Top 100 highest-paying jobs in Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area

Table 1 compares the top 100 highest-paying jobs in Southwest Iowa 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 Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area are those of nurse anesthetists, with an average annual salary of $237,960. The second highest-paying jobs are those of general dentist, with an average salary of $130,060.

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

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

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	No. of Empl i
1	Nurse Anesthetists	$237,960	$208,880	30
2	General Dentists	$130,060	$102,010	40
3	Pharmacists	$130,060	$101,010	160
4	Marketing Managers	$127,340	$65,000	50
5	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$123,800	$81,930	60
6	Nurse Practitioners	$123,220	$104,830	150
7	Sales Managers	$121,540	$62,500	60
8	Physician Assistants	$120,880	$102,240	40
9	Chief Executives	$120,110	$36,400	150
10	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$118,680	$83,800	50
11	Optometrists	$111,120	$60,420	40
12	Software Developers	$107,240	$74,570	130
13	Human Resources Managers	$104,340	$62,580	50
14	Loan Officers	$100,250	$57,820	230
15	Elementary and Secondary School Education Administrators	$97,040	$72,280	190
16	Industrial Production Managers	$95,890	$64,550	200
17	Medical and Health Services Managers	$94,190	$65,650	410
18	Civil Engineers	$92,580	$66,480	60
19	Financial Managers	$91,300	$49,920	410
20	Construction Managers	$90,540	$61,350	50
21	Veterinarians	$90,390	$63,880	60
22	Lawyers	$89,770	$61,430	110
23	Physical Therapists	$87,810	$72,490	140
24	Occupational Therapists	$85,280	$71,410	70
25	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$84,990	$52,500	70
26	Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	$84,650	$74,240	190
27	All Other Managers	$84,350	$68,000	60
28	Personal Financial Advisors	$84,200	$44,680	80
29	Other Education Administrators	$83,400	$39,480	40
30	Industrial Engineers	$79,800	$55,050	120
31	Dental Hygienists	$78,290	$73,890	100
32	Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	$78,150	$63,350	40
33	Postmasters and Mail Superintendents	$77,400	$75,250	30
34	Postsecondary Education Administrators	$77,350	$47,200	50
35	Purchasing Managers	$77,230	$49,150	30
36	Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door	$76,610	$42,340	50
37	Computer Systems Analysts	$76,590	$58,500	80
38	Speech-Language Pathologists	$76,480	$52,880	70
39	Project Management Specialists	$76,430	$46,360	110
40	Mechanical Engineers	$74,980	$58,560	130
41	Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Sales Representatives	$74,460	$45,190	90
42	Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	$74,370	$50,640	70
43	Network and Computer Systems Administrators	$72,650	$56,450	110
44	Facilities Managers	$71,720	$57,160	60
45	Soil and Plant Scientists	$71,610	$56,530	40
46	Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars	$70,970	$53,170	30
47	General and Operations Managers	$68,010	$35,920	1,960
48	First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	$68,000	$41,710	350
49	Instructional Coordinators	$67,960	$37,740	130
50	First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	$65,990	$32,400	80
51	Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	$65,550	$43,680	60
52	Respiratory Therapists	$64,880	$50,570	60
53	First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers	$64,500	$41,480	30
54	Management Analysts	$64,300	$54,720	50
55	Postsecondary Nursing Instructors and Teachers	$64,050	$50,080	30
56	Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs	$63,750	$42,800	30
57	Cost Estimators	$63,480	$39,380	60
58	Registered Nurses	$63,410	$51,420	1,970
59	Dietitians and Nutritionists	$63,350	$45,070	30
60	Wholesale and Manufacturing (Except Technical and Scientific Products) Sales Representatives	$63,270	$33,010	830
61	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$62,560	$58,290	70
62	Brickmasons and Blockmasons	$62,420	$37,770	40
63	Social and Community Service Managers	$62,260	$41,290	150
64	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	$62,210	$39,640	710
65	First-Line Supervisors of Transportation Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors	$61,650	$38,980	270
66	Construction and Building Inspectors	$61,590	$38,170	50
67	Industrial Engineering Technicians	$61,330	$43,590	40
68	Civil Engineering Technicians	$61,220	$45,530	30
69	First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	$61,220	$46,470	410
70	Secondary School Special Education Teachers	$61,180	$46,140	90
71	Environmental Scientists and Health Specialists	$60,710	$40,600	30
72	Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel	$60,130	$35,350	180
73	Training and Development Specialists	$59,820	$24,590	170
74	Buyers and Purchasing Agents	$59,380	$31,790	260
75	Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers	$59,190	$37,730	110
76	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$58,910	$39,820	550
77	Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment	$58,870	$40,160	30
78	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$58,190	$38,040	540
79	Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	$58,190	$46,940	330
80	Mechanical Drafters	$58,130	$43,980	40
81	Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers	$58,070	$37,910	40
82	Human Resources Specialists	$57,230	$36,690	260
83	Accountants and Auditors	$57,210	$39,320	460
84	Postsecondary Vocational Education Teachers	$57,200	$44,090	40
85	Kindergarten and Elementary School Special Education Teachers	$56,860	$37,530	190
86	Radiologic Technologists	$56,450	$47,130	140
87	Logisticians	$55,670	$38,000	30
88	Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	$55,670	$35,450	280
89	Middle School Special Education Teachers	$55,180	$37,310	50
90	Conservation Scientists	$54,720	$42,750	100
91	Healthcare Social Workers	$54,590	$40,980	80
92	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators	$54,410	$34,040	240
93	Architectural and Civil Drafters	$54,290	$43,380	30
94	Public Relations Specialists	$53,870	$36,400	50
95	Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors	$53,660	$35,160	50
96	Compliance Officers	$53,200	$38,640	110
97	Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers	$52,420	$36,760	130
98	Physical Therapist Assistants	$52,200	$46,650	100
99	Property Appraisers and Assessors	$51,930	$39,320	40
100	Postal Service Clerks	$51,840	$39,770	170

Table 2. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area – 2021 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	General Dentists	$156,210
2	Chief Executives	$128,460
3	Physician Assistants	$127,240
4	Nurse Practitioners	$126,950
5	Pharmacists	$126,560
6	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$118,610
7	Sales Managers	$117,160
8	Optometrists	$101,680
9	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$99,320
10	Financial Managers	$98,750

Table 3. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area – 2020 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Nurse Anesthetists	$207,380
2	General Dentists	$144,870
3	Chief Executives	$134,680
4	Physician Assistants	$121,320
5	Pharmacists	$120,270
6	Nurse Practitioners	$117,960
7	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$116,570
8	Optometrists	$116,170
9	Sales Managers	$101,600
10	Elementary and Secondary School Education Administrators	$97,840

Table 4. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area – 2019 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Nurse Anesthetists	$202,290
2	General Dentists	$141,460
3	Optometrists	$120,100
4	Pharmacists	$117,860
5	Physician Assistants	$115,690
6	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$110,710
7	Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	$109,250
8	Nurse Practitioners	$106,290
9	Chief Executives	$105,630
10	Sales Managers	$101,910

Also see The most popular jobs in Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area.

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