In this episode of the Job Talk podcast, we talk about best practices for negotiating your salary.Â
Breaking into a six-figure salary is a major career goal for many professionals. Whether you are exploring jobs that pay $100K a year, looking to advance within your field, or planning your next move, this list highlights 40 high-paying careers across engineering, finance, technology, and operations. These roles combine strong demand, valuable expertise, and leadership opportunity to help you reach and exceed the $100K mark.
At iMPact Business Group, we routinely recruit for many of these positions, offering contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire opportunities across the U.S.
Common Questions About $100K Jobs
What jobs pay over $100K a year?
Many leadership, technical, and specialist roles in engineering, IT, and finance regularly offer salaries above $100K, especially with experience or certifications.
Do you need a degree to earn $100K?
Not always. Some sales, technical, and trade careers offer six-figure potential based on performance, skills, or management experience instead of a four-year degree.
Which industries offer the most $100K jobs?
Engineering, technology, finance, and healthcare consistently rank among the top industries with the highest number of six-figure positions.
What is the fastest way to reach a $100K salary?
Focus on developing leadership experience, gaining in-demand certifications, and taking on roles that combine technical expertise with responsibility for results.
Why These Roles Matter
High-paying roles reflect a combination of experience, skill specialization, and strategic responsibility. Employers invest in these positions to gain leadership in innovation, efficiency, and decision-making. Understanding the typical scope and qualifications for these roles can help job seekers plan their career path — and help employers remain competitive in hiring.
Job Seekers:
Visit our job board to browse our open positions. We update listings daily and offer a variety of hiring formats across the U.S.
Employers:
Need help filling key roles on your team? Our recruiters specialize in sourcing experienced professionals, including passive candidates. We also provide compensation benchmarking reports tailored to your industry and region.
High-Paying Jobs: Titles, Descriptions & Typical Pay Ranges
Each role includes a general overview, typical qualifications, and a typical salary range based on current market trends.
Director of Engineering
Directs all engineering functions across design, testing, and production. Often responsible for cross-departmental coordination, technical oversight, and product strategy. Typically requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering (master’s preferred), 10+ years of experience, and leadership in complex engineering environments.
Typical Pay Range: $170,000 – $185,000
General Manager
Oversees all operations at a facility or business unit, including staffing, budgeting, supply chain, and production. Requires strong leadership, financial acumen, and operations expertise. A bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, or a related field is common, with 10+ years of experience.
Typical Pay Range: $170,000 – $180,000
Account Manager (Automotive Manufacturing)
Manages OEM customer relationships and supports quoting, pricing, and delivery performance. Often works closely with engineering and production to align programs with customer needs. Background in engineering or business and experience in the automotive industry is typical.
Typical Pay Range: $160,000 – $180,000
Engineering Manager
Leads teams responsible for product development, process improvement, and technical troubleshooting. Requires a bachelor’s in engineering and supervisory experience in a manufacturing or product development setting.
Typical Pay Range: $130,000 – $150,000
Quality Manager (Electronics Manufacturing)
Oversees quality systems and ensures compliance with industry standards such as ISO 9001, AS9100, and NADCAP. Often requires experience with Six Sigma, root cause analysis, and supplier quality. An engineering degree is typically required.
Typical Pay Range: $140,000 – $160,000
Quality Manager (Automotive or Manufacturing)
Leads audits, internal quality processes, and corrective action plans. Familiarity with IATF 16949, ISO 9001, and PPAP/APQP processes is essential. Often requires prior quality leadership in a manufacturing environment.
Typical Pay Range: $120,000 – $140,000
Commercial Lines Product Manager
Develops and manages commercial insurance product lines. Responsibilities include competitive analysis, rate filings, and cross-functional collaboration. Background in insurance, finance, or risk management is typical.
Typical Pay Range: $125,000 – $135,000
IT Manager
Manages IT infrastructure, systems security, helpdesk operations, and digital transformation projects. Requires a degree in IT or computer science and strong leadership in technical environments.
Typical Pay Range: $100,000 – $125,000
Controller
Leads financial reporting, forecasting, and internal controls for mid-sized to large businesses. A CPA or CMA is often required, along with experience in manufacturing or multi-entity accounting.
Typical Pay Range: $120,000 – $140,000
Cisco Systems Engineer
Designs and maintains Cisco-based enterprise networks. Involves deep expertise in routing, switching, ACI, and datacenter networking. Cisco certifications such as CCNP or CCIE are commonly required.
Typical Pay Range: $125,000 – $135,000
Software Integrations Project Manager
Leads integration projects for software systems such as WMS, ERP, or automation platforms. Combines project management experience with technical knowledge of system architecture.
Typical Pay Range: $125,000 – $135,000
Senior Epicor ERP Developer
Customizes and supports Epicor ERP environments, including configurators, BAQs, BPMs, and integrations. Requires development experience and strong knowledge of manufacturing workflows.
Typical Pay Range: $90,000 – $120,000
Solutions Engineer (Material Handling Systems)
Designs automated systems for warehousing and logistics. Collaborates with sales and engineering to create client proposals and technical documentation. Mechanical or industrial engineering background preferred.
Typical Pay Range: $145,000 – $165,000
Project Engineer (Material Handling Systems)
Manages implementation of complex material handling projects, including layout design, scheduling, and vendor coordination. Often requires a degree in mechanical engineering or industrial engineering.
Typical Pay Range: $145,000 – $165,000
Human Resources Manager
Oversees HR functions including employee relations, compliance, and performance management. A degree in HR or related field and several years of experience in manufacturing or distribution environments are common.
Typical Pay Range: $95,000 – $120,000
Materials Manager
Leads procurement, inventory planning, vendor relations, and supply chain optimization. Often requires experience with ERP systems and a degree in supply chain or business.
Typical Pay Range: $100,000 – $120,000
Traffic Manager
Coordinates inbound and outbound logistics, manages carrier relationships, and oversees freight cost controls. Often includes international shipping and Asia-Pacific logistics experience.
Typical Pay Range: $100,000 – $130,000
Actuary
Performs risk modeling and supports insurance pricing strategies. Commonly requires actuarial certifications (e.g., ASA, FSA) and strong data analytics skills.
Typical Pay Range: $115,000 – $125,000
Continuous Improvement Manager
Implements Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen methodologies to improve manufacturing and administrative processes. Lean Six Sigma certification and experience leading cross-functional teams are often required.
Typical Pay Range: $90,000 – $105,000
Senior Quality Systems Engineer
Ensures QMS compliance across operations, often in regulated industries such as medical device. Experience with FDA, ISO 13485, and audit readiness is typically required.
Typical Pay Range: $135,000 – $140,000
Senior Project Manager
Oversees high-value projects across multiple business units. Requires PMP certification or equivalent experience in managing timelines, budgets, and stakeholder alignment.
Typical Pay Range: $110,000 – $130,000
Industrial Engineer
Analyzes production workflows and layouts to optimize productivity. Typically requires a degree in industrial engineering and experience with time studies, simulation, or facility planning.
Typical Pay Range: $90,000 – $110,000
Engineering Lead
Supervises multidisciplinary engineering teams and drives execution of product development and process improvement projects. Typically requires 7+ years of engineering experience.
Typical Pay Range: $105,000 – $115,000
Product Manager
Leads product development strategy from ideation through launch. Often works in SaaS, tech, or manufacturing. Business, marketing, or engineering background is typical.
Typical Pay Range: $125,000 – $140,000
Manufacturing Manager
Oversees daily production, resource planning, and process improvement. Requires experience in supervising production teams and knowledge of lean principles.
Typical Pay Range: $110,000 – $130,000
Project & Solutions Engineers (Material Handling Systems)
Work collaboratively to design and implement complex automation solutions for warehouse and logistics clients. Strong mechanical and software integration experience is common.
Typical Pay Range: $145,000 – $165,000
Sr. Network Security Analyst
Monitors and responds to cybersecurity threats, maintains firewalls, and enforces network policies. Requires knowledge of NIST, SIEM, and threat intelligence tools.
Typical Pay Range: $115,000 – $130,000
Senior Cloud Engineer
Designs and manages cloud infrastructure across platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP. Often requires certifications and scripting experience.
Typical Pay Range: $120,000 – $130,000
ERP Developer
Builds custom functionality for ERP systems and maintains system integrations. Familiarity with database structure, scripting, and business workflows is key.
Typical Pay Range: $100,000 – $115,000
Sr. Manufacturing Engineer
Supports production improvements, new equipment implementation, and quality initiatives. Often requires mechanical or industrial engineering experience.
Typical Pay Range: $100,000 – $115,000
Sr. Electrical Engineer
Designs and troubleshoots complex electrical systems for industrial or commercial use. Requires electrical engineering degree and hands-on testing or CAD skills.
Typical Pay Range: $110,000 – $120,000
Sr. .NET Developer
Develops enterprise web applications using the .NET framework. Requires experience in C#, SQL, and full-stack development practices.
Typical Pay Range: $100,000 – $110,000
Sr. Ruby on Rails Developer
Builds scalable web applications using Ruby on Rails, often for startups or SaaS companies. Full-stack experience and version control proficiency are typical.
Typical Pay Range: $110,000 – $120,000
Sr. Financial Analyst
Performs complex forecasting, modeling, and budget variance analysis. A degree in finance or accounting and experience with FP&A tools is common.
Typical Pay Range: $110,000 – $125,000
Sr. Project Engineer
Leads technical engineering projects, managing deliverables, scope, and communication with clients or vendors. Often found in industrial automation or capital equipment firms.
Typical Pay Range: $115,000 – $125,000
Sr. Process Engineer
Improves production lines, reduces waste, and enhances throughput. Requires Six Sigma or Lean experience and a background in chemical, mechanical, or manufacturing engineering.
Typical Pay Range: $105,000 – $115,000
Sr. Quality Assurance Engineer
Develops and executes test plans to ensure product reliability. Often involved in FDA or ISO-regulated industries.
Typical Pay Range: $100,000 – $110,000
Sr. Controls Engineer
Programs PLCs, HMIs, and other automation equipment. Typically requires experience with Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or Rockwell platforms.
Typical Pay Range: $110,000 – $120,000
Sr. Inventory Control Analyst
Manages inventory accuracy and material flow in ERP systems. Works closely with production, planning, and logistics.
Typical Pay Range: $100,000 – $110,000
Associate Sourcing Manager
Supports sourcing initiatives including supplier evaluations, negotiations, and risk mitigation. Experience in strategic sourcing and knowledge of ISO standards is common.
Typical Pay Range: $125,000 – $135,000
About iMPact Business Group
iMPact Business Group is a staffing agency specializing in Information Technology, Engineering, Finance/Accounting, and Business Administration/Process positions. We have locations in Grand Rapids, MI and Tampa, FL with job opportunities nationwide. To connect with one of our professional recruiters, view our job board for all available positions, or submit your resume for consideration here. Click here to learn more about our available work from home opportunities and to submit your resume for consideration.
