Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $74,630
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 580 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Rochester 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 Rochester that require a graduate degree in Rochester. 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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Stokkete // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Archivists
- Median annual wage: $75,070
- Median hourly wage: $36.09
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
totojang1977 // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Orthotists and prosthetists
- Median annual wage: $75,580
- Median hourly wage: $36.34
- Total employment: 30 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $75,920
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $76,620
- Median hourly wage: $36.84
- Total employment: 890 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $76,950
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 300 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Postsecondary teachers, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,470
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 170 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Communications teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $77,620
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 120 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
voronaman // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $77,820
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $78,300
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,000 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Psychology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $78,420
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 210 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
I. Noyan Yilmaz // // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Environmental science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $78,500
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 30 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $78,550
- Median hourly wage: $37.76
- Total employment: 1,030 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $78,890
- Median hourly wage: $37.93
- Total employment: 680 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $79,010
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 280 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Daniel Besic // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. English language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $79,200
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 280 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Chemistry teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $81,190
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 170 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Audiologists
- Median annual wage: $82,130
- Median hourly wage: $39.49
- Total employment: 60 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Sociology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $82,830
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. History teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $84,310
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 130 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $92,350
- Median hourly wage: $44.40
- Total employment: 190 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Political science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $92,490
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other
- Median annual wage: $96,080
- Median hourly wage: $46.19
- Total employment: 40 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Biological science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $97,430
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 280 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Physics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $97,460
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 130 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $98,620
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: Not available
Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $99,200
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 450 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $99,300
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 360 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Economics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $100,040
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chad McDermott // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Urban and regional planners
- Median annual wage: $108,160
- Median hourly wage: $52.00
- Total employment: 180 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $108,510
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,200 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pheelings media // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Statisticians
- Median annual wage: $110,140
- Median hourly wage: $52.95
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Biochemists and biophysicists
- Median annual wage: $113,010
- Median hourly wage: $54.33
- Total employment: 50 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Psychologists, all other
- Median annual wage: $114,250
- Median hourly wage: $54.93
- Total employment: 30 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elnur // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Podiatrists
- Median annual wage: $119,220
- Median hourly wage: $57.32
- Total employment: 40 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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antoniodiaz // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Nurse midwives
- Median annual wage: $119,270
- Median hourly wage: $57.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $125,600
- Median hourly wage: $60.39
- Total employment: 1,910 people (3.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $127,950
- Median hourly wage: $61.52
- Total employment: 210 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $128,680
- Median hourly wage: $61.86
- Total employment: 950 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $132,150
- Median hourly wage: $63.54
- Total employment: 460 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $133,270
- Median hourly wage: $64.07
- Total employment: 1,050 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $138,010
- Median hourly wage: $66.35
- Total employment: 2,050 people (4.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $139,990
- Median hourly wage: $67.30
- Total employment: 90 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $159,680
- Median hourly wage: $76.77
- Total employment: 420 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $170,520
- Median hourly wage: $81.98
- Total employment: 160 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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LightField Studios // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Psychiatrists
- Median annual wage: $182,270
- Median hourly wage: $87.63
- Total employment: 130 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Obstetricians and gynecologists
- Median annual wage: $202,240
- Median hourly wage: $97.23
- Total employment: 180 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $215,210
- Median hourly wage: $103.47
- Total employment: 100 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Physicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $237,660
- Median hourly wage: $114.26
- Total employment: 420 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 90 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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