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1 / 50#50. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $92,100
- Median hourly wage: $44.28
- Total employment: 30,280 people (27.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Las Vegas 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 Las Vegas, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Social scientists and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $92,440
- Median hourly wage: $44.44
- Total employment: 130 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $93,220
- Median hourly wage: $44.82
- Total employment: 890 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Francesco Scatena // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Cartographers and photogrammetrists
- Median annual wage: $93,750
- Median hourly wage: $45.07
- Total employment: 130 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $95,080
- Median hourly wage: $45.71
- Total employment: 5,110 people (4.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
6 / 50#44. Financial examiners (tie)
- Median annual wage: $95,190
- Median hourly wage: $45.76
- Total employment: 150 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products (tie)
- Median annual wage: $95,190
- Median hourly wage: $45.76
- Total employment: 1,600 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $95,450
- Median hourly wage: $45.89
- Total employment: 140 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,050
- Median hourly wage: $46.18
- Total employment: 500 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $96,550
- Median hourly wage: $46.42
- Total employment: 8,150 people (7.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $96,640
- Median hourly wage: $46.46
- Total employment: 330 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $97,020
- Median hourly wage: $46.65
- Total employment: 900 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $97,220
- Median hourly wage: $46.74
- Total employment: 520 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $97,750
- Median hourly wage: $46.99
- Total employment: 1,220 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Insurance underwriters
- Median annual wage: $98,280
- Median hourly wage: $47.25
- Total employment: 390 people (0.34 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: $98,300
- Median hourly wage: $47.26
- Total employment: 350 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,690
- Median hourly wage: $47.45
- Total employment: 2,270 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $99,470
- Median hourly wage: $47.82
- Total employment: 3,690 people (3.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,990
- Median hourly wage: $48.07
- Total employment: 260 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,530
- Median hourly wage: $48.33
- Total employment: 480 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $100,670
- Median hourly wage: $48.40
- Total employment: 2,860 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $100,730
- Median hourly wage: $48.43
- Total employment: 670 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,870
- Median hourly wage: $48.49
- Total employment: 240 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $101,560
- Median hourly wage: $48.83
- Total employment: 400 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $101,840
- Median hourly wage: $48.96
- Total employment: 20,790 people (18.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $102,160
- Median hourly wage: $49.12
- Total employment: 1,930 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $102,340
- Median hourly wage: $49.20
- Total employment: 100 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $102,800
- Median hourly wage: $49.42
- Total employment: 2,440 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $103,200
- Median hourly wage: $49.61
- Total employment: 3,520 people (3.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $103,420
- Median hourly wage: $49.72
- Total employment: 3,130 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Atmospheric and space scientists
- Median annual wage: $103,540
- Median hourly wage: $49.78
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $104,270
- Median hourly wage: $50.13
- Total employment: 1,270 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $105,490
- Median hourly wage: $50.72
- Total employment: 3,700 people (3.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $106,530
- Median hourly wage: $51.22
- Total employment: 1,260 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $107,450
- Median hourly wage: $51.66
- Total employment: 210 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $107,810
- Median hourly wage: $51.83
- Total employment: 280 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Social workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $109,220
- Median hourly wage: $52.51
- Total employment: 320 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $109,810
- Median hourly wage: $52.80
- Total employment: 70 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $112,330
- Median hourly wage: $54.00
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Csomos Attila // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Hydrologists
- Median annual wage: $112,590
- Median hourly wage: $54.13
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $124,820
- Median hourly wage: $60.01
- Total employment: 5,020 people (4.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $124,990
- Median hourly wage: $60.09
- Total employment: 250 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $126,640
- Median hourly wage: $60.89
- Total employment: 250 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $129,400
- Median hourly wage: $62.21
- Total employment: 2,980 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $130,570
- Median hourly wage: $62.77
- Total employment: 630 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $139,320
- Median hourly wage: $66.98
- Total employment: 2,180 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $154,620
- Median hourly wage: $74.34
- Total employment: 410 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $158,760
- Median hourly wage: $76.33
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: $180,600
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,690 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 2,320 people (2.07 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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