Top 100 highest-paying jobs in Western Nebraska nonmetropolitan area

Table 1 compares the top 100 highest-paying jobs in Western Nebraska 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 Western Nebraska nonmetropolitan area are those of chief executive, with an average annual salary of $151,210. The second highest-paying jobs are those of physician assistant, with an average salary of $129,930.

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

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

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	No. of Empl i
1	Chief Executives	$151,210	$88,300	80
2	Physician Assistants	$129,930	$85,510	50
3	Pharmacists	$127,380	$63,800	90
4	Financial Managers	$119,530	$58,220	160
5	Nurse Practitioners	$110,270	$101,090	50
6	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$107,170	$68,910	50
7	Elementary and Secondary School Education Administrators	$99,880	$79,570	110
8	Software Developers	$95,970	$63,460	40
9	Medical and Health Services Managers	$94,420	$63,500	170
10	Physical Therapists	$93,620	$65,240	70
11	Administrative Services Managers	$86,490	$62,060	70
12	Industrial Production Managers	$84,230	$59,440	40
13	Computer Occupations, All Other	$83,380	$40,240	70
14	Occupational Therapists	$81,280	$63,750	50
15	Postsecondary Education Administrators	$80,890	$54,000	50
16	Lawyers	$80,860	$47,630	80
17	Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Sales Representatives	$79,950	$38,040	40
18	Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	$79,730	$48,040	140
19	All Other Managers	$79,380	$47,260	50
20	Sales Managers	$78,710	$49,690	70
21	Construction Managers	$78,480	$59,690	40
22	Computer Systems Analysts	$78,420	$50,730	50
23	Veterinarians	$78,410	$21,220	50
24	Loan Officers	$77,810	$44,320	160
25	Speech-Language Pathologists	$76,700	$58,340	50
26	Dental Hygienists	$76,510	$50,560	70
27	School Psychologists	$75,080	$45,550	30
28	Network and Computer Systems Administrators	$74,400	$56,380	30
29	General and Operations Managers	$73,350	$31,030	860
30	Conservation Scientists	$72,820	$44,720	40
31	Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	$69,990	$35,610	40
32	Social and Community Service Managers	$68,500	$40,610	50
33	Registered Nurses	$67,420	$55,610	860
34	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$64,840	$48,040	50
35	First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	$64,210	$40,440	230
36	Accountants and Auditors	$64,160	$43,280	220
37	Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers	$63,940	$36,540	60
38	Radiologic Technologists	$63,860	$47,200	80
39	Middle School Special Education Teachers	$63,580	$44,860	30
40	Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselors	$62,210	$45,690	90
41	Postsecondary Nursing Instructors and Teachers	$62,060	$60,890	40
42	Secondary School Special Education Teachers	$61,960	$50,920	60
43	Postsecondary Health Specialties Teachers	$61,740	$48,000	60
44	Rail Car Repairers	$61,720	$49,400	70
45	Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School	$61,700	$48,260	110
46	Buyers and Purchasing Agents	$61,320	$39,500	90
47	Other Business Operations Specialists	$61,250	$26,580	70
48	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$61,160	$47,160	510
49	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$60,310	$45,860	180
50	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	$60,010	$41,210	540
51	Training and Development Specialists	$59,990	$45,240	60
52	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians	$59,910	$38,280	90
53	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	$59,470	$42,960	70
54	Soil and Plant Scientists	$59,250	$39,600	40
55	Physical Therapist Assistants	$59,010	$47,140	40
56	First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	$58,790	$38,640	70
57	First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	$58,760	$37,330	160
58	Kindergarten and Elementary School Special Education Teachers	$58,450	$38,810	100
59	Industrial Machinery Mechanics	$57,700	$41,530	80
60	Compliance Officers	$57,610	$34,970	50
61	Wholesale and Manufacturing (Except Technical and Scientific Products) Sales Representatives	$55,970	$32,950	290
62	First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	$55,630	$45,080	180
63	Postal Service Clerks	$55,540	$39,770	80
64	Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	$55,120	$38,280	50
65	Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	$54,510	$38,510	40
66	First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers	$52,440	$40,610	40
67	Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	$51,650	$33,840	60
68	Public Relations Specialists	$51,520	$33,490	40
69	Human Resources Specialists	$51,060	$38,020	150
70	First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers	$50,980	$36,720	330
71	Computer Network Support Specialists	$50,350	$36,220	70
72	Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors	$50,220	$36,700	70
73	Insurance Sales Agents	$49,980	$35,980	230
74	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	$49,960	$40,250	390
75	Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	$49,810	$41,760	220
76	Cost Estimators	$49,770	$36,240	30
77	First-Line Supervisors of Transportation Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors	$49,340	$35,770	150
78	Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	$49,310	$31,840	60
79	Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	$48,930	$31,140	130
80	Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers	$48,490	$36,470	70
81	Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines	$48,380	$36,050	30
82	Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians	$48,350	$35,480	180
83	Food Service Managers	$48,030	$35,630	30
84	Computer User Support Specialists	$47,990	$31,690	90
85	Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel	$47,970	$29,410	70
86	Emergency Medical Technicians	$47,750	$32,170	50
87	Forest and Conservation Technicians	$47,720	$33,220	40
88	Advertising Sales Agents	$47,370	$28,430	40
89	Court, Municipal, and License Clerks	$47,330	$30,780	120
90	Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists	$47,250	$36,070	160
91	Electricians	$47,180	$32,780	140
92	Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers	$47,070	$38,640	40
93	Automotive Body and Related Repairers	$46,820	$30,990	70
94	Lodging Managers	$46,670	$34,630	30
95	Loan Interviewers and Clerks	$46,630	$34,180	60
96	Paralegals and Legal Assistants	$46,410	$36,240	50
97	Surgical Technologists	$46,410	$39,410	30
98	Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks	$46,220	$33,270	40
99	Postal Service Mail Carriers	$45,900	$39,640	110
100	Machinists	$45,630	$29,820	40

Table 2. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Western Nebraska nonmetropolitan area – 2021 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Chief Executives	$131,040
2	General Dentists	$125,720
3	Pharmacists	$121,630
4	Nurse Practitioners	$100,590
5	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$99,070
6	Financial Managers	$98,230
7	Elementary and Secondary School Education Administrators	$97,760
8	Physical Therapists	$95,590
9	Veterinarians	$95,590
10	Industrial Production Managers	$94,690

Table 3. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Western Nebraska nonmetropolitan area – 2020 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	All Other Physicians; and Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric	$192,650
2	General Dentists	$154,070
3	Pharmacists	$121,300
4	Nurse Practitioners	$117,490
5	Physician Assistants	$111,600
6	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$109,150
7	Industrial Production Managers	$100,730
8	Elementary and Secondary School Education Administrators	$97,720
9	Veterinarians	$89,700
10	Medical and Health Services Managers	$89,140

Table 4. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in Western Nebraska nonmetropolitan area – 2019 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	All Other Physicians; and Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric	$181,080
2	Optometrists	$132,440
3	Physician Assistants	$118,980
4	Pharmacists	$118,340
5	Nurse Practitioners	$117,180
6	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$108,160
7	Elementary and Secondary School Education Administrators	$96,510
8	Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	$92,300
9	Medical and Health Services Managers	$91,380
10	Industrial Production Managers	$88,550

Also see The most popular jobs in Western Nebraska nonmetropolitan area.

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