luchschenF // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $104,870
- Median hourly wage: $50.42
- Total employment: 840 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Baltimore 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 Baltimore, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $105,920
- Median hourly wage: $50.92
- Total employment: 6,090 people (4.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
H_Ko // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Materials scientists
- Median annual wage: $106,320
- Median hourly wage: $51.12
- Total employment: 90 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $106,880
- Median hourly wage: $51.39
- Total employment: 2,910 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $107,210
- Median hourly wage: $51.54
- Total employment: 540 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Emergency management directors
- Median annual wage: $107,250
- Median hourly wage: $51.56
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $109,640
- Median hourly wage: $52.71
- Total employment: Not available
Kardasov Films // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Marine engineers and naval architects
- Median annual wage: $110,020
- Median hourly wage: $52.89
- Total employment: 90 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $110,440
- Median hourly wage: $53.10
- Total employment: 670 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $111,470
- Median hourly wage: $53.59
- Total employment: 2,340 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $114,490
- Median hourly wage: $55.05
- Total employment: 3,540 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $115,250
- Median hourly wage: $55.41
- Total employment: 2,800 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $115,650
- Median hourly wage: $55.60
- Total employment: 1,030 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $115,710
- Median hourly wage: $55.63
- Total employment: 2,240 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $119,150
- Median hourly wage: $57.29
- Total employment: 4,270 people (3.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $119,990
- Median hourly wage: $57.69
- Total employment: 1,100 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $121,560
- Median hourly wage: $58.44
- Total employment: 1,160 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $121,870
- Median hourly wage: $58.59
- Total employment: 8,520 people (6.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $122,070
- Median hourly wage: $58.69
- Total employment: 820 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Advertising and promotions managers
- Median annual wage: $122,110
- Median hourly wage: $58.71
- Total employment: 280 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $123,090
- Median hourly wage: $59.18
- Total employment: 1,310 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $123,870
- Median hourly wage: $59.55
- Total employment: 140 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $123,930
- Median hourly wage: $59.58
- Total employment: 2,830 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $124,990
- Median hourly wage: $60.09
- Total employment: 270 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Social scientists and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $125,820
- Median hourly wage: $60.49
- Total employment: 1,060 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $126,120
- Median hourly wage: $60.64
- Total employment: 470 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $127,940
- Median hourly wage: $61.51
- Total employment: 3,270 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $129,210
- Median hourly wage: $62.12
- Total employment: 4,070 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $129,360
- Median hourly wage: $62.19
- Total employment: 320 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $130,990
- Median hourly wage: $62.98
- Total employment: 7,140 people (5.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $132,750
- Median hourly wage: $63.82
- Total employment: 500 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $133,680
- Median hourly wage: $64.27
- Total employment: 9,110 people (6.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Csomos Attila // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Hydrologists
- Median annual wage: $134,410
- Median hourly wage: $64.62
- Total employment: 40 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $136,050
- Median hourly wage: $65.41
- Total employment: 4,370 people (3.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $137,350
- Median hourly wage: $66.04
- Total employment: 16,620 people (12.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $137,560
- Median hourly wage: $66.14
- Total employment: 1,210 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $138,690
- Median hourly wage: $66.68
- Total employment: 170 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $141,540
- Median hourly wage: $68.05
- Total employment: 7,950 people (5.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $143,260
- Median hourly wage: $68.88
- Total employment: 2,440 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $147,070
- Median hourly wage: $70.71
- Total employment: 2,000 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $148,190
- Median hourly wage: $71.24
- Total employment: 3,620 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $149,410
- Median hourly wage: $71.83
- Total employment: 2,080 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $151,360
- Median hourly wage: $72.77
- Total employment: 210 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $153,320
- Median hourly wage: $73.71
- Total employment: 980 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $153,340
- Median hourly wage: $73.72
- Total employment: 840 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $155,270
- Median hourly wage: $74.65
- Total employment: 9,530 people (7.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $161,580
- Median hourly wage: $77.68
- Total employment: 1,240 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $163,970
- Median hourly wage: $78.83
- Total employment: 2,390 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $173,130
- Median hourly wage: $83.24
- Total employment: 7,380 people (5.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 2,560 people (1.91 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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