Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $79,210
- Median hourly wage: $38.08
- Total employment: 1,540 people (23.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Missoula
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 Missoula. 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.
SatawatK // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $79,270
- Median hourly wage: $38.11
- Total employment: 90 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $79,440
- Median hourly wage: $38.19
- Total employment: 70 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $79,820
- Median hourly wage: $38.37
- Total employment: 70 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $80,150
- Median hourly wage: $38.53
- Total employment: 250 people (3.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $80,380
- Median hourly wage: $38.64
- Total employment: 90 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $81,000
- Median hourly wage: $38.94
- Total employment: Not available
Undrey // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $81,290
- Median hourly wage: $39.08
- Total employment: 40 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $81,470
- Median hourly wage: $39.17
- Total employment: 370 people (5.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $82,870
- Median hourly wage: $39.84
- Total employment: 180 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $83,020
- Median hourly wage: $39.91
- Total employment: 50 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $83,970
- Median hourly wage: $40.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $84,960
- Median hourly wage: $40.85
- Total employment: 70 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $87,210
- Median hourly wage: $41.93
- Total employment: 60 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $89,860
- Median hourly wage: $43.20
- Total employment: 170 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $90,220
- Median hourly wage: $43.38
- Total employment: Not available
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $95,680
- Median hourly wage: $46.00
- Total employment: 140 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $96,210
- Median hourly wage: $46.26
- Total employment: 300 people (4.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,360
- Median hourly wage: $46.81
- Total employment: 70 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $98,470
- Median hourly wage: $47.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $98,960
- Median hourly wage: $47.58
- Total employment: 200 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $99,040
- Median hourly wage: $47.62
- Total employment: 40 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $99,490
- Median hourly wage: $47.83
- Total employment: 510 people (7.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $100,790
- Median hourly wage: $48.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $100,870
- Median hourly wage: $48.49
- Total employment: 210 people (3.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $101,760
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $102,150
- Median hourly wage: $49.11
- Total employment: 110 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $104,210
- Median hourly wage: $50.10
- Total employment: 50 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $104,970
- Median hourly wage: $50.47
- Total employment: 30 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $106,000
- Median hourly wage: $50.96
- Total employment: 70 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $107,150
- Median hourly wage: $51.51
- Total employment: 50 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $107,320
- Median hourly wage: $51.60
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $108,360
- Median hourly wage: $52.10
- Total employment: 130 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $108,480
- Median hourly wage: $52.16
- Total employment: 70 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $110,260
- Median hourly wage: $53.01
- Total employment: 50 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $114,050
- Median hourly wage: $54.83
- Total employment: 90 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $114,150
- Median hourly wage: $54.88
- Total employment: 50 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $114,290
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $120,640
- Median hourly wage: $58.00
- Total employment: 110 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $121,750
- Median hourly wage: $58.53
- Total employment: 70 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $126,250
- Median hourly wage: $60.70
- Total employment: 90 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $127,920
- Median hourly wage: $61.50
- Total employment: 120 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $130,770
- Median hourly wage: $62.87
- Total employment: 170 people (2.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $132,140
- Median hourly wage: $63.53
- Total employment: 230 people (3.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $135,350
- Median hourly wage: $65.07
- Total employment: 170 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $158,780
- Median hourly wage: $76.34
- Total employment: 90 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other
- Median annual wage: $177,610
- Median hourly wage: $85.39
- Total employment: 30 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $179,840
- Median hourly wage: $86.46
- Total employment: 70 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $225,480
- Median hourly wage: $108.40
- Total employment: 70 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Radiologists
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.75 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.
