Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Interior designers
- Median annual wage: $50,490
- Median hourly wage: $24.27
- Total employment: 60 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Daphne 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 Daphne, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $50,760
- Median hourly wage: $24.40
- Total employment: 410 people (4.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Clergy
- Median annual wage: $52,820
- Median hourly wage: $25.39
- Total employment: 40 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $55,280
- Median hourly wage: $26.58
- Total employment: 60 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $55,550
- Median hourly wage: $26.71
- Total employment: 150 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $56,380
- Median hourly wage: $27.11
- Total employment: 50 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
- Median annual wage: $56,960
- Median hourly wage: $27.39
- Total employment: 40 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedy // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $57,780
- Median hourly wage: $27.78
- Total employment: 40 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lopolo // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $58,570
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 460 people (5.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Public relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,820
- Median hourly wage: $28.28
- Total employment: 90 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $59,110
- Median hourly wage: $28.42
- Total employment: 310 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $59,590
- Median hourly wage: $28.65
- Total employment: 50 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GLRL // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $59,640
- Median hourly wage: $28.67
- Total employment: 220 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $60,170
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 790 people (9.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
B Brown // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $60,820
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $61,530
- Median hourly wage: $29.58
- Total employment: 70 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $62,000
- Median hourly wage: $29.81
- Total employment: 100 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $66,560
- Median hourly wage: $32.00
- Total employment: 870 people (10.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Teachers and instructors, all other
- Median annual wage: $68,320
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $69,320
- Median hourly wage: $33.33
- Total employment: 40 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $71,470
- Median hourly wage: $34.36
- Total employment: 80 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $74,150
- Median hourly wage: $35.65
- Total employment: 60 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $75,750
- Median hourly wage: $36.42
- Total employment: 40 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $76,710
- Median hourly wage: $36.88
- Total employment: 100 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $77,160
- Median hourly wage: $37.10
- Total employment: 1,790 people (21.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,640
- Median hourly wage: $37.33
- Total employment: Not available
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $79,890
- Median hourly wage: $38.41
- Total employment: 100 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $83,240
- Median hourly wage: $40.02
- Total employment: 60 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Property appraisers and assessors
- Median annual wage: $83,260
- Median hourly wage: $40.03
- Total employment: 40 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $84,730
- Median hourly wage: $40.74
- Total employment: 250 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $87,040
- Median hourly wage: $41.85
- Total employment: 440 people (5.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $91,990
- Median hourly wage: $44.22
- Total employment: 50 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $92,650
- Median hourly wage: $44.54
- Total employment: 70 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $92,800
- Median hourly wage: $44.62
- Total employment: 90 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $93,010
- Median hourly wage: $44.72
- Total employment: 70 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $93,380
- Median hourly wage: $44.90
- Total employment: 30 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $98,610
- Median hourly wage: $47.41
- Total employment: 1,410 people (16.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $98,830
- Median hourly wage: $47.52
- Total employment: Not available
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,650
- Median hourly wage: $47.91
- Total employment: 110 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $103,080
- Median hourly wage: $49.56
- Total employment: 40 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $103,390
- Median hourly wage: $49.71
- Total employment: 90 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $106,640
- Median hourly wage: $51.27
- Total employment: 40 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $107,960
- Median hourly wage: $51.91
- Total employment: 30 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $110,740
- Median hourly wage: $53.24
- Total employment: 60 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $112,830
- Median hourly wage: $54.25
- Total employment: 260 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $113,110
- Median hourly wage: $54.38
- Total employment: 50 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $128,580
- Median hourly wage: $61.82
- Total employment: 140 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $130,050
- Median hourly wage: $62.52
- Total employment: 90 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $135,710
- Median hourly wage: $65.25
- Total employment: 220 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $141,500
- Median hourly wage: $68.03
- Total employment: 80 people (0.91 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.
