25 highest-paying jobs in Sacramento

Franco Folini // Flickr

25 highest-paying jobs in Sacramento

Careers in law, medicine, and business have long been considered paths to wealth. Digging into the nuances of a city’s labor landscape, however, reveals that each region has a blend of traditional industries and unique regional opportunities that provide a range of routes to a lucrative calling.

To help discover the top-paying jobs in the Sacramento metro, Stacker compiled 2017 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Zippia, which ranked occupations by their average annual salary. For each occupation, Stacker has also included the entry level salary and the estimated number of workers employed within the metro area.

Some of these professions have humble starting salaries with serious upsides, with the potential to triple or even quadruple in time. Read on to discover the top earning occupations in the Sacramento area.

1 / 25

Intel Free Press // Flickr

#25. Computer network architects

- Average annual salary: $124,940
- Entry level salary: $84,500
- Total employment in Sacramento: 630

2 / 25

MR1882 // Wikimedia Commons

#24. Biological science teachers, postsecondary

- Average annual salary: $124,950
- Entry level salary: $68,000
- Total employment in Sacramento: 400

3 / 25

Lisa Ferdinando // U.S. Department of Defense

#23. Compensation and benefits managers

- Average annual salary: $125,950
- Entry level salary: $73,850
- Total employment in Sacramento: 100

4 / 25

Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious // Flickr

#22. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Average annual salary: $126,370
- Entry level salary: $83,180
- Total employment in Sacramento: 400

5 / 25

Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Rialyn Rodrigo // U.S. Navy photo

#21. Optometrists

- Average annual salary: $127,210
- Entry level salary: $44,760
- Total employment in Sacramento: 140

6 / 25

Ronbo76 // Wikimedia Commons

#20. Education administrators, postsecondary

- Average annual salary: $128,470
- Entry level salary: $77,870
- Total employment in Sacramento: 690

7 / 25

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

#19. Computer and information systems managers

- Average annual salary: $129,180
- Entry level salary: $88,180
- Total employment in Sacramento: 2,130

8 / 25

Budimir Jevtic // Shutterstock

#18. Natural sciences managers

- Average annual salary: $131,710
- Entry level salary: $88,220
- Total employment in Sacramento: 690

9 / 25

Karen Neoh // Flickr

#17. Lawyers

- Average annual salary: $133,150
- Entry level salary: $69,590
- Total employment in Sacramento: 5,100

10 / 25

Rhoda Baer // Wikimedia Commons

#16. Pharmacists

- Average annual salary: $135,490
- Entry level salary: $105,420
- Total employment in Sacramento: 2,020

11 / 25

Senior Airman Melissa Estevez // U.S. Air Force

#15. Veterinarians

- Average annual salary: $136,160
- Entry level salary: $85,250
- Total employment in Sacramento: 430

12 / 25

National Eye Institute // Flickr

#14. Medical and health services managers

- Average annual salary: $138,490
- Entry level salary: $65,810
- Total employment in Sacramento: 1,890

13 / 25

Rhoda Baer // Wikimedia Commons

#13. Radiation therapists

- Average annual salary: $139,590
- Entry level salary: $106,300
- Total employment in Sacramento: 40

14 / 25

National Eye Institute // Flickr

#12. Computer and information research scientists

- Average annual salary: $143,020
- Entry level salary: $66,380
- Total employment in Sacramento: 70

15 / 25

Pete Souza // White House Archives

#11. Chief executives

- Average annual salary: $143,040
- Entry level salary: $52,660
- Total employment in Sacramento: 2,890

16 / 25

Andy Dean Photography // Shutterstock

#10. Real estate brokers

- Average annual salary: $144,180
- Entry level salary: $102,790
- Total employment in Sacramento: 180

17 / 25

NASA // Wikimedia Commons

#9. Architectural and engineering managers

- Average annual salary: $144,290
- Entry level salary: $106,090
- Total employment in Sacramento: 1,330

18 / 25

U.S. Navy // Flickr

#8. Dentists, general

- Average annual salary: $164,300
- Entry level salary: $61,690
- Total employment in Sacramento: 840

19 / 25

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Chelsea A. Blom // U.S. Navy

#7. Family and general practitioners

- Average annual salary: $171,930
- Entry level salary: $67,700
- Total employment in Sacramento: 820

20 / 25

Steve Petteway // Wikimedia Commons

#6. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates

- Average annual salary: $182,680
- Entry level salary: $177,090
- Total employment in Sacramento: 110

21 / 25

Kzenon // Shutterstock

#5. Internists, general

- Average annual salary: $208,700
- Entry level salary: $94,360
- Total employment in Sacramento: 270

22 / 25

Myfuture.com // Flickr

#4. Pediatricians, general

- Average annual salary: $215,410
- Entry level salary: $137,100
- Total employment in Sacramento: 130

23 / 25

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

#3. Physicians and surgeons, all other*

- Average annual salary: $216,020
- Entry level salary: $129,880
- Total employment in Sacramento: 1,330

*Includes all other physicians and surgeons outside of the BLS categories of: anesthesiologists, surgeons (general), obstetricians and gynecologists, psychiatrists, family and general practitioners, internists (general), pediatricians (general)

24 / 25

Lightfield Studios // Shutterstock

#2. Psychiatrists

- Average annual salary: $228,850
- Entry level salary: $152,260
- Total employment in Sacramento: 70

25 / 25

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

#1. Surgeons

- Average annual salary: $257,360
- Entry level salary: $171,650
- Total employment in Sacramento: 340

25 highest-paying jobs in Sacramento