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1 / 50#50. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $122,430
- Median hourly wage: $58.86
- Total employment: 260 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Salt Lake City
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 Salt Lake City. 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. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $123,850
- Median hourly wage: $59.54
- Total employment: 840 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Biological science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $126,290
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 370 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $126,610
- Median hourly wage: $60.87
- Total employment: 2,730 people (3.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $127,030
- Median hourly wage: $61.07
- Total employment: 1,560 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $127,410
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,030 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $127,500
- Median hourly wage: $61.30
- Total employment: 290 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $127,700
- Median hourly wage: $61.39
- Total employment: 140 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $128,350
- Median hourly wage: $61.71
- Total employment: 16,740 people (20.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $128,860
- Median hourly wage: $61.95
- Total employment: 140 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $129,550
- Median hourly wage: $62.29
- Total employment: 3,890 people (4.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $131,550
- Median hourly wage: $63.24
- Total employment: Not available
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13 / 50#38. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $132,130
- Median hourly wage: $63.52
- Total employment: 240 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50#37. Chemistry teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $132,790
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 180 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: $133,230
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,710 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $133,810
- Median hourly wage: $64.33
- Total employment: 1,210 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Physicists
- Median annual wage: $133,900
- Median hourly wage: $64.37
- Total employment: 30 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $134,040
- Median hourly wage: $64.44
- Total employment: 1,170 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $134,390
- Median hourly wage: $64.61
- Total employment: 930 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $134,910
- Median hourly wage: $64.86
- Total employment: 5,160 people (6.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Materials scientists
- Median annual wage: $135,510
- Median hourly wage: $65.15
- Total employment: 40 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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22 / 50#29. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $136,750
- Median hourly wage: $65.75
- Total employment: 400 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $137,210
- Median hourly wage: $65.97
- Total employment: 1,790 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $137,660
- Median hourly wage: $66.18
- Total employment: 110 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Law teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $138,020
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $138,800
- Median hourly wage: $66.73
- Total employment: 3,660 people (4.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $140,010
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 200 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $140,270
- Median hourly wage: $67.44
- Total employment: 5,430 people (6.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $140,290
- Median hourly wage: $67.45
- Total employment: 270 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Djols // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Emergency medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $142,560
- Median hourly wage: $68.54
- Total employment: Not available
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31 / 50#20. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $147,440
- Median hourly wage: $70.88
- Total employment: Not available
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $148,160
- Median hourly wage: $71.23
- Total employment: 1,290 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elnur // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Podiatrists
- Median annual wage: $153,900
- Median hourly wage: $73.99
- Total employment: 30 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $158,620
- Median hourly wage: $76.26
- Total employment: 320 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $160,300
- Median hourly wage: $77.07
- Total employment: 4,920 people (6.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $160,550
- Median hourly wage: $77.19
- Total employment: 80 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $167,500
- Median hourly wage: $80.53
- Total employment: 2,500 people (3.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Another77 // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Petroleum engineers
- Median annual wage: $174,410
- Median hourly wage: $83.85
- Total employment: 150 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $177,220
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 2,600 people (3.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $179,450
- Median hourly wage: $86.27
- Total employment: 2,010 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $193,750
- Median hourly wage: $93.15
- Total employment: 120 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Neale Cousland // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Athletes and sports competitors
- Median annual wage: $197,140
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 200 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
create jobs 51 // Shutterstock
43 / 50#1. Neurologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#1. Anesthesiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 460 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
45 / 50#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
46 / 50#1. Radiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 220 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 120 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 80 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Obstetricians and gynecologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
50 / 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
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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