Highest paying jobs in Rapid City that require a bachelor's degree
Highest paying jobs in Rapid City that require a bachelor's degree
While college and university tuition costs may be skyrocketing, a bachelor's degree remains essential to many high-paying jobs across the United States.
Annual tuition and fees at four-year colleges rose 10 to 14% on average from 2010-11 to 2021-22, National Center for Education Statistics data shows. For many students, this means taking out loans. Federal student loan recipients who earned a bachelor's degree in 2016 borrowed an average of over $45,000 to earn their degree, as measured four years after graduation.
While expensive, bachelor's degrees provide higher earnings potential for U.S. workers. A Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis from 2021 shows that bachelor's degree holders make $277 more weekly than the median for all jobs, and $525 more than those whose highest education level is a high school diploma. What's more, the unemployment rate is lower for bachelor's degree holders at 3.5%, compared to 4.7% for all U.S. workers.
To be sure, not all jobs that require a bachelor's pay well. So, if you're going to get an undergraduate degree, what jobs will pay enough to make it worthwhile?
Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in Rapid City that require a bachelor's degree. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
Keep reading to discover the highest-paying jobs that require a bachelor's degree in Rapid City.
This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 366 metros.
#50. Foresters
- Median annual wage: $55,400
- Median hourly wage: $26.64
- Total employment: 30 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#49. Conservation scientists
- Median annual wage: $55,680
- Median hourly wage: $26.77
- Total employment: 50 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#48. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $57,870
- Median hourly wage: $27.82
- Total employment: 230 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#47. Public relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,450
- Median hourly wage: $28.10
- Total employment: 50 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#46. Zoologists and wildlife biologists
- Median annual wage: $58,750
- Median hourly wage: $28.25
- Total employment: 50 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#45. Dietitians and nutritionists
- Median annual wage: $60,190
- Median hourly wage: $28.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#44. Biological scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $61,060
- Median hourly wage: $29.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#43. Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
- Median annual wage: $61,070
- Median hourly wage: $29.36
- Total employment: 150 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#42. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $61,560
- Median hourly wage: $29.60
- Total employment: 170 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#41. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $62,000
- Median hourly wage: $29.81
- Total employment: 200 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#40. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $62,330
- Median hourly wage: $29.97
- Total employment: 80 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#39. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $62,920
- Median hourly wage: $30.25
- Total employment: 2,580 people (36.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#38. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $65,290
- Median hourly wage: $31.39
- Total employment: 140 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#37. Credit analysts
- Median annual wage: $65,430
- Median hourly wage: $31.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#36. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $66,210
- Median hourly wage: $31.83
- Total employment: 110 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. Business operations specialists, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $68,410
- Median hourly wage: $32.89
- Total employment: 230 people (3.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. Loan officers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $68,410
- Median hourly wage: $32.89
- Total employment: 220 people (3.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#33. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $69,590
- Median hourly wage: $33.46
- Total employment: 870 people (12.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#32. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $70,400
- Median hourly wage: $33.84
- Total employment: 170 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#31. Financial specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $70,620
- Median hourly wage: $33.95
- Total employment: 40 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#30. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $70,840
- Median hourly wage: $34.06
- Total employment: Not available
#29. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $70,950
- Median hourly wage: $34.11
- Total employment: 40 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#28. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $73,260
- Median hourly wage: $35.22
- Total employment: 250 people (3.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#27. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $73,530
- Median hourly wage: $35.35
- Total employment: 120 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#26. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $75,010
- Median hourly wage: $36.06
- Total employment: 60 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#25. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $76,930
- Median hourly wage: $36.98
- Total employment: 360 people (5.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#24. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $77,260
- Median hourly wage: $37.14
- Total employment: 60 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#23. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $80,300
- Median hourly wage: $38.61
- Total employment: 30 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#22. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $82,900
- Median hourly wage: $39.86
- Total employment: 270 people (3.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#21. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $83,580
- Median hourly wage: $40.18
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#20. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $83,800
- Median hourly wage: $40.29
- Total employment: Not available
#19. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $84,470
- Median hourly wage: $40.61
- Total employment: Not available
#18. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $84,640
- Median hourly wage: $40.69
- Total employment: 60 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#17. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $84,880
- Median hourly wage: $40.81
- Total employment: 60 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#16. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $85,500
- Median hourly wage: $41.11
- Total employment: 30 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#15. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $85,630
- Median hourly wage: $41.17
- Total employment: 50 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#14. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $89,530
- Median hourly wage: $43.04
- Total employment: 30 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#13. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $95,110
- Median hourly wage: $45.73
- Total employment: 170 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#12. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,280
- Median hourly wage: $47.25
- Total employment: 160 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#11. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $98,890
- Median hourly wage: $47.55
- Total employment: 60 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#10. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $99,370
- Median hourly wage: $47.77
- Total employment: 40 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#9. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $102,820
- Median hourly wage: $49.43
- Total employment: 100 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#8. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $105,750
- Median hourly wage: $50.84
- Total employment: 150 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#7. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $109,890
- Median hourly wage: $52.83
- Total employment: 140 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#6. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $112,320
- Median hourly wage: $54.00
- Total employment: 70 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#5. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $119,090
- Median hourly wage: $57.26
- Total employment: 610 people (8.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#4. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $140,980
- Median hourly wage: $67.78
- Total employment: 40 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#3. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $142,930
- Median hourly wage: $68.71
- Total employment: 90 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#2. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $149,720
- Median hourly wage: $71.98
- Total employment: 90 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 70 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
