The Highest Paying Jobs In Western New York

What is the highest-paying job in and around Buffalo, New York? You'll need to have a lot of heart to get it. We'll also give you a list of all the highest-paying jobs in Western New York.

We’ve all daydreamed about winning the lottery. Mansions, fancy cars, expensive dinners. Sound like the good life, right? So many Western New Yorkers are dealing with debt, high housing costs, and other crazy expenses. Not to mention how hard inflation has hit our necessities, like groceries, over the past year. Winning the lotto or getting a raise would definitely make most of our lives more comfortable.

While winning the lottery is a long shot, getting a better job isn't. So, which careers are guaranteed to make you lots of money in Buffalo, New York? High school and college students, along with anyone else just starting out on the journey of picking a career, might want to consider what we found.

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The Best Paying Jobs In Western New York Are In One Field

We’ve compiled a list of the ten highest-paying jobs in Buffalo using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Not surprisingly, most of them are in the healthcare field. 

That shouldn’t be a shock considering Jacobs School of Medicine at UB, one of the most prestigious med schools in the country, is right in our backyard. However, keep in mind that the healthcare field is tough, both physically and mentally. Shifts can be incredibly long and at all hours of the day or night (remember how hard our healthcare workers worked during the pandemic?). Not to mention you could spend a decade or more in school, putting yourself in massive debt. 

If all of that doesn't scare you off and you still want to see which job in the medical profession brings home the biggest paycheck, keep reading. 

This Career In Healthcare Pays The Most In Buffalo

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Cardiologists are the highest-paying profession in Western New York, making an annual mean wage of $346,280 per year, or $166.48 per hour. 

In fact, New York is one of the states with the highest number of Cardiologists employed, with 1,610 active cardiologists in the field in 2021.

Cardiologists are absolutely essential in the healthcare field. The Cleveland Clinic defines a Cardiologist as,

...a type of healthcare provider that treats chest pain, high blood pressure, heart failure, and other heart-related and vascular issues. 

Keep in mind that even though Cardiologists are set to bring home big bucks when they enter their field, it takes an average of fourteen years of education and schooling to become one, and even longer to become board-certified. On top of that, a cardiologist’s job is grueling and demanding, as they work incredibly long hours often in high-pressure situations.

Highest Paying Jobs in Western New York

If becoming a cardiologist isn't in the cards for you, there's good news. Several other jobs pay a lot, and not all need the level of education as a heart doctor does. Here is what else landed on our list of the highest-paying jobs in Buffalo.