Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $73,070
- Median hourly wage: $35.13
- Total employment: 190 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Jackson 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 Jackson, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $73,130
- Median hourly wage: $35.16
- Total employment: 330 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Financial specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $74,140
- Median hourly wage: $35.65
- Total employment: 130 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $74,160
- Median hourly wage: $35.66
- Total employment: 440 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $74,240
- Median hourly wage: $35.69
- Total employment: 1,180 people (4.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $74,480
- Median hourly wage: $35.81
- Total employment: 50 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $75,820
- Median hourly wage: $36.45
- Total employment: 830 people (3.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $77,380
- Median hourly wage: $37.20
- Total employment: 240 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $78,360
- Median hourly wage: $37.67
- Total employment: 190 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $78,530
- Median hourly wage: $37.76
- Total employment: 360 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $78,800
- Median hourly wage: $37.89
- Total employment: 9,540 people (35.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Credit analysts
- Median annual wage: $80,440
- Median hourly wage: $38.67
- Total employment: 110 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $80,670
- Median hourly wage: $38.78
- Total employment: 160 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $82,220
- Median hourly wage: $39.53
- Total employment: 220 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $84,100
- Median hourly wage: $40.43
- Total employment: 550 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $85,490
- Median hourly wage: $41.10
- Total employment: 60 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $86,380
- Median hourly wage: $41.53
- Total employment: 370 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $86,700
- Median hourly wage: $41.68
- Total employment: 230 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $87,550
- Median hourly wage: $42.09
- Total employment: 70 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $88,240
- Median hourly wage: $42.42
- Total employment: 440 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $88,540
- Median hourly wage: $42.57
- Total employment: 180 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $89,110
- Median hourly wage: $42.84
- Total employment: 40 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $89,690
- Median hourly wage: $43.12
- Total employment: 270 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
24 / 50#26. Social scientists and related workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $89,860
- Median hourly wage: $43.20
- Total employment: 80 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Biological scientists, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $89,860
- Median hourly wage: $43.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $90,780
- Median hourly wage: $43.65
- Total employment: 190 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $92,360
- Median hourly wage: $44.40
- Total employment: 660 people (2.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Social workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $94,310
- Median hourly wage: $45.34
- Total employment: 110 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $94,570
- Median hourly wage: $45.47
- Total employment: 3,790 people (14.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $95,630
- Median hourly wage: $45.97
- Total employment: 1,300 people (4.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $95,860
- Median hourly wage: $46.09
- Total employment: 70 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $96,040
- Median hourly wage: $46.17
- Total employment: 80 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $96,670
- Median hourly wage: $46.48
- Total employment: 100 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,780
- Median hourly wage: $47.01
- Total employment: 430 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $98,470
- Median hourly wage: $47.34
- Total employment: 760 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Financial examiners
- Median annual wage: $99,180
- Median hourly wage: $47.68
- Total employment: 210 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,390
- Median hourly wage: $47.79
- Total employment: 490 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $100,520
- Median hourly wage: $48.33
- Total employment: 70 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $104,400
- Median hourly wage: $50.19
- Total employment: 210 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $105,170
- Median hourly wage: $50.56
- Total employment: 280 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $106,110
- Median hourly wage: $51.02
- Total employment: 1,030 people (3.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $106,850
- Median hourly wage: $51.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $113,730
- Median hourly wage: $54.68
- Total employment: 240 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $113,920
- Median hourly wage: $54.77
- Total employment: 100 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $116,550
- Median hourly wage: $56.04
- Total employment: 400 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $120,240
- Median hourly wage: $57.81
- Total employment: 490 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $125,230
- Median hourly wage: $60.21
- Total employment: 560 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $126,670
- Median hourly wage: $60.90
- Total employment: 80 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $127,680
- Median hourly wage: $61.39
- Total employment: 180 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $136,010
- Median hourly wage: $65.39
- Total employment: 260 people (0.96 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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