Many Americans believe that education is a key to a successful career and a financially comfortable life. Approximately 36% of American adults aged 25 or older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and 22.5% of American adults 25 older had a bachelor’s degree as their highest degree.
Although the majority of degree holders would agree that there is value to higher education, there is a trade-off when deciding whether or not to pursue additional graduate education beyond an undergraduate degree. For many college graduates, the additional expense, time, and opportunity cost of attending graduate school may not necessarily be the right fit. In this analysis, AdvisorSmith examines the highest-paying jobs available to college graduates that do not require graduate education.
To determine the jobs for college graduates that do not require a graduate degree, we chose professions where over 40% of workers had a bachelor’s degree as their highest degree, and under 35% of workers had a graduate, professional, or doctoral degree.
In 2019, the median annual salary for workers with a bachelor’s degree was $64,896 for workers aged 25 or older. Our study found that the top 25 highest-paying professions for college graduates paid significantly higher than the median. The list was topped primarily by business, financial, and engineering careers.
Continue reading to discover the 25 jobs for college graduates that pay the most in the United States.
Top 25 Highest Paying Jobs With a College Degree
1. Chief Executives
Annual Median Salary: $184,460
Total Jobs: 205,890
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 40.1%
Chief executives are responsible for running companies and organizations. This job title encompasses not only Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), but also other chief executives such as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Executive Vice President (EVP), and others who oversee the general management and strategy of companies and other types of organizations. While the globetrotting CEOs of multinational corporations may come to mind when hearing the phrase “chief executives,” this classification includes the executives at the tens of thousands of small and midsize businesses, including those that are closely or privately held.
While many chief executives do hold graduate degrees, with the Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) being the most common, a graduate degree is not necessary, as a plurality of chief executives have a bachelor’s degree as their highest degree.
2. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Annual Median Salary: $147,220
Total Jobs: 84,520
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 59.4%
Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers are responsible for flying and navigating aircraft and moving passengers and cargo around the world. Becoming a pilot requires many hours of training as well as certifications from the federal government. Once pilots begin to work for large airlines, they can be responsible for piloting aircraft worth tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.
The majority of airline pilots have a bachelor’s degree as their highest degree, and graduate degrees are uncommon in this profession. Due to the high degree of responsibility, training, and travel required, working as a pilot or flight engineer is the second-highest paying job for college graduates.
3. Computer and Information Systems Managers
Annual Median Salary: $146,360
Total Jobs: 433,960
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 45.9%
Almost every modern business and organization is heavily reliant on computer equipment, and computer and information systems managers are in high demand. These workers are responsible for planning and coordinating information technology work in companies around the country. Although strong technical expertise is needed for this role, computer and information systems managers must also have strong people skills as well as an understanding of the businesses that they inhabit in order to deliver solutions that are useful for their businesses.
4. Petroleum Engineers
Annual Median Salary: $137,720
Total Jobs: 32,620
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 54.2%
As the world’s largest oil-consuming country, the United States requires millions of barrels of oil every day to feed its transportation needs due to the car-centric design of the country’s transportation systems. Petroleum engineers are responsible for overseeing the technical aspects of drilling for oil and gas. They have a strong understanding of math, physics, and the behavior of oil and oil wells, and their job is the make sure that oil flows smoothly from the many wells in the country and offshore.
5. Marketing Managers
Annual Median Salary: $136,850
Total Jobs: 263,680
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 50.7%
Marketing managers are responsible for planning and creating marketing campaigns, which help businesses promote and drive demand for their products and brand, communicate and reach customers and potential customers, and determine the strategy and direction of pricing strategies and future product development. Almost every company needs to have marketing in order to have profitable and successful products and services. Marketing managers generally gain their experience from working in marketing directly, although a minority of marketing managers earn MBA degrees to supplement their knowledge.
6. Financial Managers
Annual Median Salary: $129,890
Total Jobs: 654,790
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 41.7%
Financial services is a very large industry in the United States, encompassing everything from accounting, investing, banking, insurance, and brokerage. Managers at these financial firms are responsible for overseeing the operations of these financial institutions, and those in these positions are generally highly paid. Most financial managers gain their positions through experience working in their financial services firms.
7. Sales Managers
Annual Median Salary: $126,640
Total Jobs: 402,600
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 50.7%
Sales managers coordinate the sales activities of businesses and firms. They generally oversee teams of salespeople, establish sales goals and quotas, train and coach sales representatives, and manage their teams to monthly and quarterly quotas. Most sales managers start out as sales representatives to gain experience, so the majority of sales managers do not have graduate degrees.
8. Advertising and Promotions Managers
Annual Median Salary: $125,510
Total Jobs: 25,100
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 60.8%
Also in the business world, advertising and promotions managers are responsible for planning and creating the advertising that consumers see all around as they go about their lives. These managers generally oversee creative and analytical teams that create ads, purchase ad space, and measure their impact. As the advertising world becomes more digital, this position is becoming increasingly more quantitative.
9. Compensation and Benefits Managers
Annual Median Salary: $122,270
Total Jobs: 16,900
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 49.4%
Compensation and benefits managers help companies determine how much they need to pay their people in order to attract and retain talent. As this is a crucial role for many companies, the compensation managers themselves are also highly paid. These managers generally manage a team of human resources professionals who conduct research on industry-standard salaries as well as negotiate with outside vendors, employees, and potential employees.
10. Computer Hardware Engineers
Annual Median Salary: $117,220
Total Jobs: 67,880
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 46.8%
As computer technology has invaded almost every part of our lives, from our phones to our televisions and even thermostats, computer hardware engineers have grown in importance. Designing everything from computers to circuit boards to electronics, computer hardware engineers need a strong background in electrical engineering, math, and physics.
11. Public Relations and Fundraising Managers
Annual Median Salary: $116,180
Total Jobs: 79,160
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 50.7%
Reputation is critical for businesses and nonprofit organizations alike, so public relations and fundraising managers are some of the highest-paid workers among bachelor’s degree holders. Public relations managers plan out strategies so that their organizations are in the public eye and being discussed by journalists and others in the zeitgeist. Fundraising managers play an important role for nonprofit organizations, managing teams of fundraisers who seek out donations to support the critical work done by their organizations.
12. Nuclear Engineers
Annual Median Salary: $113,460
Total Jobs: 15,850
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 47.2%
Nuclear engineers help oversee nuclear power plants, help develop equipment for the plants such as reactors and radiation shielding, and direct or oversee maintenance of these plants. Nuclear power plants are very complex and provide a low carbon source of energy for society, so the skills of nuclear engineers are in high demand. To play this role, nuclear engineers require training in math, physics, engineering, and chemistry.
13. Chemical Engineers
Annual Median Salary: $108,770
Total Jobs: 30,120
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 58.3%
Chemicals are everywhere in our products, from gasoline to synthetic materials, plastics, detergents, and others. To develop and manufacture chemicals and products containing chemicals, chemical engineers are required. The majority of chemical engineers do not have a graduate degree, but their knowledge of chemistry, physics, and engineering principles lead to high salaries for this profession.
14. Actuaries
Annual Median Salary: $108,350
Total Jobs: 22,260
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 63.0%
Involved in ensuring that insurance is properly priced and that pension plans are adequately funded, actuaries play an important role in the insurance and retirement industries. Becoming an actuary requires a good knowledge of math and statistics as well as passing numerous exams for certification. However, most actuaries don’t require graduate education, as most of the ongoing education is done on the job.
15. Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
Annual Median Salary: $107,510
Total Jobs: 1,406,870
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 50.3%
As software has become a bigger part of products throughout the economy, the demand for software developers has increased dramatically. As the most common job in the top 25, software developers are able to command high salaries due to the scalable yet complex nature of their work. The majority of software developers do not require a graduate degree, but the majority do have a bachelor’s degree.
16. Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
Annual Median Salary: $105,570
Total Jobs: 128,800
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 49.8%
Electronics engineers design and develop electronic products such as integrated circuits and radio frequency products. This has been a growth area in recent decades with the introduction of the smartphone and the growth of 4G and 5G wireless networks. Generally, these engineers come from an electrical engineering background in their undergraduate studies.
17. Sales Engineers
Annual Median Salary: $103,900
Total Jobs: 63,550
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 55.7%
As products become more technologically complex, salespeople require assistance in selling and setting up technology products when selling complex products. Sales engineers perform an important support role in the sales process, providing technical assistance to ensure that customers understand the technical aspects of technology products and also assisting customers in setting up and configuring products once they purchase them.
18. Information Security Analysts
Annual Median Salary: $99,730
Total Jobs: 125,570
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 41.1%
With the rise of hacking, cybersecurity has become increasingly important for all types of businesses and organizations. Information security analysts are responsible for protecting computer networks and data. They create plans and protocols to safeguard digital data and company computer networks. This work requires strong knowledge of computers and computer networks, along with a strong process orientation.
19. Engineers, All Other
Annual Median Salary: $99,040
Total Jobs: 152,340
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 47.2%
Other types of engineers include biochemical, energy, manufacturing, robotics, wind, and solar energy engineers, among others. Besides the major categories of engineering, there are numerous engineering specialties, and they tend to garner well-paying jobs that only require a bachelor’s degree.
20. Electrical Engineers
Annual Median Salary: $98,530
Total Jobs: 185,570
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 49.8%
Electrical engineers design and develop electrical products and systems such as circuits, electrical controls, electrical instruments, and power systems. Products such as lighting, HVAC, and other systems require designs from electrical engineers. This job requires strong knowledge of engineering, computers, and math.
21. Administrative Services and Facilities Managers
Annual Median Salary: $96,940
Total Jobs: 307,280
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 50.7%
Administrative services managers oversee records management, mail, and office support services, while facilities managers ensure that buildings are secure and well maintained. For companies, the smooth operation of buildings and administrative tasks is critical to ensure operations are able to go forward in an efficient manner.
22. Art Directors
Annual Median Salary: $94,220
Total Jobs: 42,890
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 44.0%
Art directors are responsible for the visual presentation of print, broadcast, and advertising materials. Especially in the digital age, consumers increasingly consume massive amounts of visual media, and art directors are responsible for making sure products and companies are presented in a visually appealing manner. Being an art director requires substantial creative skills as well as an ability to understand what an organization’s needs are.
23. Database Administrators and Architects
Annual Median Salary: $93,750
Total Jobs: 125,460
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 45.6%
With massive amounts of data being collected and created every minute, databases, which store information about transactions and user activity, are crucial to the operation of many modern businesses. Database administrators and architects design and maintain databases for companies and organizations, and this important role keeps data flowing through businesses of all kinds.
24. Materials Engineers
Annual Median Salary: $93,360
Total Jobs: 26,820
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 48.8%
Materials engineers develop manufacturing processes and machinery to produce and work with different types of materials for products. These engineers can specialize in types of materials such as metals, glass, plastics, composites, or even naturally occurring. Materials engineers need strong backgrounds in chemistry, physics, and math.
25. Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
Annual Median Salary: $92,400
Total Jobs: 11,360
Percent of Workers With a Bachelor’s Degree Only: 51.9%
Marine engineers are responsible for designing ships, especially their propulsion systems and power supplies, while naval architects design and develop ships, boats, and marine equipment such as floats and buoys. The majority of these engineers and architects only hold a bachelor’s degree.
Highest Paying Jobs for College Graduates
The table below shows 95 professions for college graduates where a graduate, professional, or doctoral degree is not necessary. The table lists the job title, the total number of jobs under that title, the median annual salary, and the percentage of workers who have a bachelor’s degree as their highest degree.
| Rank | Job Title | Total Jobs | Annual Median Salary | Workers With Bachelor's as Highest Degree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chief Executives | 205,890 | $184,460 | 40.1% |
| 2 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 84,520 | $147,220 | 59.4% |
| 3 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | 433,960 | $146,360 | 45.9% |
| 4 | Petroleum Engineers | 32,620 | $137,720 | 54.2% |
| 5 | Marketing Managers | 263,680 | $136,850 | 50.7% |
| 6 | Financial Managers | 654,790 | $129,890 | 41.7% |
| 7 | Sales Managers | 402,600 | $126,640 | 50.7% |
| 8 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | 25,100 | $125,510 | 60.8% |
| 9 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | 16,900 | $122,270 | 49.4% |
| 10 | Computer Hardware Engineers | 67,880 | $117,220 | 46.8% |
| 11 | Public Relations and Fundraising Managers | 79,160 | $116,180 | 50.7% |
| 12 | Nuclear Engineers | 15,850 | $113,460 | 47.2% |
| 13 | Chemical Engineers | 30,120 | $108,770 | 58.3% |
| 14 | Actuaries | 22,260 | $108,350 | 63.0% |
| 15 | Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | 1,406,870 | $107,510 | 50.3% |
| 16 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | 128,800 | $105,570 | 49.8% |
| 17 | Sales Engineers | 63,550 | $103,900 | 55.7% |
| 18 | Information Security Analysts | 125,570 | $99,730 | 41.1% |
| 19 | Engineers, All Other | 152,340 | $99,040 | 47.2% |
| 20 | Electrical Engineers | 185,570 | $98,530 | 49.8% |
| 21 | Administrative Services and Facilities Managers | 307,280 | $96,940 | 50.7% |
| 22 | Art Directors | 42,890 | $94,220 | 44.0% |
| 23 | Database Administrators and Architects | 125,460 | $93,750 | 45.6% |
| 24 | Materials Engineers | 26,820 | $93,360 | 48.8% |
| 25 | Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | 11,360 | $92,400 | 51.9% |
| 26 | Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | 25,860 | $91,410 | 51.7% |
| 27 | Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | 19,780 | $91,410 | 48.3% |
| 28 | Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | 6,280 | $91,160 | 54.2% |
| 29 | Computer Systems Analysts | 589,060 | $90,920 | 47.6% |
| 30 | Mechanical Engineers | 306,990 | $88,430 | 52.3% |
| 31 | Industrial Engineers | 291,710 | $88,020 | 51.7% |
| 32 | Personal Financial Advisors | 210,190 | $87,850 | 53.3% |
| 33 | Civil Engineers | 310,850 | $87,060 | 56.6% |
| 34 | Computer Programmers | 199,540 | $86,550 | 50.4% |
| 35 | Commercial Pilots | 37,830 | $86,080 | 59.4% |
| 36 | Radiation Therapists | 17,860 | $85,560 | 42.5% |
| 37 | Operations Research Analysts | 99,680 | $84,810 | 42.0% |
| 38 | Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 354,450 | $83,510 | 41.4% |
| 39 | Detectives and Criminal Investigators | 105,620 | $83,170 | 41.7% |
| 40 | Financial Examiners | 64,550 | $81,090 | 55.0% |
| 41 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 306,980 | $81,020 | 40.5% |
| 42 | Agricultural Engineers | 1,550 | $80,720 | 48.3% |
| 43 | Budget Analysts | 51,460 | $76,540 | 41.5% |
| 44 | Special Effects Artists and Animators | 29,340 | $75,270 | 44.0% |
| 45 | Producers and Directors | 129,210 | $74,420 | 57.9% |
| 46 | Fashion Designers | 22,030 | $73,790 | 48.9% |
| 47 | Web Developers and Digital Interface Designers | 148,340 | $73,760 | 53.2% |
| 48 | Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes | 17,060 | $73,740 | 41.4% |
| 49 | Credit Analysts | 73,930 | $73,650 | 52.3% |
| 50 | Project Management Specialists and Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 1,279,390 | $73,570 | 40.5% |
| 51 | Registered Nurses | 2,982,280 | $73,300 | 50.5% |
| 52 | Technical Writers | 50,760 | $72,850 | 47.6% |
| 53 | Accountants and Auditors | 1,280,700 | $71,550 | 55.7% |
| 54 | Insurance Underwriters | 100,050 | $70,020 | 45.6% |
| 55 | Labor Relations Specialists | 75,580 | $69,020 | 43.4% |
| 56 | Commercial and Industrial Designers | 32,770 | $68,890 | 48.9% |
| 57 | Cartographers and Photogrammetrists | 11,300 | $65,470 | 67.1% |
| 58 | Designers, All Other | 10,610 | $64,620 | 48.9% |
| 59 | Artists and Related Workers, All Other | 7,550 | $64,490 | 44.0% |
| 60 | Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 678,500 | $63,790 | 54.3% |
| 61 | Film and Video Editors | 27,570 | $63,780 | 54.9% |
| 62 | Surveyors | 45,220 | $63,420 | 67.1% |
| 63 | Writers and Authors | 45,860 | $63,200 | 49.4% |
| 64 | Conservation Scientists | 22,070 | $62,660 | 75.2% |
| 65 | Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | 437,880 | $62,270 | 52.1% |
| 66 | Human Resources Specialists | 633,040 | $61,920 | 43.4% |
| 67 | Farm Labor Contractors | 160 | $61,910 | 43.4% |
| 68 | Foresters | 9,510 | $61,790 | 75.2% |
| 69 | Editors | 95,970 | $61,370 | 57.6% |
| 70 | Public Relations Specialists | 244,730 | $61,150 | 57.9% |
| 71 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 1,344,530 | $59,930 | 40.5% |
| 72 | Fundraisers | 81,660 | $57,970 | 55.6% |
| 73 | Property Appraisers and Assessors | 56,320 | $57,010 | 43.4% |
| 74 | Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 1,039,670 | $56,130 | 43.0% |
| 75 | Interior Designers | 60,650 | $56,040 | 48.9% |
| 76 | Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film | 21,500 | $55,160 | 54.9% |
| 77 | Set and Exhibit Designers | 12,040 | $54,600 | 48.9% |
| 78 | Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists | 88,120 | $54,290 | 60.6% |
| 79 | Advertising Sales Agents | 129,740 | $53,310 | 51.3% |
| 80 | Brokerage Clerks | 47,990 | $52,750 | 40.5% |
| 81 | Graphic Designers | 215,930 | $52,110 | 48.9% |
| 82 | Athletes and Sports Competitors | 11,330 | $51,370 | 40.8% |
| 83 | Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners | 117,610 | $50,600 | 50.7% |
| 84 | Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators | 12,350 | $50,550 | 44.0% |
| 85 | Private Detectives and Investigators | 35,000 | $50,510 | 41.2% |
| 86 | Recreational Therapists | 19,070 | $48,220 | 69.0% |
| 87 | News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists | 44,100 | $46,270 | 62.6% |
| 88 | Proofreaders and Copy Markers | 7,730 | $40,630 | 40.4% |
| 89 | Photographers | 50,620 | $36,280 | 41.6% |
| 90 | Coaches and Scouts | 241,390 | $34,840 | 40.8% |
| 91 | Craft Artists | 4,640 | $34,710 | 44.0% |
| 92 | Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers | 140,850 | $29,460 | 48.9% |
| 93 | Legislators | 52,280 | $29,270 | 40.1% |
| 94 | Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials | 20,120 | $28,550 | 40.8% |
| 95 | Floral Designers | 41,770 | $28,040 | 48.9% |
Methodology
This study examines jobs available to college graduates that do not require a graduate or professional degree using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). To determine the jobs available to college graduates, we used BLS data which provided the levels of educational attainment for workers in various occupations. This data showed the percentage of workers in each profession by their highest level of education. These education levels included:
- Less than high school diploma
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Some college, no degree
- Associate’s degree
- Bachelor’s degree
- Master’s degree
- Doctoral or professional degree
To select the jobs that require a bachelor’s degree but that do not necessarily require a graduate degree, we selected jobs where over 40% of workers in that job classification had a bachelor’s degree as their highest degree and where less than 35% of workers had a graduate, doctoral, or professional degree. Because those with bachelor’s degrees composed a plurality of the workers in each of these professions, we determined that a bachelor’s degree was sufficient to pursue that profession.
We then used data on the annual median salary from the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics data set to determine the highest paying professions among those that were selected. We used this data to rank the professions and find the highest paying jobs for college graduates.
Sources
1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Educational attainment for workers 25 years and older by detailed occupation
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics