High paying jobs in Salem, OR

Every occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Salem, OR. The percentile range matters more than the median on its own: it shows what the bottom and top of each field actually earn, which a single average hides.

Cost of living: prices in Salem, OR run 3.6% above the national average (2024), so a Salem, OR salary is worth about 0.96× 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 Salem, OR

OccupationMedian, Salem, OR · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$373,970
Doctoral or professional degree
$179,780 – $484,020330
2Family Medicine Physicians$295,170
Doctoral or professional degree
$227,060 – $340,050180
3Chief Executives$261,650
Bachelor's degree
$198,050 – $563,530120
4Pediatricians, General$256,710
Doctoral or professional degree
$136,310 – $280,25060
5Dentists, General$212,310
Doctoral or professional degree
$151,040 – $349,290140
6Pharmacists$169,210
Doctoral or professional degree
$129,900 – $200,000300
7Architectural and Engineering Managers$162,640
Bachelor's degree
$113,180 – $209,720140
8Nurse Practitioners$162,600
Master's degree
$129,780 – $196,880320
9Computer and Information Systems Managers$158,390
Bachelor's degree
$108,190 – $213,830490
10Lawyers$156,070
Doctoral or professional degree
$79,250 – $225,430780
11Sales Managers$152,090
Bachelor's degree
$84,710 – $256,730270
12Physician Assistants$144,190
Master's degree
$103,470 – $197,380190
13Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$143,980
Doctoral or professional degree
$113,350 – $163,340130
14Financial Managers$141,400
Bachelor's degree
$98,930 – $211,710620
15Computer Network Architects$138,930
Bachelor's degree
$106,090 – $166,760180
16Medical and Health Services Managers$137,400
Bachelor's degree
$92,820 – $213,580660
17Human Resources Managers$136,990
Bachelor's degree
$93,610 – $189,120200
18Natural Sciences Managers$136,150
Bachelor's degree
$107,450 – $161,660130
19Purchasing Managers$136,050
Bachelor's degree
$91,620 – $184,96070
20Optometrists$134,590
Doctoral or professional degree
$105,140 – $159,11060
21Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers$134,500
High school diploma or equivalent
$58,750 – $157,200180
22Marketing Managers$132,770
Bachelor's degree
$77,580 – $231,200170
23Public Relations Managers$132,600
Bachelor's degree
$74,180 – $174,580100
24First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives$131,940
High school diploma or equivalent
$104,740 – $166,180160
25Registered Nurses$131,750
Bachelor's degree
$101,180 – $157,9704,010
26Software Developers$131,620
Bachelor's degree
$82,630 – $170,460970
27Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$130,500
Master's degree
$81,680 – $164,740420
28Veterinarians$130,330
Doctoral or professional degree
$77,940 – $189,520120
29Education Administrators, Postsecondary$129,510
Master's degree
$76,500 – $183,260140
30Managers, All Other$129,470
Bachelor's degree
$74,990 – $220,020560
31Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$127,680
Associate's degree
$96,350 – $137,070110
32Information Security Analysts$126,680
Bachelor's degree
$104,060 – $175,860210
33Database Architects$126,670
Bachelor's degree
$102,650 – $175,60080
34Electrical Engineers$125,270
Bachelor's degree
$82,500 – $162,860140
35Commercial Pilots$125,120
Postsecondary nondegree award
$60,770 – $198,940140
36Training and Development Managers$124,190
Bachelor's degree
$87,240 – $150,82060
37Economists$124,190
Master's degree
$85,150 – $136,99060
38Data Scientists$124,040
Bachelor's degree
$78,040 – $162,57090
39Dental Hygienists$119,050
Associate's degree
$106,970 – $125,660300
40Civil Engineers$115,480
Bachelor's degree
$78,220 – $147,600480
41Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$114,550
Bachelor's degree
$64,300 – $169,910120
42Construction Managers$114,450
Bachelor's degree
$50,390 – $168,040470
43General and Operations Managers$114,430
Bachelor's degree
$54,850 – $225,2303,490
44Administrative Services Managers$114,290
Bachelor's degree
$82,940 – $165,680220
45Financial and Investment Analysts$110,500
Bachelor's degree
$78,890 – $198,82090
46Social and Community Service Managers$110,210
Bachelor's degree
$64,990 – $150,820460
47Computer Systems Analysts$109,970
Bachelor's degree
$80,000 – $138,930610
48Network and Computer Systems Administrators$109,970
Bachelor's degree
$79,950 – $138,930560
49Occupational Therapists$109,700
Master's degree
$87,540 – $130,360140
50Urban and Regional Planners$107,960
Master's degree
$73,700 – $127,360130

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

#	Occupation	MedianSalem, OR	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$373,970	$179,780 – $484,020	330
2	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$295,170	$227,060 – $340,050	180
3	Chief ExecutivesBachelor's degree	$261,650	$198,050 – $563,530	120
4	Pediatricians, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$256,710	$136,310 – $280,250	60
5	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$212,310	$151,040 – $349,290	140
6	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$169,210	$129,900 – $200,000	300
7	Architectural and Engineering ManagersBachelor's degree	$162,640	$113,180 – $209,720	140
8	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$162,600	$129,780 – $196,880	320
9	Computer and Information Systems ManagersBachelor's degree	$158,390	$108,190 – $213,830	490
10	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$156,070	$79,250 – $225,430	780
11	Sales ManagersBachelor's degree	$152,090	$84,710 – $256,730	270
12	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$144,190	$103,470 – $197,380	190
13	Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$143,980	$113,350 – $163,340	130
14	Financial ManagersBachelor's degree	$141,400	$98,930 – $211,710	620
15	Computer Network ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$138,930	$106,090 – $166,760	180
16	Medical and Health Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$137,400	$92,820 – $213,580	660
17	Human Resources ManagersBachelor's degree	$136,990	$93,610 – $189,120	200
18	Natural Sciences ManagersBachelor's degree	$136,150	$107,450 – $161,660	130
19	Purchasing ManagersBachelor's degree	$136,050	$91,620 – $184,960	70
20	OptometristsDoctoral or professional degree	$134,590	$105,140 – $159,110	60
21	Electrical Power-Line Installers and RepairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$134,500	$58,750 – $157,200	180
22	Marketing ManagersBachelor's degree	$132,770	$77,580 – $231,200	170
23	Public Relations ManagersBachelor's degree	$132,600	$74,180 – $174,580	100
24	First-Line Supervisors of Police and DetectivesHigh school diploma or equivalent	$131,940	$104,740 – $166,180	160
25	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$131,750	$101,180 – $157,970	4,010
26	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$131,620	$82,630 – $170,460	970
27	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through SecondaryMaster's degree	$130,500	$81,680 – $164,740	420
28	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$130,330	$77,940 – $189,520	120
29	Education Administrators, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$129,510	$76,500 – $183,260	140
30	Managers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$129,470	$74,990 – $220,020	560
31	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$127,680	$96,350 – $137,070	110
32	Information Security AnalystsBachelor's degree	$126,680	$104,060 – $175,860	210
33	Database ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$126,670	$102,650 – $175,600	80
34	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$125,270	$82,500 – $162,860	140
35	Commercial PilotsPostsecondary nondegree award	$125,120	$60,770 – $198,940	140
36	Training and Development ManagersBachelor's degree	$124,190	$87,240 – $150,820	60
37	EconomistsMaster's degree	$124,190	$85,150 – $136,990	60
38	Data ScientistsBachelor's degree	$124,040	$78,040 – $162,570	90
39	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$119,050	$106,970 – $125,660	300
40	Civil EngineersBachelor's degree	$115,480	$78,220 – $147,600	480
41	Electronics Engineers, Except ComputerBachelor's degree	$114,550	$64,300 – $169,910	120
42	Construction ManagersBachelor's degree	$114,450	$50,390 – $168,040	470
43	General and Operations ManagersBachelor's degree	$114,430	$54,850 – $225,230	3,490
44	Administrative Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$114,290	$82,940 – $165,680	220
45	Financial and Investment AnalystsBachelor's degree	$110,500	$78,890 – $198,820	90
46	Social and Community Service ManagersBachelor's degree	$110,210	$64,990 – $150,820	460
47	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$109,970	$80,000 – $138,930	610
48	Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$109,970	$79,950 – $138,930	560
49	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$109,700	$87,540 – $130,360	140
50	Urban and Regional PlannersMaster's degree	$107,960	$73,700 – $127,360	130

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Salem, OR. 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 Salem, OR to rank honestly.

High paying jobs in Salem, OR

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