Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $78,280
- Median hourly wage: $37.64
- Total employment: 110 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Niles
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 Niles. 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. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $78,990
- Median hourly wage: $37.98
- Total employment: 150 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $79,020
- Median hourly wage: $37.99
- Total employment: 80 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $79,460
- Median hourly wage: $38.20
- Total employment: 70 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $79,670
- Median hourly wage: $38.30
- Total employment: 90 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SofikoS // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $79,750
- Median hourly wage: $38.34
- Total employment: 50 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gearstd // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $80,280
- Median hourly wage: $38.60
- Total employment: 50 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $80,670
- Median hourly wage: $38.79
- Total employment: 130 people (2.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $80,910
- Median hourly wage: $38.90
- Total employment: 40 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $81,530
- Median hourly wage: $39.20
- Total employment: Not available
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11 / 50#40. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $81,760
- Median hourly wage: $39.31
- Total employment: 240 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $82,170
- Median hourly wage: $39.51
- Total employment: 60 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $83,160
- Median hourly wage: $39.98
- Total employment: 110 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $83,190
- Median hourly wage: $39.99
- Total employment: 50 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $89,210
- Median hourly wage: $42.89
- Total employment: 50 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $90,030
- Median hourly wage: $43.29
- Total employment: 1,110 people (18.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $92,540
- Median hourly wage: $44.49
- Total employment: 60 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $93,970
- Median hourly wage: $45.18
- Total employment: 90 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $94,660
- Median hourly wage: $45.51
- Total employment: 300 people (4.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $96,690
- Median hourly wage: $46.49
- Total employment: 40 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $97,050
- Median hourly wage: $46.66
- Total employment: 70 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $98,130
- Median hourly wage: $47.18
- Total employment: 50 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $98,280
- Median hourly wage: $47.25
- Total employment: 1,440 people (24.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $99,130
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 160 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $99,840
- Median hourly wage: $48.00
- Total employment: 80 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $102,530
- Median hourly wage: $49.29
- Total employment: 130 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $102,880
- Median hourly wage: $49.46
- Total employment: 640 people (10.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $104,070
- Median hourly wage: $50.03
- Total employment: 70 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $105,130
- Median hourly wage: $50.54
- Total employment: 250 people (4.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $106,690
- Median hourly wage: $51.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $108,180
- Median hourly wage: $52.01
- Total employment: 170 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $117,710
- Median hourly wage: $56.59
- Total employment: 180 people (2.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $117,960
- Median hourly wage: $56.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $121,230
- Median hourly wage: $58.28
- Total employment: 100 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $122,800
- Median hourly wage: $59.04
- Total employment: 70 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $125,490
- Median hourly wage: $60.33
- Total employment: 230 people (3.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $127,150
- Median hourly wage: $61.13
- Total employment: 40 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $133,140
- Median hourly wage: $64.01
- Total employment: 250 people (4.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $133,360
- Median hourly wage: $64.11
- Total employment: 130 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $134,050
- Median hourly wage: $64.45
- Total employment: 250 people (4.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $134,550
- Median hourly wage: $64.69
- Total employment: 90 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $136,720
- Median hourly wage: $65.73
- Total employment: 70 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $150,890
- Median hourly wage: $72.54
- Total employment: 100 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $156,270
- Median hourly wage: $75.13
- Total employment: 70 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $157,350
- Median hourly wage: $75.65
- Total employment: 160 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $174,740
- Median hourly wage: $84.01
- Total employment: 90 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $178,200
- Median hourly wage: $85.68
- Total employment: 70 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $183,300
- Median hourly wage: $88.13
- Total employment: 50 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 70 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Nurse anesthetists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.58 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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