Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $75,530
- Median hourly wage: $36.31
- Total employment: 70 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Rocky Mount
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 Rocky Mount. 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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Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $76,010
- Median hourly wage: $36.54
- Total employment: 120 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $76,490
- Median hourly wage: $36.77
- Total employment: 60 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $78,020
- Median hourly wage: $37.51
- Total employment: 40 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $79,090
- Median hourly wage: $38.02
- Total employment: 400 people (7.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ground Picture // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $79,240
- Median hourly wage: $38.09
- Total employment: 60 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $80,990
- Median hourly wage: $38.94
- Total employment: 80 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $81,090
- Median hourly wage: $38.99
- Total employment: 1,120 people (20.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $81,480
- Median hourly wage: $39.17
- Total employment: 40 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $81,730
- Median hourly wage: $39.29
- Total employment: 60 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $82,750
- Median hourly wage: $39.79
- Total employment: 50 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $82,760
- Median hourly wage: $39.79
- Total employment: 70 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $84,390
- Median hourly wage: $40.57
- Total employment: 30 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $84,410
- Median hourly wage: $40.58
- Total employment: 90 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $85,570
- Median hourly wage: $41.14
- Total employment: 60 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Halfpoint // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $88,820
- Median hourly wage: $42.70
- Total employment: 60 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $90,760
- Median hourly wage: $43.64
- Total employment: 710 people (13.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $91,240
- Median hourly wage: $43.86
- Total employment: 50 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $93,100
- Median hourly wage: $44.76
- Total employment: 470 people (8.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $93,440
- Median hourly wage: $44.93
- Total employment: 80 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $94,420
- Median hourly wage: $45.39
- Total employment: Not available
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $95,180
- Median hourly wage: $45.76
- Total employment: 170 people (3.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $96,130
- Median hourly wage: $46.21
- Total employment: 80 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,380
- Median hourly wage: $46.34
- Total employment: 250 people (4.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $97,580
- Median hourly wage: $46.91
- Total employment: 80 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $98,800
- Median hourly wage: $47.50
- Total employment: 280 people (5.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $99,100
- Median hourly wage: $47.64
- Total employment: 60 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $99,230
- Median hourly wage: $47.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $99,570
- Median hourly wage: $47.87
- Total employment: 50 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $100,880
- Median hourly wage: $48.50
- Total employment: 100 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,300
- Median hourly wage: $48.70
- Total employment: 70 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $101,390
- Median hourly wage: $48.74
- Total employment: 70 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $107,400
- Median hourly wage: $51.63
- Total employment: 100 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $112,160
- Median hourly wage: $53.92
- Total employment: 170 people (3.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $112,470
- Median hourly wage: $54.07
- Total employment: 40 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stokkete // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $112,940
- Median hourly wage: $54.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $113,680
- Median hourly wage: $54.65
- Total employment: 40 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $114,250
- Median hourly wage: $54.93
- Total employment: 150 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $116,430
- Median hourly wage: $55.98
- Total employment: 60 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $121,220
- Median hourly wage: $58.28
- Total employment: 210 people (3.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $121,400
- Median hourly wage: $58.36
- Total employment: 30 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $124,040
- Median hourly wage: $59.64
- Total employment: 170 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $130,350
- Median hourly wage: $62.67
- Total employment: 140 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $132,700
- Median hourly wage: $63.80
- Total employment: 70 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $133,290
- Median hourly wage: $64.08
- Total employment: 150 people (2.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $136,010
- Median hourly wage: $65.39
- Total employment: 60 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $144,910
- Median hourly wage: $69.67
- Total employment: 60 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $168,620
- Median hourly wage: $81.07
- Total employment: 40 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Chief executives (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 60 people (1.09 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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