Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
63 Highest Paying Jobs in Nebraska (2026)
The highest-paying job in Nebraska is Obstetrician/Gynecologist with a state-aggregated median salary of $342,570 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data weighted across the state's 1 BLS-tracked metro. Across all 63 occupations the average median is $100,627, with 25 occupations paying a six-figure ($100K+) median. Nebraska's average cost-of-living index is 92, so the average median equates to $109,377 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
The 63 occupations below are ranked by median wage across Nebraska — rolling up wage data across all metropolitan areas in the state. State-level rollups smooth over the substantial intra-state wage variation typical of larger states. For state-level wage comparisons, BLS OEWS state files aggregate across MSAs and non-MSA areas. The aggregation hides legitimate within-state differences: a job in Nebraska's primary metro often pays substantially more (and costs substantially more to live near) than the same job in smaller cities.
Use the per-metro pages for the geographic-specific view. The state-level ranking is most useful for comparing Nebraska to other states, not for comparing within-state options.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Nebraska
Ranked by state-aggregated median (50th percentile) salary, employment-weighted across Nebraska's single tracked metro.
State median $342,570 · 140 jobs · top metro: Omaha ($342,570)
Obstetrician/Gynecologists in Nebraska earn $342,570 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Omaha) pays $342,570 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $200,860 · 410 jobs · top metro: Omaha ($200,860)
Family Medicine Physicians in Nebraska earn $200,860 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Omaha) pays $200,860 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $187,400 · 440 jobs · top metro: Omaha ($187,400)
Dentists in Nebraska earn $187,400 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Omaha) pays $187,400 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $145,500 · 2,970 jobs · top metro: Omaha ($145,500)
Computer and Information Systems Managers in Nebraska earn $145,500 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Omaha) pays $145,500 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $141,830 · 1,350 jobs · top metro: Omaha ($141,830)
Pharmacists in Nebraska earn $141,830 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Omaha) pays $141,830 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $140,390 · 3,120 jobs · top metro: Omaha ($140,390)
Financial Managers in Nebraska earn $140,390 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Omaha) pays $140,390 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $134,130 · 720 jobs · top metro: Omaha ($134,130)
Physician Assistants in Nebraska earn $134,130 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Omaha) pays $134,130 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $133,760 · 1,380 jobs · top metro: Omaha ($133,760)
Nurse Practitioners in Nebraska earn $133,760 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Omaha) pays $133,760 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $132,020 · 1,020 jobs · top metro: Omaha ($132,020)
Human Resources Managers in Nebraska earn $132,020 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Omaha) pays $132,020 median, materially above the state aggregate.
State median $131,730 · 2,010 jobs · top metro: Omaha ($131,730)
Lawyers in Nebraska earn $131,730 median state-wide. Pay varies meaningfully across the state's metros — the top-paying metro (Omaha) pays $131,730 median, materially above the state aggregate.
Full Ranking: All 63 Tracked Occupations
| Rank | Role | Category | State Median | Top Metro | Top Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $342,570 | Omaha | $342,570 | 140 |
| 2 | Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $200,860 | Omaha | $200,860 | 410 |
| 3 | Dentist | Healthcare | $187,400 | Omaha | $187,400 | 440 |
| 4 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $145,500 | Omaha | $145,500 | 2,970 |
| 5 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $141,830 | Omaha | $141,830 | 1,350 |
| 6 | Financial Manager | Finance | $140,390 | Omaha | $140,390 | 3,120 |
| 7 | Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $134,130 | Omaha | $134,130 | 720 |
| 8 | Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $133,760 | Omaha | $133,760 | 1,380 |
| 9 | Human Resources Manager | Management | $132,020 | Omaha | $132,020 | 1,020 |
| 10 | Lawyer | Legal | $131,730 | Omaha | $131,730 | 2,010 |
| 11 | Sales Manager | Management | $130,100 | Omaha | $130,100 | 1,760 |
| 12 | Optometrist | Healthcare | $127,110 | Omaha | $127,110 | 140 |
| 13 | Software Developer | Technology | $125,220 | Omaha | $125,220 | 3,920 |
| 14 | Computer Network Architect | Technology | $121,970 | Omaha | $121,970 | 780 |
| 15 | Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $113,440 | Omaha | $113,440 | 140 |
| 16 | Marketing Manager | Management | $112,870 | Omaha | $112,870 | 1,280 |
| 17 | Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $107,810 | Omaha | $107,810 | 1,940 |
| 18 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $107,280 | Omaha | $107,280 | 300 |
| 19 | Database Architect | Technology | $106,270 | Omaha | $106,270 | 350 |
| 20 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $103,360 | Omaha | $103,360 | 530 |
| 21 | Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $102,900 | Omaha | $102,900 | 240 |
| 22 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $102,020 | Omaha | $102,020 | 1,240 |
| 23 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $101,980 | Omaha | $101,980 | 370 |
| 24 | Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $101,730 | Omaha | $101,730 | 1,520 |
| 25 | Data Scientist | Technology | $100,830 | Omaha | $100,830 | 1,200 |
| 26 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $99,630 | Omaha | $99,630 | 1,120 |
| 27 | Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $99,580 | Omaha | $99,580 | 800 |
| 28 | Architect | Engineering | $99,350 | Omaha | $99,350 | 410 |
| 29 | Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $96,310 | Omaha | $96,310 | 1,220 |
| 30 | Information Security Analyst | Technology | $95,700 | Omaha | $95,700 | 700 |
| 31 | Computer Programmer | Technology | $95,150 | Omaha | $95,150 | 640 |
| 32 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $94,170 | Omaha | $94,170 | 580 |
| 33 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $93,650 | Omaha | $93,650 | 820 |
| 34 | Audiologist | Healthcare | $93,610 | Omaha | $93,610 | 80 |
| 35 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $93,180 | Omaha | $93,180 | 490 |
| 36 | Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $92,660 | Omaha | $92,660 | 110 |
| 37 | General and Operations Manager | Management | $90,620 | Omaha | $90,620 | 11,430 |
| 38 | Network Architect | Technology | $89,090 | Omaha | $89,090 | 860 |
| 39 | Web Designer | Technology | $87,920 | Omaha | $87,920 | 100 |
| 40 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $87,850 | Omaha | $87,850 | 590 |
| 41 | Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $84,600 | Omaha | $84,600 | 13,200 |
| 42 | Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $82,650 | Omaha | $82,650 | 690 |
| 43 | Management Analyst | Management | $81,740 | Omaha | $81,740 | 1,500 |
| 44 | Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $80,550 | Omaha | $80,550 | 1,120 |
| 45 | Loan Officer | Finance | $80,300 | Omaha | $80,300 | 910 |
| 46 | Financial Examiner | Finance | $80,000 | Omaha | $80,000 | 440 |
| 47 | Statistician | Technology | $77,590 | Omaha | $77,590 | 80 |
| 48 | Accountant | Finance | $77,030 | Omaha | $77,030 | 5,170 |
| 49 | Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $72,660 | Omaha | $72,660 | 710 |
| 50 | Web Developer | Technology | $71,210 | Omaha | $71,210 | 380 |
| 51 | Writer/Author | Creative | $67,390 | Omaha | $67,390 | 120 |
| 52 | Paralegal | Legal | $64,230 | Omaha | $64,230 | 1,010 |
| 53 | Secondary School Teacher | Education | $63,900 | Omaha | $63,900 | 3,540 |
| 54 | Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $63,700 | Omaha | $63,700 | 780 |
| 55 | Plumber | Trades | $63,400 | Omaha | $63,400 | 2,430 |
| 56 | Elementary School Teacher | Education | $62,670 | Omaha | $62,670 | 4,030 |
| 57 | Electrician | Trades | $62,440 | Omaha | $62,440 | 3,530 |
| 58 | Market Research Analyst | Management | $62,280 | Omaha | $62,280 | 2,160 |
| 59 | Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $59,420 | Omaha | $59,420 | 920 |
| 60 | Graphic Designer | Creative | $58,020 | Omaha | $58,020 | 1,020 |
| 61 | Automotive Technician | Trades | $54,230 | Omaha | $54,230 | 2,250 |
| 62 | Welder | Trades | $53,110 | Omaha | $53,110 | 1,060 |
| 63 | Carpenter | Trades | $52,800 | Omaha | $52,800 | 3,230 |
Why These Roles Pay the Most in Nebraska
Nebraska'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.
$Nebraska tracks $1 BLS-published metros covering approximately $99,500 workers across the $63 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 Obstetrician/Gynecologist top spot reflects Omaha pulling the upper end of the distribution; smaller metros in Nebraska typically pay 10–25% less for the same role.
Metro-by-Metro Detail
For salary data specific to one metro within Nebraska, see:
Frequently Asked Questions
The highest paying job in Nebraska is Obstetrician/Gynecologist with a state median salary of $342,570. The top-paying metro for this role is Omaha at $342,570 median. The role employs roughly 140 workers across Nebraska.
25 of the 63 BLS-tracked occupations in Nebraska 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 63 BLS-tracked occupations, the average median salary in Nebraska is $100,627. 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 $109,377.
BLS OEWS publishes wage data by Metropolitan Statistical Area. For Nebraska, this page aggregates Omaha. 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 Nebraska.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in Nebraska, using OEWS 2025 data.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.