New Report Looks at Six-Figure Jobs in Dallas

Earning a six-figure income is a goal for many Americans, but few actually achieve it. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), less than 7 percent of American workers are employed in occupations paying a median salary of $100,000 or more. However, in some parts of the country, earning six figures is practically a requirement to live comfortably.

While the median earnings across all occupations in the U.S. are $38,640, some occupations pay far more. Nationally, general and operations managers are among the most popular occupations with median annual earnings over $100,000. Nearly 2.3 million American employees work as general and operations managers. Other six-figure jobs employing large numbers of Americans include tech jobs (software developers and computer and information systems managers) and jobs in the healthcare industry (pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants).

o determine the U.S. metropolitan areas with the most six-figure occupations, researchers at Volusion analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Metros were ranked according to the share of employment in six-figure occupations—occupations with median annual earnings of $100,000 or greater. The researchers also calculated the percentage change in six-figure employment from 2015 to 2018, the total employment in six-figure occupations, the median annual wage across all occupations, the most over-indexed six-figure occupation, and the highest-paying six-figure occupations. The most over-indexed six-figure occupation for each metro was determined as the occupation that has the greatest difference in employment share when compared to that occupation at the national level.

Dallas high earners

This analysis found that 6.6% of workers in the Dallas metro have jobs that typically pay six figures or more. Here is a summary of the data for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro:

• Share of employment in six-figure occupations: 6.6%
• Percent change in six-figure employment (2015-2018): 21.6%
• Total employment in six-figure occupations: 232,830
• Median annual wage across all occupations: $39,230
• Most over-indexed six-figure occupation: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
• Highest-paying six-figure occupations: Chief Executives; Anesthesiologists; Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Pediatricians; Psychiatrists; Surgeons