fizkes // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
- Median annual wage: $66,280
- Median hourly wage: $31.87
- Total employment: 60 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Youngstown 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 Youngstown, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $66,640
- Median hourly wage: $32.04
- Total employment: 1,100 people (6.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $66,650
- Median hourly wage: $32.04
- Total employment: 30 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $67,630
- Median hourly wage: $32.52
- Total employment: 300 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Financial specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $70,600
- Median hourly wage: $33.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $70,950
- Median hourly wage: $34.11
- Total employment: 30 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $71,050
- Median hourly wage: $34.16
- Total employment: 150 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $71,410
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: Not available
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $73,160
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 220 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $73,400
- Median hourly wage: $35.29
- Total employment: 180 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
B Brown // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $73,470
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,430 people (8.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $74,220
- Median hourly wage: $35.68
- Total employment: 110 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $74,730
- Median hourly wage: $35.93
- Total employment: 80 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $75,340
- Median hourly wage: $36.22
- Total employment: 90 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $75,480
- Median hourly wage: $36.29
- Total employment: 280 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $75,850
- Median hourly wage: $36.47
- Total employment: 4,060 people (25.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $76,280
- Median hourly wage: $36.67
- Total employment: 220 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $76,560
- Median hourly wage: $36.81
- Total employment: 4,050 people (25.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $77,600
- Median hourly wage: $37.31
- Total employment: 130 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $77,740
- Median hourly wage: $37.38
- Total employment: 80 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Insurance underwriters
- Median annual wage: $77,820
- Median hourly wage: $37.41
- Total employment: 30 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $79,030
- Median hourly wage: $38.00
- Total employment: 110 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $79,310
- Median hourly wage: $38.13
- Total employment: 240 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $79,530
- Median hourly wage: $38.23
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $80,290
- Median hourly wage: $38.60
- Total employment: 540 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $81,560
- Median hourly wage: $39.21
- Total employment: 120 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $82,850
- Median hourly wage: $39.83
- Total employment: 400 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $83,200
- Median hourly wage: $40.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $84,810
- Median hourly wage: $40.77
- Total employment: 130 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $84,830
- Median hourly wage: $40.78
- Total employment: 110 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $90,650
- Median hourly wage: $43.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $91,540
- Median hourly wage: $44.01
- Total employment: 230 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $92,250
- Median hourly wage: $44.35
- Total employment: 60 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $92,620
- Median hourly wage: $44.53
- Total employment: 420 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $95,690
- Median hourly wage: $46.01
- Total employment: 150 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $97,020
- Median hourly wage: $46.64
- Total employment: 360 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $97,270
- Median hourly wage: $46.77
- Total employment: 570 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $97,590
- Median hourly wage: $46.92
- Total employment: 30 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $99,250
- Median hourly wage: $47.72
- Total employment: 100 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $101,540
- Median hourly wage: $48.82
- Total employment: 560 people (3.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $101,870
- Median hourly wage: $48.98
- Total employment: 270 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $102,690
- Median hourly wage: $49.37
- Total employment: 60 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $105,390
- Median hourly wage: $50.67
- Total employment: 420 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $107,870
- Median hourly wage: $51.86
- Total employment: 180 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $108,720
- Median hourly wage: $52.27
- Total employment: 140 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $113,520
- Median hourly wage: $54.58
- Total employment: 130 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $118,420
- Median hourly wage: $56.93
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $129,730
- Median hourly wage: $62.37
- Total employment: 150 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Art directors
- Median annual wage: $130,390
- Median hourly wage: $62.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $132,090
- Median hourly wage: $63.51
- Total employment: 90 people (0.59 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.
