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1 / 50#50. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $81,710
- Median hourly wage: $39.28
- Total employment: 90 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Art directors
- Median annual wage: $82,490
- Median hourly wage: $39.66
- Total employment: 80 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $84,440
- Median hourly wage: $40.59
- Total employment: 180 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $85,080
- Median hourly wage: $40.91
- Total employment: 700 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $85,550
- Median hourly wage: $41.13
- Total employment: 2,910 people (5.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $86,160
- Median hourly wage: $41.42
- Total employment: 740 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $89,040
- Median hourly wage: $42.81
- Total employment: 960 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $91,590
- Median hourly wage: $44.03
- Total employment: 520 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $92,420
- Median hourly wage: $44.43
- Total employment: 2,790 people (4.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $93,650
- Median hourly wage: $45.03
- Total employment: 300 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $94,380
- Median hourly wage: $45.38
- Total employment: 280 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $94,600
- Median hourly wage: $45.48
- Total employment: 1,290 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,240
- Median hourly wage: $46.27
- Total employment: 4,260 people (7.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50#37. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $97,740
- Median hourly wage: $46.99
- Total employment: 550 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $97,900
- Median hourly wage: $47.07
- Total employment: 770 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $98,480
- Median hourly wage: $47.35
- Total employment: 540 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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17 / 50#34. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $98,860
- Median hourly wage: $47.53
- Total employment: 750 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $99,360
- Median hourly wage: $47.77
- Total employment: 730 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,990
- Median hourly wage: $48.07
- Total employment: 1,060 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,210
- Median hourly wage: $48.18
- Total employment: 90 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $101,020
- Median hourly wage: $48.57
- Total employment: 350 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $101,690
- Median hourly wage: $48.89
- Total employment: 10,950 people (19.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
THICHA SATAPITANON // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Financial risk specialists
- Median annual wage: $103,180
- Median hourly wage: $49.61
- Total employment: 90 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $103,410
- Median hourly wage: $49.72
- Total employment: 1,090 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $103,970
- Median hourly wage: $49.98
- Total employment: 3,570 people (6.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $105,250
- Median hourly wage: $50.60
- Total employment: 80 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $106,070
- Median hourly wage: $50.99
- Total employment: 90 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $106,340
- Median hourly wage: $51.13
- Total employment: 1,520 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $106,900
- Median hourly wage: $51.39
- Total employment: 70 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $107,280
- Median hourly wage: $51.58
- Total employment: 80 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $107,630
- Median hourly wage: $51.75
- Total employment: 150 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $107,920
- Median hourly wage: $51.89
- Total employment: 130 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $107,930
- Median hourly wage: $51.89
- Total employment: 350 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $110,440
- Median hourly wage: $53.10
- Total employment: 2,290 people (4.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mark_Kostich // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Medical dosimetrists
- Median annual wage: $118,530
- Median hourly wage: $56.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $118,790
- Median hourly wage: $57.11
- Total employment: 120 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $123,330
- Median hourly wage: $59.30
- Total employment: 380 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $124,580
- Median hourly wage: $59.89
- Total employment: 960 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $127,150
- Median hourly wage: $61.13
- Total employment: 110 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $127,170
- Median hourly wage: $61.14
- Total employment: 760 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $127,790
- Median hourly wage: $61.44
- Total employment: 2,210 people (3.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $128,370
- Median hourly wage: $61.72
- Total employment: 100 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $129,230
- Median hourly wage: $62.13
- Total employment: 960 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $130,090
- Median hourly wage: $62.55
- Total employment: 2,420 people (4.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Biological scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $131,250
- Median hourly wage: $63.10
- Total employment: 70 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $131,640
- Median hourly wage: $63.29
- Total employment: 50 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $133,710
- Median hourly wage: $64.29
- Total employment: 30 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $135,900
- Median hourly wage: $65.34
- Total employment: 1,400 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $139,980
- Median hourly wage: $67.30
- Total employment: 1,530 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $220,960
- Median hourly wage: $106.23
- Total employment: 480 people (0.85 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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