Ranked list · 30 careers
30 Jobs That Pay $50 to $75 an Hour, Ranked by Annual Openings (2026)
General and Operations Manager tops this list at $105,770 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with +5.0% projected employment change over 2025–2035. Below are 30 careers that meet the criteria, each with its real median wage, outlook and entry requirement.
- Careers on this list
- 30From 1,731 in the bank
- Median pay on the list
- $118,405BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Projected to grow
- 30 of 30BLS EP, 2025–2035
- Openings a year
- 1,032,000Combined, BLS EP
Method
How we built this list
Occupations whose BLS median hourly wage is at least $50.00 and under $75.00, ranked by projected annual openings. The hourly figure is the one BLS publishes, not an annual salary divided by 2,080; occupations reported on an annual basis only are left off.
- Occupations whose BLS median hourly wage is at least $50.00 and under $75.00, ranked by projected annual openings. The hourly figure is the one BLS publishes, not an annual salary divided by 2,080; occupations reported on an annual basis only are left off.
- Occupations with no BLS wage or projection data are excluded rather than estimated.
- The list is regenerated from source data on every bank refresh. It is not hand-picked and no editorial ranking is applied.
The list
The top 30 jobs that pay $50 an hour
100% of these careers already have a full profile page; the rest publish with the next tranche and show the same bank data here in the meantime.
- 1
1. General and Operations Manager
Management
- Median pay
- $105,770median a year
- Growth
- +5.0%
- Openings / yr
- 285,000
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations.
- 2
2. Regulatory Affairs Manager
Management
- Median pay
- $141,900median a year
- Growth
- +4.9%
- Openings / yr
- 100,900
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plan, direct, or coordinate production activities of an organization to ensure compliance with regulations and standard operating procedures.
- 3
3. Software Developer
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $135,980median a year
- Growth
- +10.2%
- Openings / yr
- 95,300
- Education
- Bachelor's
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs.
- 4
4. Medical and Health Services Manager
Management
- Median pay
- $123,860median a year
- Growth
- +24.2%
- Openings / yr
- 62,300
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.
- 5
5. Construction Manager
Management
- Median pay
- $114,990median a year
- Growth
- +9.1%
- Openings / yr
- 49,700
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plan, direct, or coordinate, usually through subordinate supervisory personnel, activities concerned with the construction and maintenance of structures, facilities, and systems.
- 6
6. Sales Manager
Management
- Median pay
- $148,270median a year
- Growth
- +4.5%
- Openings / yr
- 47,300
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plan, direct, or coordinate the actual distribution or movement of a product or service to the customer.
- 7
7. Computer Systems Analyst
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $105,850median a year
- Growth
- +7.9%
- Openings / yr
- 32,900
- Education
- Bachelor's
Analyze science, engineering, business, and other data processing problems to develop and implement solutions to complex applications problems, system administration issues, or network concerns.
- 8
8. Nurse Practitioner
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $132,300median a year
- Growth
- +41.0%
- Openings / yr
- 29,400
- Education
- Master's
Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team.
- 9
9. Web Administrator
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $116,580median a year
- Growth
- +5.1%
- Openings / yr
- 27,000
- Education
- Bachelor's
Manage web environment design, deployment, development and maintenance activities.
- 10
10. Data Scientist
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $120,230median a year
- Growth
- +34.6%
- Openings / yr
- 24,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software.
- 11
- Median pay
- $104,920median a year
- Growth
- +1.2%
- Openings / yr
- 23,600
- Education
- Bachelor's
Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers where technical or scientific knowledge is required in such areas as biology, engineering, chemistry, and electronics, normally obtained from at least 2 years of postseconda…
- 12
12. Administrative Services Manager
Management
- Median pay
- $114,130median a year
- Growth
- +5.2%
- Openings / yr
- 22,000
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plan, direct, or coordinate one or more administrative services of an organization, such as records and information management, mail distribution, and other office support services.
- 13
- Median pay
- $107,230median a year
- Growth
- +6.1%
- Openings / yr
- 18,300
- Education
- High school
Plan, direct, or coordinate transportation, storage, or distribution activities in accordance with organizational policies and applicable government laws or regulations.
- 14
14. Mechanical Engineer
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $104,110median a year
- Growth
- +11.2%
- Openings / yr
- 17,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Perform engineering duties in planning and designing tools, engines, machines, and other mechanically functioning equipment.
- 15
15. Financial Advisor
Business and Financial Operations
- Median pay
- $105,070median a year
- Growth
- +1.4%
- Openings / yr
- 17,100
- Education
- Bachelor's
Advise clients on financial plans using knowledge of tax and investment strategies, securities, insurance, pension plans, and real estate.
- 16
16. Industrial Production Manager
Management
- Median pay
- $126,060median a year
- Growth
- +2.6%
- Openings / yr
- 17,000
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plan, direct, or coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products in accordance with cost, quality, and quantity specifications.
- 17
17. Human Resources Manager
Management
- Median pay
- $149,280median a year
- Growth
- +5.5%
- Openings / yr
- 16,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization.
- 18
- Median pay
- $104,590median a year
- Growth
- +1.8%
- Openings / yr
- 14,500
- Education
- Master's
Plan, direct, or coordinate student instruction, administration, and services, as well as other research and educational activities, at postsecondary institutions, including universities, colleges, and junior and comm…
- 19
19. Facilities Manager
Management
- Median pay
- $106,660median a year
- Growth
- +4.6%
- Openings / yr
- 14,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plan, direct, or coordinate operations and functionalities of facilities and buildings.
- 20
20. Information Security Analyst
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $129,180median a year
- Growth
- +21.0%
- Openings / yr
- 14,100
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plan, implement, upgrade, or monitor security measures for the protection of computer networks and information.
- 21
21. Pharmacist
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $140,910median a year
- Growth
- +5.2%
- Openings / yr
- 12,500
- Education
- Doctorate
Dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use.
- 22
22. Art Director
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Median pay
- $114,850median a year
- Growth
- +4.2%
- Openings / yr
- 12,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
Formulate design concepts and presentation approaches for visual productions and media, such as print, broadcasting, video, and film.
- 23
23. Physician Assistant
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $135,880median a year
- Growth
- +21.1%
- Openings / yr
- 11,500
- Education
- Master's
Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician.
- 24
24. Electrical Engineer
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $120,630median a year
- Growth
- +9.9%
- Openings / yr
- 11,400
- Education
- Bachelor's
Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.
- 25
25. QA Analyst
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $104,300median a year
- Growth
- +5.7%
- Openings / yr
- 10,700
- Education
- Bachelor's
Develop and execute software tests to identify software problems and their causes.
- 26
26. First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives
Protective Service
- Median pay
- $106,040median a year
- Growth
- +3.3%
- Openings / yr
- 10,600
- Education
- High school
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.
- 27
27. Computer Network Architect
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $134,050median a year
- Growth
- +7.7%
- Openings / yr
- 9,600
- Education
- Bachelor's
Design and implement computer and information networks, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), intranets, extranets, and other data communications networks.
- 28
28. Energy Engineer, Except Wind and Solar
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $122,930median a year
- Growth
- +3.7%
- Openings / yr
- 8,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Design, develop, or evaluate energy-related projects or programs to reduce energy costs or improve energy efficiency during the designing, building, or remodeling stages of construction.
- 29
29. Web Designer
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $104,000median a year
- Growth
- +6.0%
- Openings / yr
- 8,300
- Education
- Bachelor's
Design digital user interfaces or websites.
- 30
30. Purchasing Manager
Management
- Median pay
- $148,080median a year
- Growth
- +4.0%
- Openings / yr
- 6,400
- Education
- Bachelor's
Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of buyers, purchasing officers, and related workers involved in purchasing materials, products, and services.
Questions
Jobs That Pay $50 an Hour: FAQ
What is the top career on the jobs that pay $50 an hour list?
General and Operations Manager leads the list with a median wage of $105,770 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025) and projected employment change of +5.0% over 2025–2035. Typical entry-level education is bachelor's.
How was this list put together?
Occupations whose BLS median hourly wage is at least $50.00 and under $75.00, ranked by projected annual openings. The hourly figure is the one BLS publishes, not an annual salary divided by 2,080; occupations reported on an annual basis only are left off. Occupations whose BLS median hourly wage is at least $50.00 and under $75.00, ranked by projected annual openings. The hourly figure is the one BLS publishes, not an annual salary divided by 2,080; occupations reported on an annual basis only are left off. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and O*NET 31.0 Database.
How much do jobs that pay $50 an hour pay?
Across the 30 careers on this list the middle occupation pays $118,405 a year, from $104,000 at the bottom to $149,280 at the top (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The median across all US occupations is $50,980.
How many of these careers can you enter without a degree?
2 of the 30 careers on this list have a typical entry requirement below an associate's degree: a high school diploma, a postsecondary certificate, or no formal credential (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035).