25 best paying cities in 2025

February 5, 2025 5:30 AM

When looking for a job or making a career move, location can matter if you want to make the most money for your position.

U.S. News recently ranked the best paying cities in 2025, by evaluating which cities have the most occupations with annual mean salaries that are among the top five in the U.S. for that particular position. They analyzed salary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

San Francisco and San Jose, California, tied for the top spot with 148 jobs with top salaries in these cities, with workers making more money than their counterparts in other places. Both cities have a high concentration of tech workers, as San Francisco is home to many tech companies and San Jose is part of Silicon Valley.

While the top two cities have 148 jobs with top salaries, the average for the 25 best paying cities is 29.6 jobs.

Of the 25 best paying cities, eleven are located in California, four are in Washington and two are in Colorado.

Read more about the best paying cities in 2025.

Best paying cities in 2025

Rank	City	# of jobs which the city ranks in the top 5 best-paying cities for
22	Denver	8
22	Kennewick, Washington	8
22	Modesto, California	8
22	San Bernardino, California	8
20	Bremerton, Washington	10
20	Mount Vernon, Washington	10
17	Anchorage, Alaska	11
17	Kahului, Hawaii	11
17	Thousand Oaks, California	11
14	Los Angeles	12
14	Honolulu	12
14	Santa Maria, California	12
13	Chicago	13
12	Boulder, Colorado	15
11	Boston	20
9	Santa Rosa, California	23
9	Bridgeport, Connecticut	23
8	Sacramento, California	25
7	Washington, D.C.	26
6	Vallejo, California	29
5	Napa, California	31
4	New York	54
3	Seattle	64
1	San Francisco	148
1	San Jose, California	148