Best-Paying Jobs in Wholesale Trade (May 2025 BLS Wage Data)
- The median wage across all jobs in wholesale trade was $58,870 in May 2025, above the $50,980 median for all U.S. jobs.
- The sector employed about 6,024,600 wage and salary workers.
- Its best-paid large occupation was chief executives, at a median of $244,880.
Pay depends on what you do and on who you do it for. This breakdown uses the BLS OEWS industry data, May 2025 (NAICS sector 42: Wholesale Trade) to show which jobs pay best in wholesale trade, which jobs are open to people without a four-year degree, and what the most common jobs pay. Education levels come from BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Highest-paying jobs in the sector
Occupations with at least 5,000 jobs in the sector, ranked by median annual wage. The last column is the median for the same job across all industries (from the national cross-industry estimates).
| Occupation | Sector median | Jobs in sector | All-industry median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $244,880 | 9,620 | $213,990 |
| Lawyers | $221,350 | 5,290 | $159,670 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $174,830 | 28,040 | $175,140 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $171,070 | 8,410 | $171,270 |
| Financial Managers | $165,730 | 34,070 | $166,570 |
| Marketing Managers | $165,630 | 41,150 | $166,790 |
| Human Resources Managers | $162,820 | 9,930 | $149,280 |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $160,000 | 6,480 | $103,410 |
| Computer Network Architects | $151,460 | 7,140 | $134,050 |
| Sales Managers | $149,980 | 133,070 | $148,270 |
Best-paying jobs here without a bachelor’s degree
Occupations where BLS lists a high school diploma, certificate, some college or an associate’s degree as typical for entry:
| Occupation | Sector median | Jobs in sector | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $100,670 | 34,350 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $92,930 | 60,090 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $81,910 | 41,040 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $78,280 | 41,020 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $76,540 | 13,520 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $74,410 | 67,130 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $73,510 | 6,630 | Associate's degree |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | $72,770 | 49,650 | High school diploma or equivalent |
The most common jobs in the sector
| Occupation | Median | Jobs | Share of sector jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $70,280 | 799,760 | 13.27% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $42,590 | 397,800 | 6.6% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,550 | 269,380 | 4.47% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $42,100 | 264,790 | 4.4% |
| General and Operations Managers | $115,620 | 253,660 | 4.21% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $105,910 | 175,530 | 2.91% |
| Customer Service Representatives | $48,690 | 164,220 | 2.73% |
| Light Truck Drivers | $44,740 | 145,580 | 2.42% |
What this means for your pay
- Same job, different industry, different pay. Compare the sector median with the all-industry median for your job. If your sector pays below the national figure, the same skills may earn more elsewhere.
- Medians, not starting pay. Half of workers earn more than the median and half less; new hires usually start lower.
- Base wages only. OEWS excludes overtime, tips and most bonuses, so jobs with heavy overtime often pay more in practice.
Published October 28, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
For contrast, from the same survey: the lowest-paid occupation in this sector with at least 20,000 jobs was packers and packagers, hand, at a median of $37,240 ($17.90 an hour) across 49,500 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS industry data, May 2025.
— JobPayRaise Data Desk