Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#49. Atmospheric and space scientists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $99,320
- Median hourly wage: $47.75
- Total employment: 680 people (3.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest paying jobs in Boulder that require a bachelor's degree
While college and university tuition costs may be skyrocketing, a bachelor's degree remains essential to many high-paying jobs across the United States.
Annual tuition and fees at four-year colleges rose 10 to 14% on average from 2010-11 to 2021-22, National Center for Education Statistics data shows. For many students, this means taking out loans. Federal student loan recipients who earned a bachelor's degree in 2016 borrowed an average of over $45,000 to earn their degree, as measured four years after graduation.
While expensive, bachelor's degrees provide higher earnings potential for U.S. workers. A Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis from 2021 shows that bachelor's degree holders make $277 more weekly than the median for all jobs, and $525 more than those whose highest education level is a high school diploma. What's more, the unemployment rate is lower for bachelor's degree holders at 3.5%, compared to 4.7% for all U.S. workers.
To be sure, not all jobs that require a bachelor's pay well. So, if you're going to get an undergraduate degree, what jobs will pay enough to make it worthwhile?
Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in Boulder that require a bachelor's degree. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
Keep reading to discover the highest-paying jobs that require a bachelor's degree in Boulder.
This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 366 metros.
Canva
2 / 50#49. Personal financial advisors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $99,320
- Median hourly wage: $47.75
- Total employment: 370 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $100,680
- Median hourly wage: $48.40
- Total employment: 2,470 people (12.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,240
- Median hourly wage: $48.67
- Total employment: 930 people (4.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $101,270
- Median hourly wage: $48.69
- Total employment: 1,030 people (5.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aslysun // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $101,600
- Median hourly wage: $48.85
- Total employment: 400 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
7 / 50#44. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,830
- Median hourly wage: $48.96
- Total employment: 880 people (4.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $102,350
- Median hourly wage: $49.21
- Total employment: 120 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $103,380
- Median hourly wage: $49.70
- Total employment: 240 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
10 / 50#41. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $103,540
- Median hourly wage: $49.78
- Total employment: 30 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
11 / 50#40. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,590
- Median hourly wage: $49.80
- Total employment: 100 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $104,700
- Median hourly wage: $50.34
- Total employment: 780 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $105,910
- Median hourly wage: $50.92
- Total employment: 380 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $106,500
- Median hourly wage: $51.20
- Total employment: 180 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
15 / 50#36. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $108,640
- Median hourly wage: $52.23
- Total employment: 160 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Art directors
- Median annual wage: $112,840
- Median hourly wage: $54.25
- Total employment: Not available
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $113,630
- Median hourly wage: $54.63
- Total employment: 370 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $116,060
- Median hourly wage: $55.80
- Total employment: 430 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
19 / 50#32. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $117,470
- Median hourly wage: $56.48
- Total employment: 1,140 people (5.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $117,710
- Median hourly wage: $56.59
- Total employment: 670 people (3.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Web and digital interface designers
- Median annual wage: $118,360
- Median hourly wage: $56.90
- Total employment: 310 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $118,760
- Median hourly wage: $57.10
- Total employment: 450 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
23 / 50#28. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $121,620
- Median hourly wage: $58.47
- Total employment: 410 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
24 / 50#27. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $122,880
- Median hourly wage: $59.08
- Total employment: 780 people (4.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
25 / 50#26. Biological scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $127,150
- Median hourly wage: $61.13
- Total employment: 270 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
26 / 50#24. Sales engineers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $127,720
- Median hourly wage: $61.41
- Total employment: 320 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Engineers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $127,720
- Median hourly wage: $61.40
- Total employment: 310 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $128,630
- Median hourly wage: $61.84
- Total employment: 180 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
29 / 50#22. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $129,510
- Median hourly wage: $62.26
- Total employment: 3,320 people (17.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $129,890
- Median hourly wage: $62.45
- Total employment: 1,230 people (6.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
31 / 50#20. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $131,790
- Median hourly wage: $63.36
- Total employment: 110 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $136,010
- Median hourly wage: $65.39
- Total employment: 6,590 people (34.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $136,740
- Median hourly wage: $65.74
- Total employment: 830 people (4.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $139,720
- Median hourly wage: $67.18
- Total employment: 1,080 people (5.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $140,770
- Median hourly wage: $67.68
- Total employment: 150 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $155,080
- Median hourly wage: $74.56
- Total employment: 250 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $157,490
- Median hourly wage: $75.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $159,170
- Median hourly wage: $76.53
- Total employment: 70 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $162,000
- Median hourly wage: $77.89
- Total employment: 230 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $167,050
- Median hourly wage: $80.31
- Total employment: 1,110 people (5.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $167,130
- Median hourly wage: $80.35
- Total employment: 100 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $167,210
- Median hourly wage: $80.39
- Total employment: 690 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
43 / 50#8. Materials scientists
- Median annual wage: $169,260
- Median hourly wage: $81.38
- Total employment: 80 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
44 / 50#7. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $169,290
- Median hourly wage: $81.39
- Total employment: 790 people (4.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Advertising and promotions managers
- Median annual wage: $170,040
- Median hourly wage: $81.75
- Total employment: 30 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
46 / 50#5. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $170,440
- Median hourly wage: $81.94
- Total employment: 720 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $173,090
- Median hourly wage: $83.22
- Total employment: 1,250 people (6.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $173,420
- Median hourly wage: $83.37
- Total employment: 260 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
49 / 50#2. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $186,210
- Median hourly wage: $89.53
- Total employment: 580 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $215,440
- Median hourly wage: $103.58
- Total employment: 100 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
