2 August 2023
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 Topeka. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022, so jobs without annual compensation estimates available were excluded from this analysis.
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#50. Environmental engineers
– Median annual wage: $75,860
– Median hourly wage: $36.47
– Total employment: 30 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#49. Computer systems analysts
– Median annual wage: $77,720
– Median hourly wage: $37.37
– Total employment: 390 people (3.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#48. Civil engineers
– Median annual wage: $78,000
– Median hourly wage: $37.50
– Total employment: 250 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#47. Special education teachers, middle school
– Median annual wage: $78,210
– Median hourly wage: Not available
– Total employment: 50 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
#46. Special education teachers, secondary school
– Median annual wage: $78,270
– Median hourly wage: Not available
– Total employment: 100 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
#45. Computer occupations, all other
– Median annual wage: $78,350
– Median hourly wage: $37.67
– Total employment: 130 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
#44. Instructional coordinators
– Median annual wage: $79,120
– Median hourly wage: $38.04
– Total employment: 390 people (3.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
#43. Network and computer systems administrators
– Median annual wage: $79,180
– Median hourly wage: $38.07
– Total employment: 390 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#42. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
– Median annual wage: $79,940
– Median hourly wage: $38.43
– Total employment: 240 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
#41. Project management specialists
– Median annual wage: $80,260
– Median hourly wage: $38.59
– Total employment: 130 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#40. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
– Median annual wage: $80,400
– Median hourly wage: $38.65
– Total employment: 160 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
#39. Industrial engineers
– Median annual wage: $80,970
– Median hourly wage: $38.93
– Total employment: 80 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
#38. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
– Median annual wage: $82,120
– Median hourly wage: $39.48
– Total employment: 100 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
#37. Diagnostic medical sonographers
– Median annual wage: $82,440
– Median hourly wage: $39.64
– Total employment: 60 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock
#36. Health information technologists and medical registrars
– Median annual wage: $82,470
– Median hourly wage: $39.65
– Total employment: 110 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sabthai // Shutterstock
#35. Budget analysts
– Median annual wage: $83,030
– Median hourly wage: $39.92
– Total employment: 40 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#34. Speech-language pathologists
– Median annual wage: $83,080
– Median hourly wage: $39.94
– Total employment: 130 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
#33. School psychologists
– Median annual wage: $83,150
– Median hourly wage: $39.98
– Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
#32. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
– Median annual wage: $84,060
– Median hourly wage: $40.41
– Total employment: 160 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#31. Lawyers
– Median annual wage: $84,470
– Median hourly wage: $40.61
– Total employment: 730 people (6.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
#30. Information security analysts
– Median annual wage: $88,750
– Median hourly wage: $42.67
– Total employment: 100 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#29. Personal financial advisors
– Median annual wage: $90,190
– Median hourly wage: $43.36
– Total employment: 230 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
#28. Computer network architects
– Median annual wage: $90,210
– Median hourly wage: $43.37
– Total employment: 200 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
#27. Software developers
– Median annual wage: $92,040
– Median hourly wage: $44.25
– Total employment: 1,110 people (10.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
#26. Occupational therapists
– Median annual wage: $92,300
– Median hourly wage: $44.37
– Total employment: 80 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
#25. Physical therapists
– Median annual wage: $93,140
– Median hourly wage: $44.78
– Total employment: 140 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#24. Construction managers
– Median annual wage: $93,820
– Median hourly wage: $45.11
– Total employment: 230 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
#23. Medical and health services managers
– Median annual wage: $94,580
– Median hourly wage: $45.47
– Total employment: 360 people (3.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#22. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
– Median annual wage: $94,770
– Median hourly wage: Not available
– Total employment: 230 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#21. Veterinarians
– Median annual wage: $96,430
– Median hourly wage: $46.36
– Total employment: 60 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#20. Electrical engineers
– Median annual wage: $98,560
– Median hourly wage: $47.38
– Total employment: 100 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
#19. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
– Median annual wage: $99,250
– Median hourly wage: $47.72
– Total employment: 130 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
#18. Actuaries
– Median annual wage: $99,640
– Median hourly wage: $47.90
– Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
#17. Administrative services managers
– Median annual wage: $100,350
– Median hourly wage: $48.25
– Total employment: 120 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
#16. Industrial production managers
– Median annual wage: $105,350
– Median hourly wage: $50.65
– Total employment: 130 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
#15. Power plant operators
– Median annual wage: $105,540
– Median hourly wage: $50.74
– Total employment: 60 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
#14. Facilities managers
– Median annual wage: $106,310
– Median hourly wage: $51.11
– Total employment: 80 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
#13. Human resources managers
– Median annual wage: $107,980
– Median hourly wage: $51.91
– Total employment: 90 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
#12. Nurse practitioners
– Median annual wage: $108,080
– Median hourly wage: $51.96
– Total employment: 380 people (3.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
#11. Chief executives
– Median annual wage: $110,700
– Median hourly wage: $53.22
– Total employment: 310 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
#10. Managers, all other
– Median annual wage: $114,450
– Median hourly wage: $55.02
– Total employment: 220 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
#9. Marketing managers
– Median annual wage: $115,070
– Median hourly wage: $55.32
– Total employment: 110 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
#8. Computer and information systems managers
– Median annual wage: $122,740
– Median hourly wage: $59.01
– Total employment: 300 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#7. Financial managers
– Median annual wage: $123,670
– Median hourly wage: $59.46
– Total employment: 330 people (2.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#6. Sales managers
– Median annual wage: $131,490
– Median hourly wage: $63.22
– Total employment: 190 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
#5. Purchasing managers
– Median annual wage: $131,750
– Median hourly wage: $63.34
– Total employment: 30 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#4. Pharmacists
– Median annual wage: $132,590
– Median hourly wage: $63.74
– Total employment: 270 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#3. Architectural and engineering managers
– Median annual wage: $133,830
– Median hourly wage: $64.34
– Total employment: 50 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
#2. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
– Median annual wage: $135,080
– Median hourly wage: $64.94
– Total employment: 60 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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#1. Dentists, general
– Median annual wage: $156,020
– Median hourly wage: $75.01
– Total employment: 60 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)