Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $74,550
- Median hourly wage: $35.84
- Total employment: 110 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Odessa
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 Odessa. 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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LaKirr // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Extraction workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $75,010
- Median hourly wage: $36.06
- Total employment: 50 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $75,110
- Median hourly wage: $36.11
- Total employment: 620 people (7.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $75,550
- Median hourly wage: $36.32
- Total employment: 140 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $76,930
- Median hourly wage: $36.99
- Total employment: 490 people (6.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $78,270
- Median hourly wage: $37.63
- Total employment: 1,120 people (14.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $78,330
- Median hourly wage: $37.66
- Total employment: 120 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Healthcare social workers
- Median annual wage: $78,580
- Median hourly wage: $37.78
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $78,890
- Median hourly wage: $37.93
- Total employment: 50 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $79,800
- Median hourly wage: $38.36
- Total employment: 110 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $79,810
- Median hourly wage: $38.37
- Total employment: 710 people (8.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $80,210
- Median hourly wage: $38.56
- Total employment: 100 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $81,810
- Median hourly wage: $39.33
- Total employment: 60 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $82,130
- Median hourly wage: $39.49
- Total employment: 40 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $85,140
- Median hourly wage: $40.93
- Total employment: 40 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $85,300
- Median hourly wage: $41.01
- Total employment: 60 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
- Median annual wage: $87,860
- Median hourly wage: $42.24
- Total employment: 130 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $91,300
- Median hourly wage: $43.90
- Total employment: 410 people (5.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $94,240
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $96,150
- Median hourly wage: $46.23
- Total employment: 190 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,170
- Median hourly wage: $46.72
- Total employment: 40 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $99,960
- Median hourly wage: $48.06
- Total employment: 2,730 people (34.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $100,350
- Median hourly wage: $48.24
- Total employment: 50 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $101,650
- Median hourly wage: $48.87
- Total employment: 400 people (5.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $102,440
- Median hourly wage: $49.25
- Total employment: 240 people (3.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $102,600
- Median hourly wage: $49.33
- Total employment: 30 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $102,870
- Median hourly wage: $49.46
- Total employment: 100 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,170
- Median hourly wage: $49.60
- Total employment: 30 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $104,210
- Median hourly wage: $50.10
- Total employment: 120 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $104,530
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 170 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $104,740
- Median hourly wage: $50.35
- Total employment: 70 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $104,860
- Median hourly wage: $50.42
- Total employment: 230 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $106,900
- Median hourly wage: $51.40
- Total employment: 60 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $109,440
- Median hourly wage: $52.62
- Total employment: 80 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $115,920
- Median hourly wage: $55.73
- Total employment: 40 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $118,010
- Median hourly wage: $56.73
- Total employment: 60 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $118,490
- Median hourly wage: $56.97
- Total employment: 90 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $120,400
- Median hourly wage: $57.89
- Total employment: 160 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $123,790
- Median hourly wage: $59.52
- Total employment: 70 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $124,980
- Median hourly wage: $60.09
- Total employment: 80 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $124,990
- Median hourly wage: $60.09
- Total employment: 50 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $126,350
- Median hourly wage: $60.75
- Total employment: 70 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $128,600
- Median hourly wage: $61.83
- Total employment: 130 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $129,140
- Median hourly wage: $62.09
- Total employment: 330 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Another77 // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Petroleum engineers
- Median annual wage: $134,280
- Median hourly wage: $64.56
- Total employment: 310 people (3.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $138,320
- Median hourly wage: $66.50
- Total employment: 90 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $142,350
- Median hourly wage: $68.44
- Total employment: 90 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $146,160
- Median hourly wage: $70.27
- Total employment: 220 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $234,850
- Median hourly wage: $112.91
- Total employment: 40 people (0.46 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: 40 people (0.56 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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