The 14 Highest Paying Jobs in WNY Will Make You Rethink Your Life [List]
Looking at these salaries will make you re-evaluate some of your life choices (unless of course, you have one of these jobs). When I look at this list, I realize I might have made a horrible mistake by getting into radio lol. Many of the top-paying jobs are in the medical field, which is no surprise. Even though there's a lot of money to be made as a doctor, I can't stomach blood, so I wouldn't have made it in that profession. I am a bit shocked by #8. Who knew that the person in charge of salaries and benefits makes that much money. It could be that since they are in charge of compensation, they made sure they got a nice chunk of it. If you're reading this and you're in high school or just started college, it's not too late to switch it up (I'm halfway joking). Keep in mind that even though doctors are well-paid, they may have had a hefty upfront cost. According to EducationData.org,
The average total cost of medical school is $218,792.
The average yearly cost of medical school is $54,698.
Total costs vary by institution type and location, ranging from $202,612 (in-state, public school) to $234,976(out-of-state, private school).
A college education, regardless of your chosen area of studies, can be quite costly, I guess that's why they call choosing to attend college "investing in your future."
The majority of employees in Buffalo work in the private sector, as of 2020,
Private Employee 72,879
Government Employee 18,605
Self-Employed 5,917
Non-Profit Employee 15,905
Buffalo's unemployment rate in 2020 was higher than the state and national average,
Buffalo - 5.8%
New York State - 4%
United States - 3.9%
Even though most people consider Buffalo to be a "blue-collar city," surprisingly, there are more white-collar employees,
White-Collar - 92,122
Blue-Collar - 21,184
Top 14 highest paying jobs in Buffalo and Niagara Falls:
14. Sales Managers
$143,740 - Average Salary
$70,150 - Entry Level Salary
13. Architectural and Engineering Managers
$144,900 - Average Salary
$83,120 - Entry Level Salary
12. All Other Physicians; and Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric
$150,510 - Average Salary
$55,990 - Entry Level Salary
11. General Pediatricians
$153,000 - Average Salary
$93,810 - Entry Level Salary
10. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
$162,960 - Average Salary
$113,110 - Entry Level Salary
9. Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
$163,700 - Average Salary
$118,040 - Entry Level Salary
8. Compensation and Benefits Managers
$163,960 - Average Salary
$99,990 - Entry Level Salary
7. Podiatrists
$169,590 - Average Salary
$56,250 - Entry Level Salary
6. Nurse Anesthetists
$174,020 - Average Salary
$150,800 - Entry Level Salary
5. Physicists
$181,670 - Average Salary
$85,910 - Entry Level Salary
4. Chief Executives
$182,590 - Average Salary
$86,800 - Entry Level Salary
3. Family Medicine Physicians
$194,670 - Average Salary
$136,310 - Entry Level Salary
2. General Dentists
$198,720 - Average Salary
$123,890 - Entry Level Salary
1. Obstetricians and Gynecologists
$199,260 - Average Salary
$174,160 - Entry Level Salary
Data provided by USA Wage
You can check out the full list of the top 100 highest-paying jobs in Buffalo and Niagara Falls here. With so many medical careers in the top 14, it makes sense that Erie County Medical Center, Roswell Park, and Catholic Health made the list of the top 10 largest employers in Buffalo.