Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $72,550
- Median hourly wage: $34.88
- Total employment: 70 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Bloomington, Illinois 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 Bloomington, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Insurance underwriters
- Median annual wage: $73,490
- Median hourly wage: $35.33
- Total employment: 2,580 people (28.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $73,530
- Median hourly wage: $35.35
- Total employment: 250 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GLRL // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $74,680
- Median hourly wage: $35.90
- Total employment: 200 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $74,820
- Median hourly wage: $35.97
- Total employment: 670 people (7.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $76,550
- Median hourly wage: $36.80
- Total employment: 220 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Iam_Anupong // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $77,710
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling
- Median annual wage: $79,530
- Median hourly wage: $38.23
- Total employment: 50 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $79,600
- Median hourly wage: $38.27
- Total employment: 50 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Credit analysts
- Median annual wage: $79,820
- Median hourly wage: $38.37
- Total employment: 30 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $80,060
- Median hourly wage: $38.49
- Total employment: 1,590 people (17.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Financial specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $80,470
- Median hourly wage: $38.69
- Total employment: 70 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Public relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $84,480
- Median hourly wage: $40.61
- Total employment: 140 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $89,860
- Median hourly wage: $43.20
- Total employment: 120 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $90,140
- Median hourly wage: $43.34
- Total employment: 70 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $92,570
- Median hourly wage: $44.50
- Total employment: 560 people (6.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $93,580
- Median hourly wage: $44.99
- Total employment: 60 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $94,820
- Median hourly wage: $45.59
- Total employment: 1,780 people (19.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $95,390
- Median hourly wage: $45.86
- Total employment: 210 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $96,180
- Median hourly wage: $46.24
- Total employment: 120 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $97,330
- Median hourly wage: $46.79
- Total employment: 210 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,110
- Median hourly wage: $47.17
- Total employment: 120 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $98,900
- Median hourly wage: $47.55
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,980
- Median hourly wage: $47.59
- Total employment: 50 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,180
- Median hourly wage: $48.16
- Total employment: Not available
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26 / 50#25. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $100,480
- Median hourly wage: $48.31
- Total employment: 740 people (8.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $101,650
- Median hourly wage: $48.87
- Total employment: 70 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $103,600
- Median hourly wage: $49.81
- Total employment: 240 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $104,990
- Median hourly wage: $50.48
- Total employment: 60 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $106,200
- Median hourly wage: $51.06
- Total employment: 60 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $107,450
- Median hourly wage: $51.66
- Total employment: 920 people (10.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $107,600
- Median hourly wage: $51.73
- Total employment: 600 people (6.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $108,810
- Median hourly wage: $52.31
- Total employment: 170 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $109,900
- Median hourly wage: $52.84
- Total employment: 350 people (3.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Web and digital interface designers
- Median annual wage: $116,620
- Median hourly wage: $56.07
- Total employment: 80 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $121,590
- Median hourly wage: $58.46
- Total employment: 1,300 people (14.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
THICHA SATAPITANON // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Financial risk specialists
- Median annual wage: $124,940
- Median hourly wage: $60.07
- Total employment: 40 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $128,300
- Median hourly wage: $61.68
- Total employment: Not available
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $129,630
- Median hourly wage: $62.32
- Total employment: Not available
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $129,820
- Median hourly wage: $62.42
- Total employment: 140 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $130,330
- Median hourly wage: $62.66
- Total employment: 100 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $130,500
- Median hourly wage: $62.74
- Total employment: 190 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $133,340
- Median hourly wage: $64.11
- Total employment: 390 people (4.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $136,360
- Median hourly wage: $65.56
- Total employment: 200 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $136,730
- Median hourly wage: $65.74
- Total employment: 40 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $138,300
- Median hourly wage: $66.49
- Total employment: 350 people (3.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $142,540
- Median hourly wage: $68.53
- Total employment: 290 people (3.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $143,200
- Median hourly wage: $68.84
- Total employment: 140 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $156,720
- Median hourly wage: $75.34
- Total employment: Not available
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $165,720
- Median hourly wage: $79.67
- Total employment: 760 people (8.48 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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