[true_religion]

Paralegals and young lawyers are firmly in the middle class, aren't they?

I think rather than 'smartest' its better to say people at the top of their field, if that field requires substantial intellectual activity.

[eli_gottlieb]

But do you mean top of the field in terms of best employee at their rank or at the top of their workplace's hierarchy of ranks?

[true_religion]

Top of their field as in the broad industry wide-categorization.

For example, not the best bricklayer but the most productive (profit for business produced per hour of employee work) construction worker.

That probably isn't a bricklayer but maybe the inspector or the general foreman.