Not Just Card Dealers and Show Girls: Highest Paying Jobs in Las Vegas

© 2012 by Aurelio Locsin.

Known worldwide for its casinos, resorts, shopping and shows, Las Vegas is also the largest city in Nevada. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 807,240 jobs in the city with mean wages of $19.59 per hour or $40,740 per year. This is slightly under the average $19.82 per hour or $41,220 per year for all 1.1 millions workers in the state, and also under the mean $21.35 per hour or $44,410 per year made by all 127 million workers in the U.S.A.

Though in many locations of the country, medical professionals occupy nearly all the top ten highest-paying positions, in Las Vegas, they occupy only the following six:

1. The top spot belongs to all 1,130 physicians and surgeons that are not identified as separate specialties by the Department of Labor. They average $105.66 per hour or $219,760 per year.
2. Surgeons perform operations to correct medical conditions either by hand or through surgical tools. There are 280 in the city and they earn a mean $93.23 per hour or $193,920 per year.
3. Internists manage conditions of the body’s internal organs including the digestive system, liver and kidneys. The 450 in the city make mean wages of $92.83 per hour or $193,080 per year.
4. The 730 general practitioners in Las Vegas act as the first line of medical defense for most patients. They average $87.88 per hour or $182,790 per year.
5. Psychiatrists treat mental conditions through therapy, medication and hospitalization. The city’s 60 doctors make mean salaries of $85.28 per hour or $177,390 per year.
6. Dentists diagnose and treat the teeth, gums and other tissues inside the mouth. About 840 receive $76.78 per hour or $159,690 per year.

Chief executives actually rank second in the list of top paying Las Vegas jobs. They manage the city’s hotels and resorts, casinos and showrooms, retailers and restaurant chains. Their high salaries equal high responsibility as they plan the business strategies of their establishments. Many start on the bottom rung of the employment ladder and climb to the top after many years. They often supplement their experience with advanced degrees in business. The 460 CEOs in Las Vegas average $102.24 per hour or $212,670 per year.

The 430 architectural and engineering managers coordinate teams of architects and engineers so they can efficiently complete projects such as the building of resort complexes and the maintenance of roads. They have the technical expertise required by their professions as well as management acumen. The city’s construction frenzy provides average salaries of $62.73 per hour or $130,470 per year.

Lawyers manage legal affairs, often assisted by other attorneys or legal administrative staff. They may advocate for their clients in civil and criminal trials, or handle negotiations such as contracts. They require not only an undergraduate degree but three years of law school. They must then pass the state bar exam so they can practice their profession. They form the largest group of the top ten paying professions, numbering about 3,150. They make a mean $58.42 per hour or $121,520 per year.

Marketing managers coordinate campaigns that publicize goods and services. They oversee a staff that can include graphic artists, copywriters and account executives. They work with product development managers and market research managers to develop the best strategies for their company’s offerings. The 1,210 professionals in the city earn a mean $54.60 per hour or $113,570 per year.