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1 / 50#50. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,330
- Median hourly wage: $49.68
- Total employment: 1,300 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Riverside 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 Riverside, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $103,500
- Median hourly wage: $49.76
- Total employment: 1,620 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $103,510
- Median hourly wage: $49.77
- Total employment: 400 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Advertising and promotions managers
- Median annual wage: $103,750
- Median hourly wage: $49.88
- Total employment: 80 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $103,800
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,680 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $103,940
- Median hourly wage: $49.97
- Total employment: 2,540 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $104,130
- Median hourly wage: $50.06
- Total employment: 170 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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8 / 50#43. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $104,170
- Median hourly wage: $50.08
- Total employment: 30 people (0.02 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: $104,990
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 5,120 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $105,040
- Median hourly wage: $50.50
- Total employment: 22,610 people (13.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $105,590
- Median hourly wage: $50.77
- Total employment: 840 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $105,760
- Median hourly wage: $50.85
- Total employment: 400 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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13 / 50#38. Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators
- Median annual wage: $105,780
- Median hourly wage: $50.86
- Total employment: 110 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50#37. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $106,100
- Median hourly wage: $51.01
- Total employment: 80 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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15 / 50#36. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $106,220
- Median hourly wage: $51.07
- Total employment: 1,150 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Special education teachers, middle school
- Median annual wage: $107,110
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 850 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $107,430
- Median hourly wage: $51.65
- Total employment: 3,850 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Art directors
- Median annual wage: $108,340
- Median hourly wage: $52.09
- Total employment: 330 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,250
- Median hourly wage: $52.52
- Total employment: 3,620 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,360
- Median hourly wage: $52.58
- Total employment: 910 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $109,520
- Median hourly wage: $52.65
- Total employment: 2,180 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,830
- Median hourly wage: $52.80
- Total employment: 240 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $109,880
- Median hourly wage: $52.83
- Total employment: 2,210 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $112,000
- Median hourly wage: $53.85
- Total employment: 580 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors
- Median annual wage: $116,330
- Median hourly wage: $55.93
- Total employment: 110 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Hydrologists
- Median annual wage: $119,250
- Median hourly wage: $57.33
- Total employment: 50 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $121,370
- Median hourly wage: $58.35
- Total employment: 270 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tonhom1009 // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
- Median annual wage: $122,520
- Median hourly wage: $58.90
- Total employment: 120 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $124,330
- Median hourly wage: $59.78
- Total employment: 340 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $124,910
- Median hourly wage: $60.05
- Total employment: 360 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $126,220
- Median hourly wage: $60.68
- Total employment: 120 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
possohh // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Emergency management directors
- Median annual wage: $127,200
- Median hourly wage: $61.15
- Total employment: 70 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $128,250
- Median hourly wage: $61.66
- Total employment: 160 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $129,580
- Median hourly wage: $62.30
- Total employment: 250 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $130,160
- Median hourly wage: $62.58
- Total employment: 34,570 people (20.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $130,450
- Median hourly wage: $62.71
- Total employment: 560 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $130,970
- Median hourly wage: $62.96
- Total employment: 5,290 people (3.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $131,650
- Median hourly wage: $63.29
- Total employment: 120 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $132,570
- Median hourly wage: $63.73
- Total employment: 540 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $133,080
- Median hourly wage: $63.98
- Total employment: 340 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $134,630
- Median hourly wage: $64.73
- Total employment: 3,950 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $134,990
- Median hourly wage: $64.90
- Total employment: 1,440 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $136,760
- Median hourly wage: $65.75
- Total employment: 4,340 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $140,650
- Median hourly wage: $67.62
- Total employment: 1,980 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $144,040
- Median hourly wage: $69.25
- Total employment: 4,430 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $160,370
- Median hourly wage: $77.10
- Total employment: 250 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $165,760
- Median hourly wage: $79.69
- Total employment: 2,510 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $170,180
- Median hourly wage: $81.82
- Total employment: 1,190 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $197,190
- Median hourly wage: $94.81
- Total employment: 2,070 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 300 people (0.17 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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