GLRL // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $64,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.98
- Total employment: 390 people (2.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Evansville 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 Evansville, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $65,960
- Median hourly wage: $31.71
- Total employment: 210 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $70,010
- Median hourly wage: $33.66
- Total employment: 200 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
- Median annual wage: $70,980
- Median hourly wage: $34.13
- Total employment: 50 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $71,630
- Median hourly wage: $34.44
- Total employment: 330 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
- Median annual wage: $74,240
- Median hourly wage: $35.69
- Total employment: 200 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $75,000
- Median hourly wage: $36.06
- Total employment: 80 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $75,020
- Median hourly wage: $36.07
- Total employment: 50 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
9 / 50#41. Computer occupations, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $75,150
- Median hourly wage: $36.13
- Total employment: 70 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Accountants and auditors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $75,150
- Median hourly wage: $36.13
- Total employment: 1,070 people (7.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $75,670
- Median hourly wage: $36.38
- Total employment: 130 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $76,580
- Median hourly wage: $36.82
- Total employment: 60 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $77,650
- Median hourly wage: $37.33
- Total employment: 160 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedy // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $77,950
- Median hourly wage: $37.48
- Total employment: 50 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $78,920
- Median hourly wage: $37.94
- Total employment: 60 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $79,040
- Median hourly wage: $38.00
- Total employment: 4,270 people (31.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $79,340
- Median hourly wage: $38.14
- Total employment: 180 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $79,370
- Median hourly wage: $38.16
- Total employment: 40 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $79,820
- Median hourly wage: $38.38
- Total employment: 210 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $79,990
- Median hourly wage: $38.46
- Total employment: 140 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $81,860
- Median hourly wage: $39.36
- Total employment: 250 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $85,170
- Median hourly wage: $40.95
- Total employment: 370 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $85,680
- Median hourly wage: $41.19
- Total employment: 80 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $86,020
- Median hourly wage: $41.36
- Total employment: 360 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $86,570
- Median hourly wage: $41.62
- Total employment: 210 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $87,180
- Median hourly wage: $41.91
- Total employment: 70 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $91,990
- Median hourly wage: $44.22
- Total employment: 300 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $92,050
- Median hourly wage: $44.26
- Total employment: 60 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $92,460
- Median hourly wage: $44.45
- Total employment: 80 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $94,290
- Median hourly wage: $45.33
- Total employment: 280 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $95,420
- Median hourly wage: $45.87
- Total employment: 200 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $96,530
- Median hourly wage: $46.41
- Total employment: 130 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $97,200
- Median hourly wage: $46.73
- Total employment: 220 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,630
- Median hourly wage: $47.42
- Total employment: 440 people (3.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $99,090
- Median hourly wage: $47.64
- Total employment: 140 people (1.02 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: $99,630
- Median hourly wage: $47.90
- Total employment: 560 people (4.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $100,400
- Median hourly wage: $48.27
- Total employment: 230 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,860
- Median hourly wage: $48.49
- Total employment: 200 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $101,620
- Median hourly wage: $48.86
- Total employment: 100 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $102,240
- Median hourly wage: $49.16
- Total employment: 1,880 people (13.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $103,720
- Median hourly wage: $49.86
- Total employment: 170 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $109,000
- Median hourly wage: $52.40
- Total employment: 370 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $119,710
- Median hourly wage: $57.55
- Total employment: 320 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $122,870
- Median hourly wage: $59.07
- Total employment: 510 people (3.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $123,470
- Median hourly wage: $59.36
- Total employment: 110 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $124,790
- Median hourly wage: $59.99
- Total employment: 110 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $126,370
- Median hourly wage: $60.76
- Total employment: 250 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $141,780
- Median hourly wage: $68.16
- Total employment: 180 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $144,780
- Median hourly wage: $69.60
- Total employment: 40 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $223,430
- Median hourly wage: $107.42
- Total employment: 60 people (0.46 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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