Lucky Business // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Sociology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $74,360
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Kansas City that require a graduate degree
Earning top dollar typically requires more education than an undergraduate degree can provide. Doctors, lawyers, and professors need extra years of focused study for their chosen fields, but they're not alone. Graduate degrees in fields like business, teaching, and public health build specialized knowledge that can fast-track a career—and one's salary.
Many hiring managers view a master's degree as the equivalent of two years of work experience, giving graduate degree holders a leg up. In 2024, master's degree holders earned a weekly median of $1,840, a 19% premium over undergraduate degree holders. Doctorates earned $2,278, and professional degree holders earned $2,363.
Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in Kansas City that require a graduate degree in Kansas City. This includes doctorates, master's degrees, and professional degrees. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
Job security is another benefit. The unemployment rate for a master's degree holder is 2.2%, compared to 2.5% for undergraduate degree holders. Doctorates and professional degree holders' unemployment rate is close to 1%.
Employers believe a graduate degree showcases an employee's drive and commitment, but that comes at a price. Between 2000 and 2020, median annual tuition and fees for graduate degree programs increased by 233%. Unsurprisingly, median student debt has also increased, rising 47% to $50,000.
Depending on the career field, some prospective students may find it difficult to justify the expense. Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce found that full-time workers in STEM fields earned $128,000 annually, almost twice as much as their degreed counterparts in humanities and the arts. A graduate degree in humanities also only brought a 10% earnings premium over someone with a bachelor's degree.
You may also like: Best private high schools in the Kansas City metro area
VH-studio // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. School psychologists
- Median annual wage: $74,740
- Median hourly wage: $35.93
- Total employment: 310 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
totojang1977 // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Orthotists and prosthetists
- Median annual wage: $74,770
- Median hourly wage: $35.95
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $75,430
- Median hourly wage: $36.26
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Political science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $75,900
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 30 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best high schools in the Kansas City metro area
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. History teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $76,100
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $76,310
- Median hourly wage: $36.69
- Total employment: 2,670 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Computer science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $76,350
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,330
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $80,290
- Median hourly wage: $38.60
- Total employment: 390 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Are home prices going down in Kansas City in 2026?
Chad McDermott // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Urban and regional planners
- Median annual wage: $80,380
- Median hourly wage: $38.64
- Total employment: 250 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Audiologists
- Median annual wage: $81,000
- Median hourly wage: $38.94
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $81,320
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 520 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $83,200
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,010 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $84,300
- Median hourly wage: $40.53
- Total employment: 1,270 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Kansas City for high school graduates
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $85,260
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Postsecondary teachers, all other
- Median annual wage: $88,640
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 910 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other
- Median annual wage: $93,330
- Median hourly wage: $44.87
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $93,400
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $94,360
- Median hourly wage: $45.36
- Total employment: 1,150 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How much house $1 million buys you in Kansas City
Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $95,170
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 250 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Chemistry teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $96,490
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $97,790
- Median hourly wage: $47.01
- Total employment: 1,360 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $99,330
- Median hourly wage: $47.75
- Total employment: 1,890 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Biological science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $100,420
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 260 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Closest national parks to Kansas City
Pheelings media // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Statisticians
- Median annual wage: $100,470
- Median hourly wage: $48.30
- Total employment: 70 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $101,430
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 2,500 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $105,600
- Median hourly wage: $50.77
- Total employment: 750 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $109,940
- Median hourly wage: $52.85
- Total employment: 130 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Petekub // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Economists
- Median annual wage: $115,520
- Median hourly wage: $55.54
- Total employment: 150 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying management jobs for people in Kansas City
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $119,640
- Median hourly wage: $57.52
- Total employment: 720 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Psychologists, all other
- Median annual wage: $127,460
- Median hourly wage: $61.28
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $127,800
- Median hourly wage: $61.44
- Total employment: 2,000 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $128,690
- Median hourly wage: $61.87
- Total employment: 580 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $130,890
- Median hourly wage: $62.93
- Total employment: 5,750 people (5.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Is it cheaper to buy or rent in Kansas City in 2026?
Kzenon // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $133,350
- Median hourly wage: $64.11
- Total employment: 320 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $138,400
- Median hourly wage: $66.54
- Total employment: 2,800 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $150,430
- Median hourly wage: $72.32
- Total employment: 200 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elnur // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Podiatrists
- Median annual wage: $153,810
- Median hourly wage: $73.95
- Total employment: 50 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Worawee Meepian // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers
- Median annual wage: $161,350
- Median hourly wage: $77.57
- Total employment: 60 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Most expensive homes for sale in Kansas City
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $179,080
- Median hourly wage: $86.10
- Total employment: 980 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $189,740
- Median hourly wage: $91.22
- Total employment: 820 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric
- Median annual wage: $206,400
- Median hourly wage: $99.23
- Total employment: Not available
4 PM production // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Ophthalmologists, except pediatric
- Median annual wage: $210,990
- Median hourly wage: $101.44
- Total employment: Not available
Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Physicians, pathologists
- Median annual wage: $225,550
- Median hourly wage: $108.44
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated brunch restaurants in Kansas City
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $228,950
- Median hourly wage: $110.07
- Total employment: 50 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Anesthesiologists
- Median annual wage: $235,950
- Median hourly wage: $113.44
- Total employment: 450 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
Photoroyalty // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Surgeons, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 610 people (0.56 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 363 metros.
You may also like: Cheapest gas stations in Kansas City
