Lucky Business // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Sociology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $124,020
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 120 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Austin
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 Austin. 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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N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $124,150
- Median hourly wage: $59.69
- Total employment: 10,170 people (8.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $124,220
- Median hourly wage: $59.72
- Total employment: 770 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $124,370
- Median hourly wage: $59.80
- Total employment: 640 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $124,550
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,310 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $127,170
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 610 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lovely Bird // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $127,540
- Median hourly wage: $61.32
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $127,860
- Median hourly wage: $61.47
- Total employment: 490 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $127,990
- Median hourly wage: $61.54
- Total employment: 1,150 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $128,170
- Median hourly wage: $61.62
- Total employment: 3,080 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Skycolors // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $129,130
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 280 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $129,360
- Median hourly wage: $62.19
- Total employment: 1,760 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Physicists
- Median annual wage: $129,380
- Median hourly wage: $62.20
- Total employment: 120 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $130,110
- Median hourly wage: $62.55
- Total employment: 1,390 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Law teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $131,450
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 230 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $132,310
- Median hourly wage: $63.61
- Total employment: 2,750 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $132,530
- Median hourly wage: $63.72
- Total employment: 2,570 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $132,790
- Median hourly wage: $63.84
- Total employment: 1,930 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $133,070
- Median hourly wage: $63.98
- Total employment: 28,210 people (22.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $133,400
- Median hourly wage: $64.13
- Total employment: 7,110 people (5.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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H_Ko // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Materials scientists
- Median annual wage: $133,530
- Median hourly wage: $64.20
- Total employment: 30 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $135,860
- Median hourly wage: $65.32
- Total employment: 70 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $136,130
- Median hourly wage: $65.45
- Total employment: 690 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $136,610
- Median hourly wage: $65.68
- Total employment: 5,440 people (4.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $136,740
- Median hourly wage: $65.74
- Total employment: 770 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $137,210
- Median hourly wage: $65.97
- Total employment: 1,200 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $139,010
- Median hourly wage: $66.83
- Total employment: 920 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $140,880
- Median hourly wage: $67.73
- Total employment: 280 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $141,430
- Median hourly wage: $68.00
- Total employment: 8,730 people (6.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $141,500
- Median hourly wage: $68.03
- Total employment: 1,730 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SeventyFour // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $150,630
- Median hourly wage: $72.42
- Total employment: 720 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $151,050
- Median hourly wage: $72.62
- Total employment: 260 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $151,570
- Median hourly wage: $72.87
- Total employment: 520 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $153,990
- Median hourly wage: $74.03
- Total employment: 690 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $162,150
- Median hourly wage: $77.96
- Total employment: 6,310 people (5.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Economics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $162,440
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 120 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $168,100
- Median hourly wage: $80.82
- Total employment: 6,910 people (5.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $173,300
- Median hourly wage: $83.32
- Total employment: 10,650 people (8.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $175,940
- Median hourly wage: $84.59
- Total employment: 2,150 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $181,760
- Median hourly wage: $87.39
- Total employment: 790 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Another77 // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Petroleum engineers
- Median annual wage: $184,250
- Median hourly wage: $88.58
- Total employment: 260 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $204,260
- Median hourly wage: $98.20
- Total employment: Not available
Neale Cousland // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Athletes and sports competitors
- Median annual wage: $213,470
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
44 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 190 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Komsan Loonprom // Shutterstock
45 / 50#1. Cardiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
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Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
46 / 50#1. Physicians, pathologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 150 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 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: 2,050 people (1.62 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: 1,040 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 140 people (0.11 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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