Have you ever found yourself gazing at the manicured lawns and upscale homes in your neighborhood, wondering, “What do my neighbors do for a living?” If so, you’re not alone. The glamor of financial success can be captivating, especially when you feel like those around you seem to have cracked the code to wealth. So, what are the highest-paid jobs in Arizona cities and elsewhere?

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To answer the question, we set out to find out what your high-earning neighbors do for a living. Although the salary of a “high earner” is different depending on who you ask, we analyzed individuals making a salary of $150K or more as a baseline for our study. We used that number as a baseline because when you look at the household income of these earners, in reality, many of them live wealthier lives than their salary shows thanks to contributions from their partners or additional assets. 

Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics American Community Survey five-year sample, we analyzed the occupations and industries tied to people making at least $150K in 50 cities. Read on to find out more about your high-earning neighbors.

KEY FINDINGS

  • Lawyers and judges, managers, and chief executives are the top occupations earning at least $150K. 
  • Computer system design, legal services, and financial investing are the top industries for high earners. 
  • Cities with the highest percentage of top-paying occupations: Washington, DC, has the most lawyers and judges, Little Rock has the most physicians, Seattle has the most software developers, Arlington has the most managers, and Miami has the most chief executives.
  • The most common high-paying occupations by region are: physicians in the Northwest; physicians in the South; managers in the Southwest; lawyers and judges in the Midwest; managers in the West. 

WHAT PEOPLE MAKING A SALARY OF $150K OR MORE DO

The career path high earners followed led them to jobs that opened the door to a salary of $150K or higher. While there may be industries or occupations that you associate with wealth, we set out to find the actual most common high-earning careers in America by looking at the percentage of people in that industry or occupation that make our baseline salary or more. 

Through our analysis, we found that certain professions consistently provide paths to a six-figure salary. Lawyers and Judges stand prominently above them, leveraging their expertise in legal matters to secure high-income positions. Second on the list are other managerial roles in a diverse range of industries. The third top occupation is taken by chief executives. 

WHAT HIGH EARNERS IN YOUR CITY DO

Since the landscape of lucrative careers is as diverse as the cities that house them, we analyzed the top occupations and industries of those making at least $150K in 50 cities. From the bustling financial districts of New York City to the tech hubs of San Francisco, each city hosts a unique set of high-paying occupations. 

When it comes to the highest percentage of those in top-paying occupations, our study revealed that Washington, DC, has the most lawyers and judges, Little Rock has the most physicians, Seattle has the most software developers, Arlington has the most managers, and Miami has the most chief executives.

In some cities, the percentage of people in a single high-paying occupation didn’t rise to 10% or more, signifying that there is a wider distribution of what high earners in that city do. Those cities are Anchorage, AK, Denver, CO, El Paso, TX, Jacksonville, FL, Long Beach, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Mesa, AZ, Milwaukee, WI, Minneapolis, MN, Nashville, TN, New York, NY, Oakland, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Toledo, OH, Virginia Beach, VA, Worcester, MA, and Yonkers, NY.

Popular high-paying occupations also depend on what region it is. We looked at what region each city we analyzed was in to determine what high paying occupation is most common in that area. In the Northwest it’s physicians; in the South it’s physicians; in the Southwest it’s managers; in the Midwest it’s lawyers and judges; and in the West it’s managers. 

Below, we display the top 10 occupations and top 5 industries of individuals making $150K or more in each city.

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