MW These in-demand jobs pay over $100,000 - and offer raises that keep ahead of inflation

Andrew Keshner

Inflation rates outpaced wage gains for a second straight month in May

Even as inflation continues to go up, some workers have wiggle room in their budgets due to larger wage gains.

Millions of workers again saw price increases cut into their paychecks last month as higher gas and oil prices pushed inflation to its highest level in three years.

In May, for the second straight month, the cost of living grew faster than wages. The imbalance strains Americans' budgets, diminishes their spending power and generally keeps their financial mood in the doldrums.

Real hourly earnings climbed 3.4% on a yearly basis, while the overall cost of living climbed 4.2%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday. The year-over-year decline in earnings was the steepest drop in three years.

Weekly earnings don't look much better: Pay rose 3.7% year over year, still not enough to keep up with inflation.

"Inflation is so high that it's erasing all wage gains," Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, wrote on X. "This isn't just 'bad vibes' about the economy. There is real pain, especially for middle-class and lower-income households."

The 0.7% year-over-year decline in real hourly wages "will further sour consumer sentiment and pose a risk to household consumption in the second half of the year," said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist and principal at the advisory firm RSM.

However, there are some jobs where wages are keeping pace - and even beating - inflation.

Many of the jobs and sectors boasting the highest pay growth now are in construction, the building trades, engineering and energy, according to payroll providers and pay-data businesses.

For example, the pay for a project engineering director has grown 8.15% since last year, according to Payscale. The median salary is $163,000. Wages for crane operations supervisors, engineering project designers and metallurgical engineering jobs have increased nearly 8%, Payscale data show.

Six-figure jobs where pay is growing the fastest were related to many of the same trends: The list includes project engineer directors and metallurgical engineers, as well as facilities layout engineers and equipment and tool engineering supervisors. Financial planners, meanwhile, had 7.92% wage growth, and artificial-intelligence analysts had 6.88% wage growth, according to Payscale data.

 
Jobs paying over $100,000 with the fastest wage growth 
 
Job title                                 Median pay  Average base annual increase 
Facilities layout engineer                $127,000    8.51% 
Project engineering director              $163,000    8.15% 
Metallurgical engineer                    $111,000    7.95% 
Financial planner                         $154,000    7.92% 
Student health center director            $182,000    7.88% 
Software licensing director               $160,000    7.66% 
Research & development associate          $149,000    7.27% 
Equipment & tools engineering supervisor  $153,000    6.92% 
Artificial-intelligence analyst           $185,000    6.88% 
Solutions architect                       $225,000    6.17% 
 
Source: Payscale 

Pay growth matters for several reasons.

As much as Americans are looking for affordability, they are also craving job security. Jobs with fast-growing wages are also jobs that are in demand, said Frank Fiorille, vice president of risk and compliance at Paychex $(PAYX)$, a payroll and benefits company.

"What we really correlate with wage growth is how employment is in that sector," he said. "Generally speaking, I think if it's a growing area, you want to get into it. That's a bullish overall indicator."

See also: These 5 AI-proof jobs are hiring - here's how much they pay and how to get them

Jobs connected to trade, transportation and utilities typically had the highest growth in hourly earnings, according to a Paychex analysis.

At the top of the list, a variety of jobs connected to utilities had the highest wage growth in May, up 3.75% from last May. Three of the top four industry categories with the most pay growth were in the categories of trade, transportation and utilities. Jobs connected to mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction also saw strong wage growth, according to the analysis.

Jobs in utilities, oil and gas extraction as well as transportation and warehousing also saw strong increases in hours worked. Adding hours is "a really bullish indicator," Fiorille said. When employers pay their workers to work longer shifts, the potential next step is hiring more people, he noted.

Wednesday's inflation data follow the May jobs report, which showed hiring picking up in a big way. Nevertheless, workers are still cautious about making a move. Meanwhile, employers are taking their time in hiring to ensure they are selecting the best candidates.

Last month, the average length of unemployment climbed to a multiyear high. Job seekers spent 26 weeks out of work, the data show. That's a difficult situation to be in when prices are increasing.

Payscale also counted the growth in job postings, which offers another look at employer priorities.

The fastest-growing areas included food and agricultural inspectors, insurance inspectors, AI engineers and cloud-sales representatives. Job postings for two types of truck drivers grew by at least 250%, the numbers showed.

There's also been a surge in listings seeking AI engineers. There was a 319% jump in these postings, and the median pay was $163,000, according to Payscale.

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-Andrew Keshner

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June 13, 2026 14:49 ET (18:49 GMT)

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