Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Property appraisers and assessors
- Median annual wage: $73,730
- Median hourly wage: $35.45
- Total employment: 40 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Watertown
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 Watertown. 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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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $74,700
- Median hourly wage: $35.91
- Total employment: 100 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $75,010
- Median hourly wage: $36.06
- Total employment: 60 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lopolo // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $75,690
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 290 people (7.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $76,050
- Median hourly wage: $36.56
- Total employment: 200 people (5.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $76,110
- Median hourly wage: $36.59
- Total employment: 50 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $76,980
- Median hourly wage: $37.01
- Total employment: 100 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $77,840
- Median hourly wage: $37.42
- Total employment: 60 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,940
- Median hourly wage: $37.47
- Total employment: 300 people (7.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $77,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.49
- Total employment: 60 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $78,460
- Median hourly wage: $37.72
- Total employment: 40 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $78,720
- Median hourly wage: $37.85
- Total employment: 150 people (3.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $78,740
- Median hourly wage: $37.86
- Total employment: 70 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $78,980
- Median hourly wage: $37.97
- Total employment: 80 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
M2020 // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $79,090
- Median hourly wage: $38.03
- Total employment: 50 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $82,220
- Median hourly wage: $39.53
- Total employment: 140 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $84,150
- Median hourly wage: $40.46
- Total employment: 40 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $84,250
- Median hourly wage: $40.50
- Total employment: 250 people (6.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $85,140
- Median hourly wage: $40.93
- Total employment: 70 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $86,390
- Median hourly wage: $41.53
- Total employment: 40 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $86,500
- Median hourly wage: $41.59
- Total employment: 60 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $86,680
- Median hourly wage: $41.67
- Total employment: 810 people (20.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
- Median annual wage: $86,990
- Median hourly wage: $41.82
- Total employment: 30 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $88,710
- Median hourly wage: $42.65
- Total employment: 120 people (3.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $89,860
- Median hourly wage: $43.20
- Total employment: 210 people (5.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $90,380
- Median hourly wage: $43.45
- Total employment: 120 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $92,750
- Median hourly wage: $44.59
- Total employment: 50 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $95,990
- Median hourly wage: $46.15
- Total employment: 40 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chad McDermott // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Urban and regional planners
- Median annual wage: $98,190
- Median hourly wage: $47.21
- Total employment: 40 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,840
- Median hourly wage: $47.52
- Total employment: 40 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $100,000
- Median hourly wage: $48.08
- Total employment: 40 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,040
- Median hourly wage: $48.10
- Total employment: 50 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $100,440
- Median hourly wage: $48.29
- Total employment: 70 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $100,950
- Median hourly wage: $48.53
- Total employment: 840 people (21.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $101,130
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $103,710
- Median hourly wage: $49.86
- Total employment: 60 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $104,330
- Median hourly wage: $50.16
- Total employment: 70 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $104,530
- Median hourly wage: $50.25
- Total employment: 70 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $105,830
- Median hourly wage: $50.88
- Total employment: 30 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $110,140
- Median hourly wage: $52.95
- Total employment: 110 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $124,090
- Median hourly wage: $59.66
- Total employment: 80 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $124,280
- Median hourly wage: $59.75
- Total employment: 50 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $127,970
- Median hourly wage: $61.53
- Total employment: 30 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $128,820
- Median hourly wage: $61.93
- Total employment: 70 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $129,750
- Median hourly wage: $62.38
- Total employment: 70 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $135,620
- Median hourly wage: $65.20
- Total employment: 80 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $137,930
- Median hourly wage: $66.31
- Total employment: 50 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $138,500
- Median hourly wage: $66.59
- Total employment: 40 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $138,690
- Median hourly wage: $66.68
- Total employment: 90 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $225,670
- Median hourly wage: $108.49
- Total employment: 40 people (0.97 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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