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1 / 50#50. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $76,470
- Median hourly wage: $36.77
- Total employment: 40 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Medford 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 Medford, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $77,270
- Median hourly wage: $37.15
- Total employment: 550 people (6.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,650
- Median hourly wage: $37.33
- Total employment: 40 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedy // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $77,860
- Median hourly wage: $37.43
- Total employment: 30 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $78,300
- Median hourly wage: $37.65
- Total employment: 110 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $78,450
- Median hourly wage: $37.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $79,670
- Median hourly wage: $38.30
- Total employment: 80 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $80,400
- Median hourly wage: $38.65
- Total employment: 70 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
James Kirkikis // Shutterstock
9 / 50#41. Zoologists and wildlife biologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $81,140
- Median hourly wage: $39.01
- Total employment: 30 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Project management specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $81,140
- Median hourly wage: $39.01
- Total employment: 370 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $82,930
- Median hourly wage: $39.87
- Total employment: 140 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ermolaev Alexander // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Special education teachers, all other
- Median annual wage: $83,830
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $85,560
- Median hourly wage: $41.14
- Total employment: 1,890 people (21.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Deemerwha studio // Shutterstock
14 / 50#36. Conservation scientists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $87,050
- Median hourly wage: $41.85
- Total employment: 30 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $87,050
- Median hourly wage: $41.85
- Total employment: 60 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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creativemarc // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $87,890
- Median hourly wage: $42.26
- Total employment: 150 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
17 / 50#33. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products (tie)
- Median annual wage: $88,310
- Median hourly wage: $42.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Electrical engineers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $88,310
- Median hourly wage: $42.46
- Total employment: 60 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $89,040
- Median hourly wage: $42.81
- Total employment: 190 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $91,210
- Median hourly wage: $43.85
- Total employment: 220 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $91,720
- Median hourly wage: $44.10
- Total employment: 60 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $91,980
- Median hourly wage: $44.22
- Total employment: 100 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $92,020
- Median hourly wage: $44.24
- Total employment: 70 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $92,270
- Median hourly wage: $44.36
- Total employment: 160 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $92,590
- Median hourly wage: $44.52
- Total employment: 40 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $93,660
- Median hourly wage: $45.03
- Total employment: 30 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $94,350
- Median hourly wage: $45.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $96,160
- Median hourly wage: $46.23
- Total employment: 40 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,020
- Median hourly wage: $46.65
- Total employment: 70 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $100,150
- Median hourly wage: $48.15
- Total employment: 130 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $100,470
- Median hourly wage: $48.30
- Total employment: 60 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $100,990
- Median hourly wage: $48.55
- Total employment: 70 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $101,260
- Median hourly wage: $48.69
- Total employment: Not available
dokurose // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $102,900
- Median hourly wage: $49.47
- Total employment: 230 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $104,260
- Median hourly wage: $50.12
- Total employment: 190 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $104,410
- Median hourly wage: $50.20
- Total employment: 150 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $106,880
- Median hourly wage: $51.38
- Total employment: 30 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $107,460
- Median hourly wage: $51.66
- Total employment: 220 people (2.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $111,430
- Median hourly wage: $53.57
- Total employment: 60 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $111,980
- Median hourly wage: $53.84
- Total employment: 2,370 people (26.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $116,580
- Median hourly wage: $56.05
- Total employment: 50 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $125,010
- Median hourly wage: $60.10
- Total employment: 50 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $125,860
- Median hourly wage: $60.51
- Total employment: 320 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $127,240
- Median hourly wage: $61.17
- Total employment: 100 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $129,080
- Median hourly wage: $62.06
- Total employment: 260 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $132,970
- Median hourly wage: $63.93
- Total employment: 170 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $137,720
- Median hourly wage: $66.21
- Total employment: 50 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $138,490
- Median hourly wage: $66.58
- Total employment: 320 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $138,890
- Median hourly wage: $66.77
- Total employment: 40 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.46 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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