Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,560
- Median hourly wage: $48.83
- Total employment: 180 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Trenton 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 Trenton, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Therapists, all other
- Median annual wage: $101,970
- Median hourly wage: $49.03
- Total employment: 100 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $102,230
- Median hourly wage: $49.15
- Total employment: 360 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
4 / 50#46. Property appraisers and assessors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $102,350
- Median hourly wage: $49.21
- Total employment: 30 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Physical scientists, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $102,350
- Median hourly wage: $49.21
- Total employment: 260 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $102,590
- Median hourly wage: $49.32
- Total employment: 690 people (2.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,740
- Median hourly wage: $49.88
- Total employment: 310 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $104,170
- Median hourly wage: $50.08
- Total employment: 280 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $104,470
- Median hourly wage: $50.22
- Total employment: 490 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $105,020
- Median hourly wage: $50.49
- Total employment: 80 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $106,100
- Median hourly wage: $51.01
- Total employment: 290 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $106,880
- Median hourly wage: $51.38
- Total employment: 360 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $106,940
- Median hourly wage: $51.41
- Total employment: 1,280 people (5.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#36. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $107,240
- Median hourly wage: $51.56
- Total employment: 40 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Electrical engineers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $107,240
- Median hourly wage: $51.56
- Total employment: 220 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $108,540
- Median hourly wage: $52.18
- Total employment: 970 people (4.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $110,500
- Median hourly wage: $53.13
- Total employment: 1,590 people (6.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $115,220
- Median hourly wage: $55.39
- Total employment: 80 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Art directors
- Median annual wage: $116,410
- Median hourly wage: $55.97
- Total employment: 90 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
THICHA SATAPITANON // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Financial risk specialists
- Median annual wage: $119,070
- Median hourly wage: $57.25
- Total employment: 100 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Csomos Attila // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Hydrologists
- Median annual wage: $119,180
- Median hourly wage: $57.30
- Total employment: 30 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $123,050
- Median hourly wage: $59.16
- Total employment: 80 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $123,410
- Median hourly wage: $59.33
- Total employment: 180 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $126,820
- Median hourly wage: $60.97
- Total employment: 4,010 people (16.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $127,500
- Median hourly wage: $61.30
- Total employment: 260 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $129,620
- Median hourly wage: $62.32
- Total employment: 890 people (3.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $129,820
- Median hourly wage: $62.41
- Total employment: 400 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
28 / 50#22. Information security analysts (tie)
- Median annual wage: $129,970
- Median hourly wage: $62.49
- Total employment: 230 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Facilities managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $129,970
- Median hourly wage: $62.48
- Total employment: 320 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $130,590
- Median hourly wage: $62.78
- Total employment: 370 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $131,320
- Median hourly wage: $63.14
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $132,270
- Median hourly wage: $63.59
- Total employment: 1,950 people (8.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $137,440
- Median hourly wage: $66.08
- Total employment: 110 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $137,990
- Median hourly wage: $66.34
- Total employment: 1,120 people (4.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $139,220
- Median hourly wage: $66.93
- Total employment: 380 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $150,760
- Median hourly wage: $72.48
- Total employment: 120 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $156,250
- Median hourly wage: $75.12
- Total employment: 530 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $159,110
- Median hourly wage: $76.49
- Total employment: 270 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $160,460
- Median hourly wage: $77.14
- Total employment: 3,390 people (14.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $166,110
- Median hourly wage: $79.86
- Total employment: 140 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $169,090
- Median hourly wage: $81.30
- Total employment: 60 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $172,640
- Median hourly wage: $83.00
- Total employment: 450 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $172,830
- Median hourly wage: $83.09
- Total employment: 290 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $174,320
- Median hourly wage: $83.81
- Total employment: 320 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $175,290
- Median hourly wage: $84.28
- Total employment: 2,320 people (9.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VE.Studio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $175,420
- Median hourly wage: $84.34
- Total employment: 2,260 people (9.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $180,330
- Median hourly wage: $86.70
- Total employment: 2,460 people (10.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $181,500
- Median hourly wage: $87.26
- Total employment: 850 people (3.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $199,680
- Median hourly wage: $96.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $199,950
- Median hourly wage: $96.13
- Total employment: 1,240 people (5.19 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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