wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $91,650
- Median hourly wage: $44.06
- Total employment: 210 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Ann Arbor 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 Ann Arbor, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $92,410
- Median hourly wage: $44.43
- Total employment: 70 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $94,050
- Median hourly wage: $45.22
- Total employment: 12,030 people (55.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $94,910
- Median hourly wage: $45.63
- Total employment: 1,400 people (6.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $95,050
- Median hourly wage: $45.70
- Total employment: 410 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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aappp // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,230
- Median hourly wage: $46.27
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,470
- Median hourly wage: $46.38
- Total employment: 70 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
8 / 50#42. Labor relations specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $97,620
- Median hourly wage: $46.93
- Total employment: 90 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tonhom1009 // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $97,620
- Median hourly wage: $46.94
- Total employment: Not available
THICHA SATAPITANON // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Financial risk specialists
- Median annual wage: $99,500
- Median hourly wage: $47.84
- Total employment: 30 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $101,490
- Median hourly wage: $48.80
- Total employment: 860 people (3.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,740
- Median hourly wage: $48.91
- Total employment: 800 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $102,020
- Median hourly wage: $49.05
- Total employment: 240 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $102,050
- Median hourly wage: $49.06
- Total employment: 200 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $102,520
- Median hourly wage: $49.29
- Total employment: 250 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Food scientists and technologists
- Median annual wage: $102,570
- Median hourly wage: $49.31
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $103,130
- Median hourly wage: $49.58
- Total employment: 290 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $104,400
- Median hourly wage: $50.19
- Total employment: 890 people (4.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $105,680
- Median hourly wage: $50.81
- Total employment: 610 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $106,630
- Median hourly wage: $51.27
- Total employment: 340 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Halfpoint // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $108,120
- Median hourly wage: $51.98
- Total employment: 90 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $108,330
- Median hourly wage: $52.08
- Total employment: 3,150 people (14.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $108,550
- Median hourly wage: $52.19
- Total employment: 280 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $108,680
- Median hourly wage: $52.25
- Total employment: 2,140 people (9.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $109,160
- Median hourly wage: $52.48
- Total employment: 320 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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creativemarc // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $109,510
- Median hourly wage: $52.65
- Total employment: 400 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $111,430
- Median hourly wage: $53.57
- Total employment: 240 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $112,250
- Median hourly wage: $53.97
- Total employment: 100 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $113,520
- Median hourly wage: $54.58
- Total employment: 1,170 people (5.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $114,990
- Median hourly wage: $55.28
- Total employment: 70 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $115,420
- Median hourly wage: $55.49
- Total employment: 190 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $115,580
- Median hourly wage: $55.57
- Total employment: 30 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $119,270
- Median hourly wage: $57.34
- Total employment: 140 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $119,310
- Median hourly wage: $57.36
- Total employment: 2,450 people (11.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $121,010
- Median hourly wage: $58.18
- Total employment: 90 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $125,000
- Median hourly wage: $60.09
- Total employment: 370 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $127,830
- Median hourly wage: $61.46
- Total employment: 130 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $131,860
- Median hourly wage: $63.39
- Total employment: 160 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $135,680
- Median hourly wage: $65.23
- Total employment: 270 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $136,450
- Median hourly wage: $65.60
- Total employment: 170 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $137,570
- Median hourly wage: $66.14
- Total employment: 710 people (3.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $138,080
- Median hourly wage: $66.39
- Total employment: 450 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $139,840
- Median hourly wage: $67.23
- Total employment: 800 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $139,850
- Median hourly wage: $67.23
- Total employment: 170 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $142,840
- Median hourly wage: $68.67
- Total employment: 250 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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dokurose // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $146,560
- Median hourly wage: $70.46
- Total employment: 600 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $154,100
- Median hourly wage: $74.09
- Total employment: 190 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $166,370
- Median hourly wage: $79.99
- Total employment: 1,080 people (4.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $170,060
- Median hourly wage: $81.76
- Total employment: 850 people (3.91 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: 200 people (0.93 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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