Kzenon // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $65,330
- Median hourly wage: $31.41
- Total employment: 210 people (3.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Dover 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 Dover, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $66,730
- Median hourly wage: $32.08
- Total employment: 80 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Fundraisers
- Median annual wage: $67,560
- Median hourly wage: $32.48
- Total employment: 40 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $67,660
- Median hourly wage: $32.53
- Total employment: 570 people (8.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $67,960
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 240 people (3.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $68,180
- Median hourly wage: $32.78
- Total employment: 170 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $68,740
- Median hourly wage: $33.05
- Total employment: 680 people (9.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $69,920
- Median hourly wage: $33.61
- Total employment: 110 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $69,930
- Median hourly wage: $33.62
- Total employment: 180 people (2.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $70,700
- Median hourly wage: $33.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $71,970
- Median hourly wage: $34.60
- Total employment: 40 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sabthai // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Budget analysts
- Median annual wage: $72,570
- Median hourly wage: $34.89
- Total employment: 90 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $72,790
- Median hourly wage: $35.00
- Total employment: 130 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
B Brown // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $73,940
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,020 people (14.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $74,150
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Special education teachers, middle school
- Median annual wage: $75,600
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: Not available
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $75,610
- Median hourly wage: $36.35
- Total employment: 60 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $75,870
- Median hourly wage: $36.48
- Total employment: 150 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $77,910
- Median hourly wage: $37.46
- Total employment: 340 people (4.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Financial specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $79,760
- Median hourly wage: $38.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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luchschenF // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $79,910
- Median hourly wage: $38.42
- Total employment: 50 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $82,490
- Median hourly wage: $39.66
- Total employment: 230 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $83,090
- Median hourly wage: $39.95
- Total employment: 80 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $86,280
- Median hourly wage: $41.48
- Total employment: 1,330 people (19.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $86,900
- Median hourly wage: $41.78
- Total employment: 40 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $88,700
- Median hourly wage: $42.65
- Total employment: 40 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $92,040
- Median hourly wage: $44.25
- Total employment: 60 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $92,840
- Median hourly wage: $44.63
- Total employment: 60 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $93,850
- Median hourly wage: $45.12
- Total employment: 50 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $93,940
- Median hourly wage: $45.16
- Total employment: 290 people (4.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,330
- Median hourly wage: $47.28
- Total employment: 70 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $98,340
- Median hourly wage: $47.28
- Total employment: 100 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $99,290
- Median hourly wage: $47.73
- Total employment: 250 people (3.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $101,790
- Median hourly wage: $48.94
- Total employment: 240 people (3.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $102,070
- Median hourly wage: $49.07
- Total employment: 50 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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THICHA SATAPITANON // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Financial risk specialists
- Median annual wage: $104,720
- Median hourly wage: $50.35
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $105,970
- Median hourly wage: $50.95
- Total employment: 140 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $108,220
- Median hourly wage: $52.03
- Total employment: 80 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $113,780
- Median hourly wage: $54.70
- Total employment: 40 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $118,090
- Median hourly wage: $56.78
- Total employment: 670 people (9.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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creativemarc // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $118,320
- Median hourly wage: $56.88
- Total employment: 50 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $119,180
- Median hourly wage: $57.30
- Total employment: 70 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $119,200
- Median hourly wage: $57.31
- Total employment: 360 people (5.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $121,590
- Median hourly wage: $58.46
- Total employment: 40 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $141,260
- Median hourly wage: $67.91
- Total employment: 130 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $144,120
- Median hourly wage: $69.29
- Total employment: 90 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $147,910
- Median hourly wage: $71.11
- Total employment: 180 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $160,920
- Median hourly wage: $77.36
- Total employment: 60 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $169,070
- Median hourly wage: $81.29
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $173,780
- Median hourly wage: $83.55
- Total employment: 100 people (1.39 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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