GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Geography teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $81,210
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Charlotte 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 Charlotte that require a graduate degree in Charlotte. 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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2 / 50#49. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $81,340
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 2,560 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Economics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $81,670
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. History teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $82,140
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Audiologists
- Median annual wage: $83,520
- Median hourly wage: $40.15
- Total employment: 50 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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totojang1977 // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Orthotists and prosthetists
- Median annual wage: $84,770
- Median hourly wage: $40.76
- Total employment: 120 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Architecture teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $84,920
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
KSai23 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Chiropractors
- Median annual wage: $88,410
- Median hourly wage: $42.51
- Total employment: 290 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $91,030
- Median hourly wage: $43.76
- Total employment: Not available
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other
- Median annual wage: $93,810
- Median hourly wage: $45.10
- Total employment: 120 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Genetic counselors
- Median annual wage: $94,000
- Median hourly wage: $45.19
- Total employment: 40 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $94,750
- Median hourly wage: $45.55
- Total employment: 930 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $99,390
- Median hourly wage: $47.79
- Total employment: 1,410 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Political science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $99,810
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $100,310
- Median hourly wage: $48.23
- Total employment: 1,930 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Petekub // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Economists
- Median annual wage: $100,610
- Median hourly wage: $48.37
- Total employment: 60 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $100,670
- Median hourly wage: $48.40
- Total employment: 120 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $101,840
- Median hourly wage: $48.96
- Total employment: 1,220 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $102,570
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 230 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Biochemists and biophysicists
- Median annual wage: $103,180
- Median hourly wage: $49.61
- Total employment: 40 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Physics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $104,500
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
I. Noyan Yilmaz // // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Environmental science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $106,050
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pheelings media // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Statisticians
- Median annual wage: $120,510
- Median hourly wage: $57.94
- Total employment: 140 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $122,430
- Median hourly wage: $58.86
- Total employment: 760 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $125,420
- Median hourly wage: $60.30
- Total employment: 300 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $130,650
- Median hourly wage: $62.81
- Total employment: 1,530 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $132,110
- Median hourly wage: $63.52
- Total employment: 2,500 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
antoniodiaz // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Nurse midwives
- Median annual wage: $135,420
- Median hourly wage: $65.11
- Total employment: 100 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Worawee Meepian // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers
- Median annual wage: $137,240
- Median hourly wage: $65.98
- Total employment: 30 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $137,270
- Median hourly wage: $65.99
- Total employment: 5,290 people (3.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $139,950
- Median hourly wage: $67.28
- Total employment: 2,670 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Psychologists, all other
- Median annual wage: $140,000
- Median hourly wage: $67.31
- Total employment: 90 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $154,700
- Median hourly wage: $74.38
- Total employment: 330 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Djols // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Emergency medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $172,640
- Median hourly wage: $83.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $192,580
- Median hourly wage: $92.59
- Total employment: 820 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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LightField Studios // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $238,780
- Median hourly wage: $114.80
- Total employment: 980 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
create jobs 51 // Shutterstock
37 / 50#1. Neurologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 90 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
38 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 420 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
39 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 600 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
40 / 50#1. Dermatologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 130 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tijana Simic // Shutterstock
41 / 50#1. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 80 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elnur // Shutterstock
42 / 50#1. Podiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
43 / 50#1. Physicians, pathologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
44 / 50#1. Obstetricians and gynecologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 220 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
45 / 50#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 80 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
46 / 50#1. Radiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 190 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Komsan Loonprom // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Cardiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 180 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Anesthesiologists (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: 2,160 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photoroyalty // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Surgeons, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 130 people (0.1 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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