Highest and lowest paying health care jobs in Salt Lake City
Highest and lowest paying health care jobs in Salt Lake City
Anybody who has taken a course in marketing, psychology or sociology is likely familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. First detailed by psychologist Andrew Maslow in his 1943 work “A Theory of Human Motivation,” the hierarchy breaks down the complex network of human thoughts into a categorical triage, placing self-development at the top and security and physical health at the bottom. In setting up this pyramid, Maslow framed self-recognition and creative development as ultimate goals, while also prioritizing personal safety and strong physical health.
As such, it has never been more important to recognize the health care professionals who work tirelessly to keep the population healthy. In 2019, the United States spent 17.7% of its GDP on health. While it’s encouraging to know that the country is investing in those responsible for maintaining the nation’s well-being, not all health care professionals receive equal compensation.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest and lowest paying health care jobs in Salt Lake City, UT using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2019 annual mean wage. Keep reading to see which health care jobs make the most and least in your city.
#47. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- Annual mean salary: $20,410
- #259 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $29,690
- Employment: 97,030
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Haven, CT ($48,240)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($43,890)
--- Port St. Lucie, FL ($43,200)
#46. Physical therapist aides
- Annual mean salary: $22,990
- #158 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $29,180
- Employment: 49,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Savannah, GA ($50,470)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($44,720)
--- Boulder, CO ($41,450)
#45. Dietetic technicians
- Annual mean salary: $29,800
- #65 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360
National
- Annual mean salary: $31,180
- Employment: 29,230
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN ($52,880)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($45,910)
--- Salinas, CA ($44,730)
#44. Nursing assistants
- Annual mean salary: $30,370
- #158 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,900
National
- Annual mean salary: $30,720
- Employment: 1,419,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($46,170)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($45,100)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($44,710)
#43. Opticians, dispensing
- Annual mean salary: $31,860
- #238 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,730
- Employment: 72,330
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($70,730)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($68,970)
--- New Haven, CT ($66,020)
#42. Psychiatric technicians
- Annual mean salary: $31,890
- #78 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
National
- Annual mean salary: $37,550
- Employment: 78,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($72,990)
--- Fresno, CA ($66,710)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($66,290)
#41. Veterinary technologists and technicians
- Annual mean salary: $32,080
- #211 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600
National
- Annual mean salary: $36,670
- Employment: 110,650
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($76,660)
--- Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA ($57,740)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($50,100)
#40. Phlebotomists
- Annual mean salary: $32,870
- #192 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 690
National
- Annual mean salary: $36,480
- Employment: 128,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($58,610)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($54,040)
--- Redding, CA ($52,310)
#39. Medical assistants
- Annual mean salary: $35,360
- #118 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,510
National
- Annual mean salary: $35,720
- Employment: 712,430
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($49,880)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($48,920)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($47,140)
#38. Dental assistants
- Annual mean salary: $36,080
- #299 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,130
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,170
- Employment: 351,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($56,010)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($54,510)
--- Rochester, MN ($53,010)
#37. Medical transcriptionists
- Annual mean salary: $36,770
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $35,210
- Employment: 55,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($67,840)
--- Amarillo, TX ($56,970)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($54,080)
#36. Pharmacy technicians
- Annual mean salary: $38,310
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,730
National
- Annual mean salary: $35,250
- Employment: 417,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($51,090)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($50,790)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($50,070)
#35. Medical equipment preparers
- Annual mean salary: $39,030
- #57 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
National
- Annual mean salary: $39,530
- Employment: 56,900
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($63,400)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($61,080)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,670)
#34. Ophthalmic medical technicians
- Annual mean salary: $41,350
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,760
- Employment: 58,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Duluth, MN-WI ($56,620)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($53,770)
--- New Bedford, MA ($53,250)
#33. Pharmacy aides
- Annual mean salary: $41,480
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $30,490
- Employment: 37,280
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fresno, CA ($46,610)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($46,430)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($42,620)
#32. Massage therapists
- Annual mean salary: $45,460
- #90 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,180
- Employment: 107,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($76,930)
--- Yakima, WA ($72,870)
--- College Station-Bryan, TX ($70,090)

#31. Chiropractors
- Annual mean salary: $45,860
- #147 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $85,010
- Employment: 35,010
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Toledo, OH ($160,330)
--- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($149,580)
--- Reno, NV ($140,260)
#30. Surgical technologists
- Annual mean salary: $47,210
- #130 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 570
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,110
- Employment: 109,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($74,280)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($72,790)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($69,750)

#29. Athletic trainers
- Annual mean salary: $47,840
- #96 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,540
- Employment: 28,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($73,250)
--- Lansing-East Lansing, MI ($66,390)
--- Trenton, NJ ($65,320)
#28. Recreational therapists
- Annual mean salary: $52,630
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,130
- Employment: 19,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA ($83,590)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($82,800)
--- Fresno, CA ($82,170)
#27. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Annual mean salary: $57,430
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,500
- Employment: 697,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($69,490)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,160)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($67,990)
#26. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Annual mean salary: $57,450
- #180 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,120
- Employment: 207,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($110,180)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($109,680)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,670)
#25. Physical therapist assistants
- Annual mean salary: $58,520
- #133 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,520
- Employment: 96,840
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($78,530)
--- Victoria, TX ($78,070)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($75,470)
#24. Dietitians and nutritionists
- Annual mean salary: $61,250
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,330
- Employment: 67,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($88,350)
--- Salinas, CA ($87,930)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($87,890)
#23. Occupational therapy assistants
- Annual mean salary: $61,710
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,880
- Employment: 44,990
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($92,580)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($83,690)
--- Reno, NV ($81,800)
#22. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Annual mean salary: $62,870
- #122 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $74,270
- Employment: 37,900
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($124,950)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($104,870)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($99,920)
#21. Respiratory therapists
- Annual mean salary: $63,190
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 580
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,950
- Employment: 132,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($101,520)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($98,810)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($97,950)
#20. Registered nurses
- Annual mean salary: $70,040
- #148 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 11,220
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,460
- Employment: 2,982,280
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($140,740)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($138,000)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($134,000)
#19. Dental hygienists
- Annual mean salary: $71,840
- #173 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,310
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,230
- Employment: 221,560
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($140,150)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($120,420)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($113,940)
#18. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Annual mean salary: $71,890
- #117 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $75,780
- Employment: 72,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($126,850)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($118,880)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($115,280)

#17. Optometrists
- Annual mean salary: $75,030
- #173 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $122,980
- Employment: 39,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Champaign-Urbana, IL ($238,460)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($210,490)
--- Evansville, IN-KY ($183,380)
#16. Veterinarians
- Annual mean salary: $75,520
- #266 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
National
- Annual mean salary: $104,820
- Employment: 74,540
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sherman-Denison, TX ($210,960)
--- Lubbock, TX ($176,730)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($161,230)
#15. Audiologists
- Annual mean salary: $77,350
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,900
- Employment: 13,590
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Reno, NV ($146,950)
--- Fresno, CA ($131,270)
--- Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR ($120,440)
#14. Physical therapists
- Annual mean salary: $81,280
- #318 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 820
National
- Annual mean salary: $90,170
- Employment: 233,350
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Yuba City, CA ($116,360)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($116,120)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($113,950)
#13. Occupational therapists
- Annual mean salary: $82,560
- #194 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,210
- Employment: 133,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- The Villages, FL ($115,090)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($108,870)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($107,450)
#12. Speech-language pathologists
- Annual mean salary: $83,010
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 530
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,000
- Employment: 154,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($117,710)
--- Corvallis, OR ($105,380)
--- Chico, CA ($104,640)
#11. Physician assistants
- Annual mean salary: $103,120
- #224 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 630
National
- Annual mean salary: $112,410
- Employment: 120,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($161,370)
--- Leominster-Gardner, MA ($156,250)
--- Waterbury, CT ($154,550)

#10. Nurse practitioners
- Annual mean salary: $104,370
- #235 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,000
National
- Annual mean salary: $111,840
- Employment: 200,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($175,060)
--- Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($160,110)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($157,150)
#9. Pharmacists
- Annual mean salary: $116,240
- #327 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,190
National
- Annual mean salary: $125,510
- Employment: 311,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tyler, TX ($161,790)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($158,250)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($157,850)
#8. Nurse midwives
- Annual mean salary: $118,720
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $108,810
- Employment: 6,930
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($163,020)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($156,450)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($130,140)
#7. Dentists, general
- Annual mean salary: $135,540
- #263 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 550
National
- Annual mean salary: $178,260
- Employment: 110,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Burlington, NC ($278,360)
--- Burlington-South Burlington, VT ($275,430)
--- Longview, TX ($272,440)
#6. Podiatrists
- Annual mean salary: $173,760
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $142,680
- Employment: 9,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ($222,760)
--- Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI ($206,190)
--- Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA ($200,200)
#5. Family medicine physicians
- Annual mean salary: $184,150
- #219 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 490
National
- Annual mean salary: $213,270
- Employment: 109,370
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Racine, WI ($286,030)
--- Jacksonville, NC ($282,580)
--- Gadsden, AL ($281,430)
#4. General internal medicine physicians
- Annual mean salary: $216,630
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $201,440
- Employment: 44,610
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sioux Falls, SD ($282,610)
--- Rapid City, SD ($280,990)
--- Barnstable Town, MA ($280,500)
#3. Obstetricians and gynecologists
- Annual mean salary: $230,880
- #40 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $233,610
- Employment: 18,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fayetteville, NC ($284,520)
--- Akron, OH ($282,650)
--- Albuquerque, NM ($281,800)
#2. Pediatricians, general
- Annual mean salary: $250,880
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $184,410
- Employment: 29,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Rockford, IL ($277,390)
--- Killeen-Temple, TX ($273,770)
--- Chico, CA ($270,550)

#1. Surgeons, except ophthalmologists
- Annual mean salary: $272,180
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $252,040
- Employment: 36,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Wausau, WI ($285,230)
--- Oshkosh-Neenah, WI ($285,210)
--- Asheville, NC ($284,780)



