Rido // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $59,160
- Median hourly wage: $28.44
- Total employment: 540 people (6.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Jefferson City 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 Jefferson City, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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PanuShot // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Financial specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $59,340
- Median hourly wage: $28.53
- Total employment: 130 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $60,150
- Median hourly wage: $28.92
- Total employment: 90 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $60,480
- Median hourly wage: $29.08
- Total employment: 80 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $60,730
- Median hourly wage: $29.20
- Total employment: 300 people (3.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $60,760
- Median hourly wage: $29.21
- Total employment: 100 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $62,650
- Median hourly wage: $30.12
- Total employment: 60 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $64,700
- Median hourly wage: $31.11
- Total employment: 980 people (12.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $64,990
- Median hourly wage: $31.25
- Total employment: 60 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sabthai // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Budget analysts
- Median annual wage: $65,500
- Median hourly wage: $31.49
- Total employment: 90 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Undrey // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $65,950
- Median hourly wage: $31.71
- Total employment: 130 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $66,200
- Median hourly wage: $31.83
- Total employment: 200 people (2.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $66,790
- Median hourly wage: $32.11
- Total employment: 120 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $68,740
- Median hourly wage: $33.05
- Total employment: 250 people (3.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
- Median annual wage: $69,460
- Median hourly wage: $33.39
- Total employment: 30 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $70,880
- Median hourly wage: $34.08
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $71,330
- Median hourly wage: $34.29
- Total employment: 130 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $72,030
- Median hourly wage: $34.63
- Total employment: 30 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $72,360
- Median hourly wage: $34.79
- Total employment: 560 people (7.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $73,860
- Median hourly wage: $35.51
- Total employment: 40 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $74,940
- Median hourly wage: $36.03
- Total employment: 2,370 people (30.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $75,710
- Median hourly wage: $36.40
- Total employment: 320 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $75,930
- Median hourly wage: $36.50
- Total employment: 1,450 people (18.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $76,910
- Median hourly wage: $36.97
- Total employment: 80 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $77,850
- Median hourly wage: $37.43
- Total employment: 90 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $79,230
- Median hourly wage: $38.09
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Financial examiners
- Median annual wage: $79,390
- Median hourly wage: $38.17
- Total employment: 60 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $79,480
- Median hourly wage: $38.21
- Total employment: 90 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $79,650
- Median hourly wage: $38.29
- Total employment: 90 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $80,250
- Median hourly wage: $38.58
- Total employment: 470 people (6.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $82,800
- Median hourly wage: $39.81
- Total employment: 50 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $84,830
- Median hourly wage: $40.79
- Total employment: 50 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $85,340
- Median hourly wage: $41.03
- Total employment: 60 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $86,130
- Median hourly wage: $41.41
- Total employment: 170 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $87,420
- Median hourly wage: $42.03
- Total employment: 870 people (11.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $90,020
- Median hourly wage: $43.28
- Total employment: 70 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $90,250
- Median hourly wage: $43.39
- Total employment: 180 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $91,690
- Median hourly wage: $44.08
- Total employment: 120 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $94,660
- Median hourly wage: $45.51
- Total employment: 110 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $96,140
- Median hourly wage: $46.22
- Total employment: 220 people (2.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $96,550
- Median hourly wage: $46.42
- Total employment: 90 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $97,680
- Median hourly wage: $46.96
- Total employment: 60 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $99,740
- Median hourly wage: $47.95
- Total employment: 250 people (3.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $100,650
- Median hourly wage: $48.39
- Total employment: 120 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $106,000
- Median hourly wage: $50.96
- Total employment: 350 people (4.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $111,360
- Median hourly wage: $53.54
- Total employment: 110 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $114,930
- Median hourly wage: $55.26
- Total employment: 240 people (3.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $120,640
- Median hourly wage: $58.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $132,350
- Median hourly wage: $63.63
- Total employment: 150 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $134,530
- Median hourly wage: $64.68
- Total employment: 60 people (0.81 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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