Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $85,360
- Median hourly wage: $41.04
- Total employment: 330 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Waco
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 Waco. 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. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $85,960
- Median hourly wage: $41.33
- Total employment: 3,600 people (27.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $87,120
- Median hourly wage: $41.89
- Total employment: 180 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $87,330
- Median hourly wage: $41.98
- Total employment: 2,520 people (19.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Social workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $89,520
- Median hourly wage: $43.04
- Total employment: 60 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $92,680
- Median hourly wage: $44.56
- Total employment: 120 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $94,540
- Median hourly wage: $45.45
- Total employment: 90 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $94,590
- Median hourly wage: $45.48
- Total employment: 90 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $95,490
- Median hourly wage: $45.91
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $95,830
- Median hourly wage: $46.07
- Total employment: 140 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $96,500
- Median hourly wage: $46.40
- Total employment: 210 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $99,170
- Median hourly wage: $47.68
- Total employment: 90 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $100,030
- Median hourly wage: $48.09
- Total employment: 200 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $100,660
- Median hourly wage: $48.39
- Total employment: 40 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $100,760
- Median hourly wage: $48.44
- Total employment: 60 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $101,010
- Median hourly wage: $48.56
- Total employment: 150 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,600
- Median hourly wage: $48.85
- Total employment: 220 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $104,370
- Median hourly wage: $50.18
- Total employment: 130 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $104,590
- Median hourly wage: $50.28
- Total employment: 50 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $105,370
- Median hourly wage: $50.66
- Total employment: 120 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $106,650
- Median hourly wage: $51.27
- Total employment: 480 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $107,310
- Median hourly wage: $51.59
- Total employment: 250 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $107,500
- Median hourly wage: $51.68
- Total employment: 200 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $108,640
- Median hourly wage: $52.23
- Total employment: 290 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $108,930
- Median hourly wage: $52.37
- Total employment: 30 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Worawee Meepian // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers
- Median annual wage: $110,300
- Median hourly wage: $53.03
- Total employment: 70 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $111,530
- Median hourly wage: $53.62
- Total employment: 50 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $113,130
- Median hourly wage: $54.39
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $113,410
- Median hourly wage: $54.53
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $115,950
- Median hourly wage: $55.75
- Total employment: 500 people (3.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $118,700
- Median hourly wage: $57.07
- Total employment: 130 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $118,870
- Median hourly wage: $57.15
- Total employment: 460 people (3.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $119,270
- Median hourly wage: $57.34
- Total employment: 350 people (2.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $119,340
- Median hourly wage: $57.37
- Total employment: 40 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $119,820
- Median hourly wage: $57.61
- Total employment: 50 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $123,730
- Median hourly wage: $59.49
- Total employment: 270 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $123,970
- Median hourly wage: $59.60
- Total employment: 210 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $124,390
- Median hourly wage: $59.80
- Total employment: 90 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $124,410
- Median hourly wage: $59.81
- Total employment: 70 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $124,900
- Median hourly wage: $60.05
- Total employment: 460 people (3.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stokkete // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $127,650
- Median hourly wage: $61.37
- Total employment: 90 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $131,270
- Median hourly wage: $63.11
- Total employment: 110 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $131,750
- Median hourly wage: $63.34
- Total employment: 290 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $144,440
- Median hourly wage: $69.44
- Total employment: 190 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $165,020
- Median hourly wage: $79.34
- Total employment: 90 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $169,150
- Median hourly wage: $81.32
- Total employment: 70 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $196,540
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $199,860
- Median hourly wage: $96.09
- Total employment: 110 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $225,900
- Median hourly wage: $108.60
- Total employment: 90 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 200 people (1.51 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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