Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $73,260
- Median hourly wage: $35.22
- Total employment: 170 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Gainesville 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 Gainesville, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $73,380
- Median hourly wage: $35.28
- Total employment: 950 people (6.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sabthai // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Budget analysts
- Median annual wage: $74,020
- Median hourly wage: $35.59
- Total employment: 90 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Iam_Anupong // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $74,040
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 120 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $74,730
- Median hourly wage: $35.93
- Total employment: 130 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Web and digital interface designers
- Median annual wage: $75,860
- Median hourly wage: $36.47
- Total employment: 40 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $76,180
- Median hourly wage: $36.62
- Total employment: 130 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $76,300
- Median hourly wage: $36.69
- Total employment: Not available
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Teachers and instructors, all other
- Median annual wage: $76,540
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 250 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $76,740
- Median hourly wage: $36.90
- Total employment: 890 people (5.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Producers and directors
- Median annual wage: $77,020
- Median hourly wage: $37.03
- Total employment: 60 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $77,070
- Median hourly wage: $37.05
- Total employment: 160 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
13 / 50#37. Financial and investment analysts (tie)
- Median annual wage: $77,270
- Median hourly wage: $37.15
- Total employment: 130 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Chemists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $77,270
- Median hourly wage: $37.15
- Total employment: 40 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $78,070
- Median hourly wage: $37.53
- Total employment: 70 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $79,040
- Median hourly wage: $38.00
- Total employment: 340 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $79,780
- Median hourly wage: $38.36
- Total employment: 70 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
THICHA SATAPITANON // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Financial risk specialists
- Median annual wage: $82,310
- Median hourly wage: $39.57
- Total employment: 40 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $83,080
- Median hourly wage: $39.94
- Total employment: 100 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $83,930
- Median hourly wage: $40.35
- Total employment: 40 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $83,970
- Median hourly wage: $40.37
- Total employment: 40 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $84,710
- Median hourly wage: $40.72
- Total employment: 7,000 people (46.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $84,930
- Median hourly wage: $40.83
- Total employment: 90 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $85,090
- Median hourly wage: $40.91
- Total employment: 500 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $90,050
- Median hourly wage: $43.29
- Total employment: 60 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $93,170
- Median hourly wage: $44.80
- Total employment: 320 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $94,520
- Median hourly wage: $45.44
- Total employment: 70 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $94,830
- Median hourly wage: $45.59
- Total employment: 3,010 people (19.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $95,060
- Median hourly wage: $45.70
- Total employment: 170 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $95,920
- Median hourly wage: $46.12
- Total employment: 830 people (5.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $95,960
- Median hourly wage: $46.14
- Total employment: 270 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,340
- Median hourly wage: $46.80
- Total employment: 150 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $98,250
- Median hourly wage: $47.24
- Total employment: 160 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $98,450
- Median hourly wage: $47.33
- Total employment: 270 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $99,250
- Median hourly wage: $47.72
- Total employment: 750 people (4.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $101,230
- Median hourly wage: $48.67
- Total employment: 40 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $102,010
- Median hourly wage: $49.05
- Total employment: 40 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $102,330
- Median hourly wage: $49.20
- Total employment: 190 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $102,550
- Median hourly wage: $49.31
- Total employment: 110 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $110,400
- Median hourly wage: $53.08
- Total employment: 30 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $111,170
- Median hourly wage: $53.45
- Total employment: 110 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $117,190
- Median hourly wage: $56.34
- Total employment: 860 people (5.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $119,760
- Median hourly wage: $57.58
- Total employment: 190 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $120,220
- Median hourly wage: $57.80
- Total employment: 80 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $120,640
- Median hourly wage: $58.00
- Total employment: 140 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $120,970
- Median hourly wage: $58.16
- Total employment: 360 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $125,800
- Median hourly wage: $60.48
- Total employment: 460 people (3.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $132,600
- Median hourly wage: $63.75
- Total employment: 310 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $135,180
- Median hourly wage: $64.99
- Total employment: 70 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $169,530
- Median hourly wage: $81.51
- Total employment: 240 people (1.57 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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