Highest-paying jobs in Charleston, West Virginia
The rich are getting richer, and have been for some time.
Across the nation, wages have continued to rise this year despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to temper inflation. In June, average weekly earnings grew at a higher rate than the Consumer Price Index, the nation's primary inflation indicator.
While pay is increasing across income levels, the historical growth for high-income jobs has been most profound. High-income jobs have grown 69% over the past 50 years—more than both middle- and lower-income jobs, a Pew Trusts analysis shows.
The highest earners in the U.S. are what you'd expect: doctors and other medical professionals, engineers, tech workers, executives, and corporate leaders. Nationally, the 50 top-paying jobs all require at least a bachelor's degree, and many require a master's, doctorate, or another professional degree. Indeed, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that higher degree holders earn more in a typical week and face lower rates of unemployment.
Still, the exact positions that pay the most vary depending on where in the country you are located. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in Charleston, West Virginia. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022, so jobs without annual compensation estimates available were excluded from this analysis.
#50. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $74,480
- Median hourly wage: $35.81
- Total employment: 2,290 people (22.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#49. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $75,600
- Median hourly wage: $36.35
- Total employment: 60 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#48. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $76,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.00
- Total employment: 120 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#47. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $77,860
- Median hourly wage: $37.43
- Total employment: 100 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#46. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $78,000
- Median hourly wage: $37.50
- Total employment: 80 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#45. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $78,270
- Median hourly wage: $37.63
- Total employment: 210 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#44. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $78,330
- Median hourly wage: $37.66
- Total employment: 270 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#43. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $78,630
- Median hourly wage: $37.80
- Total employment: 260 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#42. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $78,720
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 160 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#41. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $78,740
- Median hourly wage: $37.86
- Total employment: 60 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#40. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $78,840
- Median hourly wage: $37.91
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#39. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $79,110
- Median hourly wage: $38.03
- Total employment: 110 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#38. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $79,880
- Median hourly wage: $38.40
- Total employment: 130 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#37. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $80,000
- Median hourly wage: $38.46
- Total employment: 90 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#36. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $80,380
- Median hourly wage: $38.65
- Total employment: 50 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#35. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $80,810
- Median hourly wage: $38.85
- Total employment: 250 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. Urban and regional planners
- Median annual wage: $80,850
- Median hourly wage: $38.87
- Total employment: 110 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#33. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $81,410
- Median hourly wage: $39.14
- Total employment: 60 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#32. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $81,430
- Median hourly wage: $39.15
- Total employment: 300 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#31. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $82,050
- Median hourly wage: $39.45
- Total employment: 80 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#30. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $82,430
- Median hourly wage: $39.63
- Total employment: 110 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#29. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $86,370
- Median hourly wage: $41.53
- Total employment: 100 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#28. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $87,360
- Median hourly wage: $42.00
- Total employment: 350 people (3.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#27. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $88,140
- Median hourly wage: $42.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#26. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $92,720
- Median hourly wage: $44.58
- Total employment: 80 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#25. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $95,080
- Median hourly wage: $45.71
- Total employment: 140 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#24. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $97,460
- Median hourly wage: $46.86
- Total employment: 390 people (3.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#23. Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,290
- Median hourly wage: $47.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#22. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $99,990
- Median hourly wage: $48.07
- Total employment: 290 people (2.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#21. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $100,110
- Median hourly wage: $48.13
- Total employment: 50 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#20. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,750
- Median hourly wage: $48.92
- Total employment: 60 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#19. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $102,720
- Median hourly wage: $49.38
- Total employment: 90 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#18. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $103,940
- Median hourly wage: $49.97
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#17. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $104,610
- Median hourly wage: $50.30
- Total employment: 90 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#16. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $105,040
- Median hourly wage: $50.50
- Total employment: 330 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#15. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $105,810
- Median hourly wage: $50.87
- Total employment: 70 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#14. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $106,600
- Median hourly wage: $51.25
- Total employment: 150 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#13. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $110,830
- Median hourly wage: $53.28
- Total employment: 620 people (6.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#12. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $113,200
- Median hourly wage: $54.43
- Total employment: 100 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#11. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $122,800
- Median hourly wage: $59.04
- Total employment: 90 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#10. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $123,780
- Median hourly wage: $59.51
- Total employment: 370 people (3.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#9. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $127,560
- Median hourly wage: $61.33
- Total employment: 80 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#8. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $128,700
- Median hourly wage: $61.87
- Total employment: 160 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#7. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $130,750
- Median hourly wage: $62.86
- Total employment: 160 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#6. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $139,000
- Median hourly wage: $66.83
- Total employment: 800 people (7.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#5. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $145,590
- Median hourly wage: $69.99
- Total employment: 110 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#4. Nurse midwives
- Median annual wage: $179,860
- Median hourly wage: $86.47
- Total employment: Not available
#3. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $194,000
- Median hourly wage: $93.27
- Total employment: 220 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 250 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Surgeons, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 100 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
