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1 / 50#50. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $58,150
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 430 people (6.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Flagstaff 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 Flagstaff, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,800
- Median hourly wage: $28.27
- Total employment: 30 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,960
- Median hourly wage: $28.35
- Total employment: 200 people (3.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Social workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $60,500
- Median hourly wage: $29.09
- Total employment: 40 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Public relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $62,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.96
- Total employment: 130 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $63,120
- Median hourly wage: $30.35
- Total employment: 160 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $63,840
- Median hourly wage: $30.69
- Total employment: 60 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $65,000
- Median hourly wage: $31.25
- Total employment: 270 people (4.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
- Median annual wage: $65,900
- Median hourly wage: $31.68
- Total employment: 70 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $66,310
- Median hourly wage: $31.88
- Total employment: 190 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
AlesiaKan // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Health education specialists
- Median annual wage: $66,410
- Median hourly wage: $31.93
- Total employment: 40 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Fundraisers
- Median annual wage: $67,250
- Median hourly wage: $32.33
- Total employment: 50 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $68,030
- Median hourly wage: $32.71
- Total employment: 60 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $72,780
- Median hourly wage: $34.99
- Total employment: 140 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedy // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $73,420
- Median hourly wage: $35.30
- Total employment: 30 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $73,960
- Median hourly wage: $35.56
- Total employment: 380 people (5.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $75,410
- Median hourly wage: $36.26
- Total employment: 50 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
James Kirkikis // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Zoologists and wildlife biologists
- Median annual wage: $75,640
- Median hourly wage: $36.37
- Total employment: 60 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $76,220
- Median hourly wage: $36.64
- Total employment: 2,120 people (32.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $76,370
- Median hourly wage: $36.72
- Total employment: 70 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $77,670
- Median hourly wage: $37.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $79,450
- Median hourly wage: $38.20
- Total employment: 120 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $80,160
- Median hourly wage: $38.54
- Total employment: 100 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $80,230
- Median hourly wage: $38.57
- Total employment: 50 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $80,770
- Median hourly wage: $38.83
- Total employment: 260 people (3.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $81,270
- Median hourly wage: $39.07
- Total employment: 50 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Biological scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $82,220
- Median hourly wage: $39.53
- Total employment: 80 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Deemerwha studio // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Conservation scientists
- Median annual wage: $83,120
- Median hourly wage: $39.96
- Total employment: 50 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $83,440
- Median hourly wage: $40.11
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $83,470
- Median hourly wage: $40.13
- Total employment: 50 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $86,520
- Median hourly wage: $41.60
- Total employment: 30 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
32 / 50#18. Civil engineers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $86,940
- Median hourly wage: $41.80
- Total employment: 80 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Business operations specialists, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $86,940
- Median hourly wage: $41.80
- Total employment: 230 people (3.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $88,650
- Median hourly wage: $42.62
- Total employment: 190 people (2.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $89,510
- Median hourly wage: $43.03
- Total employment: 30 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $92,750
- Median hourly wage: $44.59
- Total employment: 80 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $94,290
- Median hourly wage: $45.33
- Total employment: 140 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $95,260
- Median hourly wage: $45.80
- Total employment: 50 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $95,280
- Median hourly wage: $45.81
- Total employment: 70 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $102,880
- Median hourly wage: $49.46
- Total employment: 200 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $104,440
- Median hourly wage: $50.21
- Total employment: 110 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $107,320
- Median hourly wage: $51.60
- Total employment: 50 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $107,470
- Median hourly wage: $51.67
- Total employment: 110 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $111,060
- Median hourly wage: $53.39
- Total employment: 120 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $112,530
- Median hourly wage: $54.10
- Total employment: 260 people (3.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $112,550
- Median hourly wage: $54.11
- Total employment: 90 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $117,290
- Median hourly wage: $56.39
- Total employment: 120 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $119,020
- Median hourly wage: $57.22
- Total employment: 60 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $124,090
- Median hourly wage: $59.66
- Total employment: 50 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $138,250
- Median hourly wage: $66.47
- Total employment: 90 people (1.39 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.
