Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
63 Highest Paying Jobs in Pittsburgh, PA (2026)
The highest-paying job in Pittsburgh, PA, Pennsylvania is Family Medicine Physician with a median salary of $275,930 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data. Across all 63 tracked occupations the average median is $100,404, with 27 occupations paying a six-figure ($100K+) median. Pittsburgh, PA has a cost-of-living index of 92.3 (national average = 100), so a $100,404 nominal salary equals $108,780 in average-cost-metro buying power.
The 63 occupations below are ranked by median wage in Pittsburgh, PA, PA, from BLS OEWS data. Pittsburgh, PA's cost-of-living index runs 92.3 (national baseline = 100), which shapes the headline-wage interpretation. Top-paying occupations in any U.S. metro typically cluster around physicians, dentists, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals. The specific top of the list varies with local industry concentration: tech-heavy metros boost software-engineering ranks, finance-heavy metros boost banking ranks.
Each role on the ranking links to the per-role-and-city page with full percentile distribution (p10 to p90), employment count, and cost-adjusted wage. For workers comparing offers within Pittsburgh, PA, the percentile data is the most decision-relevant.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Pittsburgh, PA
Ranked by median (50th percentile) salary. The COL-Adjusted column rebases each nominal salary to Pittsburgh, PA's cost-of-living index of 92.3 so you can compare buying power against an average-cost U.S. metro.
Median $275,930 · 10th–90th $165,600–$407,650 · 1,730 jobs in metro
Family Medicine Physicians in Pittsburgh, PA earn $275,930 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $407,650. The lower cost of living here means the median translates to $298,949 of buying power versus an average-cost metro — better than the nominal number suggests.
Median $208,050 · 10th–90th $192,300–$293,270 · 340 jobs in metro
Pediatricians in Pittsburgh, PA earn $208,050 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $293,270. The lower cost of living here means the median translates to $225,406 of buying power versus an average-cost metro — better than the nominal number suggests.
Median $159,090 · 10th–90th $100,500–$224,130 · 5,290 jobs in metro
Computer and Information Systems Managers in Pittsburgh, PA earn $159,090 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $224,130. The lower cost of living here means the median translates to $172,362 of buying power versus an average-cost metro — better than the nominal number suggests.
Median $155,250 · 10th–90th $69,990–$309,220 · 1,050 jobs in metro
Dentists in Pittsburgh, PA earn $155,250 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $309,220. The lower cost of living here means the median translates to $168,202 of buying power versus an average-cost metro — better than the nominal number suggests.
Median $136,330 · 10th–90th $80,390–$264,440 · 6,460 jobs in metro
Financial Managers in Pittsburgh, PA earn $136,330 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $264,440. The lower cost of living here means the median translates to $147,703 of buying power versus an average-cost metro — better than the nominal number suggests.
Median $134,180 · 10th–90th $107,650–$160,250 · 3,300 jobs in metro
Pharmacists in Pittsburgh, PA earn $134,180 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $160,250. The lower cost of living here means the median translates to $145,374 of buying power versus an average-cost metro — better than the nominal number suggests.
Median $133,040 · 10th–90th $65,220–$308,000 · 5,550 jobs in metro
Lawyers in Pittsburgh, PA earn $133,040 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $308,000. The lower cost of living here means the median translates to $144,139 of buying power versus an average-cost metro — better than the nominal number suggests.
Median $131,690 · 10th–90th $78,400–$214,820 · 1,600 jobs in metro
Human Resources Managers in Pittsburgh, PA earn $131,690 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $214,820. The lower cost of living here means the median translates to $142,676 of buying power versus an average-cost metro — better than the nominal number suggests.
Median $130,300 · 10th–90th $90,030–$179,090 · 50 jobs in metro
Software Quality Assurance Analysts in Pittsburgh, PA earn $130,300 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $179,090. The lower cost of living here means the median translates to $141,170 of buying power versus an average-cost metro — better than the nominal number suggests.
Median $129,900 · 10th–90th $94,760–$164,650 · 340 jobs in metro
Optometrists in Pittsburgh, PA earn $129,900 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $164,650. The lower cost of living here means the median translates to $140,737 of buying power versus an average-cost metro — better than the nominal number suggests.
Full Ranking (63 Occupations)
| Rank | Role | Category | Median | 10th–90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $275,930 | $165,600–$407,650 | $298,949 | 1,730 |
| 2 | Pediatrician | Healthcare | $208,050 | $192,300–$293,270 | $225,406 | 340 |
| 3 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $159,090 | $100,500–$224,130 | $172,362 | 5,290 |
| 4 | Dentist | Healthcare | $155,250 | $69,990–$309,220 | $168,202 | 1,050 |
| 5 | Financial Manager | Finance | $136,330 | $80,390–$264,440 | $147,703 | 6,460 |
| 6 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $134,180 | $107,650–$160,250 | $145,374 | 3,300 |
| 7 | Lawyer | Legal | $133,040 | $65,220–$308,000 | $144,139 | 5,550 |
| 8 | Human Resources Manager | Management | $131,690 | $78,400–$214,820 | $142,676 | 1,600 |
| 9 | Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $130,300 | $90,030–$179,090 | $141,170 | 50 |
| 10 | Optometrist | Healthcare | $129,900 | $94,760–$164,650 | $140,737 | 340 |
| 11 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $128,290 | $90,470–$291,150 | $138,992 | 640 |
| 12 | Marketing Manager | Management | $127,590 | $73,650–$217,110 | $138,234 | 2,060 |
| 13 | Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $125,230 | $98,630–$146,930 | $135,677 | 2,560 |
| 14 | Sales Manager | Management | $125,060 | $64,480–$219,340 | $135,493 | 3,890 |
| 15 | Software Developer | Technology | $124,500 | $76,030–$191,710 | $134,886 | 10,320 |
| 16 | Computer Network Architect | Technology | $123,410 | $77,470–$166,360 | $133,705 | 1,110 |
| 17 | Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $121,760 | $52,650–$166,990 | $131,918 | 940 |
| 18 | Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $119,630 | $102,680–$154,370 | $129,610 | 1,980 |
| 19 | Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $115,600 | $58,700–$397,940 | $125,244 | 2,030 |
| 20 | Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $112,420 | $62,970–$161,530 | $121,798 | 870 |
| 21 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $104,990 | $78,120–$157,400 | $113,749 | 1,630 |
| 22 | Information Security Analyst | Technology | $103,630 | $66,500–$158,140 | $112,275 | 1,130 |
| 23 | Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $103,420 | $57,900–$164,630 | $112,048 | 2,760 |
| 24 | Database Architect | Technology | $102,070 | $58,340–$165,250 | $110,585 | 470 |
| 25 | Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $101,570 | $64,270–$169,870 | $110,043 | 5,990 |
| 26 | General and Operations Manager | Management | $100,840 | $50,130–$216,150 | $109,252 | 31,020 |
| 27 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $100,680 | $68,970–$141,310 | $109,079 | 4,210 |
| 28 | Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $98,550 | $63,550–$126,070 | $106,771 | 5,230 |
| 29 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $98,190 | $67,840–$140,540 | $106,381 | 2,140 |
| 30 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $98,050 | $65,580–$143,000 | $106,230 | 3,470 |
| 31 | Financial Examiner | Finance | $97,910 | $63,090–$155,080 | $106,078 | 710 |
| 32 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $97,750 | $76,800–$118,220 | $105,905 | 2,120 |
| 33 | Data Scientist | Technology | $96,670 | $60,580–$157,600 | $104,735 | 2,270 |
| 34 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $90,860 | $61,140–$116,630 | $98,440 | 1,170 |
| 35 | Management Analyst | Management | $85,990 | $50,660–$154,660 | $93,164 | 5,910 |
| 36 | Web Developer | Technology | $85,900 | $46,750–$132,100 | $93,066 | 600 |
| 37 | Computer Programmer | Technology | $85,340 | $56,290–$128,490 | $92,459 | 420 |
| 38 | Architect | Engineering | $83,460 | $61,280–$125,990 | $90,423 | 830 |
| 39 | Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $82,900 | $56,140–$125,390 | $89,816 | 830 |
| 40 | Web Designer | Technology | $82,560 | $36,660–$121,830 | $89,447 | 310 |
| 41 | Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $82,560 | $52,920–$123,920 | $89,447 | 430 |
| 42 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $82,530 | $53,910–$133,530 | $89,415 | 2,390 |
| 43 | Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $82,370 | $67,910–$111,790 | $89,242 | 29,360 |
| 44 | Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $81,810 | $51,670–$118,410 | $88,635 | 1,300 |
| 45 | Secondary School Teacher | Education | $81,350 | $51,470–$105,260 | $88,137 | 9,600 |
| 46 | Network Architect | Technology | $80,440 | $59,760–$124,020 | $87,151 | 1,570 |
| 47 | Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $78,820 | $47,920–$118,010 | $85,395 | 780 |
| 48 | Accountant | Finance | $76,940 | $51,040–$124,880 | $83,359 | 10,430 |
| 49 | Elementary School Teacher | Education | $76,550 | $53,570–$105,760 | $82,936 | 7,640 |
| 50 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $75,960 | $63,790–$80,710 | $82,297 | 1,580 |
| 51 | Statistician | Technology | $75,230 | $58,240–$137,320 | $81,506 | 340 |
| 52 | Loan Officer | Finance | $73,360 | $39,990–$129,190 | $79,480 | 1,440 |
| 53 | Plumber | Trades | $70,100 | $46,910–$107,870 | $75,948 | 2,910 |
| 54 | Electrician | Trades | $69,340 | $45,780–$106,840 | $75,125 | 5,210 |
| 55 | Audiologist | Healthcare | $67,650 | $52,590–$127,580 | $73,294 | 120 |
| 56 | Paralegal | Legal | $63,620 | $45,710–$94,680 | $68,927 | 2,620 |
| 57 | Market Research Analyst | Management | $63,190 | $35,690–$118,170 | $68,462 | 4,940 |
| 58 | Carpenter | Trades | $61,180 | $43,940–$93,600 | $66,284 | 5,920 |
| 59 | Graphic Designer | Creative | $57,830 | $40,970–$86,680 | $62,654 | 1,200 |
| 60 | Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $55,910 | $31,200–$95,880 | $60,574 | 1,970 |
| 61 | Welder | Trades | $53,610 | $43,280–$75,780 | $58,082 | 3,600 |
| 62 | Automotive Technician | Trades | $48,900 | $36,140–$78,220 | $52,979 | 6,430 |
| 63 | Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $47,610 | $37,130–$79,960 | $51,582 | 2,610 |
Why These Roles Pay the Most in Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh, PA's pay distribution reflects its mix of regional employers and industries, plus the local cost of living that affects nominal salary levels in the BLS data.
An average median salary above $90K places this metro in the top tier of U.S. cities for nominal pay. Most of that premium accrues to the upper percentiles of skilled and managerial occupations; entry-level and service-sector pay is closer to national norms.
Pittsburgh, PA's cost-of-living index of 92.3 runs 8% below the U.S. national average. Lower nominal pay here often translates to comparable or better purchasing power than higher headline numbers in coastal hubs — see the COL-Adjusted column for the apples-to-apples figure.
How to Use This Ranking
For salary negotiation, the median is a starting anchor — not the ceiling. A Family Medicine Physician with five-plus years of experience in Pittsburgh, PA should be benchmarking against the 75th percentile ($341,790) or 90th percentile ($407,650), not the $275,930 median. Use the salary percentile calculator to place any specific salary into the BLS distribution for any role-and-city pair.
For cross-city comparisons, ignore the nominal Median column and look at COL-Adjusted. A $276K Family Medicine Physician salary in Pittsburgh, PA (COL 92.3) translates to $299K of buying power in an average-cost metro — that is the apples-to-apples figure when weighing a relocation. Read the methodology behind these adjustments in our methodology page.
For job hunting, focus on the top-10 ranking above and on the role-by-role detail pages — each links through to a Family Medicine Physician in Pittsburgh, PA page with full percentile breakdowns, year-over-year change, and prevailing-wage references for H-1B / PERM applicants.
Frequently Asked Questions
The highest paying job in Pittsburgh, PA is Family Medicine Physician with a median salary of $275,930 and a 90th-percentile reading of $407,650. The role employs roughly 1,730 workers in this metro according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2025 OEWS data.
27 of the 63 BLS-tracked occupations in Pittsburgh, PA have a median salary of $100,000 or higher. That is well above what most U.S. metros offer. See the full list ranked by median salary above.
Across 63 BLS-tracked occupations, the average median salary in Pittsburgh, PA is $100,404. The cost-of-living index is 92.3, so adjusted to a national-average baseline, the average is $108,780 in equivalent purchasing power.
Pittsburgh, PA has a cost-of-living index of 92.3, below the national average. Nominal pay translates better than face value, making it a strong choice for many careers — particularly the Family Medicine Physician, Pediatrician, Computer and Information Systems Manager occupations at the top of the ranking.
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers across all industries. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile wages by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. The same data is used by the Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Related Pages
Rankings based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 reference period. COL adjustments use a composite cost-of-living index calibrated to U.S. average = 100.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.