Period May 2025
Records 177
Data updated October 25, 2026

Highest-paying jobs with a bachelor’s degree

The best-paid is airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers, with a median of $232,140 a year. 66 of the 177 occupations here have a median of $100,000 or more. The median for all U.S. occupations is $50,980.

How this list is built. Occupations where the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists “Bachelor's degree” as the typical education needed to enter the occupation (Employment Projections 2025–35). Some workers in these jobs have more or less education than the typical entrant.

Source BLS-OEWS · Period May 2025 · # = national rank shown on each page177 records · annual wages, USD

Highest-paying jobs with a bachelor’s degree, by median annual wage, May 2025
No.	Occupation	Median	Top 10% earn over	Typical entry	Jobs 2025–35	Employed
1	Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers	$232,140	$463,830	Bachelor's	+8.3%	103,560
2	Chief Executives	$213,990	$507,730	Bachelor's	+3.2%	204,350
3	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$175,140	$297,510	Bachelor's	+15.8%	670,570
4	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$171,270	$262,760	Bachelor's	+5.5%	220,260
5	Natural Sciences Managers	$167,220	$316,850	Bachelor's	+8.2%	108,690
6	Marketing Managers	$166,790	$293,610	Bachelor's	+6.9%	395,240
7	Financial Managers	$166,570	$323,270	Bachelor's	+9.7%	841,710
8	Computer Hardware Engineers	$161,740	$225,330	Bachelor's	+9.1%	76,660
9	Human Resources Managers	$149,280	$267,810	Bachelor's	+5.5%	220,660
10	Compensation and Benefits Managers	$149,230	$256,570	Bachelor's	+1.1%	22,940
11	Sales Managers	$148,270	$290,540	Bachelor's	+4.5%	637,080
12	Purchasing Managers	$148,080	$223,280	Bachelor's	+4.0%	84,320
13	Medical Dosimetrists	$147,470	$185,450	Bachelor's	+5.0%	3,410
14	Public Relations Managers	$146,910	$284,990	Bachelor's	+5.7%	74,850
15	Petroleum Engineers	$144,910	$253,200	Bachelor's	+2.0%	18,060
16	Managers, All Other	$141,900	$238,270	Bachelor's	+4.9%	622,190
17	Database Architects	$139,500	$204,000	Bachelor's	+9.4%	67,140
18	Software Developers	$135,980	$214,670	Bachelor's	+10.2%	1,687,890
19	Aerospace Engineers	$134,960	$205,890	Bachelor's	+8.3%	67,710
20	Computer Network Architects	$134,050	$202,680	Bachelor's	+7.7%	179,740
21	Nuclear Engineers	$133,970	$196,290	Bachelor's	+0.4%	15,280
22	Advertising and Promotions Managers	$133,660	$286,240	Bachelor's	-3.7%	21,470
23	Training and Development Managers	$133,000	$233,600	Bachelor's	+6.4%	48,050
24	Electronics Engineers, Except Computer	$130,220	$206,960	Bachelor's	+3.7%	96,900
25	Actuaries	$130,000	$215,100	Bachelor's	+9.2%	26,670
26	Information Security Analysts	$129,180	$199,850	Bachelor's	+21.0%	190,650
27	Industrial Production Managers	$126,060	$205,520	Bachelor's	+2.6%	246,250
28	Fundraising Managers	$125,470	$222,350	Bachelor's	+5.4%	38,810
29	Chemical Engineers	$125,040	$182,880	Bachelor's	+4.7%	21,070
30	Sales Engineers	$124,900	$195,270	Bachelor's	+2.8%	51,790
31	Medical and Health Services Managers	$123,860	$224,340	Bachelor's	+24.2%	597,080
32	Engineers, All Other	$122,930	$189,950	Bachelor's	+3.7%	154,070
33	Physical Scientists, All Other	$122,570	$195,190	Bachelor's	+2.1%	22,300
34	Electrical Engineers	$120,630	$184,300	Bachelor's	+9.9%	198,750
35	Data Scientists	$120,230	$199,130	Bachelor's	+34.6%	262,440
36	Materials Scientists	$117,790	$197,290	Bachelor's	+8.3%	8,470
37	Financial Risk Specialists	$117,330	$196,110	Bachelor's	+7.4%	63,850
38	Computer Occupations, All Other	$116,580	$188,470	Bachelor's	+5.1%	435,370
39	Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors	$115,160	$171,250	Bachelor's	+5.4%	21,450
40	Construction Managers	$114,990	$189,440	Bachelor's	+9.1%	380,360
41	Art Directors	$114,850	$213,050	Bachelor's	+4.2%	53,070
42	Administrative Services Managers	$114,130	$207,720	Bachelor's	+5.2%	263,960
43	Materials Engineers	$112,860	$175,720	Bachelor's	+7.5%	22,770
44	Marine Engineers and Naval Architects	$112,230	$173,330	Bachelor's	+6.7%	8,250
45	Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers	$109,370	$168,180	Bachelor's	+7.6%	23,480
46	Environmental Engineers	$107,110	$162,220	Bachelor's	+6.3%	38,340
47	Facilities Managers	$106,660	$176,120	Bachelor's	+4.6%	156,180
48	Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers	$106,220	$169,990	Bachelor's	+3.8%	6,080
49	Computer Systems Analysts	$105,850	$167,710	Bachelor's	+7.9%	519,530
50	General and Operations Managers	$105,770	$253,390	Bachelor's	+5.0%	3,503,020
51	Personal Financial Advisors	$105,070	$357,020	Bachelor's	+1.4%	266,800
52	Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products	$104,920	$200,440	Bachelor's	+1.2%	284,800
53	Database Administrators	$104,620	$163,320	Bachelor's	-0.1%	69,990
54	Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	$104,300	$167,010	Bachelor's	+5.7%	186,740
55	Mechanical Engineers	$104,110	$164,340	Bachelor's	+11.2%	296,810
56	Web and Digital Interface Designers	$104,000	$201,550	Bachelor's	+6.0%	113,330
57	Financial and Investment Analysts	$102,740	$180,860	Bachelor's	+7.2%	361,980
58	Industrial Engineers	$102,440	$159,860	Bachelor's	+12.4%	365,740
59	Project Management Specialists	$102,320	$167,970	Bachelor's	+6.7%	1,066,670
60	Geographers	$102,040	$136,660	Bachelor's	-2.1%	1,400
61	Special Effects Artists and Animators	$102,030	$177,110	Bachelor's	-0.3%	19,970
62	Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers	$101,920	$200,230	Bachelor's	+5.1%	23,470
63	Management Analysts	$101,860	$171,640	Bachelor's	+10.1%	898,280
64	Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other	$101,110	$160,300	Bachelor's	-0.2%	37,100
65	Civil Engineers	$100,840	$163,220	Bachelor's	+6.4%	367,840
66	Computer Programmers	$100,390	$160,460	Bachelor's	-7.3%	92,230
67	Architects, Except Landscape and Naval	$99,280	$161,420	Bachelor's	+4.3%	106,770
68	Network and Computer Systems Administrators	$99,130	$155,050	Bachelor's	-4.1%	314,340
69	Atmospheric and Space Scientists	$99,070	$161,890	Bachelor's	+2.6%	10,000
70	Biological Scientists, All Other	$98,920	$168,010	Bachelor's	+4.7%	55,850
71	Agricultural Engineers	$98,590	$166,460	Bachelor's	+6.9%	1,480
72	Registered Nurses	$97,550	$137,470	Bachelor's	+5.6%	3,379,720
73	Hydrologists	$96,600	$153,130	Bachelor's	+1.5%	5,850
74	Labor Relations Specialists	$95,420	$156,180	Bachelor's	+2.1%	64,810
75	Education Administrators, All Other	$95,200	$161,010	Bachelor's	+1.6%	55,130
76	Financial Examiners	$94,160	$174,200	Bachelor's	+9.3%	67,830
77	Life Scientists, All Other	$93,750	$186,260	Bachelor's	+6.3%	7,460
78	Emergency Management Directors	$93,330	$166,430	Bachelor's	+3.9%	13,500
79	Web Developers	$92,650	$162,290	Bachelor's	+3.8%	70,190
80	Budget Analysts	$91,640	$136,660	Bachelor's	+1.9%	47,160
81	Chemists	$91,240	$160,830	Bachelor's	+6.4%	82,770
82	Technical Writers	$90,390	$145,270	Bachelor's	+0.8%	45,500
83	Producers and Directors	$90,360	$198,540	Bachelor's	+4.0%	143,120
84	Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	$90,150	$134,950	Bachelor's	+18.5%	140,610
85	Operations Research Analysts	$88,940	$159,910	Bachelor's	+11.9%	108,510
86	Food Scientists and Technologists	$88,720	$145,280	Bachelor's	+6.2%	13,060
87	Microbiologists	$87,990	$150,000	Bachelor's	+6.2%	18,940
88	Commercial and Industrial Designers	$83,910	$139,770	Bachelor's	+2.4%	33,490
89	Accountants and Auditors	$83,680	$144,090	Bachelor's	+5.0%	1,449,500
90	Credit Analysts	$83,510	$169,230	Bachelor's	-4.3%	64,390
91	Business Operations Specialists, All Other	$83,050	$150,010	Bachelor's	+3.9%	1,087,090
92	Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes	$82,890	$284,570	Bachelor's	+9.7%	12,620
93	Logisticians	$82,320	$133,160	Bachelor's	+17.6%	251,040
94	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health	$82,220	$140,010	Bachelor's	+6.1%	89,250
95	Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other	$81,490	$154,580	Bachelor's	+7.1%	3,720
96	Cartographers and Photogrammetrists	$81,390	$126,950	Bachelor's	+7.4%	14,260
97	Insurance Underwriters	$81,370	$145,160	Bachelor's	-3.8%	105,420
98	Financial Specialists, All Other	$81,100	$151,490	Bachelor's	+4.1%	132,130
99	Fashion Designers	$80,960	$146,870	Bachelor's	+0.1%	21,450
100	Compliance Officers	$80,730	$133,720	Bachelor's	+3.8%	417,070
101	Social and Community Service Managers	$80,390	$132,260	Bachelor's	+7.2%	209,330
102	Landscape Architects	$79,870	$130,190	Bachelor's	+4.4%	19,600
103	Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling	$79,520	$139,110	Bachelor's	+6.0%	37,980
104	Soil and Plant Scientists	$78,850	$138,120	Bachelor's	+6.7%	15,730
105	Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	$78,760	$155,480	Bachelor's	+7.0%	899,580
106	Cost Estimators	$78,740	$130,820	Bachelor's	-3.1%	224,220
107	Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	$78,660	$212,880	Bachelor's	+1.4%	489,570
108	Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists	$78,210	$128,920	Bachelor's	+6.0%	112,380
109	Therapists, All Other	$77,930	$152,530	Bachelor's	+12.6%	22,640
110	Editors	$77,920	$153,700	Bachelor's	-1.1%	91,690
111	Buyers and Purchasing Agents	$77,710	$128,870	Bachelor's	+6.0%	491,430
112	Writers and Authors	$76,910	$139,870	Bachelor's	-0.3%	47,940
113	Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists	$76,780	$126,440	Bachelor's	+3.6%	18,120
114	Loan Officers	$76,690	$153,180	Bachelor's	+1.1%	274,330
115	Special Education Teachers, All Other	$76,580	$120,080	Bachelor's	+1.9%	33,930
116	Dietitians and Nutritionists	$76,400	$103,720	Bachelor's	+7.7%	77,570
117	Foresters	$76,400	$109,700	Bachelor's	+2.2%	10,430
118	Human Resources Specialists	$75,940	$128,720	Bachelor's	+6.4%	912,430
119	Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators	$75,530	$155,440	Bachelor's	+4.7%	9,210
120	Surveyors	$75,440	$125,590	Bachelor's	+5.8%	50,830
121	Film and Video Editors	$75,420	$148,550	Bachelor's	+3.7%	25,610
122	Set and Exhibit Designers	$75,240	$135,410	Bachelor's	+1.4%	10,630
123	Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film	$74,990	$135,180	Bachelor's	+1.3%	21,550
124	Public Relations Specialists	$74,750	$135,150	Bachelor's	+1.8%	283,380
125	Special Education Teachers, Secondary School	$74,260	$109,100	Bachelor's	-0.2%	163,930
126	Fish and Game Wardens	$74,060	$100,980	Bachelor's	-5.7%	5,770
127	Music Directors and Composers	$73,710	$165,760	Bachelor's	+1.2%	12,540
128	Conservation Scientists	$73,010	$110,410	Bachelor's	+5.3%	25,950
129	Fundraisers	$72,550	$115,820	Bachelor's	+5.5%	111,040
130	Forensic Science Technicians	$72,060	$117,250	Bachelor's	+13.3%	19,120
131	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$72,040	$107,600	Bachelor's	-0.2%	1,065,210
132	Social Workers, All Other	$71,900	$115,610	Bachelor's	+2.3%	62,930
133	Training and Development Specialists	$69,280	$123,250	Bachelor's	+10.8%	458,300
134	Animal Scientists	$68,940	$166,000	Bachelor's	+5.8%	3,100
135	Property Appraisers and Assessors	$67,960	$122,660	Bachelor's	+3.5%	57,070
136	Interior Designers	$67,190	$114,140	Bachelor's	+2.7%	71,500
137	Special Education Teachers, Middle School	$66,810	$102,510	Bachelor's	-0.4%	95,200
138	Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School	$66,270	$101,340	Bachelor's	-0.4%	111,420
139	Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	$66,270	$107,790	Bachelor's	+3.0%	89,390
140	Teachers and Instructors, All Other	$66,140	$118,020	Bachelor's	-0.2%	113,790
141	Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	$65,120	$103,010	Bachelor's	-0.4%	260,870
142	Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School	$65,030	$101,890	Bachelor's	-0.5%	16,870
143	Designers, All Other	$64,950	$129,110	Bachelor's	+1.2%	9,480
144	Special Education Teachers, Preschool	$64,830	$130,040	Bachelor's	+2.4%	29,510
145	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$64,370	$102,540	Bachelor's	-0.4%	620,090
146	Health Education Specialists	$64,070	$118,200	Bachelor's	+5.6%	65,690
147	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	$63,970	$104,340	Bachelor's	-0.4%	1,388,390
148	Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary	$63,820	$108,620	Bachelor's	-0.3%	114,110
149	Graphic Designers	$62,960	$104,910	Bachelor's	-1.7%	197,830
150	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians	$62,930	$100,990	Bachelor's	+2.7%	332,940
151	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	$62,680	$101,830	Bachelor's	-0.3%	108,870
152	Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents	$62,370	$114,550	Bachelor's	-1.0%	56,610
153	News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists	$62,200	$144,140	Bachelor's	-5.9%	39,250
154	Social Science Research Assistants	$61,990	$102,070	Bachelor's	+5.0%	30,640
155	Recreational Therapists	$61,960	$100,420	Bachelor's	+4.8%	14,930
156	Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors	$61,540	$98,030	Bachelor's	-13.9%	37,310
157	Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners	$61,160	$101,700	Bachelor's	+5.8%	142,860
158	Clergy	$60,810	$98,890	Bachelor's	+2.4%	57,200
159	Interpreters and Translators	$60,170	$103,660	Bachelor's	+2.0%	52,060
160	Child, Family, and School Social Workers	$59,550	$95,530	Bachelor's	+4.4%	392,550
161	Exercise Physiologists	$59,460	$80,560	Bachelor's	+12.8%	8,560
162	Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare	$59,300	$98,240	Bachelor's	-3.1%	73,660
163	Biological Technicians	$57,510	$84,940	Bachelor's	+7.4%	69,620
164	Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other	$56,730	$84,210	Bachelor's	+5.5%	107,730
165	Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators	$55,490	$144,210	Bachelor's	-2.9%	11,220
166	Credit Counselors	$52,230	$80,440	Bachelor's	+3.3%	27,770
167	Directors, Religious Activities and Education	$52,100	$98,310	Bachelor's	+3.3%	22,160
168	Museum Technicians and Conservators	$51,440	$87,530	Bachelor's	+3.6%	12,310
169	Proofreaders and Copy Markers	$51,120	$79,290	Bachelor's	-0.9%	4,580
170	Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other	$50,890	$98,740	Bachelor's	+1.8%	118,590
171	Statistical Assistants	$50,330	$81,990	Bachelor's	-1.8%	4,710
172	Agricultural Inspectors	$49,940	$79,580	Bachelor's	+2.3%	14,410
173	Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys	$47,340	$138,440	Bachelor's	-7.6%	21,240
174	Coaches and Scouts	$47,320	$98,860	Bachelor's	+6.1%	248,950
175	Religious Workers, All Other	$45,280	$93,900	Bachelor's	+1.5%	15,760
176	Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary	$42,910	$76,420	Bachelor's	+2.7%	164,090
177	Substitute Teachers, Short-Term	$41,670	$65,790	Bachelor's	+2.0%	524,770

“No.” is the position in this list. Each occupation page shows its rank among all occupations. Wages exclude the self-employed, overtime and non-production bonuses.

Highest-paying jobs with a bachelor’s degree

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