Jobs that pay the biggest premium in Idaho

Each occupation's median wage in Idaho compared against the national median for the same occupation. Unlike a cost-of-living adjustment — which scales every job in a state by the same constant and so cannot change their order — this genuinely re-ranks, and it shows where Idaho pays a real premium. Limited to occupations with at least 1,000 workers in the state.

Cost of living: prices in Idaho run 4.5% below the national average (2024), so a Idaho salary is worth about 1.05× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in Idaho.

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

Find high paying jobs in Idaho

OccupationMedian, Idaho · vs. national

1Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers$507,640
Bachelor's degree
$120,740 – $507,910+118.7%
2Family Medicine Physicians$347,160
Doctoral or professional degree
$84,020 – $525,140+42.2%
3Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$77,100
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,100 – $84,930+32.8%
4Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers$125,410
High school diploma or equivalent
$75,770 – $131,140+31.6%
5Miscellaneous Construction and Related Workers$65,420
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,810 – $65,430+31.1%
6Power Plant Operators$124,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$68,960 – $137,670+22.0%
7Soil and Plant Scientists$95,150
Bachelor's degree
$58,440 – $167,960+20.7%
8Medical Equipment Repairers$74,270
Associate's degree
$57,910 – $103,330+20.5%
9Pipelayers$58,650
No formal educational credential
$38,990 – $73,340+19.7%
10Food Batchmakers$49,570
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,980 – $61,230+17.2%
11First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers$69,360
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,190 – $98,350+16.9%
12Operations Research Analysts$103,600
Bachelor's degree
$60,640 – $138,510+16.5%
13Rehabilitation Counselors$54,550
Master's degree
$29,450 – $75,710+16.4%
14Structural Iron and Steel Workers$72,750
High school diploma or equivalent
$49,780 – $80,140+15.9%
15Parts Salespersons$44,580
No formal educational credential
$30,180 – $63,090+15.4%
16Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$57,950
High school diploma or equivalent
$50,930 – $89,760+15.3%
17Logging Equipment Operators$56,490
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,660 – $77,550+13.6%
18Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary$90,890
Doctoral or professional degree
$46,940 – $145,940+13.3%
19Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$58,140
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,330 – $81,990+13.3%
20Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$48,350
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,520 – $59,720+13.0%
21Physicians, All Other$299,340
Doctoral or professional degree
$38,390 – $429,850+12.6%
22Surgical Technologists$72,550
Postsecondary nondegree award
$48,430 – $87,210+12.2%
23Conservation Scientists$81,330
Bachelor's degree
$47,300 – $99,560+11.4%
24Telemarketers$39,400
No formal educational credential
$26,260 – $41,440+11.1%
25Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals$40,580
No formal educational credential
$24,670 – $52,960+10.7%
26Interpreters and Translators$66,130
Bachelor's degree
$42,740 – $101,500+9.9%
27Healthcare Social Workers$74,500
Master's degree
$50,950 – $97,670+9.8%
28Environmental Engineers$117,520
Bachelor's degree
$69,780 – $165,810+9.7%
29Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders$45,120
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,630 – $75,380+8.5%
30Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$46,720
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,250 – $60,330+8.1%
31Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders$48,250
No formal educational credential
$37,910 – $55,860+7.7%
32Electrical Engineers$129,340
Bachelor's degree
$77,070 – $165,410+7.2%
33Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors$63,360
Master's degree
$36,400 – $98,760+6.8%
34Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,410
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,240 – $64,510+6.8%
35Engineers, All Other$130,970
Bachelor's degree
$84,030 – $195,360+6.5%
36Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers$41,600
No formal educational credential
$30,960 – $58,100+6.3%
37Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,500
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,040 – $65,070+6.1%
38Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors$49,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,170 – $76,340+5.6%
39Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians$59,600
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,200 – $78,330+5.4%
40Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$45,730
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,980 – $57,670+5.4%
41Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers$61,730
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,460 – $91,720+5.3%
42File Clerks$45,910
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,600 – $50,460+5.3%
43Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$53,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,340 – $77,560+5.2%
44Crossing Guards and Flaggers$40,060
No formal educational credential
$34,730 – $61,190+5.1%
45Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other$51,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,730 – $77,550+5.0%
46Glaziers$59,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,770 – $78,730+4.9%
47Medical Records Specialists$53,460
Postsecondary nondegree award
$39,930 – $77,840+4.5%
48Roofers$57,790
No formal educational credential
$35,780 – $71,860+4.2%
49Highway Maintenance Workers$52,050
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,260 – $70,840+3.6%
50Data Entry Keyers$42,810
High school diploma or equivalent
$29,990 – $59,460+3.6%

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

#	Occupation	MedianIdaho	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	vs. national
1	Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight EngineersBachelor's degree	$507,640	$120,740 – $507,910	+118.7%
2	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$347,160	$84,020 – $525,140	+42.2%
3	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$77,100	$46,100 – $84,930	+32.8%
4	Electrical Power-Line Installers and RepairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$125,410	$75,770 – $131,140	+31.6%
5	Miscellaneous Construction and Related WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$65,420	$36,810 – $65,430	+31.1%
6	Power Plant OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$124,440	$68,960 – $137,670	+22.0%
7	Soil and Plant ScientistsBachelor's degree	$95,150	$58,440 – $167,960	+20.7%
8	Medical Equipment RepairersAssociate's degree	$74,270	$57,910 – $103,330	+20.5%
9	PipelayersNo formal educational credential	$58,650	$38,990 – $73,340	+19.7%
10	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,570	$32,980 – $61,230	+17.2%
11	First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$69,360	$37,190 – $98,350	+16.9%
12	Operations Research AnalystsBachelor's degree	$103,600	$60,640 – $138,510	+16.5%
13	Rehabilitation CounselorsMaster's degree	$54,550	$29,450 – $75,710	+16.4%
14	Structural Iron and Steel WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$72,750	$49,780 – $80,140	+15.9%
15	Parts SalespersonsNo formal educational credential	$44,580	$30,180 – $63,090	+15.4%
16	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,950	$50,930 – $89,760	+15.3%
17	Logging Equipment OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,490	$42,660 – $77,550	+13.6%
18	Nursing Instructors and Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$90,890	$46,940 – $145,940	+13.3%
19	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,140	$36,330 – $81,990	+13.3%
20	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,350	$39,520 – $59,720	+13.0%
21	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$299,340	$38,390 – $429,850	+12.6%
22	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$72,550	$48,430 – $87,210	+12.2%
23	Conservation ScientistsBachelor's degree	$81,330	$47,300 – $99,560	+11.4%
24	TelemarketersNo formal educational credential	$39,400	$26,260 – $41,440	+11.1%
25	Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural AnimalsNo formal educational credential	$40,580	$24,670 – $52,960	+10.7%
26	Interpreters and TranslatorsBachelor's degree	$66,130	$42,740 – $101,500	+9.9%
27	Healthcare Social WorkersMaster's degree	$74,500	$50,950 – $97,670	+9.8%
28	Environmental EngineersBachelor's degree	$117,520	$69,780 – $165,810	+9.7%
29	Food Cooking Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,120	$36,630 – $75,380	+8.5%
30	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,720	$35,250 – $60,330	+8.1%
31	Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and TendersNo formal educational credential	$48,250	$37,910 – $55,860	+7.7%
32	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$129,340	$77,070 – $165,410	+7.2%
33	Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health CounselorsMaster's degree	$63,360	$36,400 – $98,760	+6.8%
34	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,410	$37,240 – $64,510	+6.8%
35	Engineers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$130,970	$84,030 – $195,360	+6.5%
36	Landscaping and Groundskeeping WorkersNo formal educational credential	$41,600	$30,960 – $58,100	+6.3%
37	Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,500	$40,040 – $65,070	+6.1%
38	Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness InstructorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,780	$29,170 – $76,340	+5.6%
39	Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,600	$42,200 – $78,330	+5.4%
40	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,730	$36,980 – $57,670	+5.4%
41	Title Examiners, Abstractors, and SearchersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,730	$45,460 – $91,720	+5.3%
42	File ClerksHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,910	$29,600 – $50,460	+5.3%
43	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$53,340	$40,340 – $77,560	+5.2%
44	Crossing Guards and FlaggersNo formal educational credential	$40,060	$34,730 – $61,190	+5.1%
45	Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,680	$37,730 – $77,550	+5.0%
46	GlaziersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,850	$37,770 – $78,730	+4.9%
47	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$53,460	$39,930 – $77,840	+4.5%
48	RoofersNo formal educational credential	$57,790	$35,780 – $71,860	+4.2%
49	Highway Maintenance WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,050	$43,260 – $70,840	+3.6%
50	Data Entry KeyersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,810	$29,990 – $59,460	+3.6%

More for Idaho

Metro areas in Idaho

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in Idaho

Without a degree

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

Jobs that pay the biggest premium in Idaho

More for Idaho

Metro areas in Idaho

By field in Idaho

Without a degree

Jobs that pay the biggest premium in each state