Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Biological scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $97,910
- Median hourly wage: $47.07
- Total employment: 50 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Modesto 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 Modesto, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $97,930
- Median hourly wage: $47.08
- Total employment: 160 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
B Brown // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $98,150
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,700 people (8.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $98,930
- Median hourly wage: $47.56
- Total employment: 690 people (3.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $99,040
- Median hourly wage: $47.62
- Total employment: 60 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,090
- Median hourly wage: $47.64
- Total employment: 140 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ermolaev Alexander // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Special education teachers, all other
- Median annual wage: $99,170
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 120 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Dietitians and nutritionists
- Median annual wage: $99,480
- Median hourly wage: $47.83
- Total employment: 110 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $100,180
- Median hourly wage: $48.17
- Total employment: 50 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $100,200
- Median hourly wage: $48.17
- Total employment: 60 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $100,430
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 2,370 people (12.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Special education teachers, middle school
- Median annual wage: $100,540
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedy // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $101,690
- Median hourly wage: $48.89
- Total employment: 50 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sabthai // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Budget analysts
- Median annual wage: $101,740
- Median hourly wage: $48.91
- Total employment: 50 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lopolo // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $101,900
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 590 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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industryviews // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $101,970
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 120 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $102,240
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 170 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $102,340
- Median hourly wage: $49.20
- Total employment: 140 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,040
- Median hourly wage: $49.54
- Total employment: 300 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $103,720
- Median hourly wage: $49.87
- Total employment: 130 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $104,170
- Median hourly wage: $50.08
- Total employment: 140 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $104,470
- Median hourly wage: $50.23
- Total employment: 50 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $104,540
- Median hourly wage: $50.26
- Total employment: 2,760 people (14.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $105,150
- Median hourly wage: $50.56
- Total employment: 220 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $105,250
- Median hourly wage: $50.60
- Total employment: 310 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $106,600
- Median hourly wage: $51.25
- Total employment: 30 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $108,230
- Median hourly wage: $52.04
- Total employment: 70 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents
- Median annual wage: $108,570
- Median hourly wage: $52.20
- Total employment: 30 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors
- Median annual wage: $111,780
- Median hourly wage: $53.74
- Total employment: 120 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $112,320
- Median hourly wage: $54.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Soil and plant scientists
- Median annual wage: $113,340
- Median hourly wage: $54.49
- Total employment: 30 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
angellodeco // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Microbiologists
- Median annual wage: $113,870
- Median hourly wage: $54.75
- Total employment: 60 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Iam_Anupong // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $115,930
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 210 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $116,180
- Median hourly wage: $55.86
- Total employment: 280 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $121,780
- Median hourly wage: $58.55
- Total employment: 320 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $121,840
- Median hourly wage: $58.58
- Total employment: 320 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $123,340
- Median hourly wage: $59.30
- Total employment: 170 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $130,530
- Median hourly wage: $62.76
- Total employment: 30 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $135,600
- Median hourly wage: $65.19
- Total employment: 50 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $136,880
- Median hourly wage: $65.81
- Total employment: 30 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $140,020
- Median hourly wage: $67.32
- Total employment: 770 people (3.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $149,720
- Median hourly wage: $71.98
- Total employment: 120 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $151,690
- Median hourly wage: $72.93
- Total employment: 180 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $156,000
- Median hourly wage: $75.00
- Total employment: 460 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $156,720
- Median hourly wage: $75.35
- Total employment: 590 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $158,200
- Median hourly wage: $76.06
- Total employment: 250 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $162,490
- Median hourly wage: $78.12
- Total employment: 190 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $169,460
- Median hourly wage: $81.47
- Total employment: 5,260 people (27.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $175,400
- Median hourly wage: $84.33
- Total employment: 120 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $181,410
- Median hourly wage: $87.22
- Total employment: 230 people (1.18 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.
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