Top 100 highest-paying jobs in Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area

Table 1 compares the top 100 highest-paying jobs in Southwest 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 Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area are those of nurse anesthetists, with an average annual salary of $227,050. The second highest-paying jobs are those of general dentist, with an average salary of $155,200.

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

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

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	No. of Empl i
1	Nurse Anesthetists	$227,050	$206,190	60
2	General Dentists	$155,200	$106,350	50
3	Pharmacists	$134,840	$106,960	190
4	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$129,630	$99,120	80
5	Physician Assistants	$129,150	$91,800	90
6	Chief Executives	$128,840	$68,490	270
7	Nurse Practitioners	$127,510	$79,880	140
8	Sales Managers	$117,050	$66,790	190
9	Marketing Managers	$114,810	$72,540	80
10	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$111,150	$80,560	100
11	All Other Managers	$107,120	$59,990	60
12	Financial Managers	$103,260	$71,380	430
13	Lawyers	$102,000	$60,540	140
14	First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	$99,650	$50,670	100
15	Human Resources Managers	$99,610	$66,210	90
16	Elementary and Secondary School Education Administrators	$98,890	$75,720	180
17	Purchasing Managers	$98,620	$59,330	40
18	Veterinarians	$97,820	$64,780	90
19	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$97,600	$51,610	60
20	Commercial Pilots	$97,230	$58,090	30
21	Industrial Production Managers	$96,630	$64,100	270
22	Software Developers	$96,020	$63,810	240
23	Electrical Engineers	$95,680	$60,790	100
24	Postsecondary Education Administrators	$93,910	$63,980	50
25	Computer Systems Analysts	$93,750	$61,130	140
26	Administrative Services Managers	$91,400	$59,020	110
27	Medical and Health Services Managers	$90,750	$64,090	410
28	Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	$90,720	$39,650	140
29	Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors	$84,270	$50,550	60
30	Engineers, All Other	$83,670	$69,370	40
31	Financial Analysts	$83,050	$55,720	60
32	Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	$82,820	$66,350	40
33	Construction Managers	$82,600	$63,890	210
34	Civil Engineers	$82,580	$64,410	100
35	Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Sales Representatives	$82,480	$50,930	50
36	Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	$81,900	$56,370	50
37	Physical Therapists	$81,520	$69,820	170
38	Industrial Engineers	$81,170	$57,480	490
39	Network and Computer Systems Administrators	$80,680	$59,510	70
40	Personal Financial Advisors	$80,640	$52,330	120
41	Chemists	$80,640	$58,410	40
42	Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	$80,640	$54,810	60
43	Logisticians	$80,190	$47,170	50
44	Dental Hygienists	$79,880	$76,890	190
45	Occupational Therapists	$79,570	$64,350	120
46	Postmasters and Mail Superintendents	$79,020	$75,230	40
47	Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	$78,680	$50,050	30
48	Mechanical Engineering Technicians	$78,620	$54,150	40
49	Registered Nurses	$78,520	$61,290	2,390
50	Facilities Managers	$78,360	$55,650	80
51	Pipelayers	$77,430	$57,110	60
52	Respiratory Therapists	$77,380	$64,160	40
53	Electronics Engineers (Non Computer)	$77,310	$77,310	40
54	Project Management Specialists	$77,180	$51,120	220
55	General and Operations Managers	$76,530	$38,740	2,830
56	Management Analysts	$76,420	$48,460	150
57	Mechanical Engineers	$75,780	$59,030	220
58	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$75,440	$53,750	150
59	First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	$74,680	$51,670	410
60	Computer Occupations, All Other	$74,510	$28,010	50
61	Speech-Language Pathologists	$74,010	$60,000	130
62	Instructional Coordinators	$73,750	$47,030	90
63	Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars	$73,420	$51,720	40
64	Chiropractors	$73,250	$46,060	80
65	Loan Officers	$73,190	$44,720	320
66	Credit Analysts	$72,440	$49,570	80
67	First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	$72,360	$49,330	510
68	Conservation Scientists	$70,620	$49,610	60
69	Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists	$69,910	$56,680	40
70	First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers	$69,770	$48,540	60
71	Civil Engineering Technicians	$69,180	$60,580	80
72	Computer Network Support Specialists	$69,150	$48,540	150
73	Detectives and Criminal Investigators	$68,910	$61,030	40
74	Crossing Guards	$66,600	$26,310	40
75	Environmental Scientists and Health Specialists	$66,290	$50,390	50
76	Wholesale and Manufacturing (Except Technical and Scientific Products) Sales Representatives	$65,680	$37,460	990
77	Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	$65,090	$50,000	90
78	Compliance Officers	$65,000	$45,360	120
79	Radiologic Technologists	$64,480	$54,670	140
80	Social and Community Service Managers	$64,170	$39,300	170
81	Cost Estimators	$64,070	$47,300	140
82	Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technicians	$63,920	$41,380	90
83	Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators	$63,590	$53,860	90
84	Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians	$63,420	$38,160	70
85	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$63,070	$44,720	230
86	Paramedics	$62,920	$46,010	80
87	Other Social Workers	$62,870	$55,890	440
88	Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines	$62,850	$43,580	90
89	Marriage and Family Therapists	$62,450	$46,530	120
90	Wind Turbine Service Technicians	$62,440	$49,740	80
91	Accountants and Auditors	$62,410	$43,690	890
92	Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	$62,310	$59,640	30
93	Human Resources Specialists	$62,070	$42,940	340
94	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	$62,060	$46,760	780
95	Training and Development Specialists	$61,130	$42,640	170
96	Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselors	$61,110	$47,180	120
97	Tree Trimmers and Pruners	$61,060	$46,090	40
98	Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	$60,920	$46,670	440
99	Buyers and Purchasing Agents	$60,730	$42,100	260
100	Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers	$60,720	$41,060	60

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

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Chief Executives	$152,970
2	General Dentists	$128,190
3	Physician Assistants	$127,240
4	Pharmacists	$126,740
5	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$126,430
6	Marketing Managers	$126,040
7	Nurse Practitioners	$123,400
8	Financial Managers	$101,880
9	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$100,110
10	Human Resources Managers	$99,510

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

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Nurse Anesthetists	$192,360
2	Chief Executives	$150,680
3	Physician Assistants	$129,880
4	Pharmacists	$128,950
5	Nurse Practitioners	$123,730
6	Marketing Managers	$123,040
7	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$121,320
8	Purchasing Managers	$111,450
9	Financial Managers	$103,450
10	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$101,550

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

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Nurse Anesthetists	$183,590
2	Chief Executives	$155,180
3	Pharmacists	$139,220
4	Nurse Practitioners	$123,110
5	Physician Assistants	$120,830
6	Computer Network Architects	$115,990
7	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$114,860
8	Purchasing Managers	$110,010
9	Marketing Managers	$109,940
10	Financial Managers	$98,460

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

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