Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 44#44. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $20,890
- Median hourly wage: $10.04
- Total employment: 130 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Lawton 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 Lawton, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 44#43. Coaches and scouts
- Median annual wage: $30,320
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
3 / 44#42. Education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare
- Median annual wage: $38,560
- Median hourly wage: $18.54
- Total employment: 30 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
4 / 44#41. Child, family, and school social workers
- Median annual wage: $43,950
- Median hourly wage: $21.13
- Total employment: 180 people (4.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
5 / 44#40. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $44,730
- Median hourly wage: $21.50
- Total employment: 50 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
6 / 44#39. Graphic designers
- Median annual wage: $45,130
- Median hourly wage: $21.70
- Total employment: 30 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Iam_Anupong // Shutterstock
7 / 44#38. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $45,150
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
8 / 44#37. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $45,560
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 460 people (10.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 44#36. Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors
- Median annual wage: $45,960
- Median hourly wage: $22.10
- Total employment: 70 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lopolo // Shutterstock
10 / 44#35. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $47,100
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 220 people (5.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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B Brown // Shutterstock
11 / 44#34. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $47,560
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 380 people (8.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
12 / 44#33. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $49,460
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
13 / 44#32. Special education teachers, middle school
- Median annual wage: $49,910
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
14 / 44#31. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $52,680
- Median hourly wage: $25.33
- Total employment: 120 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
15 / 44#30. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $53,430
- Median hourly wage: $25.69
- Total employment: 130 people (3.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DGLimages // Shutterstock
16 / 44#29. Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
- Median annual wage: $54,370
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
17 / 44#28. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,030
- Median hourly wage: $27.90
- Total employment: 140 people (3.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
18 / 44#27. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $59,130
- Median hourly wage: $28.43
- Total employment: 130 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 44#26. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $59,400
- Median hourly wage: $28.56
- Total employment: 110 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
20 / 44#25. Public relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $59,830
- Median hourly wage: $28.76
- Total employment: 40 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GLRL // Shutterstock
21 / 44#24. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $60,180
- Median hourly wage: $28.93
- Total employment: 110 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
22 / 44#23. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $60,440
- Median hourly wage: $29.06
- Total employment: 180 people (4.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
23 / 44#22. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $68,710
- Median hourly wage: $33.04
- Total employment: 250 people (5.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
24 / 44#21. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $69,080
- Median hourly wage: $33.21
- Total employment: 30 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
25 / 44#20. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $71,100
- Median hourly wage: $34.19
- Total employment: 960 people (22.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
26 / 44#18. Project management specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $79,610
- Median hourly wage: $38.28
- Total employment: 140 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 44#18. Computer systems analysts (tie)
- Median annual wage: $79,610
- Median hourly wage: $38.27
- Total employment: 60 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
28 / 44#17. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $79,790
- Median hourly wage: $38.36
- Total employment: 30 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
29 / 44#16. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $80,980
- Median hourly wage: $38.94
- Total employment: 70 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
30 / 44#15. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $84,290
- Median hourly wage: $40.53
- Total employment: 110 people (2.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
31 / 44#14. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $84,590
- Median hourly wage: $40.67
- Total employment: 110 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
32 / 44#13. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $84,640
- Median hourly wage: $40.69
- Total employment: 170 people (3.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
33 / 44#12. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $85,150
- Median hourly wage: $40.94
- Total employment: 840 people (19.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
34 / 44#11. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $85,570
- Median hourly wage: $41.14
- Total employment: 60 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
35 / 44#10. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $89,440
- Median hourly wage: $43.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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boonchoke // Shutterstock
36 / 44#9. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $92,750
- Median hourly wage: $44.59
- Total employment: 390 people (9.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
37 / 44#8. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $92,810
- Median hourly wage: $44.62
- Total employment: 150 people (3.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
38 / 44#7. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $101,510
- Median hourly wage: $48.81
- Total employment: 30 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
39 / 44#6. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $106,360
- Median hourly wage: $51.13
- Total employment: 40 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
40 / 44#5. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $106,560
- Median hourly wage: $51.23
- Total employment: 90 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 44#4. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $107,240
- Median hourly wage: $51.56
- Total employment: 160 people (3.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 44#3. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,250
- Median hourly wage: $52.53
- Total employment: 70 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
43 / 44#2. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $114,700
- Median hourly wage: $55.15
- Total employment: 30 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
44 / 44#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $134,640
- Median hourly wage: $64.73
- Total employment: 30 people (0.81 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.
