Top 100 highest-paying jobs in Columbia, MO

Table 1 compares the top 100 highest-paying jobs in Columbia, MO, ranked by annual average salary. For each job, the table displays the number of employees with that job, as well as the job's entry-level salary. (The entry-level salary is calculated based on the 10% of paid workers with the lowest salaries.)

Based on the table, we see that the highest-paying jobs in Columbia, MO are those of chief executive, with an average annual salary of $177,230. The second highest-paying jobs are those of nurse anesthetists, with an average salary of $174,890.

All of the shown salary and employment information for Columbia, MO has been computed using data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in April 2023. Notably, the highest-paying occupations change from year to year. Tables 2, 3, and 4 show the top 10 highest-paying occupations in Columbia, MO in 2021, 2020, and 2019.

Table 1. Top 100 highest-paying jobs in Columbia, MO (2022 survey)

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	No. of Empl i
1	Chief Executives	$177,230	$68,150	80
2	Nurse Anesthetists	$174,890	$174,890	60
3	General Dentists	$168,620	$96,250	60
4	Pharmacists	$135,810	$108,700	250
5	Natural Sciences Managers	$133,810	$89,940	40
6	Postsecondary Education Administrators	$124,540	$61,610	280
7	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$122,900	$78,220	270
8	Sales Managers	$118,960	$49,850	140
9	Financial Managers	$118,530	$74,770	400
10	Physician Assistants	$109,420	$82,610	70
11	Human Resources Managers	$103,230	$63,930	90
12	Medical and Health Services Managers	$102,700	$75,320	370
13	Marketing Managers	$101,720	$60,320	90
14	Database Architects	$101,560	$56,650	40
15	Lawyers	$101,310	$63,370	340
16	Nurse Practitioners	$99,440	$78,350	250
17	Public Relations Managers	$99,060	$62,960	50
18	Industrial Production Managers	$98,460	$67,500	90
19	All Other Managers	$98,100	$48,920	130
20	Postsecondary Business Teachers	$97,920	$47,020	120
21	Postsecondary Computer Science Teachers	$97,300	$59,370	80
22	Computer Network Architects	$97,070	$56,480	60
23	Veterinarians	$96,860	$61,410	110
24	Facilities Managers	$95,040	$56,520	80
25	Software Developers	$94,310	$46,300	540
26	Industrial Engineers	$91,790	$63,630	150
27	Construction Managers	$91,410	$64,560	50
28	Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	$85,680	$51,480	60
29	Administrative Services Managers	$85,610	$48,180	180
30	Physical Therapists	$84,540	$65,850	190
31	Occupational Therapists	$83,410	$61,360	120
32	Speech-Language Pathologists	$83,200	$49,590	110
33	Database Administrators	$81,580	$37,480	50
34	Computer Occupations, All Other	$81,250	$53,200	310
35	Dental Hygienists	$80,360	$64,550	140
36	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$80,330	$57,040	40
37	Electrical Engineers	$79,740	$56,670	40
38	Management Analysts	$79,560	$51,920	400
39	Civil Engineers	$79,460	$61,780	120
40	Information Security Analysts	$78,710	$46,770	90
41	Mechanical Engineers	$78,040	$50,570	70
42	Project Management Specialists	$77,290	$46,870	360
43	Postsecondary Biological Science Teachers	$77,180	$46,960	150
44	General and Operations Managers	$76,510	$38,140	2,340
45	Computer Systems Analysts	$76,320	$49,160	120
46	Postsecondary Nursing Instructors and Teachers	$76,220	$48,420	90
47	Postsecondary Psychology Teachers	$75,880	$47,290	130
48	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$75,790	$39,220	40
49	Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists	$75,430	$64,740	40
50	Network and Computer Systems Administrators	$75,160	$48,460	250
51	Other Social Workers	$75,030	$43,780	60
52	Computer Programmers	$74,350	$32,990	70
53	First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	$74,140	$40,560	90
54	Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators	$74,000	$39,330	180
55	Personal Financial Advisors	$71,940	$43,470	80
56	Other Business Operations Specialists	$70,620	$46,160	330
57	Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists	$70,620	$46,220	40
58	Logisticians	$70,050	$47,720	60
59	Data Scientists	$69,470	$47,960	60
60	Power Plant Operators	$68,810	$50,370	40
61	Other Financial Specialists	$66,190	$42,890	80
62	Radiation Therapists	$65,760	$63,900	60
63	Conservation Scientists	$64,940	$47,050	40
64	Registered Nurses	$64,590	$51,650	3,440
65	Architects (Except Landscape and Naval)	$64,360	$37,040	70
66	Web Developers	$64,250	$43,830	60
67	Operations Research Analysts	$64,250	$46,090	50
68	Respiratory Therapists	$63,470	$50,700	80
69	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	$63,330	$39,030	290
70	Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	$62,720	$26,740	100
71	Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	$62,560	$47,330	60
72	Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	$61,610	$36,010	350
73	Accountants and Auditors	$61,580	$37,850	740
74	First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	$61,510	$38,090	260
75	Postsecondary English Language and Literature Teachers	$61,460	$44,750	80
76	First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	$61,450	$36,160	240
77	Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines	$61,370	$34,260	50
78	Social and Community Service Managers	$60,940	$40,520	70
79	Physical Therapist Assistants	$60,830	$46,170	90
80	Postsecondary Art, Drama, and Music Teachers	$60,730	$46,670	60
81	Fundraisers	$60,220	$40,720	80
82	Human Resources Specialists	$60,020	$39,760	480
83	Chemists	$59,990	$45,650	60
84	Cost Estimators	$59,980	$29,640	190
85	Food Service Managers	$59,940	$38,740	90
86	Postsecondary Education Teachers	$59,820	$35,320	110
87	Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	$59,280	$47,700	220
88	Public Relations Specialists	$59,110	$38,120	430
89	Sheet Metal Workers	$59,030	$34,430	120
90	Wholesale and Manufacturing (Except Technical and Scientific Products) Sales Representatives	$58,940	$34,400	470
91	Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	$58,760	$37,880	60
92	Dietitians and Nutritionists	$58,260	$31,980	70
93	Radiologic Technologists	$58,260	$39,230	200
94	Librarians and Media Collections Specialists	$58,170	$36,140	80
95	Mechanical Drafters	$58,150	$39,390	40
96	Tax Preparers	$57,990	$23,190	30
97	Occupational Therapy Assistants	$57,680	$49,050	50
98	Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	$57,620	$35,350	300
99	Loan Officers	$56,310	$33,850	1,140
100	Instructional Coordinators	$55,910	$37,410	160

Table 2. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Columbia, MO – 2021 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Nurse Anesthetists	$195,090
2	Radiologists	$173,920
3	General Dentists	$162,420
4	Chief Executives	$152,410
5	Optometrists	$150,670
6	Pharmacists	$129,360
7	Natural Sciences Managers	$119,770
8	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$119,620
9	Financial Managers	$118,530
10	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$115,890

Table 3. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Columbia, MO – 2020 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Chief Executives	$197,340
2	General Dentists	$191,440
3	Nurse Anesthetists	$185,020
4	Pharmacists	$134,120
5	All Other Personal Service Managers, Entertainment Managers, Except Gambling; and Managers	$117,640
6	Financial Managers	$113,620
7	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$111,800
8	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$107,170
9	Industrial Production Managers	$104,220
10	Medical and Health Services Managers	$103,560

Table 4. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Columbia, MO – 2019 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	General Dentists	$194,730
2	Nurse Anesthetists	$172,490
3	Chief Executives	$137,740
4	Pharmacists	$131,760
5	Financial Managers	$116,660
6	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$112,370
7	All Other Physicians; and Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric	$111,380
8	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$108,360
9	Human Resources Managers	$108,080
10	All Other Personal Service Managers, Entertainment Managers, Except Gambling; and Managers	$106,550

Also see The most popular jobs in Columbia, MO.

Also see The most popular jobs in Missouri, The top paying jobs in Missouri.