Highest Paying Jobs in West Virginia

Top 100 occupations ranked by median annual salary, Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025

Highest Salary

$597,740

Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric

Top 25 Average

$237,774

median salary

$100K+ Jobs

occupations

Occupations

100

with wage data

This ranking surfaces the 100 highest-paying occupations in West Virginia by BLS OEWS state median salary, drawn from the May 2025 release. At the top, Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric pays a state median of $597,740, +67% above the national median of $358,550 for the same role. Of the 100 tracked positions, 43 pay above $100,000 per year in West Virginia - a useful threshold for separating specialist professional roles from mid-tier employment. The top-10 average sits at $377,431, giving a sense of what elite specialists inside this state actually clear.

The "Difference" column compares each state median to the corresponding national median for the same SOC code, making pay premiums and discounts immediately visible. In this list, 25 of 100 occupations pay above the national median in West Virginia, which usually signals one of three things: a local concentration of specialized employers (finance hubs, tech clusters, research universities, federal agencies), a cost-of-living adjustment baked into state-wide wage scales, or scarce in-state talent supply bidding up competitive roles. Occupations paying below the national median are not necessarily bad news, they often reflect lower cost of living in the state or industries where West Virginia is not a concentrated employer.

Rankings like this show ceiling-potential by specialty, but they don't tell you the odds of landing one of those roles. Pair this table with the employment column (how many workers the state actually employs in each occupation) and the growth projections on each occupation's national page to see whether the field is expanding or contracting. BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, especially distorting for top-paying roles where equity and performance compensation can represent 30-50% of total pay. Use this leaderboard to shortlist careers worth exploring in West Virginia, then drill into each row's linked profile to check percentile spread, typical education, metro-level variation, and whether projected openings match your timeline.

#	Occupation	State Median	National	Difference	Employment
1	Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$597,740	$358,550	+67% above	120
2	Emergency Medicine Physicians Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$491,230	$335,550	+46% above	300
3	Radiologists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$471,650	$420,860	+12% above	360
4	Surgeons, All Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$468,210	$414,010	+13% above	240
5	Physicians, Pathologists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$400,070	$312,400	+28% above	50
6	Obstetricians and Gynecologists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$300,810	$292,910	+3% above	100
7	Nurse Anesthetists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$278,530	$236,590	+18% above	740
8	Family Medicine Physicians Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$272,680	$244,180	+12% above	320
9	Physicians, All Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$258,020	$265,930	3% below	1,980
10	Dentists, All Other Specialists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$235,370	$224,990	+5% above	40
11	Podiatrists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$207,000	$160,300	+29% above	50
12	Dentists, General Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$170,370	$170,950	same as	420
13	Pediatricians, General Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$158,470	$210,040	25% below	140
14	Chief Executives Management Occupations	$151,950	$213,990	29% below	1,700
15	Architectural and Engineering Managers Management Occupations	$149,430	$171,270	13% below	420
16	Purchasing Managers Management Occupations	$147,220	$148,080	1% below	180
17	Computer and Information Systems Managers Management Occupations	$139,820	$175,140	20% below	1,100
18	Natural Sciences Managers Management Occupations	$138,010	$167,220	17% below	160
19	Sales Engineers Sales and Related Occupations	$135,260	$124,900	+8% above	40
20	Pharmacists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$133,430	$140,910	5% below	2,260
21	Chemical Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$129,210	$125,040	+3% above	160
22	Veterinarians Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$128,990	$130,100	1% below	390
23	Physician Assistants Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$128,610	$135,880	5% below	1,080
24	Nurse Practitioners Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$127,320	$132,300	4% below	2,550
25	Managers, All Other Management Occupations	$124,940	$141,900	12% below	3,640
26	Computer Network Architects Computer and Mathematical Occupations	$122,520	$134,050	9% below	360
27	Software Developers Computer and Mathematical Occupations	$121,000	$135,980	11% below	2,650
28	Electronics Engineers, Except Computer Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$120,170	$130,220	8% below	90
29	Human Resources Managers Management Occupations	$120,020	$149,280	20% below	510
30	Engineers, All Other Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$118,800	$122,930	3% below	660
31	Optometrists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$118,010	$136,570	14% below	150
32	Electrical Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$113,420	$120,630	6% below	500
33	Financial Managers Management Occupations	$113,140	$166,570	32% below	2,610
34	Medical and Health Services Managers Management Occupations	$112,010	$123,860	10% below	2,080
35	Industrial Production Managers Management Occupations	$111,760	$126,060	11% below	1,000
36	Industrial Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$108,360	$102,440	+6% above	850
37	Computer Occupations, All Other Computer and Mathematical Occupations	$107,140	$116,580	8% below	3,380
38	Commercial Pilots Transportation and Material Moving Occupations	$105,950	$123,220	14% below	40
39	Business Teachers, Postsecondary Educational Instruction and Library Occupations	$104,480	$99,080	+5% above	420
40	Lawyers Legal Occupations	$102,420	$159,670	36% below	2,440
41	Power Distributors and Dispatchers Production Occupations	$101,960	$106,730	4% below	50
42	Artists and Related Workers, All Other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations	$101,400	$71,240	+42% above	50
43	Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary Educational Instruction and Library Occupations	$100,400	$109,270	8% below	240
44	Marketing Managers Management Occupations	$98,750	$166,790	41% below	300
45	Education Administrators, All Other Management Occupations	$98,450	$95,200	+3% above	N/A
46	Physics Teachers, Postsecondary Educational Instruction and Library Occupations	$98,320	$100,310	2% below	50
47	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers Management Occupations	$98,230	$107,230	8% below	530
48	Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$97,960	$106,220	8% below	440
49	Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations	$97,600	$103,020	5% below	70
50	Management Analysts Business and Financial Operations Occupations	$97,470	$101,860	4% below	1,740
51	Mechanical Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$97,390	$104,110	6% below	760
52	Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Sales and Related Occupations	$97,230	$104,920	7% below	760
53	Power Plant Operators Production Occupations	$97,210	$102,040	5% below	170
54	Physical Therapists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$96,600	$102,760	6% below	1,310
55	Architects, Except Landscape and Naval Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$96,470	$99,280	3% below	80
56	Postmasters and Mail Superintendents Management Occupations	$96,260	$96,660	same as	180
57	Occupational Therapists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$96,190	$100,330	4% below	700
58	Construction Managers Management Occupations	$95,740	$114,990	17% below	600
59	Facilities Managers Management Occupations	$95,050	$106,660	11% below	610
60	Sales Managers Management Occupations	$94,830	$148,270	36% below	1,110
61	Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$94,520	$101,110	7% below	190
62	Financial Risk Specialists Business and Financial Operations Occupations	$94,350	$117,330	20% below	50
63	Petroleum Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$93,360	$144,910	36% below	380
64	Detectives and Criminal Investigators Protective Service Occupations	$92,410	$93,790	1% below	220
65	Project Management Specialists Business and Financial Operations Occupations	$91,780	$102,320	10% below	2,520
66	Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers Transportation and Material Moving Occupations	$91,380	$60,600	+51% above	40
67	Economics Teachers, Postsecondary Educational Instruction and Library Occupations	$91,170	$123,920	26% below	40
68	Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations	$89,690	$74,330	+21% above	1,270
69	Dietitians and Nutritionists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$89,440	$76,400	+17% above	520
70	Labor Relations Specialists Business and Financial Operations Occupations	$88,020	$95,420	8% below	420
71	Civil Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$86,930	$100,840	14% below	1,300
72	Occupational Health and Safety Specialists Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$86,560	$90,150	4% below	1,020
73	Financial Specialists, All Other Business and Financial Operations Occupations	$86,200	$81,100	+6% above	920
74	Chemists Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$85,560	$91,240	6% below	180
75	Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$85,440	$78,190	+9% above	300
76	Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Transportation and Material Moving Occupations	$85,290	$92,460	8% below	110
77	Data Scientists Computer and Mathematical Occupations	$85,090	$120,230	29% below	390
78	Administrative Services Managers Management Occupations	$84,820	$114,130	26% below	1,890
79	Education Administrators, Postsecondary Management Occupations	$84,660	$104,590	19% below	1,520
80	Statisticians Computer and Mathematical Occupations	$84,660	$105,650	20% below	90
81	Biological Scientists, All Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$84,590	$98,920	14% below	230
82	Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary Educational Instruction and Library Occupations	$84,450	$101,420	17% below	40
83	Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Production Occupations	$83,910	$96,710	13% below	330
84	Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations	$83,810	$95,320	12% below	1,260
85	Environmental Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$83,200	$107,110	22% below	370
86	Chiropractors Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$83,160	$79,200	+5% above	60
87	Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$82,690	$103,410	20% below	330
88	Gas Plant Operators Production Occupations	$82,600	$87,820	6% below	420
89	General and Operations Managers Management Occupations	$82,500	$105,770	22% below	15,300
90	Public Relations Managers Management Occupations	$82,380	$146,910	44% below	70
91	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$82,100	$82,220	same as	250
92	Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary Educational Instruction and Library Occupations	$81,850	$103,170	21% below	40
93	Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary Educational Instruction and Library Occupations	$81,830	$93,250	12% below	90
94	Chemical Plant and System Operators Production Occupations	$81,710	$78,120	+5% above	380
95	Occupational Health and Safety Technicians Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$81,470	$61,560	+32% above	320
96	Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other Architecture and Engineering Occupations	$81,330	$78,350	+4% above	450
97	Speech-Language Pathologists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$80,970	$97,870	17% below	880
98	Orthotists and Prosthetists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations	$80,860	$81,110	same as	70
99	Atmospheric and Space Scientists Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations	$80,690	$99,070	19% below	40
100	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary Management Occupations	$80,650	$105,870	24% below	1,480

More ways to explore West Virginia pay and compare with national data.

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Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric

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About This Data

All salary data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. State-level data reflects wages for workers employed in West Virginia. The "Difference" column shows how West Virginia pay compares to the national median for that occupation.

Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. These figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level wage data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.

Compiled by WageDex Editorial, Occupational Wages Editorial Team · May 15, 2026

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