Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
1 / 50#49. Architects, except landscape and naval (tie)
- Median annual wage: $114,630
- Median hourly wage: $55.11
- Total employment: 520 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Norfolk
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 Norfolk. 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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luchschenF // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Physicists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $114,630
- Median hourly wage: $55.11
- Total employment: 290 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Social scientists and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $115,340
- Median hourly wage: $55.45
- Total employment: 580 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $116,620
- Median hourly wage: $56.07
- Total employment: 190 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $116,920
- Median hourly wage: $56.21
- Total employment: 90 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $117,730
- Median hourly wage: $56.60
- Total employment: 210 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $118,720
- Median hourly wage: $57.08
- Total employment: 50 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $118,830
- Median hourly wage: $57.13
- Total employment: 210 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $120,620
- Median hourly wage: $57.99
- Total employment: 750 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $121,080
- Median hourly wage: $58.21
- Total employment: 960 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $123,670
- Median hourly wage: $59.46
- Total employment: 140 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Petekub // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Economists
- Median annual wage: $124,780
- Median hourly wage: $59.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Computer science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $124,850
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 340 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Economics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $125,050
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $125,330
- Median hourly wage: $60.25
- Total employment: 1,290 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $125,540
- Median hourly wage: $60.36
- Total employment: 380 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $125,910
- Median hourly wage: $60.53
- Total employment: 710 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $125,930
- Median hourly wage: $60.54
- Total employment: 6,740 people (8.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $126,250
- Median hourly wage: $60.70
- Total employment: 2,600 people (3.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ESB Professional // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $126,470
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $127,480
- Median hourly wage: $61.29
- Total employment: 320 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $127,650
- Median hourly wage: $61.37
- Total employment: 510 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $128,200
- Median hourly wage: $61.63
- Total employment: 130 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
24 / 50#25. Psychologists, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $129,310
- Median hourly wage: $62.17
- Total employment: 110 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#25. Engineers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $129,310
- Median hourly wage: $62.17
- Total employment: 1,410 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $129,310
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $130,810
- Median hourly wage: $62.89
- Total employment: 280 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $132,150
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 460 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $132,160
- Median hourly wage: $63.54
- Total employment: 940 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $132,310
- Median hourly wage: $63.61
- Total employment: 650 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $134,930
- Median hourly wage: $64.87
- Total employment: 1,600 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $136,480
- Median hourly wage: $65.62
- Total employment: 2,260 people (3.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $140,420
- Median hourly wage: $67.51
- Total employment: 450 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $151,410
- Median hourly wage: $72.79
- Total employment: 1,240 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $152,880
- Median hourly wage: $73.50
- Total employment: 690 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $154,030
- Median hourly wage: $74.06
- Total employment: 280 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $154,330
- Median hourly wage: $74.20
- Total employment: 2,440 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $157,060
- Median hourly wage: $75.51
- Total employment: 770 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elnur // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Podiatrists
- Median annual wage: $159,370
- Median hourly wage: $76.62
- Total employment: 50 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $171,460
- Median hourly wage: $82.43
- Total employment: 1,670 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Anesthesiologists
- Median annual wage: $199,430
- Median hourly wage: $95.88
- Total employment: Not available
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $202,510
- Median hourly wage: $97.36
- Total employment: 710 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $206,760
- Median hourly wage: $99.40
- Total employment: Not available
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
44 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 1,130 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
45 / 50#1. Radiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
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LightField Studios // Shutterstock
46 / 50#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
Komsan Loonprom // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Cardiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 200 people (0.27 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: 580 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Orthodontists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
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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