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1 / 50#50. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $79,160
- Median hourly wage: $38.06
- Total employment: 250 people (5.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest paying jobs in California, Maryland that require a bachelor's degree
While college and university tuition costs may be skyrocketing, a bachelor's degree remains essential to many high-paying jobs across the United States.
Annual tuition and fees at four-year colleges rose 10 to 14% on average from 2010-11 to 2021-22, National Center for Education Statistics data shows. For many students, this means taking out loans. Federal student loan recipients who earned a bachelor's degree in 2016 borrowed an average of over $45,000 to earn their degree, as measured four years after graduation.
While expensive, bachelor's degrees provide higher earnings potential for U.S. workers. A Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis from 2021 shows that bachelor's degree holders make $277 more weekly than the median for all jobs, and $525 more than those whose highest education level is a high school diploma. What's more, the unemployment rate is lower for bachelor's degree holders at 3.5%, compared to 4.7% for all U.S. workers.
To be sure, not all jobs that require a bachelor's pay well. So, if you're going to get an undergraduate degree, what jobs will pay enough to make it worthwhile?
Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in California that require a bachelor's degree. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
Keep reading to discover the highest-paying jobs that require a bachelor's degree in California.
This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 366 metros.
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2 / 50#49. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $79,750
- Median hourly wage: $38.34
- Total employment: 520 people (10.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 50#48. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $80,140
- Median hourly wage: $38.53
- Total employment: 160 people (3.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 / 50#47. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $80,700
- Median hourly wage: $38.80
- Total employment: 260 people (5.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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5 / 50#46. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $81,430
- Median hourly wage: $39.15
- Total employment: 40 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $82,300
- Median hourly wage: $39.57
- Total employment: 90 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $82,800
- Median hourly wage: $39.81
- Total employment: 40 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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8 / 50#43. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $88,070
- Median hourly wage: $42.34
- Total employment: 640 people (13.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $88,090
- Median hourly wage: $42.35
- Total employment: 100 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50#41. Technical writers
- Median annual wage: $88,300
- Median hourly wage: $42.45
- Total employment: 100 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Financial risk specialists
- Median annual wage: $90,590
- Median hourly wage: $43.55
- Total employment: 50 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $94,030
- Median hourly wage: $45.21
- Total employment: 50 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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13 / 50#38. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $94,700
- Median hourly wage: $45.53
- Total employment: 1,020 people (21.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50#37. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $95,070
- Median hourly wage: $45.71
- Total employment: 50 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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15 / 50#36. Budget analysts
- Median annual wage: $97,780
- Median hourly wage: $47.01
- Total employment: 40 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $98,020
- Median hourly wage: $47.13
- Total employment: 80 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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17 / 50#34. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $98,800
- Median hourly wage: $47.50
- Total employment: 740 people (15.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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18 / 50#33. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $98,920
- Median hourly wage: $47.56
- Total employment: 70 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $101,640
- Median hourly wage: $48.87
- Total employment: 730 people (15.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $101,760
- Median hourly wage: $48.92
- Total employment: 50 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $105,290
- Median hourly wage: $50.62
- Total employment: 690 people (14.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $106,050
- Median hourly wage: $50.99
- Total employment: 190 people (3.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $108,540
- Median hourly wage: $52.18
- Total employment: 270 people (5.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $108,550
- Median hourly wage: $52.19
- Total employment: 60 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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25 / 50#26. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,720
- Median hourly wage: $52.75
- Total employment: 360 people (7.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $113,420
- Median hourly wage: $54.53
- Total employment: 210 people (4.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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27 / 50#24. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $113,820
- Median hourly wage: $54.72
- Total employment: 80 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $115,890
- Median hourly wage: $55.71
- Total employment: 430 people (9.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $116,080
- Median hourly wage: $55.81
- Total employment: 60 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
30 / 50#20. Computer occupations, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $117,500
- Median hourly wage: $56.49
- Total employment: 980 people (20.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Financial specialists, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $117,500
- Median hourly wage: $56.49
- Total employment: 710 people (15.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $119,410
- Median hourly wage: $57.41
- Total employment: 1,210 people (25.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $120,590
- Median hourly wage: $57.98
- Total employment: 1,150 people (24.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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34 / 50#17. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $122,300
- Median hourly wage: $58.80
- Total employment: 90 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $122,410
- Median hourly wage: $58.85
- Total employment: 150 people (3.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $125,620
- Median hourly wage: $60.40
- Total employment: 720 people (15.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $126,310
- Median hourly wage: $60.73
- Total employment: 1,910 people (40.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $126,420
- Median hourly wage: $60.78
- Total employment: 1,080 people (23.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $129,780
- Median hourly wage: $62.39
- Total employment: 180 people (3.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $134,640
- Median hourly wage: $64.73
- Total employment: 40 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $135,350
- Median hourly wage: $65.07
- Total employment: 110 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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42 / 50#9. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $137,270
- Median hourly wage: $65.99
- Total employment: 140 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $138,840
- Median hourly wage: $66.75
- Total employment: 270 people (5.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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44 / 50#7. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $138,860
- Median hourly wage: $66.76
- Total employment: 660 people (13.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $139,300
- Median hourly wage: $66.97
- Total employment: 440 people (9.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $149,760
- Median hourly wage: $72.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $153,090
- Median hourly wage: $73.60
- Total employment: 780 people (16.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $158,050
- Median hourly wage: $75.98
- Total employment: 170 people (3.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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49 / 50#2. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $166,200
- Median hourly wage: $79.90
- Total employment: 140 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $214,960
- Median hourly wage: $103.35
- Total employment: 80 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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