State ND
Period May 2025
Price level 89.0
Data updated October 25, 2026

Highest-paying jobs in North Dakota

The highest published median in North Dakota is for surgeons, all other, at $604,890 a year. For 5 more occupations, BLS reports the median only as “$239,200 or more”; they are listed below the table. The median for all occupations in the state is $52,480, against $50,980 nationally.

North Dakota · all occupationsMay 2025

Median / yr: $52,480
Mean / yr: $64,050
Price level (U.S.=100): 89.0
Median, price-adjusted: $58,993
Adjusted rank: 4 of 51
Jobs: 429,430

Price-adjusted = median ÷ (BEA 2024 regional price parity ÷ 100). Compare all states.

The 50 best-paid occupations in North Dakota

ND · Src BLS-OEWS · May 2025Top 50 of 551

Top 50 occupations in North Dakota by median annual wage
No.	Occupation	Median in ND	U.S. median	Employed in ND
1	Surgeons, All Other	$604,890	$414,010	150
2	Radiologists	$553,140	$420,860	120
3	Physicians, All Other	$454,550	$265,930	740
4	Obstetricians and Gynecologists	$414,060	$292,910	70
5	Emergency Medicine Physicians	$392,890	$335,550	150
6	General Internal Medicine Physicians	$338,400	$256,560	200
7	Family Medicine Physicians	$280,100	$244,180	260
8	Nurse Anesthetists	$244,240	$236,590	250
9	Pediatricians, General	$234,950	$210,040	90
10	Dentists, General	$220,660	$170,950	260
11	Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates	$171,100	$153,990	130
12	Chief Executives	$164,560	$213,990	380
13	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$149,130	$175,140	850
14	Physical Scientists, All Other	$147,650	$122,570	70
15	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$147,400	$171,270	270
16	Pharmacists	$142,040	$140,910	1,070
17	Human Resources Managers	$139,050	$149,280	290
18	Financial Managers	$135,890	$166,570	2,140
19	Physician Assistants	$133,450	$135,880	510
20	Commercial Pilots	$133,010	$123,220	370
21	Petroleum Engineers	$132,120	$144,910	130
22	Optometrists	$132,110	$136,570	140
23	Natural Sciences Managers	$131,370	$167,220	140
24	Purchasing Managers	$130,110	$148,080	50
25	Nurse Practitioners	$130,070	$132,300	1,290
26	Managers, All Other	$126,440	$141,900	2,040
27	Marketing Managers	$125,580	$166,790	180
28	Power Plant Operators	$122,160	$102,040	150
29	Fundraising Managers	$121,750	$125,470	30
30	Sales Managers	$119,990	$148,270	550
31	Audiologists	$118,750	$95,780	40
32	Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	$116,130	$100,580	170
33	Industrial Production Managers	$116,050	$126,060	490
34	Chemical Engineers	$115,400	$125,040	80
35	Public Relations Managers	$114,110	$146,910	130
36	Training and Development Managers	$114,020	$133,000	50
37	Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary	$111,020	$93,250	60
38	Electrical Engineers	$110,810	$120,630	260
39	Business Teachers, Postsecondary	$110,050	$99,080	250
40	Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary	$109,710	$109,270	220
41	Database Architects	$109,430	$139,500	60
42	Computer Network Architects	$108,990	$134,050	230
43	Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary	$108,130	$98,700	90
44	Air Traffic Controllers	$107,990	$148,080	100
45	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	$107,940	$105,870	810
46	Information Security Analysts	$107,540	$129,180	310
47	Lawyers	$106,880	$159,670	1,050
48	Transportation Inspectors	$106,330	$92,100	60
49	Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	$105,870	$95,320	740
50	Software Developers	$105,600	$135,980	1,450

Median reported only as “$239,200 or more” in North Dakota: Cardiologists, Anesthesiologists, Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Physicians, Pathologists. The exact figures are not published, so these are not ranked.

Dashes mean the employment estimate was not published.

Best-paid occupations with at least 1,000 jobs in North Dakota

Pharmacists — $142,040 (1,070 jobs)
Financial Managers — $135,890 (2,140 jobs)
Nurse Practitioners — $130,070 (1,290 jobs)
Managers, All Other — $126,440 (2,040 jobs)
Lawyers — $106,880 (1,050 jobs)
Software Developers — $105,600 (1,450 jobs)
Medical and Health Services Managers — $105,170 (1,220 jobs)
Construction Managers — $102,070 (1,450 jobs)
Civil Engineers — $98,190 (1,380 jobs)
General and Operations Managers — $98,170 (11,150 jobs)

Sources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state file.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024.