michaeljung // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $118,490
- Median hourly wage: $56.97
- Total employment: 110 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Milwaukee
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 Milwaukee. 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. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $118,790
- Median hourly wage: $57.11
- Total employment: 10,580 people (12.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $121,130
- Median hourly wage: $58.24
- Total employment: 580 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $121,220
- Median hourly wage: $58.28
- Total employment: 2,680 people (3.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $121,430
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 890 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $121,530
- Median hourly wage: $58.43
- Total employment: 2,090 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $122,370
- Median hourly wage: $58.83
- Total employment: 440 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $122,480
- Median hourly wage: $58.88
- Total employment: 170 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mark_Kostich // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Medical dosimetrists
- Median annual wage: $123,130
- Median hourly wage: $59.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $126,190
- Median hourly wage: $60.67
- Total employment: 3,300 people (4.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $128,720
- Median hourly wage: $61.88
- Total employment: 730 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Economics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $129,170
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: Not available
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $129,180
- Median hourly wage: $62.11
- Total employment: 1,750 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $129,760
- Median hourly wage: $62.39
- Total employment: 1,940 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $131,000
- Median hourly wage: $62.98
- Total employment: 3,610 people (4.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $131,390
- Median hourly wage: $63.17
- Total employment: 1,200 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $132,820
- Median hourly wage: $63.86
- Total employment: 1,230 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Worawee Meepian // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers
- Median annual wage: $133,350
- Median hourly wage: $64.11
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tonhom1009 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
- Median annual wage: $133,470
- Median hourly wage: $64.17
- Total employment: 130 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $134,230
- Median hourly wage: $64.53
- Total employment: 390 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $136,100
- Median hourly wage: $65.43
- Total employment: 1,100 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $137,560
- Median hourly wage: $66.13
- Total employment: 340 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Advertising and promotions managers
- Median annual wage: $139,540
- Median hourly wage: $67.09
- Total employment: 90 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $140,990
- Median hourly wage: $67.78
- Total employment: 2,560 people (3.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $141,030
- Median hourly wage: $67.81
- Total employment: 1,580 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $142,380
- Median hourly wage: $68.45
- Total employment: 220 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $142,660
- Median hourly wage: $68.59
- Total employment: 130 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $148,740
- Median hourly wage: $71.51
- Total employment: 1,590 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $149,310
- Median hourly wage: $71.79
- Total employment: 90 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $154,540
- Median hourly wage: $74.30
- Total employment: 4,690 people (5.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Elnur // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Podiatrists
- Median annual wage: $156,030
- Median hourly wage: $75.02
- Total employment: 70 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $157,000
- Median hourly wage: $75.48
- Total employment: 170 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $158,330
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 300 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $160,460
- Median hourly wage: $77.15
- Total employment: 2,160 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $181,400
- Median hourly wage: $87.21
- Total employment: 600 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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luchschenF // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Physicists
- Median annual wage: $196,680
- Median hourly wage: $94.56
- Total employment: 80 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Ophthalmologists, except pediatric
- Median annual wage: $214,690
- Median hourly wage: $103.21
- Total employment: 110 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $218,460
- Median hourly wage: $105.03
- Total employment: 2,680 people (3.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Dentists, all other specialists
- Median annual wage: $232,480
- Median hourly wage: $111.77
- Total employment: 30 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $239,080
- Median hourly wage: $114.94
- Total employment: 80 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#1. Radiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
42 / 50#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 170 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Komsan Loonprom // Shutterstock
43 / 50#1. Cardiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Djols // Shutterstock
44 / 50#1. Emergency medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 450 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
45 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 380 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BlurryMe // Shutterstock
46 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Nurse anesthetists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 190 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Obstetricians and gynecologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 140 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
create jobs 51 // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Neurologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 1,270 people (1.55 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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