Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024 reference period
52 Highest Paying Jobs in Minnesota (2026)
The highest-paying job in Minnesota is Computer and Information Systems Manager with a state-aggregated median salary of $173,630 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data weighted across the state's 1 BLS-tracked metro. Across all 52 occupations the average median is $105,415, with 27 occupations paying a six-figure ($100K+) median. Minnesota's average cost-of-living index is 106, so the average median equates to $99,448 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Minnesota
Ranked by state-aggregated median (50th percentile) salary, employment-weighted across Minnesota's single tracked metro.
State median $173,630 · 8,680 jobs · top metro: Minneapolis ($173,630)
Computer and Information Systems Managers in Minnesota earn $173,630 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Minneapolis) pays $173,630 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $169,760 · 6,670 jobs · top metro: Minneapolis ($169,760)
Marketing Managers in Minnesota earn $169,760 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Minneapolis) pays $169,760 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $163,330 · 12,230 jobs · top metro: Minneapolis ($163,330)
Financial Managers in Minnesota earn $163,330 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Minneapolis) pays $163,330 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $157,360 · 3,250 jobs · top metro: Minneapolis ($157,360)
Human Resources Managers in Minnesota earn $157,360 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Minneapolis) pays $157,360 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $156,060 · 3,960 jobs · top metro: Minneapolis ($156,060)
Pharmacists in Minnesota earn $156,060 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Minneapolis) pays $156,060 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $150,860 · 7,270 jobs · top metro: Minneapolis ($150,860)
Sales Managers in Minnesota earn $150,860 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Minneapolis) pays $150,860 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $150,110 · 10,650 jobs · top metro: Minneapolis ($150,110)
Lawyers in Minnesota earn $150,110 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Minneapolis) pays $150,110 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $140,610 · 2,340 jobs · top metro: Minneapolis ($140,610)
Physician Assistants in Minnesota earn $140,610 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Minneapolis) pays $140,610 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $131,810 · 50 jobs · top metro: Minneapolis ($131,810)
Software Quality Assurance Analysts in Minnesota earn $131,810 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Minneapolis) pays $131,810 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $129,430 · 29,550 jobs · top metro: Minneapolis ($129,430)
Software Developers in Minnesota earn $129,430 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Minneapolis) pays $129,430 median, materially above the state aggregate.
Full Ranking: All 52 Tracked Occupations
| Rank | Role | Category | State Median | Top Metro | Top Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $173,630 | Minneapolis | $173,630 | 8,680 |
| 2 | Marketing Manager | Management | $169,760 | Minneapolis | $169,760 | 6,670 |
| 3 | Financial Manager | Finance | $163,330 | Minneapolis | $163,330 | 12,230 |
| 4 | Human Resources Manager | Management | $157,360 | Minneapolis | $157,360 | 3,250 |
| 5 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $156,060 | Minneapolis | $156,060 | 3,960 |
| 6 | Sales Manager | Management | $150,860 | Minneapolis | $150,860 | 7,270 |
| 7 | Lawyer | Legal | $150,110 | Minneapolis | $150,110 | 10,650 |
| 8 | Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $140,610 | Minneapolis | $140,610 | 2,340 |
| 9 | Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $131,810 | Minneapolis | $131,810 | 50 |
| 10 | Software Developer | Technology | $129,430 | Minneapolis | $129,430 | 29,550 |
| 11 | Information Security Analyst | Technology | $129,380 | Minneapolis | $129,380 | 2,090 |
| 12 | Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $128,570 | Minneapolis | $128,570 | 5,680 |
| 13 | Computer Network Architect | Technology | $126,900 | Minneapolis | $126,900 | 1,590 |
| 14 | Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $125,670 | Minneapolis | $125,670 | 1,110 |
| 15 | Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $123,800 | Minneapolis | $123,800 | 6,280 |
| 16 | Data Scientist | Technology | $119,860 | Minneapolis | $119,860 | 2,870 |
| 17 | Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $108,680 | Minneapolis | $108,680 | 8,360 |
| 18 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $106,960 | Minneapolis | $106,960 | 2,630 |
| 19 | Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $105,930 | Minneapolis | $105,930 | 2,430 |
| 20 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $103,200 | Minneapolis | $103,200 | 5,520 |
| 21 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $102,440 | Minneapolis | $102,440 | 14,250 |
| 22 | Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $102,240 | Minneapolis | $102,240 | 40,510 |
| 23 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $102,190 | Minneapolis | $102,190 | 3,140 |
| 24 | General and Operations Manager | Management | $101,970 | Minneapolis | $101,970 | 47,000 |
| 25 | Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $101,680 | Minneapolis | $101,680 | 2,970 |
| 26 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $100,740 | Minneapolis | $100,740 | 4,510 |
| 27 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $100,560 | Minneapolis | $100,560 | 3,030 |
| 28 | Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $99,250 | Minneapolis | $99,250 | 610 |
| 29 | Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $99,070 | Minneapolis | $99,070 | 4,860 |
| 30 | Financial Examiner | Finance | $98,960 | Minneapolis | $98,960 | 900 |
| 31 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $98,870 | Minneapolis | $98,870 | 3,430 |
| 32 | Architect | Engineering | $98,200 | Minneapolis | $98,200 | 2,020 |
| 33 | Management Analyst | Management | $97,390 | Minneapolis | $97,390 | 18,030 |
| 34 | Plumber | Trades | $97,020 | Minneapolis | $97,020 | 5,070 |
| 35 | Network Architect | Technology | $96,970 | Minneapolis | $96,970 | 3,000 |
| 36 | Electrician | Trades | $95,090 | Minneapolis | $95,090 | 8,110 |
| 37 | Loan Officer | Finance | $91,900 | Minneapolis | $91,900 | 4,360 |
| 38 | Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $86,630 | Minneapolis | $86,630 | 2,510 |
| 39 | Market Research Analyst | Management | $85,850 | Minneapolis | $85,850 | 18,960 |
| 40 | Accountant | Finance | $83,260 | Minneapolis | $83,260 | 21,950 |
| 41 | Web Developer | Technology | $82,440 | Minneapolis | $82,440 | 1,070 |
| 42 | Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $79,460 | Minneapolis | $79,460 | 2,210 |
| 43 | Elementary School Teacher | Education | $76,100 | Minneapolis | $76,100 | 14,970 |
| 44 | Carpenter | Trades | $75,710 | Minneapolis | $75,710 | 10,040 |
| 45 | Paralegal | Legal | $74,750 | Minneapolis | $74,750 | 5,490 |
| 46 | Writer/Author | Creative | $68,640 | Minneapolis | $68,640 | 780 |
| 47 | Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $67,230 | Minneapolis | $67,230 | 5,290 |
| 48 | Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $66,170 | Minneapolis | $66,170 | 2,070 |
| 49 | Secondary School Teacher | Education | $65,680 | Minneapolis | $65,680 | 11,530 |
| 50 | Automotive Technician | Trades | $61,780 | Minneapolis | $61,780 | 8,070 |
| 51 | Graphic Designer | Creative | $61,100 | Minneapolis | $61,100 | 3,750 |
| 52 | Welder | Trades | $60,340 | Minneapolis | $60,340 | 4,720 |
Why These Roles Pay the Most in Minnesota
Minnesota hosts a dense cluster of Fortune 500 headquarters (Target, UnitedHealth, 3M, General Mills) and a strong medical-device sector around Minneapolis. Pay distribution skews toward upper percentiles for management and healthcare roles.
$Minnesota tracks $1 BLS-published metros covering approximately $402,420 workers across the $52 occupations on this page. State-aggregated medians are employment-weighted across metros, which is the right way to read "state pay" when BLS publishes by metro. The Computer and Information Systems Manager top spot reflects Minneapolis pulling the upper end of the distribution; smaller metros in Minnesota typically pay 10–25% less for the same role.
Metro-by-Metro Detail
For salary data specific to one metro within Minnesota, see:
Frequently Asked Questions
The highest paying job in Minnesota is Computer and Information Systems Manager with a state median salary of $173,630. The top-paying metro for this role is Minneapolis at $173,630 median. The role employs roughly 8,680 workers across Minnesota.
27 of the 52 BLS-tracked occupations in Minnesota have a state-aggregated median salary of $100,000 or higher. That places this state in the upper tier nationally for high-paying occupations.
Across 52 BLS-tracked occupations, the average median salary in Minnesota is $105,415. The figure is employment-weighted across 1 metros, so larger occupations and larger metros contribute proportionally more. Cost-of-living-adjusted to a national-average baseline, it equates to $99,448.
BLS OEWS publishes wage data by Metropolitan Statistical Area. For Minnesota, this page aggregates Minneapolis. Some non-MSA areas (small towns, rural counties) are excluded from OEWS metro tables but covered in BLS state-level summaries; we use metro-level data to preserve the percentile granularity.
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. State aggregates are computed by employment-weighting metro-level percentile wages across the BLS-tracked metros in Minnesota.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in Minnesota, using OEWS 2024 data.