DGLimages // Shutterstock
1 / 46#46. Teaching assistants, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $18,760
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 550 people (9.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Florence 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 Florence, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 46#45. Legislators
- Median annual wage: $22,880
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 30 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
3 / 46#44. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $40,080
- Median hourly wage: $19.27
- Total employment: 170 people (3.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
4 / 46#43. Graphic designers
- Median annual wage: $40,550
- Median hourly wage: $19.50
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
5 / 46#42. Coaches and scouts
- Median annual wage: $40,680
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
6 / 46#41. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
- Median annual wage: $46,800
- Median hourly wage: $22.50
- Total employment: 100 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
7 / 46#40. Child, family, and school social workers
- Median annual wage: $46,890
- Median hourly wage: $22.54
- Total employment: 120 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
8 / 46#39. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $48,560
- Median hourly wage: $23.35
- Total employment: 150 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
9 / 46#38. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $54,030
- Median hourly wage: $25.98
- Total employment: 70 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
10 / 46#37. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $58,730
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 540 people (9.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 46#36. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $59,000
- Median hourly wage: $28.37
- Total employment: 180 people (3.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 46#35. Teachers and instructors, all other
- Median annual wage: $59,220
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
13 / 46#34. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $59,680
- Median hourly wage: $28.69
- Total employment: 240 people (4.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
B Brown // Shutterstock
14 / 46#33. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $60,350
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 700 people (12.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GLRL // Shutterstock
15 / 46#32. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $61,510
- Median hourly wage: $29.57
- Total employment: 170 people (3.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 46#31. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $61,940
- Median hourly wage: $29.78
- Total employment: 80 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
17 / 46#30. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $62,980
- Median hourly wage: $30.28
- Total employment: 510 people (9.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
18 / 46#29. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $63,140
- Median hourly wage: $30.35
- Total employment: 40 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
19 / 46#28. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $64,370
- Median hourly wage: $30.95
- Total employment: 1,340 people (24.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 46#27. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $64,790
- Median hourly wage: $31.15
- Total employment: 70 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 46#26. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $65,970
- Median hourly wage: $31.72
- Total employment: 30 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
22 / 46#25. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $67,860
- Median hourly wage: $32.63
- Total employment: 50 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
23 / 46#24. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $76,580
- Median hourly wage: $36.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
24 / 46#23. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $76,800
- Median hourly wage: $36.92
- Total employment: 60 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
25 / 46#22. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $77,150
- Median hourly wage: $37.09
- Total employment: 190 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
26 / 46#21. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $79,000
- Median hourly wage: $37.98
- Total employment: Not available
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27 / 46#20. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $79,990
- Median hourly wage: $38.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
28 / 46#19. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $82,430
- Median hourly wage: $39.63
- Total employment: 70 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 46#18. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $83,980
- Median hourly wage: $40.38
- Total employment: 210 people (3.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 46#17. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $87,730
- Median hourly wage: $42.18
- Total employment: 170 people (3.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 46#16. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $88,380
- Median hourly wage: $42.49
- Total employment: 90 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 46#15. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $90,890
- Median hourly wage: $43.70
- Total employment: 40 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
33 / 46#14. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $90,920
- Median hourly wage: $43.71
- Total employment: 60 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
34 / 46#13. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $97,840
- Median hourly wage: $47.04
- Total employment: 790 people (14.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
35 / 46#12. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $99,370
- Median hourly wage: $47.78
- Total employment: 80 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 46#11. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $100,130
- Median hourly wage: $48.14
- Total employment: 70 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
37 / 46#10. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,330
- Median hourly wage: $48.24
- Total employment: 100 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
38 / 46#9. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $102,890
- Median hourly wage: $49.47
- Total employment: 30 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
39 / 46#8. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,120
- Median hourly wage: $49.58
- Total employment: 80 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
40 / 46#7. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $111,590
- Median hourly wage: $53.65
- Total employment: 50 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
41 / 46#6. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $116,970
- Median hourly wage: $56.24
- Total employment: 120 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
42 / 46#5. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $127,410
- Median hourly wage: $61.26
- Total employment: 120 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
43 / 46#4. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $129,560
- Median hourly wage: $62.29
- Total employment: 50 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
44 / 46#3. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $137,230
- Median hourly wage: $65.98
- Total employment: 30 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
45 / 46#2. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $142,250
- Median hourly wage: $68.39
- Total employment: 50 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
46 / 46#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $161,290
- Median hourly wage: $77.54
- Total employment: 30 people (0.61 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.
