Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,770
- Median hourly wage: $48.93
- Total employment: 1,010 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Allentown
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 Allentown. 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: Coat drives near Allentown
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $102,240
- Median hourly wage: $49.15
- Total employment: 880 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $102,410
- Median hourly wage: $49.24
- Total employment: 200 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $102,530
- Median hourly wage: $49.30
- Total employment: 80 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $102,790
- Median hourly wage: $49.42
- Total employment: 630 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated cafes in the Allentown area by diners
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $106,310
- Median hourly wage: $51.11
- Total employment: 1,840 people (4.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $106,590
- Median hourly wage: $51.24
- Total employment: 1,130 people (3.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $106,640
- Median hourly wage: $51.27
- Total employment: 30 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $107,610
- Median hourly wage: $51.74
- Total employment: 260 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $107,840
- Median hourly wage: $51.85
- Total employment: 260 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Allentown that require a graduate degree
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $108,390
- Median hourly wage: $52.11
- Total employment: 370 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,360
- Median hourly wage: $52.58
- Total employment: 150 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,590
- Median hourly wage: $52.69
- Total employment: 440 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $110,870
- Median hourly wage: $53.31
- Total employment: 30 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $112,340
- Median hourly wage: $54.01
- Total employment: 1,360 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Middle Eastern restaurants in Allentown by diners
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $113,910
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 760 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $116,210
- Median hourly wage: $55.87
- Total employment: 70 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $116,470
- Median hourly wage: $56.00
- Total employment: 190 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $116,990
- Median hourly wage: $56.24
- Total employment: 200 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $118,950
- Median hourly wage: $57.19
- Total employment: 100 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Chinese restaurants in Allentown
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $119,580
- Median hourly wage: $57.49
- Total employment: 120 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $120,490
- Median hourly wage: $57.93
- Total employment: 730 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $125,220
- Median hourly wage: $60.20
- Total employment: 210 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $125,570
- Median hourly wage: $60.37
- Total employment: 1,100 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $125,900
- Median hourly wage: $60.53
- Total employment: 380 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Allentown area by diners
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $127,420
- Median hourly wage: $61.26
- Total employment: 750 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $128,130
- Median hourly wage: $61.60
- Total employment: 460 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $128,420
- Median hourly wage: $61.74
- Total employment: 220 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $129,000
- Median hourly wage: $62.02
- Total employment: 90 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $130,350
- Median hourly wage: $62.67
- Total employment: 1,260 people (3.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Mortgage rates fall to 10‑month low, offering relief for Allentown buyers
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $133,500
- Median hourly wage: $64.18
- Total employment: 170 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $137,110
- Median hourly wage: $65.92
- Total employment: 630 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $137,570
- Median hourly wage: $66.14
- Total employment: 80 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $137,600
- Median hourly wage: $66.15
- Total employment: 1,000 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $137,630
- Median hourly wage: $66.17
- Total employment: 1,340 people (3.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated pizza restaurants in the Allentown area by diners
Kzenon // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $140,650
- Median hourly wage: $67.62
- Total employment: 80 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $160,000
- Median hourly wage: $76.92
- Total employment: 180 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $162,100
- Median hourly wage: $77.93
- Total employment: 850 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $166,700
- Median hourly wage: $80.14
- Total employment: 480 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $172,970
- Median hourly wage: $83.16
- Total employment: 1,570 people (4.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Biggest sources of immigrants to Allentown
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $184,560
- Median hourly wage: $88.73
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $209,680
- Median hourly wage: $100.81
- Total employment: 100 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $215,010
- Median hourly wage: $103.37
- Total employment: 360 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $216,780
- Median hourly wage: $104.22
- Total employment: 380 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $217,550
- Median hourly wage: $104.59
- Total employment: 470 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How much house $1 million buys you in Allentown
Djols // Shutterstock
46 / 50#1. Emergency medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 90 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Anesthesiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 140 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Radiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 340 people (0.92 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: Highest-rated comfort food restaurants in Allentown by diners
