fizkes // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $100,340
- Median hourly wage: $48.24
- Total employment: 90 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Midland
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 Midland. 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.
boonchoke // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $100,460
- Median hourly wage: $48.30
- Total employment: 540 people (4.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $100,720
- Median hourly wage: $48.42
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $101,010
- Median hourly wage: $48.56
- Total employment: 240 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $101,190
- Median hourly wage: $48.65
- Total employment: 40 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $102,490
- Median hourly wage: $49.27
- Total employment: 70 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $103,370
- Median hourly wage: $49.70
- Total employment: 190 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $105,000
- Median hourly wage: $50.48
- Total employment: 320 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $105,440
- Median hourly wage: $50.69
- Total employment: 150 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $106,040
- Median hourly wage: $50.98
- Total employment: 260 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $106,290
- Median hourly wage: $51.10
- Total employment: 90 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $106,340
- Median hourly wage: $51.13
- Total employment: 300 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $107,660
- Median hourly wage: $51.76
- Total employment: 50 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $109,410
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $109,560
- Median hourly wage: $52.67
- Total employment: 90 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BELL KA PANG // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $110,900
- Median hourly wage: $53.32
- Total employment: 50 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $111,830
- Median hourly wage: $53.76
- Total employment: 60 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $112,170
- Median hourly wage: $53.93
- Total employment: 90 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $113,130
- Median hourly wage: $54.39
- Total employment: 120 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $115,220
- Median hourly wage: $55.39
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $116,150
- Median hourly wage: $55.84
- Total employment: 120 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $120,740
- Median hourly wage: $58.05
- Total employment: 40 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $120,990
- Median hourly wage: $58.17
- Total employment: 640 people (5.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $122,270
- Median hourly wage: $58.79
- Total employment: 250 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $125,060
- Median hourly wage: $60.12
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $125,350
- Median hourly wage: $60.26
- Total employment: 70 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $125,940
- Median hourly wage: $60.55
- Total employment: 160 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $126,310
- Median hourly wage: $60.73
- Total employment: 4,830 people (40.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $126,660
- Median hourly wage: $60.90
- Total employment: 180 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $127,160
- Median hourly wage: $61.13
- Total employment: 340 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $128,060
- Median hourly wage: $61.57
- Total employment: 30 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $129,810
- Median hourly wage: $62.41
- Total employment: 60 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $131,660
- Median hourly wage: $63.30
- Total employment: 60 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $137,050
- Median hourly wage: $65.89
- Total employment: 130 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $137,110
- Median hourly wage: $65.92
- Total employment: 300 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $138,350
- Median hourly wage: $66.51
- Total employment: 240 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $138,880
- Median hourly wage: $66.77
- Total employment: 610 people (5.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $139,230
- Median hourly wage: $66.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $146,740
- Median hourly wage: $70.55
- Total employment: 80 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $148,620
- Median hourly wage: $71.45
- Total employment: 340 people (2.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $151,380
- Median hourly wage: $72.78
- Total employment: 460 people (3.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $152,500
- Median hourly wage: $73.32
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $161,200
- Median hourly wage: $77.50
- Total employment: 230 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $164,350
- Median hourly wage: $79.01
- Total employment: 630 people (5.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Csomos Attila // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers
- Median annual wage: $165,830
- Median hourly wage: $79.72
- Total employment: 250 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Another77 // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Petroleum engineers
- Median annual wage: $165,880
- Median hourly wage: $79.75
- Total employment: 1,180 people (9.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $169,780
- Median hourly wage: $81.63
- Total employment: 250 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $209,970
- Median hourly wage: $100.95
- Total employment: 220 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $236,400
- Median hourly wage: $113.66
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 90 people (0.76 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.
