Pixel B // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $69,300
- Median hourly wage: $33.32
- Total employment: 30 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Staunton
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 Staunton. 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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SritanaN // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $70,150
- Median hourly wage: $33.73
- Total employment: 290 people (5.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $70,780
- Median hourly wage: $34.03
- Total employment: 380 people (7.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $71,000
- Median hourly wage: $34.13
- Total employment: 70 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $71,230
- Median hourly wage: $34.25
- Total employment: 50 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $71,500
- Median hourly wage: $34.38
- Total employment: 60 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $72,060
- Median hourly wage: $34.65
- Total employment: 380 people (7.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $73,550
- Median hourly wage: $35.36
- Total employment: 280 people (5.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $75,570
- Median hourly wage: $36.33
- Total employment: 40 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $76,020
- Median hourly wage: $36.55
- Total employment: 60 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ground Picture // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $77,080
- Median hourly wage: $37.06
- Total employment: 40 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $77,140
- Median hourly wage: $37.09
- Total employment: 80 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $80,300
- Median hourly wage: $38.61
- Total employment: 1,430 people (28.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,580
- Median hourly wage: $39.22
- Total employment: 50 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $82,110
- Median hourly wage: $39.48
- Total employment: 150 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $83,000
- Median hourly wage: $39.90
- Total employment: 50 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $83,090
- Median hourly wage: $39.95
- Total employment: 60 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $83,820
- Median hourly wage: $40.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $84,270
- Median hourly wage: $40.52
- Total employment: 100 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $84,820
- Median hourly wage: $40.78
- Total employment: 60 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $85,960
- Median hourly wage: $41.33
- Total employment: 60 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $86,820
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 130 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $87,360
- Median hourly wage: $42.00
- Total employment: 80 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $90,510
- Median hourly wage: $43.52
- Total employment: 180 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $92,990
- Median hourly wage: $44.71
- Total employment: 940 people (18.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $93,700
- Median hourly wage: $45.05
- Total employment: 90 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,100
- Median hourly wage: $46.20
- Total employment: 80 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $98,900
- Median hourly wage: $47.55
- Total employment: 50 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $98,920
- Median hourly wage: $47.56
- Total employment: 60 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $99,620
- Median hourly wage: $47.89
- Total employment: 40 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $99,660
- Median hourly wage: $47.91
- Total employment: 80 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $103,310
- Median hourly wage: $49.67
- Total employment: 60 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $103,520
- Median hourly wage: $49.77
- Total employment: 110 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $105,620
- Median hourly wage: $50.78
- Total employment: 60 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $106,370
- Median hourly wage: $51.14
- Total employment: 50 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $107,480
- Median hourly wage: $51.67
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $108,150
- Median hourly wage: $52.00
- Total employment: 170 people (3.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $122,310
- Median hourly wage: $58.80
- Total employment: 80 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $124,090
- Median hourly wage: $59.66
- Total employment: 90 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $125,060
- Median hourly wage: $60.13
- Total employment: 120 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $126,180
- Median hourly wage: $60.66
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $128,740
- Median hourly wage: $61.89
- Total employment: 70 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $132,260
- Median hourly wage: $63.59
- Total employment: 30 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $133,170
- Median hourly wage: $64.02
- Total employment: 100 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $137,700
- Median hourly wage: $66.20
- Total employment: 150 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $145,390
- Median hourly wage: $69.90
- Total employment: 30 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $145,840
- Median hourly wage: $70.12
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $152,260
- Median hourly wage: $73.20
- Total employment: 50 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $174,370
- Median hourly wage: $83.83
- Total employment: 50 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $231,280
- Median hourly wage: $111.19
- Total employment: 70 people (1.29 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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