Pressmaster // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Public relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $70,830
- Median hourly wage: $34.05
- Total employment: 30 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Elmira
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 Elmira. 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.
You may also like: How much house does $500,000 buy you in Elmira?
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $71,040
- Median hourly wage: $34.15
- Total employment: 50 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $71,790
- Median hourly wage: $34.52
- Total employment: 310 people (9.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $73,860
- Median hourly wage: $35.51
- Total employment: 40 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $74,040
- Median hourly wage: $35.60
- Total employment: 560 people (16.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Lowest-paying jobs in Elmira
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $74,560
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $75,210
- Median hourly wage: $36.16
- Total employment: 200 people (6.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
B Brown // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $75,640
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 260 people (7.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Instructional coordinators
- Median annual wage: $76,510
- Median hourly wage: $36.78
- Total employment: 40 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
10 / 50#40. Management analysts (tie)
- Median annual wage: $77,500
- Median hourly wage: $37.26
- Total employment: 40 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Most expensive homes for sale in Elmira
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Accountants and auditors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $77,500
- Median hourly wage: $37.26
- Total employment: 190 people (5.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $79,990
- Median hourly wage: $38.46
- Total employment: 670 people (20.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $80,350
- Median hourly wage: $38.63
- Total employment: 40 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $80,920
- Median hourly wage: $38.91
- Total employment: 40 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $80,960
- Median hourly wage: $38.92
- Total employment: 240 people (7.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Elmira's 2025 housing market year in review
4 PM production // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,070
- Median hourly wage: $38.98
- Total employment: 120 people (3.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $82,690
- Median hourly wage: $39.75
- Total employment: 140 people (4.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $82,720
- Median hourly wage: $39.77
- Total employment: 160 people (4.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $83,710
- Median hourly wage: $40.25
- Total employment: 50 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $84,260
- Median hourly wage: $40.51
- Total employment: 150 people (4.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Elmira 7-day weather forecast
DGLimages // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Mental health and substance abuse social workers
- Median annual wage: $87,530
- Median hourly wage: $42.08
- Total employment: 70 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $91,000
- Median hourly wage: $43.75
- Total employment: 60 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $91,790
- Median hourly wage: $44.13
- Total employment: 30 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $91,800
- Median hourly wage: $44.13
- Total employment: 50 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $95,270
- Median hourly wage: $45.80
- Total employment: 700 people (20.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Where people in Elmira are looking to buy homes
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $96,130
- Median hourly wage: $46.22
- Total employment: 90 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $96,960
- Median hourly wage: $46.61
- Total employment: 30 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $99,530
- Median hourly wage: $47.85
- Total employment: 80 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $102,370
- Median hourly wage: $49.22
- Total employment: 30 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $102,560
- Median hourly wage: $49.31
- Total employment: 30 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated pizza restaurants in the Elmira area by diners
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $102,690
- Median hourly wage: $49.37
- Total employment: 100 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $103,320
- Median hourly wage: $49.67
- Total employment: 40 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $103,490
- Median hourly wage: $49.76
- Total employment: 150 people (4.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $105,320
- Median hourly wage: $50.63
- Total employment: 30 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $106,430
- Median hourly wage: $51.17
- Total employment: 40 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Elmira
Undrey // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $108,360
- Median hourly wage: $52.10
- Total employment: 40 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
- Median annual wage: $110,290
- Median hourly wage: $53.02
- Total employment: 40 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $113,510
- Median hourly wage: $54.57
- Total employment: 60 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $115,370
- Median hourly wage: $55.47
- Total employment: 80 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $120,330
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Asian restaurants in Elmira by diners
fizkes // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $123,910
- Median hourly wage: $59.57
- Total employment: 40 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $132,850
- Median hourly wage: $63.87
- Total employment: 70 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $133,960
- Median hourly wage: $64.40
- Total employment: 130 people (3.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $134,340
- Median hourly wage: $64.59
- Total employment: 80 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $138,830
- Median hourly wage: $66.75
- Total employment: 80 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated steak restaurants in the Elmira area by diners
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $143,780
- Median hourly wage: $69.13
- Total employment: 30 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $154,140
- Median hourly wage: $74.11
- Total employment: 50 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $161,320
- Median hourly wage: $77.56
- Total employment: 60 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $221,580
- Median hourly wage: $106.53
- Total employment: 60 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $237,470
- Median hourly wage: $114.17
- Total employment: 90 people (2.55 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.
You may also like: The most expensive homes sold in Elmira this year
