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1 / 50#50. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $79,440
- Median hourly wage: $38.19
- Total employment: 8,010 people (27.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Toledo 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 Toledo, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $79,710
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 180 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Financial specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $79,900
- Median hourly wage: $38.42
- Total employment: 110 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $80,140
- Median hourly wage: $38.53
- Total employment: 170 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $80,570
- Median hourly wage: $38.74
- Total employment: Not available
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6 / 50#45. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $81,520
- Median hourly wage: $39.19
- Total employment: 330 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $81,690
- Median hourly wage: $39.27
- Total employment: 1,410 people (4.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $82,290
- Median hourly wage: $39.56
- Total employment: 230 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $83,090
- Median hourly wage: $39.95
- Total employment: 300 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $83,150
- Median hourly wage: $39.98
- Total employment: 530 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $85,210
- Median hourly wage: $40.97
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $86,190
- Median hourly wage: $41.44
- Total employment: 80 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $86,480
- Median hourly wage: $41.58
- Total employment: 400 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $90,100
- Median hourly wage: $43.32
- Total employment: 180 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $90,380
- Median hourly wage: $43.45
- Total employment: 6,700 people (22.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $90,400
- Median hourly wage: $43.46
- Total employment: 700 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $91,050
- Median hourly wage: $43.77
- Total employment: 340 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $92,020
- Median hourly wage: $44.24
- Total employment: 720 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $92,090
- Median hourly wage: $44.27
- Total employment: 240 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Forensic science technicians
- Median annual wage: $93,560
- Median hourly wage: $44.98
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $94,390
- Median hourly wage: $45.38
- Total employment: 300 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $94,640
- Median hourly wage: $45.50
- Total employment: 440 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $95,300
- Median hourly wage: $45.82
- Total employment: 70 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,860
- Median hourly wage: $46.57
- Total employment: 1,160 people (3.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $97,920
- Median hourly wage: $47.08
- Total employment: 140 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Emergency management directors
- Median annual wage: $98,160
- Median hourly wage: $47.19
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $98,980
- Median hourly wage: $47.59
- Total employment: 30 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $99,140
- Median hourly wage: $47.67
- Total employment: 960 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,230
- Median hourly wage: $48.19
- Total employment: 310 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $100,330
- Median hourly wage: $48.24
- Total employment: 960 people (3.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#19. Electronics engineers, except computer (tie)
- Median annual wage: $100,740
- Median hourly wage: $48.43
- Total employment: 170 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Public relations managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $100,740
- Median hourly wage: $48.43
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $102,710
- Median hourly wage: $49.38
- Total employment: 1,160 people (3.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,080
- Median hourly wage: $49.56
- Total employment: 90 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $104,860
- Median hourly wage: $50.41
- Total employment: 870 people (3.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $105,460
- Median hourly wage: $50.70
- Total employment: 120 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $107,600
- Median hourly wage: $51.73
- Total employment: 40 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $107,640
- Median hourly wage: $51.75
- Total employment: 410 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $107,650
- Median hourly wage: $51.76
- Total employment: 300 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $119,440
- Median hourly wage: $57.43
- Total employment: 1,140 people (3.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $121,320
- Median hourly wage: $58.33
- Total employment: 190 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $124,800
- Median hourly wage: $60.00
- Total employment: 360 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $125,320
- Median hourly wage: $60.25
- Total employment: 800 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $125,630
- Median hourly wage: $60.40
- Total employment: 330 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $129,010
- Median hourly wage: $62.02
- Total employment: 90 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $131,440
- Median hourly wage: $63.19
- Total employment: 170 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $134,790
- Median hourly wage: $64.80
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $150,510
- Median hourly wage: $72.36
- Total employment: 480 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $153,170
- Median hourly wage: $73.64
- Total employment: 450 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $185,890
- Median hourly wage: $89.37
- Total employment: 250 people (0.84 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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