Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $60,670
- Median hourly wage: $29.17
- Total employment: 120 people (3.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Parkersburg
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 Parkersburg. 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. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $61,440
- Median hourly wage: $29.54
- Total employment: 80 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $61,990
- Median hourly wage: $29.80
- Total employment: 30 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 160 people (4.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $62,700
- Median hourly wage: $30.14
- Total employment: 210 people (5.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $63,050
- Median hourly wage: $30.31
- Total employment: 40 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $64,080
- Median hourly wage: $30.81
- Total employment: 170 people (4.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $64,560
- Median hourly wage: $31.04
- Total employment: 390 people (10.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $66,700
- Median hourly wage: $32.07
- Total employment: 40 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $67,090
- Median hourly wage: $32.25
- Total employment: 70 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SofikoS // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $68,770
- Median hourly wage: $33.06
- Total employment: 30 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Healthcare social workers
- Median annual wage: $71,380
- Median hourly wage: $34.32
- Total employment: 70 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GLRL // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $71,920
- Median hourly wage: $34.58
- Total employment: 80 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $72,540
- Median hourly wage: $34.87
- Total employment: 200 people (5.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $72,610
- Median hourly wage: $34.91
- Total employment: 50 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $73,590
- Median hourly wage: $35.38
- Total employment: 200 people (5.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Paralegals and legal assistants
- Median annual wage: $74,960
- Median hourly wage: $36.04
- Total employment: 180 people (4.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $75,600
- Median hourly wage: $36.34
- Total employment: 790 people (21.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $77,280
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $77,410
- Median hourly wage: $37.21
- Total employment: 900 people (24.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $78,670
- Median hourly wage: $37.82
- Total employment: 70 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $79,010
- Median hourly wage: $37.98
- Total employment: 40 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $79,990
- Median hourly wage: $38.46
- Total employment: 30 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $83,740
- Median hourly wage: $40.26
- Total employment: 40 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $84,510
- Median hourly wage: $40.63
- Total employment: 40 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $84,910
- Median hourly wage: $40.82
- Total employment: 50 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $87,780
- Median hourly wage: $42.20
- Total employment: 90 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $89,860
- Median hourly wage: $43.20
- Total employment: 420 people (11.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $91,430
- Median hourly wage: $43.96
- Total employment: 230 people (6.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Financial specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $92,750
- Median hourly wage: $44.59
- Total employment: 330 people (8.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $94,290
- Median hourly wage: $45.33
- Total employment: 40 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $94,740
- Median hourly wage: $45.55
- Total employment: 90 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $94,900
- Median hourly wage: $45.63
- Total employment: 40 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $95,640
- Median hourly wage: $45.98
- Total employment: 610 people (16.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $99,760
- Median hourly wage: $47.96
- Total employment: 120 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,820
- Median hourly wage: $47.99
- Total employment: 100 people (2.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $102,330
- Median hourly wage: $49.20
- Total employment: 80 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
38 / 50#12. Computer occupations, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $103,400
- Median hourly wage: $49.71
- Total employment: 360 people (9.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Management analysts (tie)
- Median annual wage: $103,400
- Median hourly wage: $49.71
- Total employment: 120 people (3.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $103,730
- Median hourly wage: $49.87
- Total employment: 100 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $104,270
- Median hourly wage: $50.13
- Total employment: 70 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $106,430
- Median hourly wage: $51.17
- Total employment: 80 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $112,490
- Median hourly wage: $54.08
- Total employment: 50 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $118,350
- Median hourly wage: $56.90
- Total employment: 90 people (2.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $124,790
- Median hourly wage: $59.99
- Total employment: 120 people (3.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $130,330
- Median hourly wage: $62.66
- Total employment: 160 people (4.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $134,140
- Median hourly wage: $64.49
- Total employment: 100 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $138,490
- Median hourly wage: $66.58
- Total employment: 120 people (3.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $186,520
- Median hourly wage: $89.68
- Total employment: 60 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $233,240
- Median hourly wage: $112.13
- Total employment: 60 people (1.64 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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