High paying entry level jobs in Rochester, MN

These occupations in Rochester, MN ask for no prior experience in a related job and no on-the-job training period: you are expected to be productive on arrival. That is precisely why most of them want a specific qualification instead — the credential does the work the experience would have. Read the line under each title for what that qualification is; several here are doctorates. If you need something you can start without one, use the no-experience list.

Cost of living: prices in Rochester, MN run 9.2% below the national average (2024), so a Rochester, MN salary is worth about 1.10× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find high paying jobs in Rochester, MN

OccupationMedian, Rochester, MN · Employed

1Dentists, General$211,190
Doctoral or professional degree
$143,840 – $373,990110
2Pharmacists$164,250
Doctoral or professional degree
$130,710 – $177,870440
3Physician Assistants$137,340
Master's degree
$131,480 – $175,500480
4Software Developers$134,450
Bachelor's degree
$104,300 – $170,8601,840
5Veterinarians$130,000
Doctoral or professional degree
$82,670 – $209,12070
6Lawyers$129,270
Doctoral or professional degree
$79,790 – $314,240210
7Nurse Practitioners$126,270
Master's degree
$84,040 – $163,0401,190
8Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$120,630
Bachelor's degree
$78,500 – $134,340140
9Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$117,010
Bachelor's degree
$84,650 – $202,65060
10Environmental Engineers$115,750
Bachelor's degree
$107,120 – $129,31040
11Network and Computer Systems Administrators$107,210
Bachelor's degree
$73,410 – $147,270360
12Computer Occupations, All Other$106,300
Bachelor's degree
$63,110 – $162,780120
13Project Management Specialists$106,270
Bachelor's degree
$73,340 – $140,710460
14Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$105,090
Bachelor's degree
$73,690 – $133,880100
15Database Administrators$103,920
Bachelor's degree
$66,080 – $155,77040
16Dental Hygienists$103,440
Associate's degree
$82,570 – $115,740180
17Registered Nurses$101,660
Bachelor's degree
$81,960 – $127,5406,390
18Electrical Engineers$101,260
Bachelor's degree
$81,700 – $147,52040
19Civil Engineers$101,200
Bachelor's degree
$72,540 – $138,640120
20Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$100,770
Associate's degree
$81,890 – $120,220240
21Physical Therapists$100,140
Doctoral or professional degree
$80,070 – $127,820410
22Respiratory Therapists$98,700
Associate's degree
$82,190 – $114,580160
23Industrial Engineers$97,190
Bachelor's degree
$61,780 – $148,510290
24Mechanical Engineers$97,100
Bachelor's degree
$77,210 – $140,410120
25Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$94,580
Bachelor's degree
$57,530 – $141,77050
26Occupational Therapists$85,000
Master's degree
$81,890 – $109,130300
27Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$84,630
Associate's degree
$66,960 – $104,77050
28Accountants and Auditors$83,960
Bachelor's degree
$59,900 – $136,540760
29Human Resources Specialists$83,810
Bachelor's degree
$57,380 – $127,380500
30Architectural and Civil Drafters$83,780
Associate's degree
$58,670 – $105,14060
31Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists$83,030
Bachelor's degree
$46,730 – $135,130320
32Health Education Specialists$80,960
Bachelor's degree
$60,890 – $101,980140
33Social Workers, All Other$80,490
Bachelor's degree
$62,960 – $126,850370
34Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$80,330
Associate's degree
$77,720 – $106,100720
35Logisticians$80,300
Bachelor's degree
$58,580 – $109,56050
36Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$80,250
Master's degree
$45,560 – $100,770130
37Business Operations Specialists, All Other$78,790
Bachelor's degree
$53,470 – $113,280530
38Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,690
Associate's degree
$59,620 – $103,310100
39Surgical Technologists$78,070
Postsecondary nondegree award
$60,080 – $95,310170
40Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars$77,570
Associate's degree
$62,390 – $101,100130
41Surgical Assistants$76,880
Postsecondary nondegree award
$64,060 – $93,15040
42Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians$76,730
Associate's degree
$51,360 – $103,57090
43Special Education Teachers, Preschool$76,710
Bachelor's degree
$45,230 – $79,65070
44Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$75,770
Bachelor's degree
$48,700 – $81,680910
45Chiropractors$75,030
Doctoral or professional degree
$51,760 – $106,95050
46Public Relations Specialists$74,830
Bachelor's degree
$38,580 – $110,900240
47Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$74,020
Bachelor's degree
$48,420 – $102,960260
48Physical Therapist Assistants$73,580
Associate's degree
$61,020 – $78,46050
49Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,790
Bachelor's degree
$48,630 – $127,510800
50Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$71,620
Bachelor's degree
$47,610 – $90,510120

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianRochester, MN	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$211,190	$143,840 – $373,990	110
2	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$164,250	$130,710 – $177,870	440
3	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$137,340	$131,480 – $175,500	480
4	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$134,450	$104,300 – $170,860	1,840
5	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$130,000	$82,670 – $209,120	70
6	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$129,270	$79,790 – $314,240	210
7	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$126,270	$84,040 – $163,040	1,190
8	Software Quality Assurance Analysts and TestersBachelor's degree	$120,630	$78,500 – $134,340	140
9	Electronics Engineers, Except ComputerBachelor's degree	$117,010	$84,650 – $202,650	60
10	Environmental EngineersBachelor's degree	$115,750	$107,120 – $129,310	40
11	Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$107,210	$73,410 – $147,270	360
12	Computer Occupations, All OtherBachelor's degree	$106,300	$63,110 – $162,780	120
13	Project Management SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$106,270	$73,340 – $140,710	460
14	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$105,090	$73,690 – $133,880	100
15	Database AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$103,920	$66,080 – $155,770	40
16	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$103,440	$82,570 – $115,740	180
17	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$101,660	$81,960 – $127,540	6,390
18	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$101,260	$81,700 – $147,520	40
19	Civil EngineersBachelor's degree	$101,200	$72,540 – $138,640	120
20	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$100,770	$81,890 – $120,220	240
21	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$100,140	$80,070 – $127,820	410
22	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$98,700	$82,190 – $114,580	160
23	Industrial EngineersBachelor's degree	$97,190	$61,780 – $148,510	290
24	Mechanical EngineersBachelor's degree	$97,100	$77,210 – $140,410	120
25	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthBachelor's degree	$94,580	$57,530 – $141,770	50
26	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$85,000	$81,890 – $109,130	300
27	Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$84,630	$66,960 – $104,770	50
28	Accountants and AuditorsBachelor's degree	$83,960	$59,900 – $136,540	760
29	Human Resources SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$83,810	$57,380 – $127,380	500
30	Architectural and Civil DraftersAssociate's degree	$83,780	$58,670 – $105,140	60
31	Market Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$83,030	$46,730 – $135,130	320
32	Health Education SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$80,960	$60,890 – $101,980	140
33	Social Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$80,490	$62,960 – $126,850	370
34	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$80,330	$77,720 – $106,100	720
35	LogisticiansBachelor's degree	$80,300	$58,580 – $109,560	50
36	Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsMaster's degree	$80,250	$45,560 – $100,770	130
37	Business Operations Specialists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$78,790	$53,470 – $113,280	530
38	Civil Engineering Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$78,690	$59,620 – $103,310	100
39	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$78,070	$60,080 – $95,310	170
40	Health Information Technologists and Medical RegistrarsAssociate's degree	$77,570	$62,390 – $101,100	130
41	Surgical AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$76,880	$64,060 – $93,150	40
42	Industrial Engineering Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$76,730	$51,360 – $103,570	90
43	Special Education Teachers, PreschoolBachelor's degree	$76,710	$45,230 – $79,650	70
44	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$75,770	$48,700 – $81,680	910
45	ChiropractorsDoctoral or professional degree	$75,030	$51,760 – $106,950	50
46	Public Relations SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$74,830	$38,580 – $110,900	240
47	Special Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$74,020	$48,420 – $102,960	260
48	Physical Therapist AssistantsAssociate's degree	$73,580	$61,020 – $78,460	50
49	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$72,790	$48,630 – $127,510	800
50	Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language InstructorsBachelor's degree	$71,620	$47,610 – $90,510	120

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Rochester, MN. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Rochester, MN to rank honestly.

High paying entry level jobs in Rochester, MN

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