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1 / 50#50. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $50,030
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 930 people (9.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Lake Charles 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 Lake Charles, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $50,080
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 140 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lopolo // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $50,110
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 450 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Community and social service specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $50,640
- Median hourly wage: $24.35
- Total employment: 160 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ermolaev Alexander // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Special education teachers, all other
- Median annual wage: $50,660
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Educational instruction and library workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $50,800
- Median hourly wage: $24.42
- Total employment: 210 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $52,450
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 190 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $54,490
- Median hourly wage: $26.20
- Total employment: 190 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
- Median annual wage: $55,960
- Median hourly wage: $26.91
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedy // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $56,260
- Median hourly wage: $27.05
- Total employment: 40 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Deemerwha studio // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Conservation scientists
- Median annual wage: $57,260
- Median hourly wage: $27.53
- Total employment: 30 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $58,120
- Median hourly wage: $27.94
- Total employment: 680 people (6.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $59,660
- Median hourly wage: $28.68
- Total employment: 40 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $60,860
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $61,000
- Median hourly wage: $29.33
- Total employment: 90 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Public relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $61,040
- Median hourly wage: $29.35
- Total employment: 40 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Coaches and scouts
- Median annual wage: $61,900
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 240 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $62,300
- Median hourly wage: $29.95
- Total employment: 230 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $64,570
- Median hourly wage: $31.05
- Total employment: 140 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $67,050
- Median hourly wage: $32.24
- Total employment: 590 people (5.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $69,790
- Median hourly wage: $33.55
- Total employment: 100 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $71,500
- Median hourly wage: $34.37
- Total employment: 140 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $72,980
- Median hourly wage: $35.09
- Total employment: 90 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $74,760
- Median hourly wage: $35.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $76,770
- Median hourly wage: $36.91
- Total employment: 250 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $78,240
- Median hourly wage: $37.62
- Total employment: 2,610 people (26.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $79,010
- Median hourly wage: $37.99
- Total employment: 70 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $82,340
- Median hourly wage: $39.59
- Total employment: 260 people (2.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $82,380
- Median hourly wage: $39.61
- Total employment: 50 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $84,700
- Median hourly wage: $40.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $90,160
- Median hourly wage: $43.35
- Total employment: 50 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $92,110
- Median hourly wage: $44.29
- Total employment: 1,470 people (14.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $92,870
- Median hourly wage: $44.65
- Total employment: 140 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $96,910
- Median hourly wage: $46.59
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $100,680
- Median hourly wage: $48.41
- Total employment: 1,950 people (19.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $102,940
- Median hourly wage: $49.49
- Total employment: 40 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $103,650
- Median hourly wage: $49.83
- Total employment: 980 people (9.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $104,450
- Median hourly wage: $50.22
- Total employment: 120 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $104,500
- Median hourly wage: $50.24
- Total employment: 280 people (2.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $106,780
- Median hourly wage: $51.34
- Total employment: 70 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $106,800
- Median hourly wage: $51.35
- Total employment: 80 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $111,190
- Median hourly wage: $53.46
- Total employment: 30 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $111,770
- Median hourly wage: $53.73
- Total employment: 60 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $112,990
- Median hourly wage: $54.32
- Total employment: 40 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $119,010
- Median hourly wage: $57.22
- Total employment: 140 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $125,680
- Median hourly wage: $60.42
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $127,640
- Median hourly wage: $61.37
- Total employment: 230 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $130,770
- Median hourly wage: $62.87
- Total employment: 160 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Another77 // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Petroleum engineers
- Median annual wage: $153,830
- Median hourly wage: $73.96
- Total employment: 70 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $184,040
- Median hourly wage: $88.48
- Total employment: 120 people (1.16 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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