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1 / 50#50. Web and digital interface designers
- Median annual wage: $78,530
- Median hourly wage: $37.76
- Total employment: 30 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Crestview 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 Crestview, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $81,000
- Median hourly wage: $38.94
- Total employment: 160 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 50#48. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $81,270
- Median hourly wage: $39.07
- Total employment: 2,010 people (16.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 / 50#47. Interpreters and translators
- Median annual wage: $81,600
- Median hourly wage: $39.23
- Total employment: 60 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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5 / 50#46. Budget analysts
- Median annual wage: $82,220
- Median hourly wage: $39.53
- Total employment: 170 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $84,640
- Median hourly wage: $40.69
- Total employment: 100 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Social scientists and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $87,260
- Median hourly wage: $41.95
- Total employment: 150 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $87,540
- Median hourly wage: $42.09
- Total employment: 470 people (3.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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9 / 50#42. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $89,860
- Median hourly wage: $43.20
- Total employment: 620 people (4.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $90,750
- Median hourly wage: $43.63
- Total employment: 100 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $94,310
- Median hourly wage: $45.34
- Total employment: 1,880 people (15.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $94,990
- Median hourly wage: $45.67
- Total employment: 3,350 people (26.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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13 / 50#38. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $95,400
- Median hourly wage: $45.87
- Total employment: 140 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50#36. Financial specialists, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $95,640
- Median hourly wage: $45.98
- Total employment: 240 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Logisticians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $95,640
- Median hourly wage: $45.98
- Total employment: 320 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,090
- Median hourly wage: $46.20
- Total employment: 180 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $96,610
- Median hourly wage: $46.45
- Total employment: 280 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $98,120
- Median hourly wage: $47.18
- Total employment: 790 people (6.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $98,550
- Median hourly wage: $47.38
- Total employment: 600 people (4.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $99,110
- Median hourly wage: $47.65
- Total employment: 490 people (3.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $99,960
- Median hourly wage: $48.06
- Total employment: 110 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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22 / 50#29. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,450
- Median hourly wage: $48.29
- Total employment: 530 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $100,490
- Median hourly wage: $48.31
- Total employment: 500 people (4.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $101,440
- Median hourly wage: $48.77
- Total employment: 870 people (6.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $101,650
- Median hourly wage: $48.87
- Total employment: 70 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $103,710
- Median hourly wage: $49.86
- Total employment: 240 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,950
- Median hourly wage: $49.98
- Total employment: 210 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $105,150
- Median hourly wage: $50.55
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $106,520
- Median hourly wage: $51.21
- Total employment: 330 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $107,670
- Median hourly wage: $51.76
- Total employment: 310 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $108,610
- Median hourly wage: $52.21
- Total employment: 380 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $110,140
- Median hourly wage: $52.95
- Total employment: 30 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
33 / 50#17. Operations research analysts (tie)
- Median annual wage: $113,730
- Median hourly wage: $54.68
- Total employment: 220 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Electronics engineers, except computer (tie)
- Median annual wage: $113,730
- Median hourly wage: $54.68
- Total employment: 400 people (3.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#15. Education administrators, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $117,190
- Median hourly wage: $56.34
- Total employment: 50 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Human resources managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $117,190
- Median hourly wage: $56.34
- Total employment: 80 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $118,080
- Median hourly wage: $56.77
- Total employment: 110 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $119,890
- Median hourly wage: $57.64
- Total employment: 170 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $120,430
- Median hourly wage: $57.90
- Total employment: 150 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $127,650
- Median hourly wage: $61.37
- Total employment: 1,200 people (9.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $127,860
- Median hourly wage: $61.47
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $128,630
- Median hourly wage: $61.84
- Total employment: 130 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $128,810
- Median hourly wage: $61.93
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $129,380
- Median hourly wage: $62.20
- Total employment: 420 people (3.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $130,330
- Median hourly wage: $62.66
- Total employment: 60 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $130,980
- Median hourly wage: $62.97
- Total employment: 890 people (7.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $144,680
- Median hourly wage: $69.56
- Total employment: 140 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $159,660
- Median hourly wage: $76.76
- Total employment: 310 people (2.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: $162,570
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $162,750
- Median hourly wage: $78.25
- Total employment: 170 people (1.38 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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