Undrey // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $77,660
- Median hourly wage: $37.34
- Total employment: 360 people (2.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Peoria 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 Peoria, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Technical writers
- Median annual wage: $79,800
- Median hourly wage: $38.37
- Total employment: 30 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $81,280
- Median hourly wage: $39.08
- Total employment: 170 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Financial examiners
- Median annual wage: $82,180
- Median hourly wage: $39.51
- Total employment: 30 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $83,090
- Median hourly wage: $39.95
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $84,690
- Median hourly wage: $40.72
- Total employment: 6,020 people (36.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $84,810
- Median hourly wage: $40.77
- Total employment: 50 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $85,830
- Median hourly wage: $41.27
- Total employment: 210 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $89,490
- Median hourly wage: $43.03
- Total employment: 60 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $89,860
- Median hourly wage: $43.20
- Total employment: 100 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $90,260
- Median hourly wage: $43.39
- Total employment: 60 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $91,010
- Median hourly wage: $43.75
- Total employment: 220 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $91,430
- Median hourly wage: $43.96
- Total employment: 110 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $91,680
- Median hourly wage: $44.08
- Total employment: 80 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $92,360
- Median hourly wage: $44.41
- Total employment: 240 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $92,620
- Median hourly wage: $44.53
- Total employment: 390 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $92,980
- Median hourly wage: $44.70
- Total employment: 60 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $93,540
- Median hourly wage: $44.97
- Total employment: 350 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $94,920
- Median hourly wage: $45.64
- Total employment: 40 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $94,980
- Median hourly wage: $45.67
- Total employment: 430 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $95,690
- Median hourly wage: $46.01
- Total employment: 3,900 people (23.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,880
- Median hourly wage: $46.58
- Total employment: 290 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $96,990
- Median hourly wage: $46.63
- Total employment: 130 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $100,800
- Median hourly wage: $48.46
- Total employment: 530 people (3.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,080
- Median hourly wage: $48.60
- Total employment: 30 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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dokurose // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $101,750
- Median hourly wage: $48.92
- Total employment: 40 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $102,630
- Median hourly wage: $49.34
- Total employment: 140 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $102,900
- Median hourly wage: $49.47
- Total employment: 170 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $104,330
- Median hourly wage: $50.16
- Total employment: 650 people (3.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $105,320
- Median hourly wage: $50.64
- Total employment: 400 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $106,060
- Median hourly wage: $50.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $108,210
- Median hourly wage: $52.02
- Total employment: 140 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $108,380
- Median hourly wage: $52.11
- Total employment: 30 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $109,980
- Median hourly wage: $52.88
- Total employment: 40 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $111,330
- Median hourly wage: $53.53
- Total employment: 1,480 people (8.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $114,140
- Median hourly wage: $54.88
- Total employment: 760 people (4.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $115,350
- Median hourly wage: $55.46
- Total employment: 1,080 people (6.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $120,110
- Median hourly wage: $57.74
- Total employment: 130 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $122,950
- Median hourly wage: $59.11
- Total employment: 120 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $124,030
- Median hourly wage: $59.63
- Total employment: 290 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $124,790
- Median hourly wage: $60.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $126,960
- Median hourly wage: $61.04
- Total employment: 590 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $127,330
- Median hourly wage: $61.22
- Total employment: 840 people (5.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $132,730
- Median hourly wage: $63.81
- Total employment: 1,050 people (6.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $134,500
- Median hourly wage: $64.66
- Total employment: 120 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $134,630
- Median hourly wage: $64.73
- Total employment: 450 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $146,860
- Median hourly wage: $70.61
- Total employment: 200 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $147,640
- Median hourly wage: $70.98
- Total employment: 520 people (3.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $182,390
- Median hourly wage: $87.69
- Total employment: 530 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $220,430
- Median hourly wage: $105.98
- Total employment: 120 people (0.7 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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