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1 / 50#50. Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents
- Median annual wage: $97,860
- Median hourly wage: $47.05
- Total employment: 40 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $98,570
- Median hourly wage: $47.39
- Total employment: 130 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $99,890
- Median hourly wage: $48.03
- Total employment: 190 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $100,400
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $100,730
- Median hourly wage: $48.43
- Total employment: 100 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Property appraisers and assessors
- Median annual wage: $100,970
- Median hourly wage: $48.54
- Total employment: 50 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $101,140
- Median hourly wage: $48.63
- Total employment: 160 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Dietitians and nutritionists
- Median annual wage: $102,600
- Median hourly wage: $49.33
- Total employment: 100 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $102,890
- Median hourly wage: $49.47
- Total employment: 240 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $104,610
- Median hourly wage: $50.29
- Total employment: 190 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Biological scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $105,230
- Median hourly wage: $50.59
- Total employment: 70 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $105,830
- Median hourly wage: $50.88
- Total employment: 1,010 people (4.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $106,000
- Median hourly wage: $50.96
- Total employment: 250 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $106,410
- Median hourly wage: $51.16
- Total employment: 1,310 people (6.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Technical writers
- Median annual wage: $107,690
- Median hourly wage: $51.77
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $109,750
- Median hourly wage: $52.77
- Total employment: 690 people (3.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $111,550
- Median hourly wage: $53.63
- Total employment: 110 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $112,310
- Median hourly wage: $53.99
- Total employment: 170 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $112,630
- Median hourly wage: $54.15
- Total employment: 30 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $114,170
- Median hourly wage: $54.89
- Total employment: 150 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Art directors
- Median annual wage: $114,300
- Median hourly wage: $54.95
- Total employment: 50 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $114,510
- Median hourly wage: $55.05
- Total employment: 4,330 people (21.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $115,430
- Median hourly wage: $55.50
- Total employment: 270 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $115,970
- Median hourly wage: $55.76
- Total employment: 460 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $117,690
- Median hourly wage: $56.58
- Total employment: 230 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers
- Median annual wage: $122,450
- Median hourly wage: $58.87
- Total employment: 70 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $123,260
- Median hourly wage: $59.26
- Total employment: 50 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $123,960
- Median hourly wage: $59.60
- Total employment: 80 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $125,300
- Median hourly wage: $60.24
- Total employment: 120 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $126,730
- Median hourly wage: $60.93
- Total employment: 100 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $126,930
- Median hourly wage: $61.02
- Total employment: 120 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $130,170
- Median hourly wage: $62.58
- Total employment: 30 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $131,230
- Median hourly wage: $63.09
- Total employment: 380 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $132,510
- Median hourly wage: $63.71
- Total employment: 70 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $133,000
- Median hourly wage: $63.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $133,280
- Median hourly wage: $64.08
- Total employment: 70 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $141,140
- Median hourly wage: $67.86
- Total employment: 630 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $144,280
- Median hourly wage: $69.37
- Total employment: 80 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $145,530
- Median hourly wage: $69.97
- Total employment: 370 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $147,720
- Median hourly wage: $71.02
- Total employment: 50 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $154,960
- Median hourly wage: $74.50
- Total employment: 240 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $155,640
- Median hourly wage: $74.83
- Total employment: 840 people (4.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $155,700
- Median hourly wage: $74.86
- Total employment: 620 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $156,840
- Median hourly wage: $75.40
- Total employment: 890 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $162,960
- Median hourly wage: $78.35
- Total employment: 80 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $171,930
- Median hourly wage: $82.66
- Total employment: 430 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $172,390
- Median hourly wage: $82.88
- Total employment: 3,770 people (18.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $177,100
- Median hourly wage: $85.15
- Total employment: 200 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $185,200
- Median hourly wage: $89.04
- Total employment: 250 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $212,760
- Median hourly wage: $102.29
- Total employment: 380 people (1.87 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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