fizkes // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $77,340
- Median hourly wage: $37.18
- Total employment: 2,240 people (30.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Abilene
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 Abilene. 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: How much house $1 million buys you in Abilene
fizkes // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Social scientists and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,380
- Median hourly wage: $37.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $77,470
- Median hourly wage: $37.24
- Total employment: 30 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,820
- Median hourly wage: $37.41
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $77,860
- Median hourly wage: $37.44
- Total employment: 1,910 people (25.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Abilene in the last week
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $78,190
- Median hourly wage: $37.59
- Total employment: 300 people (4.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $78,830
- Median hourly wage: $37.90
- Total employment: 50 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $78,940
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 30 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $78,950
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 200 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $79,230
- Median hourly wage: $38.09
- Total employment: 180 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying science jobs for people in Abilene
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $79,310
- Median hourly wage: $38.13
- Total employment: 210 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $80,740
- Median hourly wage: $38.82
- Total employment: 90 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $81,110
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $81,600
- Median hourly wage: $39.23
- Total employment: 60 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $81,750
- Median hourly wage: $39.31
- Total employment: 170 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Abilene for high school graduates
Undrey // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $81,840
- Median hourly wage: $39.35
- Total employment: 70 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $82,060
- Median hourly wage: $39.45
- Total employment: 80 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $82,590
- Median hourly wage: $39.71
- Total employment: 50 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $83,310
- Median hourly wage: $40.06
- Total employment: 110 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $85,010
- Median hourly wage: $40.87
- Total employment: 60 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Abilene that require a graduate degree
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $85,490
- Median hourly wage: $41.10
- Total employment: 90 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $86,900
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $90,810
- Median hourly wage: $43.66
- Total employment: 50 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $91,830
- Median hourly wage: $44.15
- Total employment: 90 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $93,860
- Median hourly wage: $45.12
- Total employment: 170 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants in Abilene by diners
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $95,310
- Median hourly wage: $45.82
- Total employment: 50 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $96,870
- Median hourly wage: $46.57
- Total employment: 160 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $97,210
- Median hourly wage: $46.74
- Total employment: 80 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,290
- Median hourly wage: $46.77
- Total employment: 70 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,530
- Median hourly wage: $46.89
- Total employment: 70 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Abilene by diners
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $99,890
- Median hourly wage: $48.03
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $100,480
- Median hourly wage: $48.31
- Total employment: 110 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $101,590
- Median hourly wage: $48.84
- Total employment: 460 people (6.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $101,610
- Median hourly wage: $48.85
- Total employment: 60 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $102,750
- Median hourly wage: $49.40
- Total employment: 90 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated barbecue restaurants in the Abilene area by diners
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $102,870
- Median hourly wage: $49.46
- Total employment: 260 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $103,450
- Median hourly wage: $49.74
- Total employment: 170 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $103,620
- Median hourly wage: $49.82
- Total employment: 70 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $104,030
- Median hourly wage: $50.02
- Total employment: 140 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $114,770
- Median hourly wage: $55.18
- Total employment: 30 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Movies and TV shows casting in Abilene
dokurose // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $118,610
- Median hourly wage: $57.02
- Total employment: 310 people (4.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $119,660
- Median hourly wage: $57.53
- Total employment: 130 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $124,510
- Median hourly wage: $59.86
- Total employment: 80 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $125,420
- Median hourly wage: $60.30
- Total employment: 140 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $126,760
- Median hourly wage: $60.94
- Total employment: 280 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Abilene that require a bachelor's degree
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $129,800
- Median hourly wage: $62.41
- Total employment: 140 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $130,520
- Median hourly wage: $62.75
- Total employment: 180 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $147,230
- Median hourly wage: $70.78
- Total employment: 40 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $177,520
- Median hourly wage: $85.35
- Total employment: 50 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $188,950
- Median hourly wage: $90.84
- Total employment: 60 people (0.82 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: Recently opened restaurants in the Abilene area
