Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $64,630
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 320 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Las Vegas 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 Las Vegas that require a graduate degree in Las Vegas. 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.
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SeventyFour // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Curators
- Median annual wage: $65,600
- Median hourly wage: $31.54
- Total employment: 80 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $66,010
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 130 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
- Median annual wage: $67,880
- Median hourly wage: $32.64
- Total employment: 1,680 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Social work teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $72,670
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Instructional coordinators
- Median annual wage: $73,230
- Median hourly wage: $35.21
- Total employment: 820 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Healthcare social workers
- Median annual wage: $75,800
- Median hourly wage: $36.44
- Total employment: 780 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Biological science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $78,390
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 130 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
KSai23 // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Chiropractors
- Median annual wage: $79,210
- Median hourly wage: $38.08
- Total employment: 160 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other
- Median annual wage: $80,470
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $81,090
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Librarians and media collections specialists
- Median annual wage: $81,130
- Median hourly wage: $39.00
- Total employment: 450 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chad McDermott // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Urban and regional planners
- Median annual wage: $81,270
- Median hourly wage: $39.07
- Total employment: 140 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel Besic // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. English language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $81,340
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 250 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $81,550
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Political science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $82,060
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Psychology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $82,370
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Sociology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $83,940
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. School psychologists
- Median annual wage: $84,010
- Median hourly wage: $40.39
- Total employment: 190 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $84,440
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 690 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Petekub // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Economists
- Median annual wage: $84,540
- Median hourly wage: $40.64
- Total employment: Not available
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. History teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $85,630
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Worawee Meepian // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers
- Median annual wage: $89,840
- Median hourly wage: $43.19
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $93,350
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 950 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
totojang1977 // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Orthotists and prosthetists
- Median annual wage: $96,260
- Median hourly wage: $46.28
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $96,390
- Median hourly wage: $46.34
- Total employment: 850 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $96,770
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 200 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $100,840
- Median hourly wage: $48.48
- Total employment: 850 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Computer science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $102,340
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $102,870
- Median hourly wage: $49.46
- Total employment: 240 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kenishirotie //Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Mathematicians
- Median annual wage: $102,900
- Median hourly wage: $49.47
- Total employment: 50 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $103,010
- Median hourly wage: $49.52
- Total employment: 320 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $104,670
- Median hourly wage: $50.32
- Total employment: 890 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $105,280
- Median hourly wage: $50.62
- Total employment: 1,290 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $105,290
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,700 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $124,700
- Median hourly wage: $59.95
- Total employment: 750 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $126,400
- Median hourly wage: $60.77
- Total employment: 470 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $129,440
- Median hourly wage: $62.23
- Total employment: 250 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $130,160
- Median hourly wage: $62.58
- Total employment: 760 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $130,350
- Median hourly wage: $62.67
- Total employment: Not available
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $135,440
- Median hourly wage: $65.11
- Total employment: 1,730 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Psychologists, all other
- Median annual wage: $144,390
- Median hourly wage: $69.42
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. General internal medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $154,040
- Median hourly wage: $74.06
- Total employment: 340 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $159,930
- Median hourly wage: $76.89
- Total employment: 2,400 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $181,170
- Median hourly wage: $87.10
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Elnur // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Podiatrists
- Median annual wage: $220,000
- Median hourly wage: $105.77
- Total employment: 30 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Dermatologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 150 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Radiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 2,100 people (1.88 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: 200 people (0.18 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.
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