fizkes // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $97,140
- Median hourly wage: $46.70
- Total employment: 5,070 people (4.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Kansas City 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 Kansas City, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,310
- Median hourly wage: $46.78
- Total employment: 3,610 people (3.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,660
- Median hourly wage: $46.95
- Total employment: 1,870 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $98,000
- Median hourly wage: $47.12
- Total employment: 6,830 people (6.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tonhom1009 // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,450
- Median hourly wage: $47.33
- Total employment: 60 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $99,260
- Median hourly wage: $47.72
- Total employment: 1,370 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,410
- Median hourly wage: $47.80
- Total employment: 340 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,440
- Median hourly wage: $47.81
- Total employment: 360 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,500
- Median hourly wage: $47.84
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $99,580
- Median hourly wage: $47.87
- Total employment: 560 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $99,860
- Median hourly wage: $48.01
- Total employment: 4,290 people (3.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,780
- Median hourly wage: $48.45
- Total employment: 3,700 people (3.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,660
- Median hourly wage: $48.88
- Total employment: 220 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,700
- Median hourly wage: $48.89
- Total employment: 2,090 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
science photo // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Food scientists and technologists
- Median annual wage: $101,740
- Median hourly wage: $48.91
- Total employment: 190 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Advertising and promotions managers
- Median annual wage: $102,600
- Median hourly wage: $49.33
- Total employment: 140 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $103,020
- Median hourly wage: $49.53
- Total employment: 3,550 people (3.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $103,180
- Median hourly wage: $49.61
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $103,700
- Median hourly wage: $49.85
- Total employment: 510 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $104,230
- Median hourly wage: $50.11
- Total employment: 1,520 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#29. Administrative services managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $104,990
- Median hourly wage: $50.48
- Total employment: 1,600 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Personal financial advisors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $104,990
- Median hourly wage: $50.48
- Total employment: 2,820 people (2.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $105,490
- Median hourly wage: $50.72
- Total employment: 90 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $106,070
- Median hourly wage: $50.99
- Total employment: 80 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $106,490
- Median hourly wage: $51.20
- Total employment: 2,040 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $106,900
- Median hourly wage: $51.39
- Total employment: 910 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $109,010
- Median hourly wage: $52.41
- Total employment: 520 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $110,480
- Median hourly wage: $53.12
- Total employment: 1,550 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $111,190
- Median hourly wage: $53.46
- Total employment: 2,550 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Atmospheric and space scientists
- Median annual wage: $112,030
- Median hourly wage: $53.86
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $114,440
- Median hourly wage: $55.02
- Total employment: 13,940 people (12.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $114,990
- Median hourly wage: $55.28
- Total employment: 3,880 people (3.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $115,520
- Median hourly wage: $55.54
- Total employment: 220 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $118,440
- Median hourly wage: $56.94
- Total employment: 170 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $119,020
- Median hourly wage: $57.22
- Total employment: 180 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Another77 // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Petroleum engineers
- Median annual wage: $122,090
- Median hourly wage: $58.70
- Total employment: Not available
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $123,030
- Median hourly wage: $59.15
- Total employment: 1,460 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $126,900
- Median hourly wage: $61.01
- Total employment: 290 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $126,930
- Median hourly wage: $61.03
- Total employment: 740 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $127,550
- Median hourly wage: $61.32
- Total employment: 260 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $132,020
- Median hourly wage: $63.47
- Total employment: 3,180 people (2.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $133,860
- Median hourly wage: $64.35
- Total employment: 1,830 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $135,620
- Median hourly wage: $65.20
- Total employment: 1,510 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
44 / 50#6. Purchasing managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $136,510
- Median hourly wage: $65.63
- Total employment: 580 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Natural sciences managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $136,510
- Median hourly wage: $65.63
- Total employment: 310 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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dokurose // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $136,740
- Median hourly wage: $65.74
- Total employment: 4,480 people (4.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $140,650
- Median hourly wage: $67.62
- Total employment: 4,610 people (4.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $158,050
- Median hourly wage: $75.99
- Total employment: 1,660 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $160,500
- Median hourly wage: $77.16
- Total employment: 4,310 people (3.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $195,850
- Median hourly wage: $94.16
- Total employment: 1,410 people (1.29 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.
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