DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Athletic trainers
- Median annual wage: $70,740
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Bridgeport that require a graduate degree
Earning top dollar typically requires more education than an undergraduate degree can provide. Doctors, lawyers, and professors need extra years of focused study for their chosen fields, but they're not alone. Graduate degrees in fields like business, teaching, and public health build specialized knowledge that can fast-track a career—and one's salary.
Many hiring managers view a master's degree as the equivalent of two years of work experience, giving graduate degree holders a leg up. In 2024, master's degree holders earned a weekly median of $1,840, a 19% premium over undergraduate degree holders. Doctorates earned $2,278, and professional degree holders earned $2,363.
Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in Bridgeport that require a graduate degree in Bridgeport. This includes doctorates, master's degrees, and professional degrees. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
Job security is another benefit. The unemployment rate for a master's degree holder is 2.2%, compared to 2.5% for undergraduate degree holders. Doctorates and professional degree holders' unemployment rate is close to 1%.
Employers believe a graduate degree showcases an employee's drive and commitment, but that comes at a price. Between 2000 and 2020, median annual tuition and fees for graduate degree programs increased by 233%. Unsurprisingly, median student debt has also increased, rising 47% to $50,000.
Depending on the career field, some prospective students may find it difficult to justify the expense. Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce found that full-time workers in STEM fields earned $128,000 annually, almost twice as much as their degreed counterparts in humanities and the arts. A graduate degree in humanities also only brought a 10% earnings premium over someone with a bachelor's degree.
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SeventyFour // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. History teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $74,010
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
- Median annual wage: $74,080
- Median hourly wage: $35.62
- Total employment: 880 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $74,820
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 340 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $75,150
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 230 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Biological science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $75,730
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Physics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $75,950
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 30 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $76,450
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $76,870
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Psychology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $77,120
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Librarians and media collections specialists
- Median annual wage: $78,050
- Median hourly wage: $37.53
- Total employment: 540 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $78,610
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Political science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $78,700
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel Besic // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. English language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $79,340
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Social work teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $79,570
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DGLimages // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Mental health and substance abuse social workers
- Median annual wage: $80,490
- Median hourly wage: $38.70
- Total employment: 230 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daxiao Productions // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Marriage and family therapists
- Median annual wage: $81,170
- Median hourly wage: $39.03
- Total employment: 50 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pheelings media // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Statisticians
- Median annual wage: $88,430
- Median hourly wage: $42.51
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Healthcare social workers
- Median annual wage: $90,440
- Median hourly wage: $43.48
- Total employment: 550 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $97,590
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 350 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Lucky Business // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Sociology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $97,920
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Instructional coordinators
- Median annual wage: $98,370
- Median hourly wage: $47.29
- Total employment: 320 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $98,730
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleksii Didok // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Judicial law clerks
- Median annual wage: $99,490
- Median hourly wage: $47.83
- Total employment: 50 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chad McDermott // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Urban and regional planners
- Median annual wage: $99,950
- Median hourly wage: $48.05
- Total employment: 80 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $101,600
- Median hourly wage: $48.85
- Total employment: 320 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. School psychologists
- Median annual wage: $102,320
- Median hourly wage: $49.19
- Total employment: 370 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $103,430
- Median hourly wage: $49.73
- Total employment: 720 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $104,070
- Median hourly wage: $50.03
- Total employment: 830 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $107,870
- Median hourly wage: $51.86
- Total employment: 1,200 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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LightField Studios // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $119,990
- Median hourly wage: $57.69
- Total employment: Not available
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Economics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $126,410
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $130,750
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 220 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $132,900
- Median hourly wage: $63.89
- Total employment: 690 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $133,520
- Median hourly wage: $64.19
- Total employment: 240 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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luchschenF // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Biochemists and biophysicists
- Median annual wage: $134,460
- Median hourly wage: $64.64
- Total employment: Not available
Stokkete // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $138,440
- Median hourly wage: $66.56
- Total employment: 1,020 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $142,180
- Median hourly wage: $68.36
- Total employment: 670 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $143,840
- Median hourly wage: $69.15
- Total employment: 550 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $162,310
- Median hourly wage: $78.04
- Total employment: 360 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $165,490
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,090 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $168,150
- Median hourly wage: $80.84
- Total employment: 1,910 people (4.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $200,130
- Median hourly wage: $96.21
- Total employment: 600 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $211,420
- Median hourly wage: $101.64
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $215,740
- Median hourly wage: $103.72
- Total employment: 360 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Djols // Shutterstock
46 / 50#1. Emergency medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 130 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 250 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 1,000 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Radiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.18 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 363 metros.
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