Pressmaster // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Public relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $72,790
- Median hourly wage: $35.00
- Total employment: 230 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Bismarck 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 Bismarck, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $73,430
- Median hourly wage: $35.30
- Total employment: 730 people (10.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Fundraisers
- Median annual wage: $73,580
- Median hourly wage: $35.37
- Total employment: 60 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Community and social service specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $75,630
- Median hourly wage: $36.36
- Total employment: 50 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $76,210
- Median hourly wage: $36.64
- Total employment: 360 people (5.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $76,790
- Median hourly wage: $36.92
- Total employment: 210 people (3.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $78,040
- Median hourly wage: $37.52
- Total employment: 2,380 people (33.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $78,750
- Median hourly wage: $37.86
- Total employment: 30 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $78,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.97
- Total employment: 310 people (4.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $78,980
- Median hourly wage: $37.97
- Total employment: 230 people (3.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $79,030
- Median hourly wage: $37.99
- Total employment: 80 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Credit analysts
- Median annual wage: $79,470
- Median hourly wage: $38.21
- Total employment: 60 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $79,790
- Median hourly wage: $38.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $80,110
- Median hourly wage: $38.52
- Total employment: 60 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $80,570
- Median hourly wage: $38.74
- Total employment: 60 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Financial examiners
- Median annual wage: $81,020
- Median hourly wage: $38.95
- Total employment: 40 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Financial specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $81,040
- Median hourly wage: $38.96
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $81,120
- Median hourly wage: $39.00
- Total employment: 120 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $82,070
- Median hourly wage: $39.46
- Total employment: 220 people (3.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $82,430
- Median hourly wage: $39.63
- Total employment: Not available
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $83,330
- Median hourly wage: $40.06
- Total employment: Not available
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $83,470
- Median hourly wage: $40.13
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $84,620
- Median hourly wage: $40.68
- Total employment: 330 people (4.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $86,390
- Median hourly wage: $41.54
- Total employment: 40 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $86,840
- Median hourly wage: $41.75
- Total employment: 40 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $86,940
- Median hourly wage: $41.80
- Total employment: 50 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $87,660
- Median hourly wage: $42.14
- Total employment: 170 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $87,720
- Median hourly wage: $42.17
- Total employment: 200 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
James Kirkikis // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Zoologists and wildlife biologists
- Median annual wage: $88,820
- Median hourly wage: $42.70
- Total employment: 40 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $89,240
- Median hourly wage: $42.91
- Total employment: 1,760 people (25.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $90,000
- Median hourly wage: $43.27
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,360
- Median hourly wage: $46.33
- Total employment: 410 people (5.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $98,510
- Median hourly wage: $47.36
- Total employment: 340 people (4.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $98,960
- Median hourly wage: $47.58
- Total employment: 90 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $101,390
- Median hourly wage: $48.75
- Total employment: 120 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $102,100
- Median hourly wage: $49.09
- Total employment: 150 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $102,620
- Median hourly wage: $49.34
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $103,490
- Median hourly wage: $49.76
- Total employment: 40 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $104,800
- Median hourly wage: $50.39
- Total employment: 60 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $104,970
- Median hourly wage: $50.46
- Total employment: 60 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $106,380
- Median hourly wage: $51.15
- Total employment: 60 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $107,840
- Median hourly wage: $51.85
- Total employment: 60 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $113,810
- Median hourly wage: $54.72
- Total employment: 40 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $116,360
- Median hourly wage: $55.94
- Total employment: 440 people (6.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $127,630
- Median hourly wage: $61.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $128,240
- Median hourly wage: $61.66
- Total employment: 380 people (5.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $131,020
- Median hourly wage: $62.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $136,920
- Median hourly wage: $65.83
- Total employment: 150 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $141,830
- Median hourly wage: $68.19
- Total employment: 80 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $202,070
- Median hourly wage: $97.15
- Total employment: 50 people (0.66 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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