Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $75,490
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 140 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Burlington, North Carolina
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 Burlington. 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. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $75,640
- Median hourly wage: $36.37
- Total employment: 420 people (6.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $75,750
- Median hourly wage: $36.42
- Total employment: 60 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $77,010
- Median hourly wage: $37.02
- Total employment: 70 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $78,340
- Median hourly wage: $37.66
- Total employment: 90 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $80,820
- Median hourly wage: $38.86
- Total employment: 240 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $81,370
- Median hourly wage: $39.12
- Total employment: 100 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $82,780
- Median hourly wage: $39.80
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $84,360
- Median hourly wage: $40.56
- Total employment: 80 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $84,690
- Median hourly wage: $40.72
- Total employment: 190 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $85,960
- Median hourly wage: $41.33
- Total employment: 90 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Web and digital interface designers
- Median annual wage: $86,290
- Median hourly wage: $41.49
- Total employment: 40 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $87,110
- Median hourly wage: $41.88
- Total employment: 1,070 people (15.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $89,860
- Median hourly wage: $43.20
- Total employment: 80 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $90,710
- Median hourly wage: $43.61
- Total employment: 70 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $90,790
- Median hourly wage: $43.65
- Total employment: 120 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $91,590
- Median hourly wage: $44.04
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $93,390
- Median hourly wage: $44.90
- Total employment: 90 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $94,050
- Median hourly wage: $45.22
- Total employment: 950 people (13.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $95,000
- Median hourly wage: $45.67
- Total employment: 90 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SofikoS // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $96,130
- Median hourly wage: $46.21
- Total employment: 40 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $96,420
- Median hourly wage: $46.36
- Total employment: 80 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $96,490
- Median hourly wage: $46.39
- Total employment: 130 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $96,610
- Median hourly wage: $46.45
- Total employment: 40 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $96,750
- Median hourly wage: $46.51
- Total employment: 100 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $98,500
- Median hourly wage: $47.36
- Total employment: 60 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $101,020
- Median hourly wage: $48.57
- Total employment: 150 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $101,400
- Median hourly wage: $48.75
- Total employment: 60 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $101,810
- Median hourly wage: $48.95
- Total employment: 180 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $102,810
- Median hourly wage: $49.43
- Total employment: 60 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $103,470
- Median hourly wage: $49.75
- Total employment: 30 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $104,640
- Median hourly wage: $50.31
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $105,250
- Median hourly wage: $50.60
- Total employment: 50 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $105,930
- Median hourly wage: $50.93
- Total employment: 250 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $106,420
- Median hourly wage: $51.16
- Total employment: 190 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $107,030
- Median hourly wage: $51.46
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $109,230
- Median hourly wage: $52.52
- Total employment: 60 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $110,600
- Median hourly wage: $53.18
- Total employment: 220 people (3.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $114,510
- Median hourly wage: $55.06
- Total employment: 260 people (3.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $116,120
- Median hourly wage: $55.83
- Total employment: 50 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $126,240
- Median hourly wage: $60.69
- Total employment: 30 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $128,770
- Median hourly wage: $61.91
- Total employment: 180 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $130,250
- Median hourly wage: $62.62
- Total employment: 150 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $130,890
- Median hourly wage: $62.93
- Total employment: 80 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $133,420
- Median hourly wage: $64.14
- Total employment: 150 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VE.Studio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $134,060
- Median hourly wage: $64.45
- Total employment: 40 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $139,230
- Median hourly wage: $66.94
- Total employment: 50 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $157,110
- Median hourly wage: $75.54
- Total employment: 180 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $171,010
- Median hourly wage: $82.22
- Total employment: 70 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $238,520
- Median hourly wage: $114.67
- Total employment: 70 people (1.08 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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