SeventyFour // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Clergy
- Median annual wage: $62,020
- Median hourly wage: $29.82
- Total employment: 80 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Missoula 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 Missoula, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $62,130
- Median hourly wage: $29.87
- Total employment: 150 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
James Kirkikis // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Zoologists and wildlife biologists
- Median annual wage: $62,220
- Median hourly wage: $29.91
- Total employment: 60 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $62,310
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Kneschke // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Foresters
- Median annual wage: $63,600
- Median hourly wage: $30.58
- Total employment: 70 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
- Median annual wage: $65,200
- Median hourly wage: $31.35
- Total employment: 60 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $65,960
- Median hourly wage: $31.71
- Total employment: 170 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $68,490
- Median hourly wage: $32.93
- Total employment: 260 people (3.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $69,130
- Median hourly wage: $33.23
- Total employment: 100 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $70,300
- Median hourly wage: $33.80
- Total employment: 210 people (3.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ImageFlow // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $71,470
- Median hourly wage: $34.36
- Total employment: 630 people (9.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $73,490
- Median hourly wage: $35.33
- Total employment: 100 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Deemerwha studio // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Conservation scientists
- Median annual wage: $74,960
- Median hourly wage: $36.04
- Total employment: 60 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $74,970
- Median hourly wage: $36.04
- Total employment: 110 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Credit analysts
- Median annual wage: $75,660
- Median hourly wage: $36.38
- Total employment: 50 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $76,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.01
- Total employment: 90 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Soil and plant scientists
- Median annual wage: $77,860
- Median hourly wage: $37.43
- Total employment: 30 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $77,880
- Median hourly wage: $37.44
- Total employment: 1,670 people (25.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,940
- Median hourly wage: $37.47
- Total employment: 540 people (8.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
20 / 50#30. Forensic science technicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $78,610
- Median hourly wage: $37.79
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Biological scientists, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $78,610
- Median hourly wage: $37.79
- Total employment: 140 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedy // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $78,930
- Median hourly wage: $37.95
- Total employment: 80 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $79,210
- Median hourly wage: $38.08
- Total employment: 1,540 people (23.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $79,820
- Median hourly wage: $38.37
- Total employment: 70 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $80,150
- Median hourly wage: $38.53
- Total employment: 250 people (3.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $80,380
- Median hourly wage: $38.64
- Total employment: 90 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $81,000
- Median hourly wage: $38.94
- Total employment: Not available
Undrey // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $81,290
- Median hourly wage: $39.08
- Total employment: 40 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $81,470
- Median hourly wage: $39.17
- Total employment: 370 people (5.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $83,020
- Median hourly wage: $39.91
- Total employment: 50 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $84,960
- Median hourly wage: $40.85
- Total employment: 70 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $87,210
- Median hourly wage: $41.93
- Total employment: 60 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $89,860
- Median hourly wage: $43.20
- Total employment: 170 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $90,220
- Median hourly wage: $43.38
- Total employment: Not available
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $96,210
- Median hourly wage: $46.26
- Total employment: 300 people (4.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,360
- Median hourly wage: $46.81
- Total employment: 70 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $98,960
- Median hourly wage: $47.58
- Total employment: 200 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $100,790
- Median hourly wage: $48.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $100,870
- Median hourly wage: $48.49
- Total employment: 210 people (3.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $104,210
- Median hourly wage: $50.10
- Total employment: 50 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $106,000
- Median hourly wage: $50.96
- Total employment: 70 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $108,360
- Median hourly wage: $52.10
- Total employment: 130 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $108,480
- Median hourly wage: $52.16
- Total employment: 70 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $110,260
- Median hourly wage: $53.01
- Total employment: 50 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $114,050
- Median hourly wage: $54.83
- Total employment: 90 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VE.Studio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $120,640
- Median hourly wage: $58.00
- Total employment: 110 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $121,750
- Median hourly wage: $58.53
- Total employment: 70 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $130,770
- Median hourly wage: $62.87
- Total employment: 170 people (2.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $135,350
- Median hourly wage: $65.07
- Total employment: 170 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $179,840
- Median hourly wage: $86.46
- Total employment: 70 people (1.0 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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