Kzenon // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $56,580
- Median hourly wage: $27.20
- Total employment: 150 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Lawrence 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 Lawrence, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Lopolo // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $57,200
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 250 people (4.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Child, family, and school social workers
- Median annual wage: $57,300
- Median hourly wage: $27.55
- Total employment: 130 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
- Median annual wage: $59,060
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
B Brown // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $59,750
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 390 people (7.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Public relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $60,870
- Median hourly wage: $29.26
- Total employment: 180 people (3.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GLRL // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $61,160
- Median hourly wage: $29.40
- Total employment: 140 people (2.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $61,730
- Median hourly wage: $29.68
- Total employment: 300 people (5.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $63,800
- Median hourly wage: $30.67
- Total employment: 70 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $63,810
- Median hourly wage: $30.68
- Total employment: 70 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $63,850
- Median hourly wage: $30.70
- Total employment: 380 people (7.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Fundraisers
- Median annual wage: $63,940
- Median hourly wage: $30.74
- Total employment: 160 people (3.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Editors
- Median annual wage: $64,480
- Median hourly wage: $31.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $65,880
- Median hourly wage: $31.67
- Total employment: 90 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $74,050
- Median hourly wage: $35.60
- Total employment: 70 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $75,520
- Median hourly wage: $36.31
- Total employment: 370 people (7.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $75,990
- Median hourly wage: $36.54
- Total employment: 80 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $76,840
- Median hourly wage: $36.94
- Total employment: 100 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $77,280
- Median hourly wage: $37.15
- Total employment: 110 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $78,660
- Median hourly wage: $37.82
- Total employment: 80 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $79,510
- Median hourly wage: $38.23
- Total employment: 790 people (15.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $79,950
- Median hourly wage: $38.44
- Total employment: 340 people (6.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $80,110
- Median hourly wage: $38.52
- Total employment: 190 people (3.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $80,240
- Median hourly wage: $38.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $80,330
- Median hourly wage: $38.62
- Total employment: 70 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $80,860
- Median hourly wage: $38.88
- Total employment: 70 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $81,540
- Median hourly wage: $39.20
- Total employment: 50 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $81,560
- Median hourly wage: $39.21
- Total employment: 920 people (17.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $82,250
- Median hourly wage: $39.54
- Total employment: 70 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $82,620
- Median hourly wage: $39.72
- Total employment: 90 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $83,510
- Median hourly wage: $40.15
- Total employment: 130 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $86,800
- Median hourly wage: $41.73
- Total employment: 80 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $88,290
- Median hourly wage: $42.45
- Total employment: 160 people (3.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
34 / 50#16. Web developers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $89,990
- Median hourly wage: $43.26
- Total employment: 30 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Human resources managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $89,990
- Median hourly wage: $43.26
- Total employment: 70 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $91,450
- Median hourly wage: $43.97
- Total employment: 60 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $93,030
- Median hourly wage: $44.72
- Total employment: 90 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $96,040
- Median hourly wage: $46.17
- Total employment: 90 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $98,720
- Median hourly wage: $47.46
- Total employment: 70 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,240
- Median hourly wage: $48.67
- Total employment: 40 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $101,640
- Median hourly wage: $48.87
- Total employment: 120 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $104,260
- Median hourly wage: $50.13
- Total employment: 330 people (6.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $104,590
- Median hourly wage: $50.28
- Total employment: 140 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $122,280
- Median hourly wage: $58.79
- Total employment: 50 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $128,270
- Median hourly wage: $61.67
- Total employment: 110 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $132,410
- Median hourly wage: $63.66
- Total employment: 30 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $147,830
- Median hourly wage: $71.07
- Total employment: 50 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $149,180
- Median hourly wage: $71.72
- Total employment: 130 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $150,390
- Median hourly wage: $72.30
- Total employment: 110 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $155,420
- Median hourly wage: $74.72
- Total employment: 70 people (1.36 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.
