stories
stories
HomeMoneyLifestyleNewsSportsEntertainmentTravelScienceLocal

Highest-paying jobs in Trenton that require a bachelor's degree

·Stacker

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
Add Stacker as Preferred Source

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.

You may also like: Highest-rated seafood restaurants in Trenton

#50. Mechanical engineers

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)

#49. Therapists, all other

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

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)

#48. Social and community service managers

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)

#46. Property appraisers and assessors (tie)

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)

#46. Physical scientists, all other (tie)

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)

You may also like: Closest national parks to Trenton

#45. Personal financial advisors

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)

#44. Industrial engineers

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)

#43. Labor relations specialists

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)

#42. Software quality assurance analysts and testers

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)

#40. Engineers, all other

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)

#39. Computer programmers

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)

#38. Computer systems analysts

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)

#36. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors (tie)

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)

#36. Electrical engineers (tie)

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)

You may also like: The most expensive neighborhoods in Trenton

#35. Computer occupations, all other

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)

#34. Project management specialists

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)

#33. Actuaries

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)

#32. Art directors

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)

#30. Hydrologists

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)

#29. Sales engineers

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)

#28. Database administrators

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)

#27. Software developers

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)

#26. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products

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)

You may also like: Highest-rated ice cream shops in Trenton by diners

#25. Medical and health services managers

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)

#24. Construction managers

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)

#22. Information security analysts (tie)

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)

#22. Facilities managers (tie)

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)

#20. Chemical engineers

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)

#19. Managers, all other

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)

#18. Fundraising managers

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)

#17. Administrative services managers

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)

#15. Database architects

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)

#14. Human resources managers

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)

#13. Industrial production managers

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)

#12. General and operations managers

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)

#11. Training and development managers

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)

You may also like: Highest-rated Asian restaurants in Trenton by diners

#10. Electronics engineers, except computer

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)

#9. Public relations managers

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)

#8. Purchasing managers

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)

#7. Architectural and engineering managers

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)

#6. Financial managers

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)

You may also like: The 30 most popular homes for sale in Trenton

#5. Natural sciences managers

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)

#4. Computer and information systems managers

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)

#3. Sales managers

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)

#2. Compensation and benefits managers

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)

#1. Marketing managers

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.

You may also like: Highest-paying computer and engineering jobs in Trenton

Trending stories