BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $110,270
- Median hourly wage: $53.02
- Total employment: 1,140 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Nashville
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 Nashville. 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. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $111,140
- Median hourly wage: $53.44
- Total employment: 390 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Petekub // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Economists
- Median annual wage: $111,830
- Median hourly wage: $53.77
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Atmospheric and space scientists
- Median annual wage: $113,030
- Median hourly wage: $54.34
- Total employment: 30 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $114,120
- Median hourly wage: $54.86
- Total employment: 1,590 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $115,970
- Median hourly wage: $55.75
- Total employment: 5,050 people (4.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $116,160
- Median hourly wage: $55.85
- Total employment: 5,380 people (4.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $119,270
- Median hourly wage: $57.34
- Total employment: 190 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $119,430
- Median hourly wage: $57.42
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $120,560
- Median hourly wage: $57.96
- Total employment: 190 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $121,620
- Median hourly wage: $58.47
- Total employment: 1,700 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $124,010
- Median hourly wage: $59.62
- Total employment: 810 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $127,150
- Median hourly wage: $61.13
- Total employment: 8,420 people (7.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $127,770
- Median hourly wage: $61.43
- Total employment: 1,490 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $128,080
- Median hourly wage: $61.58
- Total employment: Not available
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16 / 50#35. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $128,510
- Median hourly wage: $61.78
- Total employment: 210 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $128,710
- Median hourly wage: $61.88
- Total employment: 530 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $128,810
- Median hourly wage: $61.93
- Total employment: 1,840 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
antoniodiaz // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Nurse midwives
- Median annual wage: $129,380
- Median hourly wage: $62.20
- Total employment: Not available
Mark_Kostich // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Medical dosimetrists
- Median annual wage: $130,360
- Median hourly wage: $62.68
- Total employment: Not available
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21 / 50#30. Economics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $130,570
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $130,640
- Median hourly wage: $62.81
- Total employment: 320 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $131,420
- Median hourly wage: $63.19
- Total employment: 4,030 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $132,060
- Median hourly wage: $63.49
- Total employment: 3,750 people (3.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $134,070
- Median hourly wage: $64.46
- Total employment: 4,610 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $135,500
- Median hourly wage: $65.15
- Total employment: 2,650 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $135,740
- Median hourly wage: $65.26
- Total employment: 180 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $140,440
- Median hourly wage: $67.52
- Total employment: 8,160 people (7.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $143,420
- Median hourly wage: $68.95
- Total employment: 4,100 people (3.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $146,130
- Median hourly wage: $70.26
- Total employment: 270 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: $149,740
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $150,220
- Median hourly wage: $72.22
- Total employment: 60 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $153,920
- Median hourly wage: $74.00
- Total employment: 970 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $156,260
- Median hourly wage: $75.12
- Total employment: 590 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $158,360
- Median hourly wage: $76.13
- Total employment: 5,650 people (5.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $159,990
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 350 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $170,400
- Median hourly wage: $81.92
- Total employment: 590 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $176,150
- Median hourly wage: $84.69
- Total employment: 410 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $179,170
- Median hourly wage: $86.14
- Total employment: 2,220 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $203,400
- Median hourly wage: $97.79
- Total employment: 1,020 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $203,770
- Median hourly wage: $97.97
- Total employment: 1,090 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elnur // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Podiatrists
- Median annual wage: $215,020
- Median hourly wage: $103.37
- Total employment: 30 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $218,190
- Median hourly wage: $104.90
- Total employment: 220 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. General internal medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $224,280
- Median hourly wage: $107.83
- Total employment: 410 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Physicists
- Median annual wage: $226,750
- Median hourly wage: $109.02
- Total employment: Not available
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46 / 50#1. Ophthalmologists, except pediatric (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 130 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Anesthesiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 520 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 2,130 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Dentists, all other specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Obstetricians and gynecologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 220 people (0.2 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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