Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
59 Highest Paying Jobs in Salt Lake City, UT (2026)
The highest-paying job in Salt Lake City, UT, Utah is Family Medicine Physician with a median salary of $296,510 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data. Across all 59 tracked occupations the average median is $104,167, with 28 occupations paying a six-figure ($100K+) median. Salt Lake City, UT has a cost-of-living index of 101.4 (national average = 100), so a $104,167 nominal salary equals $102,729 in average-cost-metro buying power.
The 59 occupations below are ranked by median wage in Salt Lake City, UT, UT, from BLS OEWS data. Salt Lake City, UT's cost-of-living index runs 101.4 (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 Salt Lake City, UT, the percentile data is the most decision-relevant.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Salt Lake City, UT
Ranked by median (50th percentile) salary. The COL-Adjusted column rebases each nominal salary to Salt Lake City, UT's cost-of-living index of 101.4 so you can compare buying power against an average-cost U.S. metro.
Median $296,510 · 10th–90th $172,840–$352,360 · 100 jobs in metro
Family Medicine Physicians in Salt Lake City, UT earn $296,510 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $352,360.
Median $172,850 · 10th–90th $115,870–$316,490 · 110 jobs in metro
Pediatricians in Salt Lake City, UT earn $172,850 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $316,490.
Median $160,810 · 10th–90th $107,580–$233,990 · 5,620 jobs in metro
Computer and Information Systems Managers in Salt Lake City, UT earn $160,810 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $233,990.
Median $158,720 · 10th–90th $93,930–$314,210 · 5,450 jobs in metro
Financial Managers in Salt Lake City, UT earn $158,720 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $314,210.
Median $147,010 · 10th–90th $66,360–$173,130 · 1,520 jobs in metro
Pharmacists in Salt Lake City, UT earn $147,010 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $173,130.
Median $143,930 · 10th–90th $73,930–$261,050 · 5,210 jobs in metro
Sales Managers in Salt Lake City, UT earn $143,930 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $261,050.
Median $139,830 · 10th–90th $79,890–$232,020 · 3,420 jobs in metro
Marketing Managers in Salt Lake City, UT earn $139,830 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $232,020.
Median $137,250 · 10th–90th $50,040–$172,200 · 150 jobs in metro
Optometrists in Salt Lake City, UT earn $137,250 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $172,200.
Median $136,990 · 10th–90th $54,720–$362,450 · 4,830 jobs in metro
Lawyers in Salt Lake City, UT earn $136,990 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $362,450.
Median $133,620 · 10th–90th $82,990–$224,480 · 1,290 jobs in metro
Human Resources Managers in Salt Lake City, UT earn $133,620 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $224,480.
Full Ranking (59 Occupations)
| Rank | Role | Category | Median | 10th–90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $296,510 | $172,840–$352,360 | $292,416 | 100 |
| 2 | Pediatrician | Healthcare | $172,850 | $115,870–$316,490 | $170,464 | 110 |
| 3 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $160,810 | $107,580–$233,990 | $158,590 | 5,620 |
| 4 | Financial Manager | Finance | $158,720 | $93,930–$314,210 | $156,529 | 5,450 |
| 5 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $147,010 | $66,360–$173,130 | $144,980 | 1,520 |
| 6 | Sales Manager | Management | $143,930 | $73,930–$261,050 | $141,943 | 5,210 |
| 7 | Marketing Manager | Management | $139,830 | $79,890–$232,020 | $137,899 | 3,420 |
| 8 | Optometrist | Healthcare | $137,250 | $50,040–$172,200 | $135,355 | 150 |
| 9 | Lawyer | Legal | $136,990 | $54,720–$362,450 | $135,099 | 4,830 |
| 10 | Human Resources Manager | Management | $133,620 | $82,990–$224,480 | $131,775 | 1,290 |
| 11 | Dentist | Healthcare | $130,510 | $84,020–$210,360 | $128,708 | 510 |
| 12 | Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $130,240 | $82,770–$171,310 | $128,442 | 810 |
| 13 | Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $130,160 | $75,890–$223,630 | $128,363 | 2,720 |
| 14 | Software Developer | Technology | $129,600 | $79,610–$177,090 | $127,811 | 19,040 |
| 15 | Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $129,350 | $105,220–$179,130 | $127,564 | 1,430 |
| 16 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $123,520 | $79,880–$216,310 | $121,815 | 290 |
| 17 | Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $115,870 | $68,250–$295,340 | $114,270 | 200 |
| 18 | Data Scientist | Technology | $114,990 | $62,050–$159,820 | $113,402 | 2,970 |
| 19 | Computer Programmer | Technology | $111,290 | $70,390–$136,670 | $109,753 | 370 |
| 20 | Audiologist | Healthcare | $109,140 | $83,430–$136,690 | $107,633 | 60 |
| 21 | Web Developer | Technology | $107,320 | $62,690–$159,620 | $105,838 | 580 |
| 22 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $105,920 | $75,740–$139,570 | $104,458 | 2,910 |
| 23 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $105,230 | $77,270–$171,580 | $103,777 | 810 |
| 24 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $103,840 | $62,090–$135,960 | $102,406 | 1,040 |
| 25 | Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $103,740 | $66,240–$134,780 | $102,308 | 490 |
| 26 | General and Operations Manager | Management | $103,710 | $44,090–$221,230 | $102,278 | 20,870 |
| 27 | Information Security Analyst | Technology | $102,830 | $55,000–$170,320 | $101,410 | 1,190 |
| 28 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $101,500 | $69,820–$160,140 | $100,099 | 1,600 |
| 29 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $99,980 | $78,490–$128,860 | $98,600 | 510 |
| 30 | Architect | Engineering | $99,790 | $56,300–$161,050 | $98,412 | 1,040 |
| 31 | Network Architect | Technology | $99,110 | $67,020–$145,660 | $97,742 | 1,130 |
| 32 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $98,800 | $62,280–$150,100 | $97,436 | 2,890 |
| 33 | Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $98,400 | $63,610–$131,390 | $97,041 | 2,010 |
| 34 | Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $97,470 | $50,440–$170,040 | $96,124 | 3,320 |
| 35 | Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $96,900 | $60,740–$153,940 | $95,562 | 610 |
| 36 | Financial Examiner | Finance | $95,640 | $60,780–$159,080 | $94,320 | 780 |
| 37 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $94,330 | $79,440–$99,750 | $93,028 | 1,390 |
| 38 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $91,100 | $57,510–$160,220 | $89,842 | 3,250 |
| 39 | Web Designer | Technology | $88,770 | $52,180–$139,200 | $87,544 | 0 |
| 40 | Statistician | Technology | $87,930 | $62,080–$132,440 | $86,716 | 270 |
| 41 | Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $85,890 | $71,700–$115,460 | $84,704 | 14,070 |
| 42 | Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $85,840 | $58,500–$129,290 | $84,655 | 580 |
| 43 | Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $82,940 | $46,030–$133,740 | $81,795 | 1,610 |
| 44 | Accountant | Finance | $82,100 | $51,470–$131,730 | $80,966 | 8,660 |
| 45 | Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $77,990 | $50,450–$217,930 | $76,913 | 1,900 |
| 46 | Elementary School Teacher | Education | $77,920 | $49,140–$102,510 | $76,844 | 4,840 |
| 47 | Secondary School Teacher | Education | $77,490 | $61,460–$99,060 | $76,420 | 4,430 |
| 48 | Writer/Author | Creative | $76,390 | $36,260–$112,050 | $75,335 | 210 |
| 49 | Graphic Designer | Creative | $65,450 | $45,120–$98,800 | $64,546 | 1,380 |
| 50 | Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $65,440 | $43,040–$119,270 | $64,536 | 1,000 |
| 51 | Plumber | Trades | $64,800 | $47,870–$88,310 | $63,905 | 3,190 |
| 52 | Market Research Analyst | Management | $64,670 | $41,000–$119,550 | $63,777 | 8,250 |
| 53 | Paralegal | Legal | $64,670 | $48,130–$102,020 | $63,777 | 2,140 |
| 54 | Electrician | Trades | $62,620 | $43,280–$88,640 | $61,755 | 5,710 |
| 55 | Loan Officer | Finance | $61,150 | $39,910–$128,750 | $60,306 | 0 |
| 56 | Welder | Trades | $60,190 | $46,050–$79,160 | $59,359 | 1,490 |
| 57 | Carpenter | Trades | $59,870 | $36,510–$75,540 | $59,043 | 6,420 |
| 58 | Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $48,630 | $39,220–$84,680 | $47,959 | 4,860 |
| 59 | Automotive Technician | Trades | $47,280 | $31,200–$78,490 | $46,627 | 3,910 |
Why These Roles Pay the Most in Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City, UT combines tech (Silicon Slopes), finance, and outdoor industry. Below-average COL means strong COL-adjusted pay for technology roles.
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.
Salt Lake City, UT's cost-of-living index of 101.4 is close to the U.S. average. Nominal salaries here translate roughly one-for-one into purchasing power; the COL-Adjusted column will be very close to the median column for every row.
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 Salt Lake City, UT should be benchmarking against the 75th percentile ($324,435) or 90th percentile ($352,360), not the $296,510 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 $297K Family Medicine Physician salary in Salt Lake City, UT (COL 101.4) translates to $292K 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 Salt Lake City, UT 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 Salt Lake City, UT is Family Medicine Physician with a median salary of $296,510 and a 90th-percentile reading of $352,360. The role employs roughly 100 workers in this metro according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2025 OEWS data.
28 of the 59 BLS-tracked occupations in Salt Lake City, UT 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 59 BLS-tracked occupations, the average median salary in Salt Lake City, UT is $104,167. The cost-of-living index is 101.4, so adjusted to a national-average baseline, the average is $102,729 in equivalent purchasing power.
Salt Lake City, UT has a cost-of-living index of 101.4, near the national average. Nominal pay translates roughly to 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.