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1 / 50#50. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $93,990
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 2,050 people (7.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Stockton 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 Stockton, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $94,120
- Median hourly wage: $45.25
- Total employment: 130 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $94,290
- Median hourly wage: $45.33
- Total employment: 230 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $94,300
- Median hourly wage: $45.34
- Total employment: 110 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $94,310
- Median hourly wage: $45.34
- Total employment: 920 people (3.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $94,880
- Median hourly wage: $45.61
- Total employment: 60 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $95,100
- Median hourly wage: $45.72
- Total employment: 130 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $95,370
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 2,560 people (8.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Teachers and instructors, all other
- Median annual wage: $95,380
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 460 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $95,430
- Median hourly wage: $45.88
- Total employment: 130 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
- Median annual wage: $96,940
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 240 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $97,700
- Median hourly wage: $46.97
- Total employment: 460 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $100,660
- Median hourly wage: $48.40
- Total employment: 930 people (3.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,380
- Median hourly wage: $48.74
- Total employment: 250 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $102,360
- Median hourly wage: $49.21
- Total employment: 60 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $102,480
- Median hourly wage: $49.27
- Total employment: 80 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Recreational therapists
- Median annual wage: $102,640
- Median hourly wage: $49.35
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $102,720
- Median hourly wage: $49.38
- Total employment: 1,140 people (4.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $102,930
- Median hourly wage: $49.49
- Total employment: 70 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,330
- Median hourly wage: $49.68
- Total employment: 200 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Biological scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $103,930
- Median hourly wage: $49.97
- Total employment: 70 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $105,580
- Median hourly wage: $50.76
- Total employment: 160 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $106,080
- Median hourly wage: $51.00
- Total employment: 3,740 people (13.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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24 / 50#27. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $106,330
- Median hourly wage: $51.12
- Total employment: 290 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $106,430
- Median hourly wage: $51.17
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $108,010
- Median hourly wage: $51.93
- Total employment: 610 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents
- Median annual wage: $108,240
- Median hourly wage: $52.04
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $109,990
- Median hourly wage: $52.88
- Total employment: 50 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $113,220
- Median hourly wage: $54.43
- Total employment: 100 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Art directors
- Median annual wage: $113,460
- Median hourly wage: $54.55
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $115,260
- Median hourly wage: $55.41
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $116,260
- Median hourly wage: $55.89
- Total employment: 170 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $117,620
- Median hourly wage: $56.55
- Total employment: 410 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $118,600
- Median hourly wage: $57.02
- Total employment: 80 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $119,660
- Median hourly wage: $57.53
- Total employment: 440 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $122,980
- Median hourly wage: $59.13
- Total employment: 500 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $123,030
- Median hourly wage: $59.15
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $123,090
- Median hourly wage: $59.18
- Total employment: 150 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $128,440
- Median hourly wage: $61.75
- Total employment: 580 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $128,930
- Median hourly wage: $61.99
- Total employment: 90 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $131,730
- Median hourly wage: $63.33
- Total employment: 320 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $131,840
- Median hourly wage: $63.39
- Total employment: 5,100 people (17.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $132,060
- Median hourly wage: $63.49
- Total employment: 590 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $132,110
- Median hourly wage: $63.51
- Total employment: 870 people (3.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $136,810
- Median hourly wage: $65.78
- Total employment: 250 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $146,860
- Median hourly wage: $70.61
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $153,160
- Median hourly wage: $73.63
- Total employment: 760 people (2.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $160,790
- Median hourly wage: $77.30
- Total employment: 390 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $168,300
- Median hourly wage: $80.91
- Total employment: 160 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $208,450
- Median hourly wage: $100.21
- Total employment: 340 people (1.17 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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