Top 100 highest-paying jobs in Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area

Table 1 compares the top 100 highest-paying jobs in Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, 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 Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area are those of nurse anesthetists, with an average annual salary of $221,560. The second highest-paying jobs are those of general dentist, with an average salary of $170,580.

All of the shown salary and employment information for Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 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 Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area in 2021, 2020, and 2019.

Table 1. Top 100 highest-paying jobs in Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area (2022 survey)

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	No. of Empl i
1	Nurse Anesthetists	$221,560	$211,310	50
2	General Dentists	$170,580	$124,710	60
3	Optometrists	$145,890	$90,090	50
4	Actuaries	$136,780	$68,840	50
5	Nurse Practitioners	$132,290	$106,280	170
6	Chief Executives	$132,240	$64,850	290
7	Pharmacists	$131,650	$118,380	210
8	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$130,100	$90,880	130
9	Physician Assistants	$129,520	$101,390	100
10	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$127,170	$87,460	170
11	Marketing Managers	$126,910	$75,320	160
12	Financial Managers	$120,690	$75,300	480
13	Sales Managers	$110,940	$66,810	240
14	Postsecondary Business Teachers	$108,890	$46,390	50
15	Human Resources Managers	$108,630	$73,020	130
16	Elementary and Secondary School Education Administrators	$106,760	$60,190	270
17	Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay	$105,960	$97,940	40
18	Purchasing Managers	$105,930	$67,340	60
19	Lawyers	$105,140	$65,920	240
20	Administrative Services Managers	$105,030	$71,190	160
21	Postsecondary Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers	$103,290	$38,900	50
22	Electrical Engineers	$102,660	$68,630	270
23	Postsecondary Economics Teachers	$102,590	$61,840	40
24	Fundraising Managers	$101,840	$62,410	40
25	Power Plant Operators	$100,640	$59,910	50
26	Postsecondary History Teachers	$100,110	$63,130	40
27	Other Education Administrators	$99,850	$59,470	70
28	Software Developers	$99,600	$65,800	800
29	Industrial Production Managers	$99,440	$65,370	380
30	Veterinarians	$98,650	$65,270	100
31	Engineers, All Other	$93,980	$62,780	70
32	Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	$93,530	$69,260	120
33	Database Administrators	$93,120	$44,680	50
34	All Other Managers	$93,100	$60,990	170
35	Medical and Health Services Managers	$92,730	$61,520	320
36	Computer Network Architects	$91,310	$66,170	40
37	Construction Managers	$90,430	$62,440	190
38	Computer Systems Analysts	$90,220	$60,890	190
39	Food Scientists and Technologists	$89,400	$52,520	80
40	Postsecondary Political Science Teachers	$89,240	$66,710	30
41	Facilities Managers	$88,690	$58,770	140
42	Civil Engineers	$87,930	$64,880	80
43	Project Management Specialists	$87,690	$57,590	300
44	Computer Programmers	$87,300	$53,110	60
45	Postsecondary Mathematical Science Teachers	$86,420	$60,280	60
46	Postsecondary Physics Teachers	$84,810	$62,550	30
47	Postsecondary Psychology Teachers	$84,420	$58,330	60
48	Information Security Analysts	$84,340	$48,860	30
49	Physical Therapists	$84,300	$74,480	140
50	Postsecondary Computer Science Teachers	$83,890	$58,100	60
51	Postsecondary Biological Science Teachers	$83,690	$60,100	70
52	Financial Analysts	$83,190	$60,460	100
53	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$83,080	$59,680	100
54	Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	$82,650	$58,020	150
55	Postsecondary Education Administrators	$82,540	$61,150	220
56	Postmasters and Mail Superintendents	$82,490	$75,250	30
57	Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	$82,400	$76,670	40
58	Network and Computer Systems Administrators	$82,240	$62,520	140
59	Postsecondary English Language and Literature Teachers	$81,950	$53,620	100
60	Personal Financial Advisors	$81,690	$59,390	170
61	Postsecondary Philosophy and Religion Teachers	$81,370	$60,920	70
62	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$81,260	$48,780	150
63	Industrial Engineers	$80,580	$58,830	840
64	Registered Nurses	$80,280	$63,640	2,290
65	Mechanical Engineers	$80,040	$58,990	310
66	Postsecondary Chemistry Teachers	$79,990	$64,060	50
67	Logisticians	$79,970	$47,800	110
68	Dental Hygienists	$79,620	$77,940	230
69	Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	$79,220	$56,680	110
70	First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	$78,930	$50,670	460
71	Loan Officers	$78,790	$48,470	470
72	Speech-Language Pathologists	$78,750	$50,750	130
73	First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	$78,520	$54,230	70
74	Postsecondary Health Specialties Teachers	$78,370	$44,160	50
75	Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors	$78,260	$50,660	80
76	Postsecondary Art, Drama, and Music Teachers	$77,720	$40,230	210
77	Insurance Underwriters	$77,370	$58,590	150
78	Postsecondary Nursing Instructors and Teachers	$77,200	$39,930	120
79	Pipelayers	$77,020	$46,290	40
80	Management Analysts	$76,860	$58,810	230
81	Postsecondary Vocational Education Teachers	$76,850	$35,630	90
82	First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers	$76,740	$60,290	90
83	Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	$76,710	$49,450	110
84	School Psychologists	$76,630	$52,380	60
85	Occupational Therapists	$76,530	$61,150	80
86	Postsecondary Foreign Language and Literature Teachers	$76,510	$62,310	100
87	Detectives and Criminal Investigators	$76,450	$60,010	90
88	Other Social Workers	$76,080	$60,180	410
89	Instructional Coordinators	$75,600	$55,790	230
90	Chiropractors	$75,400	$31,980	100
91	Technical Writers	$75,150	$47,330	30
92	Chemists	$74,650	$38,860	90
93	General and Operations Managers	$74,480	$36,550	3,360
94	Construction and Building Inspectors	$74,380	$49,460	30
95	First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	$73,920	$49,570	560
96	Adult Basic and Secondary Education and Literacy Teachers and Instructors	$73,730	$55,580	190
97	Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars	$73,670	$57,040	50
98	Computer Occupations, All Other	$70,930	$28,010	70
99	Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Sales Representatives	$70,130	$42,490	170
100	Civil Engineering Technicians	$69,180	$47,400	70

Table 2. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area – 2021 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	General Dentists	$164,070
2	Chief Executives	$148,340
3	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$131,770
4	Marketing Managers	$128,310
5	Nurse Practitioners	$128,190
6	Pharmacists	$127,950
7	Optometrists	$127,240
8	Physician Assistants	$125,830
9	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$120,230
10	Financial Managers	$120,010

Table 3. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area – 2020 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Nurse Anesthetists	$205,300
2	General Dentists	$184,620
3	Chief Executives	$150,120
4	Pharmacists	$142,670
5	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$128,180
6	Optometrists	$124,930
7	Nurse Practitioners	$122,650
8	Physician Assistants	$119,950
9	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$118,270
10	Computer Network Architects	$110,110

Table 4. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area – 2019 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Nurse Anesthetists	$200,980
2	General Dentists	$170,100
3	Funeral Home Managers	$162,190
4	Chief Executives	$160,510
5	Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates	$158,950
6	Pharmacists	$134,910
7	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$125,890
8	Optometrists	$125,080
9	Physician Assistants	$117,670
10	Nurse Practitioners	$115,480

Also see The most popular jobs in Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area.

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