jackson. 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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Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $78,370
- Median hourly wage: $37.68
- Total employment: 30 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Instructional coordinators
- Median annual wage: $78,460
- Median hourly wage: $37.72
- Total employment: 100 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $78,510
- Median hourly wage: $37.75
- Total employment: 50 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $79,080
- Median hourly wage: $38.02
- Total employment: 230 people (4.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $80,360
- Median hourly wage: $38.64
- Total employment: 70 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $80,390
- Median hourly wage: $38.65
- Total employment: 220 people (3.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $80,500
- Median hourly wage: $38.70
- Total employment: 110 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $81,100
- Median hourly wage: $38.99
- Total employment: 60 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $82,050
- Median hourly wage: $39.45
- Total employment: 60 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 PM production // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $82,170
- Median hourly wage: $39.50
- Total employment: 250 people (4.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $82,840
- Median hourly wage: $39.83
- Total employment: 70 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $84,990
- Median hourly wage: $40.86
- Total employment: 70 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $87,660
- Median hourly wage: $42.14
- Total employment: 190 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $88,190
- Median hourly wage: $42.40
- Total employment: 50 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $91,060
- Median hourly wage: $43.78
- Total employment: 50 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $91,510
- Median hourly wage: $44.00
- Total employment: 120 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $93,060
- Median hourly wage: $44.74
- Total employment: 320 people (5.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $93,330
- Median hourly wage: $44.87
- Total employment: 1,000 people (17.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $93,380
- Median hourly wage: $44.90
- Total employment: 60 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $93,470
- Median hourly wage: $44.94
- Total employment: 100 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $93,790
- Median hourly wage: $45.09
- Total employment: 50 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $96,300
- Median hourly wage: $46.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $96,950
- Median hourly wage: $46.61
- Total employment: 50 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $97,060
- Median hourly wage: $46.66
- Total employment: 100 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $98,160
- Median hourly wage: $47.19
- Total employment: 150 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $99,290
- Median hourly wage: $47.74
- Total employment: 180 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $102,160
- Median hourly wage: $49.11
- Total employment: 30 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $103,000
- Median hourly wage: $49.52
- Total employment: 50 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $103,740
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $104,000
- Median hourly wage: $50.00
- Total employment: 90 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $104,430
- Median hourly wage: $50.21
- Total employment: 280 people (5.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $104,450
- Median hourly wage: $50.22
- Total employment: 190 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $107,450
- Median hourly wage: $51.66
- Total employment: 290 people (5.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $110,390
- Median hourly wage: $53.07
- Total employment: 60 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $113,130
- Median hourly wage: $54.39
- Total employment: 80 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $113,320
- Median hourly wage: $54.48
- Total employment: 70 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $120,840
- Median hourly wage: $58.10
- Total employment: 250 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $125,540
- Median hourly wage: $60.36
- Total employment: 140 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $125,940
- Median hourly wage: $60.55
- Total employment: 40 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $126,290
- Median hourly wage: $60.72
- Total employment: 60 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $126,980
- Median hourly wage: $61.05
- Total employment: 60 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $130,210
- Median hourly wage: $62.60
- Total employment: 70 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $130,340
- Median hourly wage: $62.66
- Total employment: 220 people (3.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $130,890
- Median hourly wage: $62.93
- Total employment: 140 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $132,930
- Median hourly wage: $63.91
- Total employment: 140 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $143,870
- Median hourly wage: $69.17
- Total employment: 140 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $151,780
- Median hourly wage: $72.97
- Total employment: 60 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $166,550
- Median hourly wage: $80.07
- Total employment: 40 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $169,310
- Median hourly wage: $81.40
- Total employment: 50 people (0.86 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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