Undrey // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $91,080
- Median hourly wage: $43.79
- Total employment: 160 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Duluth
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 Duluth. 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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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $91,560
- Median hourly wage: $44.02
- Total employment: 70 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $91,830
- Median hourly wage: $44.15
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $92,080
- Median hourly wage: $44.27
- Total employment: 150 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yulai Studio // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Surgical assistants
- Median annual wage: $92,160
- Median hourly wage: $44.31
- Total employment: 30 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $92,940
- Median hourly wage: $44.69
- Total employment: 460 people (3.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $93,970
- Median hourly wage: $45.18
- Total employment: 470 people (3.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $94,040
- Median hourly wage: $45.21
- Total employment: 80 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Taty77 // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
- Median annual wage: $94,080
- Median hourly wage: $45.23
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $94,390
- Median hourly wage: $45.38
- Total employment: 70 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $95,110
- Median hourly wage: $45.72
- Total employment: 60 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $95,590
- Median hourly wage: $45.96
- Total employment: 30 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $96,910
- Median hourly wage: $46.59
- Total employment: 120 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,160
- Median hourly wage: $46.71
- Total employment: 240 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,600
- Median hourly wage: $46.92
- Total employment: 160 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $98,410
- Median hourly wage: $47.31
- Total employment: 60 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $99,420
- Median hourly wage: $47.80
- Total employment: 130 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $100,530
- Median hourly wage: $48.33
- Total employment: 490 people (3.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $100,700
- Median hourly wage: $48.41
- Total employment: 80 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $101,670
- Median hourly wage: $48.88
- Total employment: 510 people (4.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $102,160
- Median hourly wage: $49.12
- Total employment: 130 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $102,400
- Median hourly wage: $49.23
- Total employment: 160 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $103,360
- Median hourly wage: $49.69
- Total employment: 270 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $103,400
- Median hourly wage: $49.71
- Total employment: 130 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $103,480
- Median hourly wage: $49.75
- Total employment: 100 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $104,130
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $104,330
- Median hourly wage: $50.16
- Total employment: 40 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $104,840
- Median hourly wage: $50.40
- Total employment: 220 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Csomos Attila // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers
- Median annual wage: $105,210
- Median hourly wage: $50.58
- Total employment: 30 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $106,910
- Median hourly wage: $51.40
- Total employment: 150 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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dokurose // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $108,590
- Median hourly wage: $52.21
- Total employment: 240 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $111,550
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 170 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $113,850
- Median hourly wage: $54.73
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $117,290
- Median hourly wage: $56.39
- Total employment: 90 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $118,860
- Median hourly wage: $57.15
- Total employment: 300 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VE.Studio // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $120,640
- Median hourly wage: $58.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $126,930
- Median hourly wage: $61.02
- Total employment: 110 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $127,660
- Median hourly wage: $61.38
- Total employment: 450 people (3.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $128,940
- Median hourly wage: $61.99
- Total employment: 450 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $129,450
- Median hourly wage: $62.24
- Total employment: 190 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stokkete // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $129,670
- Median hourly wage: $62.34
- Total employment: 220 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $139,290
- Median hourly wage: $66.96
- Total employment: 290 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $147,140
- Median hourly wage: $70.74
- Total employment: 250 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $148,820
- Median hourly wage: $71.55
- Total employment: 110 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $184,430
- Median hourly wage: $88.67
- Total employment: 80 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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LightField Studios // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $216,180
- Median hourly wage: $103.94
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 110 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photoroyalty // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Surgeons, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 150 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
50 / 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 (0.56 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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