fizkes // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $93,770
- Median hourly wage: $45.08
- Total employment: 5,410 people (4.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Indianapolis 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 Indianapolis, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Commercial and industrial designers
- Median annual wage: $94,850
- Median hourly wage: $45.60
- Total employment: 120 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $95,470
- Median hourly wage: $45.90
- Total employment: 1,010 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,230
- Median hourly wage: $46.26
- Total employment: 1,990 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $96,570
- Median hourly wage: $46.43
- Total employment: Not available
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $97,080
- Median hourly wage: $46.67
- Total employment: 80 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,640
- Median hourly wage: $46.94
- Total employment: 2,040 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,780
- Median hourly wage: $47.01
- Total employment: 2,510 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $98,190
- Median hourly wage: $47.21
- Total employment: 650 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $99,080
- Median hourly wage: $47.64
- Total employment: 1,410 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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THICHA SATAPITANON // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Financial risk specialists
- Median annual wage: $99,130
- Median hourly wage: $47.66
- Total employment: 340 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,420
- Median hourly wage: $47.80
- Total employment: 190 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $99,500
- Median hourly wage: $47.84
- Total employment: 5,170 people (4.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,990
- Median hourly wage: $48.07
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $100,340
- Median hourly wage: $48.24
- Total employment: 2,270 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $102,060
- Median hourly wage: $49.07
- Total employment: 490 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $102,380
- Median hourly wage: $49.22
- Total employment: 1,790 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $102,720
- Median hourly wage: $49.39
- Total employment: 2,310 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Art directors
- Median annual wage: $102,950
- Median hourly wage: $49.50
- Total employment: 190 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ZikG // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Fish and game wardens
- Median annual wage: $102,990
- Median hourly wage: $49.51
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $103,010
- Median hourly wage: $49.52
- Total employment: Not available
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $103,110
- Median hourly wage: $49.57
- Total employment: 4,940 people (4.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $103,810
- Median hourly wage: $49.91
- Total employment: 130 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $104,130
- Median hourly wage: $50.06
- Total employment: 1,310 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Atmospheric and space scientists
- Median annual wage: $105,290
- Median hourly wage: $50.62
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $105,990
- Median hourly wage: $50.96
- Total employment: 6,340 people (5.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $106,180
- Median hourly wage: $51.05
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Biological scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $106,550
- Median hourly wage: $51.23
- Total employment: 440 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $106,730
- Median hourly wage: $51.31
- Total employment: 2,670 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $108,990
- Median hourly wage: $52.40
- Total employment: 350 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $110,200
- Median hourly wage: $52.98
- Total employment: Not available
fizkes // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $110,310
- Median hourly wage: $53.03
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Taty77 // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
- Median annual wage: $110,590
- Median hourly wage: $53.17
- Total employment: Not available
creativemarc // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $111,910
- Median hourly wage: $53.80
- Total employment: 2,430 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $114,770
- Median hourly wage: $55.18
- Total employment: 640 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PanuShot // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Advertising and promotions managers
- Median annual wage: $117,330
- Median hourly wage: $56.41
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $120,810
- Median hourly wage: $58.08
- Total employment: 1,940 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $123,580
- Median hourly wage: $59.41
- Total employment: 16,750 people (15.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $123,770
- Median hourly wage: $59.51
- Total employment: 960 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tonhom1009 // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
- Median annual wage: $127,650
- Median hourly wage: $61.37
- Total employment: 500 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $127,770
- Median hourly wage: $61.43
- Total employment: 1,920 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $131,110
- Median hourly wage: $63.03
- Total employment: 3,880 people (3.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $131,480
- Median hourly wage: $63.21
- Total employment: 1,240 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $131,610
- Median hourly wage: $63.27
- Total employment: 460 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $133,790
- Median hourly wage: $64.32
- Total employment: 410 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $138,920
- Median hourly wage: $66.79
- Total employment: 3,870 people (3.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $139,660
- Median hourly wage: $67.15
- Total employment: 4,750 people (4.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $156,820
- Median hourly wage: $75.39
- Total employment: 1,660 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: $171,050
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $214,170
- Median hourly wage: $102.97
- Total employment: 920 people (0.83 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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