Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
1 / 45#45. Rehabilitation counselors
- Median annual wage: $41,410
- Median hourly wage: $19.91
- Total employment: 570 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Tucson that require a graduate degree
Earning top dollar typically requires more education than an undergraduate degree can provide. Doctors, lawyers, and professors need extra years of focused study for their chosen fields, but they're not alone. Graduate degrees in fields like business, teaching, and public health build specialized knowledge that can fast-track a career—and one's salary.
Many hiring managers view a master's degree as the equivalent of two years of work experience, giving graduate degree holders a leg up. In 2024, master's degree holders earned a weekly median of $1,840, a 19% premium over undergraduate degree holders. Doctorates earned $2,278, and professional degree holders earned $2,363.
Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in Tucson that require a graduate degree in Tucson. This includes doctorates, master's degrees, and professional degrees. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
Job security is another benefit. The unemployment rate for a master's degree holder is 2.2%, compared to 2.5% for undergraduate degree holders. Doctorates and professional degree holders' unemployment rate is close to 1%.
Employers believe a graduate degree showcases an employee's drive and commitment, but that comes at a price. Between 2000 and 2020, median annual tuition and fees for graduate degree programs increased by 233%. Unsurprisingly, median student debt has also increased, rising 47% to $50,000.
Depending on the career field, some prospective students may find it difficult to justify the expense. Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce found that full-time workers in STEM fields earned $128,000 annually, almost twice as much as their degreed counterparts in humanities and the arts. A graduate degree in humanities also only brought a 10% earnings premium over someone with a bachelor's degree.
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2 / 45#44. Judicial law clerks
- Median annual wage: $43,930
- Median hourly wage: $21.12
- Total employment: 70 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
3 / 45#43. Mental health and substance abuse social workers
- Median annual wage: $46,450
- Median hourly wage: $22.33
- Total employment: 650 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daxiao Productions // Shutterstock
4 / 45#42. Marriage and family therapists
- Median annual wage: $48,740
- Median hourly wage: $23.43
- Total employment: Not available
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
5 / 45#41. Athletic trainers
- Median annual wage: $50,090
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VH-studio // Shutterstock
6 / 45#40. Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
- Median annual wage: $51,040
- Median hourly wage: $24.54
- Total employment: 1,170 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
7 / 45#39. Survey researchers
- Median annual wage: $54,360
- Median hourly wage: $26.14
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
8 / 45#38. Curators
- Median annual wage: $57,410
- Median hourly wage: $27.60
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 45#37. Instructional coordinators
- Median annual wage: $57,920
- Median hourly wage: $27.84
- Total employment: 1,010 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
10 / 45#36. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $58,090
- Median hourly wage: $27.93
- Total employment: 60 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 45#35. Librarians and media collections specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,760
- Median hourly wage: $28.25
- Total employment: 340 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
12 / 45#34. Healthcare social workers
- Median annual wage: $60,310
- Median hourly wage: $28.99
- Total employment: 400 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
13 / 45#33. Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors
- Median annual wage: $62,000
- Median hourly wage: $29.81
- Total employment: 1,310 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 45#32. Epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $62,950
- Median hourly wage: $30.26
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
15 / 45#31. Anthropologists and archeologists
- Median annual wage: $63,260
- Median hourly wage: $30.41
- Total employment: 100 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 45#30. Education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $63,760
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 210 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
17 / 45#29. Postsecondary teachers, all other
- Median annual wage: $72,220
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 570 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chad McDermott // Shutterstock
18 / 45#28. Urban and regional planners
- Median annual wage: $74,750
- Median hourly wage: $35.94
- Total employment: 110 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
19 / 45#27. School psychologists
- Median annual wage: $76,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.00
- Total employment: 140 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
20 / 45#26. Audiologists
- Median annual wage: $77,550
- Median hourly wage: $37.29
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 45#25. Statisticians
- Median annual wage: $78,280
- Median hourly wage: $37.64
- Total employment: 50 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
22 / 45#24. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $83,220
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 740 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
23 / 45#23. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $84,400
- Median hourly wage: $40.58
- Total employment: 380 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
24 / 45#22. Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other
- Median annual wage: $91,080
- Median hourly wage: $43.79
- Total employment: 130 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
KSai23 // Shutterstock
25 / 45#21. Chiropractors
- Median annual wage: $91,530
- Median hourly wage: $44.01
- Total employment: 80 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
26 / 45#20. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $97,080
- Median hourly wage: $46.67
- Total employment: 300 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
27 / 45#19. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $97,810
- Median hourly wage: $47.02
- Total employment: 600 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
28 / 45#18. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $101,430
- Median hourly wage: $48.77
- Total employment: 120 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
29 / 45#17. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $101,500
- Median hourly wage: $48.80
- Total employment: 1,060 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
30 / 45#16. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $105,260
- Median hourly wage: $50.61
- Total employment: 1,500 people (3.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 45#15. Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers
- Median annual wage: $115,140
- Median hourly wage: $55.36
- Total employment: 30 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
32 / 45#14. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $126,000
- Median hourly wage: $60.58
- Total employment: 220 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
33 / 45#13. Psychologists, all other
- Median annual wage: $128,040
- Median hourly wage: $61.56
- Total employment: 50 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 45#12. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $132,230
- Median hourly wage: $63.57
- Total employment: 680 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
35 / 45#11. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $138,930
- Median hourly wage: $66.79
- Total employment: 1,080 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
36 / 45#10. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $141,530
- Median hourly wage: $68.04
- Total employment: 130 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
37 / 45#9. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $150,350
- Median hourly wage: $72.29
- Total employment: 240 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
38 / 45#8. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $156,800
- Median hourly wage: $75.39
- Total employment: 100 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
39 / 45#7. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $173,680
- Median hourly wage: $83.50
- Total employment: 310 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
40 / 45#6. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $181,470
- Median hourly wage: $87.25
- Total employment: Not available
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41 / 45#5. Psychiatrists
- Median annual wage: $211,850
- Median hourly wage: $101.85
- Total employment: 130 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
42 / 45#4. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $225,970
- Median hourly wage: $108.64
- Total employment: 360 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
43 / 45#3. General internal medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $232,440
- Median hourly wage: $111.75
- Total employment: 180 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
44 / 45#1. Physicians, pathologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
45 / 45#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 680 people (1.76 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 363 metros.
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