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1 / 50#50. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $84,760
- Median hourly wage: $40.75
- Total employment: 750 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Tulsa 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 Tulsa, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $86,740
- Median hourly wage: $41.70
- Total employment: 380 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents
- Median annual wage: $86,940
- Median hourly wage: $41.80
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $87,240
- Median hourly wage: $41.94
- Total employment: 12,630 people (27.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $88,910
- Median hourly wage: $42.74
- Total employment: 3,060 people (6.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $90,480
- Median hourly wage: $43.50
- Total employment: 460 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $91,450
- Median hourly wage: $43.97
- Total employment: 990 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
THICHA SATAPITANON // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Financial risk specialists
- Median annual wage: $92,360
- Median hourly wage: $44.41
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $94,230
- Median hourly wage: $45.30
- Total employment: 250 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,540
- Median hourly wage: $46.41
- Total employment: 960 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Social workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $97,120
- Median hourly wage: $46.69
- Total employment: 70 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $97,160
- Median hourly wage: $46.71
- Total employment: 710 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $97,250
- Median hourly wage: $46.76
- Total employment: 210 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $97,470
- Median hourly wage: $46.86
- Total employment: 90 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $97,490
- Median hourly wage: $46.87
- Total employment: 160 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $97,560
- Median hourly wage: $46.90
- Total employment: 90 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,200
- Median hourly wage: $47.69
- Total employment: 770 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,560
- Median hourly wage: $48.83
- Total employment: 1,000 people (2.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $101,750
- Median hourly wage: $48.92
- Total employment: 1,520 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $102,540
- Median hourly wage: $49.30
- Total employment: 140 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $102,940
- Median hourly wage: $49.49
- Total employment: 720 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $103,130
- Median hourly wage: $49.58
- Total employment: 570 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,400
- Median hourly wage: $49.71
- Total employment: 120 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $105,340
- Median hourly wage: $50.64
- Total employment: 180 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $105,980
- Median hourly wage: $50.95
- Total employment: 130 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $106,100
- Median hourly wage: $51.01
- Total employment: 200 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $106,200
- Median hourly wage: $51.06
- Total employment: 560 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $106,710
- Median hourly wage: $51.30
- Total employment: 410 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $107,990
- Median hourly wage: $51.92
- Total employment: 70 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $108,980
- Median hourly wage: $52.39
- Total employment: 1,180 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $109,190
- Median hourly wage: $52.49
- Total employment: 2,170 people (4.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $110,300
- Median hourly wage: $53.03
- Total employment: 80 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $111,200
- Median hourly wage: $53.46
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $113,010
- Median hourly wage: $54.33
- Total employment: 140 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $113,380
- Median hourly wage: $54.51
- Total employment: 250 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $114,030
- Median hourly wage: $54.82
- Total employment: 130 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $117,940
- Median hourly wage: $56.70
- Total employment: 130 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $118,440
- Median hourly wage: $56.94
- Total employment: 390 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $118,680
- Median hourly wage: $57.06
- Total employment: 690 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Another77 // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Petroleum engineers
- Median annual wage: $121,190
- Median hourly wage: $58.26
- Total employment: 350 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Csomos Attila // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers
- Median annual wage: $126,270
- Median hourly wage: $60.71
- Total employment: 270 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $131,880
- Median hourly wage: $63.41
- Total employment: 1,770 people (3.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $133,670
- Median hourly wage: $64.27
- Total employment: 260 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $135,840
- Median hourly wage: $65.31
- Total employment: 430 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $136,220
- Median hourly wage: $65.49
- Total employment: 1,050 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $138,920
- Median hourly wage: $66.79
- Total employment: 1,010 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $154,270
- Median hourly wage: $74.17
- Total employment: 640 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $156,980
- Median hourly wage: $75.47
- Total employment: 600 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $167,760
- Median hourly wage: $80.65
- Total employment: 230 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $169,250
- Median hourly wage: $81.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 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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