VH-studio // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Child, family, and school social workers
- Median annual wage: $60,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.03
- Total employment: 150 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Niles 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 Niles, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Niles for high school graduates
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $61,510
- Median hourly wage: $29.57
- Total employment: 70 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
B Brown // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $63,110
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 370 people (6.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Public relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $63,340
- Median hourly wage: $30.45
- Total employment: 100 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lopolo // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $63,550
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 260 people (4.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Coat drives near Niles
industryviews // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $64,370
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $64,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.99
- Total employment: 60 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
8 / 50#42. Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school (tie)
- Median annual wage: $65,380
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Special education teachers, secondary school (tie)
- Median annual wage: $65,380
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 30 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $65,690
- Median hourly wage: $31.58
- Total employment: 130 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How much house $1 million buys you in Niles
Rido // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $65,940
- Median hourly wage: $31.70
- Total employment: 310 people (5.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $66,280
- Median hourly wage: $31.87
- Total employment: 60 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
- Median annual wage: $66,290
- Median hourly wage: $31.87
- Total employment: 80 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
- Median annual wage: $67,860
- Median hourly wage: $32.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GLRL // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $71,900
- Median hourly wage: $34.57
- Total employment: 220 people (3.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Niles that require a graduate degree
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $72,360
- Median hourly wage: $34.79
- Total employment: 360 people (6.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $73,360
- Median hourly wage: $35.27
- Total employment: 180 people (3.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $73,670
- Median hourly wage: $35.42
- Total employment: 430 people (7.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $78,280
- Median hourly wage: $37.64
- Total employment: 110 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $78,990
- Median hourly wage: $37.98
- Total employment: 150 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Closest national parks to Niles
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $79,020
- Median hourly wage: $37.99
- Total employment: 80 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $80,670
- Median hourly wage: $38.79
- Total employment: 130 people (2.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $80,910
- Median hourly wage: $38.90
- Total employment: 40 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $81,530
- Median hourly wage: $39.20
- Total employment: Not available
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $81,760
- Median hourly wage: $39.31
- Total employment: 240 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Lowest-paying jobs in Niles
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $82,170
- Median hourly wage: $39.51
- Total employment: 60 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $83,160
- Median hourly wage: $39.98
- Total employment: 110 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $89,210
- Median hourly wage: $42.89
- Total employment: 50 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $90,030
- Median hourly wage: $43.29
- Total employment: 1,110 people (18.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $92,540
- Median hourly wage: $44.49
- Total employment: 60 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Niles
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $93,970
- Median hourly wage: $45.18
- Total employment: 90 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $94,660
- Median hourly wage: $45.51
- Total employment: 300 people (4.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $98,130
- Median hourly wage: $47.18
- Total employment: 50 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $98,280
- Median hourly wage: $47.25
- Total employment: 1,440 people (24.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $99,840
- Median hourly wage: $48.00
- Total employment: 80 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Most expensive homes for sale in Niles
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $102,530
- Median hourly wage: $49.29
- Total employment: 130 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $102,880
- Median hourly wage: $49.46
- Total employment: 640 people (10.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $105,130
- Median hourly wage: $50.54
- Total employment: 250 people (4.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $106,690
- Median hourly wage: $51.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $108,180
- Median hourly wage: $52.01
- Total employment: 170 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Niles 7-day weather forecast
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $117,710
- Median hourly wage: $56.59
- Total employment: 180 people (2.96 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: $117,960
- Median hourly wage: $56.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $125,490
- Median hourly wage: $60.33
- Total employment: 230 people (3.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $133,140
- Median hourly wage: $64.01
- Total employment: 250 people (4.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $134,050
- Median hourly wage: $64.45
- Total employment: 250 people (4.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Cheapest gas stations in Niles
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $136,720
- Median hourly wage: $65.73
- Total employment: 70 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $150,890
- Median hourly wage: $72.54
- Total employment: 100 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $157,350
- Median hourly wage: $75.65
- Total employment: 160 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $174,740
- Median hourly wage: $84.01
- Total employment: 90 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $178,200
- Median hourly wage: $85.68
- Total employment: 70 people (1.24 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.
You may also like: Cities with the most expensive homes in the Niles metro area
