Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $60,800
- Median hourly wage: $29.23
- Total employment: 100 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Coeur d'Alene that require a bachelor's degree
Between rising tuition and a tight job market, getting a bachelor's degree is an increasingly daunting prospect these days. Per a May 2024 Pew Research Center survey, just 1 in 4 adults believe a college degree is necessary to secure a high-paying job.
Many second-guess the value of college because of the cost. For the 2024-2025 school year, annual tuition and fees averaged more than $11,600 at in-state public universities, a nearly 3% increase from the previous year. Tuition at private schools increased by roughly 4% in the same time period.
Besides financial concerns, there are career opportunities to consider. Though the job market in the United States shifts from month to month, the unemployment rate for recent college graduates aged 22 to 27 reached 5.8% in March 2025, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. For context, that's more than double the unemployment rate of all college graduates.
These factors all contribute to the belief that college may not be the answer for everyone. However, research shows that a bachelor's degree still pays off in the long run. As of 2024, the most recent year with available data, the $60,000 median salary for a recent college graduate is $20,000 more than the median earnings for someone with only a high school diploma.
Although high school grads can make a decent salary without taking on student loan debt, lifetime earnings range between $630,000 and $900,000 more for those with a bachelor's degree. Graduate degree holders, meanwhile, may earn $1.1 million to $1.5 million more than high school graduates.
With this in mind, many different jobs make a degree worth the cost of tuition. Stacker ranked the highest-paying jobs that require a bachelor's degree in Coeur d'Alene, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Coeur d'Alene for high school graduates
VH-studio // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Child, family, and school social workers
- Median annual wage: $61,240
- Median hourly wage: $29.44
- Total employment: 100 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $62,240
- Median hourly wage: $29.93
- Total employment: 320 people (4.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
4 / 50#46. Public relations specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $62,640
- Median hourly wage: $30.12
- Total employment: 60 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $62,640
- Median hourly wage: $30.11
- Total employment: 60 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Most expensive homes for sale in Coeur d'Alene
B Brown // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $62,700
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 450 people (6.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $62,920
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 660 people (9.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Kneschke // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Foresters
- Median annual wage: $63,190
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 30 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GLRL // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $63,950
- Median hourly wage: $30.75
- Total employment: 130 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $64,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 60 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated campgrounds in the Coeur d'Alene area by visitors
comzeal images // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $65,120
- Median hourly wage: $31.31
- Total employment: 170 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $66,160
- Median hourly wage: $31.81
- Total employment: 170 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $66,190
- Median hourly wage: $31.82
- Total employment: 350 people (4.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $66,530
- Median hourly wage: $31.99
- Total employment: 30 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $68,810
- Median hourly wage: $33.08
- Total employment: 150 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated cheap eats in Coeur d'Alene by diners
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $71,760
- Median hourly wage: $34.50
- Total employment: 130 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Dietitians and nutritionists
- Median annual wage: $73,240
- Median hourly wage: $35.21
- Total employment: 40 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $75,650
- Median hourly wage: $36.37
- Total employment: 40 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedy // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $75,680
- Median hourly wage: $36.39
- Total employment: 40 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
20 / 50#30. General and operations managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $76,260
- Median hourly wage: $36.66
- Total employment: 2,710 people (37.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Asian restaurants in Coeur d'Alene by diners
creativemarc // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Administrative services managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $76,260
- Median hourly wage: $36.66
- Total employment: 60 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $77,270
- Median hourly wage: $37.15
- Total employment: 60 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $77,290
- Median hourly wage: $37.16
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $78,860
- Median hourly wage: $37.91
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
- Median annual wage: $79,570
- Median hourly wage: $38.26
- Total employment: 130 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Coeur d'Alene
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Property appraisers and assessors
- Median annual wage: $80,770
- Median hourly wage: $38.83
- Total employment: 60 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $82,490
- Median hourly wage: $39.66
- Total employment: 440 people (6.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $84,740
- Median hourly wage: $40.74
- Total employment: 90 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $85,160
- Median hourly wage: $40.94
- Total employment: 200 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $85,440
- Median hourly wage: $41.08
- Total employment: 50 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best restaurants for 5 cuisines in Coeur d'Alene
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $88,970
- Median hourly wage: $42.77
- Total employment: 70 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $90,130
- Median hourly wage: $43.33
- Total employment: 170 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $90,520
- Median hourly wage: $43.52
- Total employment: 50 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $90,780
- Median hourly wage: $43.64
- Total employment: 70 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $94,870
- Median hourly wage: $45.61
- Total employment: 1,620 people (22.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Cities with the fastest-growing home prices in the Coeur d'Alene metro area
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $96,640
- Median hourly wage: $46.46
- Total employment: 80 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $99,550
- Median hourly wage: $47.86
- Total employment: 70 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $100,440
- Median hourly wage: $48.29
- Total employment: 140 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $101,050
- Median hourly wage: $48.58
- Total employment: 90 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $102,910
- Median hourly wage: $49.47
- Total employment: 40 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Closest national parks to Coeur d'Alene
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $105,630
- Median hourly wage: $50.78
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $106,960
- Median hourly wage: $51.42
- Total employment: 280 people (3.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $114,060
- Median hourly wage: $54.84
- Total employment: 180 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $114,280
- Median hourly wage: $54.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $119,100
- Median hourly wage: $57.26
- Total employment: 350 people (4.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Chinese restaurants in Coeur d'Alene
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $119,660
- Median hourly wage: $57.53
- Total employment: 50 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $120,770
- Median hourly wage: $58.06
- Total employment: 240 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $129,500
- Median hourly wage: $62.26
- Total employment: 80 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $157,860
- Median hourly wage: $75.90
- Total employment: 150 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $166,510
- Median hourly wage: $80.05
- Total employment: 200 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
You may also like: Highest-rated breakfast restaurants in the Coeur d'Alene area by diners
