Ranking · original analysis of BLS and O*NET data
Highest-paying jobs with a bachelor's degree
Occupations where a bachelor's degree is the most commonly reported education requirement, ranked by national median wage.
Quick answer
Among occupations where a bachelor's degree is the most commonly reported requirement, Airline Pilot pays the highest median, $232,140 (BLS May 2025).
The ranking
50 occupations
Data Every figure is from BLS OEWS May 2025 or O*NET 31.0; the selection rule is below.
| # | Occupation | Median pay | Report this level | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Airline Pilot | $232,140 | 61% | 103,560 |
| 2 | IT Manager | $175,140 | 48% | 670,570 |
| 3 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $171,270 | 46% | 220,260 |
| 4 | Natural Sciences Managers | $167,220 | 35% | 108,690 |
| 5 | Financial Manager | $166,570 | 56% | 841,710 |
| 6 | Computer Hardware Engineer | $161,740 | 48% | 76,660 |
| 7 | HR Manager | $149,280 | 82% | 220,660 |
| 8 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $149,230 | 76% | 22,940 |
| 9 | Sales Manager | $148,270 | 71% | 637,080 |
| 10 | Purchasing Manager | $148,080 | 53% | 84,320 |
| 11 | Medical Dosimetrist | $147,470 | 40% | 3,410 |
| 12 | Petroleum Engineer | $144,910 | 72% | 18,060 |
| 13 | Database Architect | $139,500 | 76% | 67,140 |
| 14 | Software Engineer | $135,980 | 85% | 1,687,890 |
| 15 | Network Engineer | $134,050 | 55% | 179,740 |
| 16 | Nuclear Engineer | $133,970 | 81% | 15,280 |
| 17 | Training and Development Managers | $133,000 | 71% | 48,050 |
| 18 | Electronics Engineer | $130,220 | 83% | 96,900 |
| 19 | Cyber Security Analyst | $129,180 | 53% | 190,650 |
| 20 | Chemical Engineer | $125,040 | 91% | 21,070 |
| 21 | Sales Engineer | $124,900 | 57% | 51,790 |
| 22 | Hospital Administrator | $123,860 | 46% | 597,080 |
| 23 | Electrical Engineer | $120,630 | 82% | 198,750 |
| 24 | Materials Scientists | $117,790 | 62% | 8,470 |
| 25 | Construction Manager | $114,990 | 40% | 380,360 |
| 26 | Creative Director | $114,850 | 68% | 53,070 |
| 27 | Materials Engineer | $112,860 | 80% | 22,770 |
| 28 | Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | $112,230 | 53% | 8,250 |
| 29 | Biomedical Engineer | $109,370 | 43% | 23,480 |
| 30 | Environmental Engineer | $107,110 | 62% | 38,340 |
| 31 | Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | $106,220 | 79% | 6,080 |
| 32 | Financial Advisor | $105,070 | 58% | 266,800 |
| 33 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $104,920 | 39% | 284,800 |
| 34 | Database Administrator | $104,620 | 89% | 69,990 |
| 35 | QA Tester | $104,300 | 50% | 186,740 |
| 36 | Mechanical Engineer | $104,110 | 52% | 296,810 |
| 37 | Industrial Engineer | $102,440 | 59% | 365,740 |
| 38 | Geographer | $102,040 | 45% | 1,400 |
| 39 | Geologist | $101,920 | 48% | 23,470 |
| 40 | Management Consultant | $101,860 | 57% | 898,280 |
| 41 | Civil Engineer | $100,840 | 86% | 367,840 |
| 42 | Computer Programmer | $100,390 | 88% | 92,230 |
| 43 | Meteorologist | $99,070 | 60% | 10,000 |
| 44 | Agricultural Engineer | $98,590 | 75% | 1,480 |
| 45 | Labor Relations Specialists | $95,420 | 33% | 64,810 |
| 46 | Financial Examiners | $94,160 | 87% | 67,830 |
| 47 | Emergency Management Directors | $93,330 | 59% | 13,500 |
| 48 | Web Developer | $92,650 | 46% | 70,190 |
| 49 | Budget Analyst | $91,640 | 77% | 47,160 |
| 50 | Chemist | $91,240 | 56% | 82,770 |
Method
How this page is built
Occupations whose most common O*NET-reported education requirement is a bachelor's degree, ranked by BLS national median annual wage, May 2025.
What this page can't tell you
Sources- Pay at a specific employer or for self-employed workers.
- Openings in your area: these are national figures.
- Whether a job suits you personally.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.