Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $83,090
- Median hourly wage: $39.95
- Total employment: 120 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest paying jobs in Fort Collins 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 Fort Collins 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 Fort Collins.
This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 366 metros.
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Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Web and digital interface designers
- Median annual wage: $83,280
- Median hourly wage: $40.04
- Total employment: 150 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $83,890
- Median hourly wage: $40.33
- Total employment: 110 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
4 / 50#47. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $84,560
- Median hourly wage: $40.66
- Total employment: 790 people (4.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $84,850
- Median hourly wage: $40.79
- Total employment: 90 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $85,110
- Median hourly wage: $40.92
- Total employment: 440 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Technical writers
- Median annual wage: $87,310
- Median hourly wage: $41.98
- Total employment: 80 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $87,720
- Median hourly wage: $42.17
- Total employment: 290 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $91,080
- Median hourly wage: $43.79
- Total employment: 1,520 people (8.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $93,080
- Median hourly wage: $44.75
- Total employment: 270 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Hydrologists
- Median annual wage: $94,870
- Median hourly wage: $45.61
- Total employment: 40 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling
- Median annual wage: $95,640
- Median hourly wage: $45.98
- Total employment: 60 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
13 / 50#38. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $95,710
- Median hourly wage: $46.02
- Total employment: 430 people (2.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,940
- Median hourly wage: $47.09
- Total employment: 410 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $98,850
- Median hourly wage: $47.52
- Total employment: 410 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Canva
16 / 50#35. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,470
- Median hourly wage: $47.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
17 / 50#34. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $101,200
- Median hourly wage: $48.65
- Total employment: 570 people (3.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
18 / 50#33. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $101,970
- Median hourly wage: $49.02
- Total employment: 250 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $103,140
- Median hourly wage: $49.59
- Total employment: 120 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $103,670
- Median hourly wage: $49.84
- Total employment: 150 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $103,870
- Median hourly wage: $49.94
- Total employment: 110 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Atmospheric and space scientists
- Median annual wage: $104,000
- Median hourly wage: $50.00
- Total employment: 200 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $104,980
- Median hourly wage: $50.47
- Total employment: 80 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $106,210
- Median hourly wage: $51.06
- Total employment: 140 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
25 / 50#26. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $106,240
- Median hourly wage: $51.08
- Total employment: 2,700 people (15.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $106,830
- Median hourly wage: $51.36
- Total employment: 90 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
27 / 50#24. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $107,040
- Median hourly wage: $51.46
- Total employment: 310 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $107,890
- Median hourly wage: $51.87
- Total employment: 390 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $110,080
- Median hourly wage: $52.92
- Total employment: 500 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
30 / 50#21. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $112,000
- Median hourly wage: $53.85
- Total employment: 200 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $112,280
- Median hourly wage: $53.98
- Total employment: 30 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $116,310
- Median hourly wage: $55.92
- Total employment: 1,830 people (10.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $118,200
- Median hourly wage: $56.83
- Total employment: 70 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $120,500
- Median hourly wage: $57.94
- Total employment: 70 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $121,710
- Median hourly wage: $58.51
- Total employment: 370 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $123,340
- Median hourly wage: $59.30
- Total employment: 330 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $128,390
- Median hourly wage: $61.73
- Total employment: 140 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $129,260
- Median hourly wage: $62.15
- Total employment: 40 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $131,280
- Median hourly wage: $63.12
- Total employment: 1,160 people (6.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $134,500
- Median hourly wage: $64.66
- Total employment: 220 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $136,630
- Median hourly wage: $65.69
- Total employment: 140 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $137,350
- Median hourly wage: $66.03
- Total employment: 100 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $142,760
- Median hourly wage: $68.64
- Total employment: 110 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $154,640
- Median hourly wage: $74.34
- Total employment: 510 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
45 / 50#6. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $161,400
- Median hourly wage: $77.60
- Total employment: 380 people (2.22 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: $164,710
- Median hourly wage: $79.19
- Total employment: 380 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $167,780
- Median hourly wage: $80.66
- Total employment: 240 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $171,000
- Median hourly wage: $82.21
- Total employment: 320 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $172,840
- Median hourly wage: $83.09
- Total employment: 70 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Canva
50 / 50#1. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $178,090
- Median hourly wage: $85.62
- Total employment: 390 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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