Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
1 / 40#40. Graphic designers
- Median annual wage: $39,060
- Median hourly wage: $18.78
- Total employment: 40 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Anniston 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 Anniston, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
You may also like: How much house $1 million buys you in Anniston
fizkes // Shutterstock
2 / 40#39. Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents
- Median annual wage: $39,800
- Median hourly wage: $19.14
- Total employment: 40 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
3 / 40#38. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $42,890
- Median hourly wage: $20.62
- Total employment: 190 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
4 / 40#37. Child, family, and school social workers
- Median annual wage: $44,650
- Median hourly wage: $21.47
- Total employment: 80 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
5 / 40#36. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
- Median annual wage: $45,580
- Median hourly wage: $21.91
- Total employment: 70 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Lowest-paying jobs in Anniston
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
6 / 40#35. Public relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $47,880
- Median hourly wage: $23.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
7 / 40#34. Coaches and scouts
- Median annual wage: $48,710
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
create jobs 51 // Shutterstock
8 / 40#33. Legislators
- Median annual wage: $51,800
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 40#32. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $53,610
- Median hourly wage: $25.77
- Total employment: 50 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
10 / 40#31. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $54,540
- Median hourly wage: $26.22
- Total employment: 120 people (2.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Cities with the fastest-growing home prices in the Anniston metro area
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
11 / 40#30. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $58,470
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: Not available
B Brown // Shutterstock
12 / 40#29. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $59,470
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 340 people (7.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
13 / 40#28. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $59,640
- Median hourly wage: $28.67
- Total employment: 180 people (4.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
14 / 40#27. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $60,430
- Median hourly wage: $29.05
- Total employment: 100 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
15 / 40#26. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $61,380
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 70 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated cheap eats in Anniston by diners
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
16 / 40#25. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $62,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 340 people (7.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GLRL // Shutterstock
17 / 40#24. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $62,640
- Median hourly wage: $30.12
- Total employment: 170 people (4.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
18 / 40#23. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $67,420
- Median hourly wage: $32.41
- Total employment: 30 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 40#22. Teachers and instructors, all other
- Median annual wage: $68,580
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
20 / 40#21. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $68,720
- Median hourly wage: $33.04
- Total employment: 1,050 people (24.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated chicken wings in Anniston by diners
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
21 / 40#20. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $71,220
- Median hourly wage: $34.24
- Total employment: 80 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
22 / 40#19. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $74,820
- Median hourly wage: $35.97
- Total employment: 60 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
23 / 40#18. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $76,190
- Median hourly wage: $36.63
- Total employment: 70 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 40#17. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $79,050
- Median hourly wage: $38.01
- Total employment: 160 people (3.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
25 / 40#16. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $82,990
- Median hourly wage: $39.90
- Total employment: 380 people (8.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: People from these metros are looking to buy homes in Anniston
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 40#15. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $83,080
- Median hourly wage: $39.94
- Total employment: 220 people (5.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
27 / 40#14. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $87,450
- Median hourly wage: $42.04
- Total employment: 70 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
28 / 40#13. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $87,860
- Median hourly wage: $42.24
- Total employment: 80 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
29 / 40#12. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $88,370
- Median hourly wage: $42.49
- Total employment: 60 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 40#11. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $93,300
- Median hourly wage: $44.86
- Total employment: 60 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Cities with the most expensive homes in the Anniston metro area
fizkes // Shutterstock
31 / 40#10. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $95,400
- Median hourly wage: $45.87
- Total employment: 570 people (13.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
32 / 40#9. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $95,590
- Median hourly wage: $45.96
- Total employment: Not available
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
33 / 40#8. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,530
- Median hourly wage: $46.41
- Total employment: 50 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 40#7. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,780
- Median hourly wage: $48.45
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
35 / 40#6. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $103,630
- Median hourly wage: $49.82
- Total employment: 30 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Are home prices going down in Anniston in 2026?
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
36 / 40#5. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $106,970
- Median hourly wage: $51.43
- Total employment: 50 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
37 / 40#4. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $107,160
- Median hourly wage: $51.52
- Total employment: 60 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
38 / 40#3. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $114,390
- Median hourly wage: $55.00
- Total employment: 90 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
39 / 40#2. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $118,580
- Median hourly wage: $57.01
- Total employment: 70 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
40 / 40#1. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $136,740
- Median hourly wage: $65.74
- Total employment: 40 people (0.98 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: Best restaurants for 4 cuisines in Anniston
