DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Athletic trainers
- Median annual wage: $56,240
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Columbia that require a graduate degree
Earning top dollar often requires more education than an undergraduate degree. Of course, doctors, lawyers, and professors all need extra years of focused study in their respective fields, but they're not alone. Graduate degrees in industries like business, engineering, and mathematics build specialized knowledge that can fast-track one's career—and salary.
In 2024, master's degree holders earned a weekly median of $1,840, a 19% premium over undergraduate degree holders. Meanwhile, doctorates earned $2,278, and professional degree holders earned $2,363.
However, wages can vary widely by occupation. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in Columbia that require a graduate degree in Columbia. This includes doctorates, master's degrees, and professional degrees. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
Beyond offering higher pay, a master's degree may also provide greater job security. The unemployment rate for a master's degree holder was 2.2% in 2024, compared to 2.5% for undergraduate degree holders. Unemployment is close to 1% among those with doctorates and professional degrees.
According to a May 2025 report from ResumeGenius, many employers believe a graduate degree showcases an employee's drive and commitment, leading to better job prospects. But that comes at a price. Between 2000 and 2020, median annual tuition and fees for graduate degree programs increased by 233%. Unsurprisingly, median cumulative grad school debt also increased, rising 47% to $50,000.
Depending on the career field, the expense may be difficult to justify. Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce found that full-time workers with graduate degrees in STEM fields earned $128,000 annually, almost twice as much as their counterparts in humanities and the arts. Meanwhile, a humanities graduate degree brought only 10% more earnings than a bachelor's degree.
Keep reading to find out how much graduate degree holders can earn in different roles.
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SeventyFour // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Curators
- Median annual wage: $57,750
- Median hourly wage: $27.76
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
3 / 50#47. Librarians and media collections specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $58,990
- Median hourly wage: $28.36
- Total employment: 510 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $58,990
- Median hourly wage: $28.36
- Total employment: 1,820 people (4.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Instructional coordinators
- Median annual wage: $61,110
- Median hourly wage: $29.38
- Total employment: 840 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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KSai23 // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Chiropractors
- Median annual wage: $62,390
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daxiao Productions // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Marriage and family therapists
- Median annual wage: $62,560
- Median hourly wage: $30.08
- Total employment: Not available
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Postsecondary teachers, all other
- Median annual wage: $64,060
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 520 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Healthcare social workers
- Median annual wage: $64,590
- Median hourly wage: $31.05
- Total employment: 560 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pheelings media // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Statisticians
- Median annual wage: $73,470
- Median hourly wage: $35.32
- Total employment: 120 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oleksii Didok // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Judicial law clerks
- Median annual wage: $73,490
- Median hourly wage: $35.33
- Total employment: 50 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chad McDermott // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Urban and regional planners
- Median annual wage: $73,670
- Median hourly wage: $35.42
- Total employment: 70 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Communications teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $74,480
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Worawee Meepian // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers
- Median annual wage: $74,690
- Median hourly wage: $35.91
- Total employment: 100 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
voronaman // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $75,910
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $76,500
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 170 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $76,610
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 190 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. School psychologists
- Median annual wage: $77,080
- Median hourly wage: $37.06
- Total employment: 180 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $77,430
- Median hourly wage: $37.23
- Total employment: 130 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other
- Median annual wage: $79,790
- Median hourly wage: $38.36
- Total employment: 110 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $84,660
- Median hourly wage: $40.70
- Total employment: 380 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Psychology teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $90,970
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel Besic // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. English language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $91,240
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 140 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Political science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $95,460
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Social work teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $95,610
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $95,750
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 250 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. History teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $95,810
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Biological science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $96,260
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $96,760
- Median hourly wage: $46.52
- Total employment: 310 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $96,810
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Chemistry teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $96,860
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $98,100
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 330 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $98,160
- Median hourly wage: $47.19
- Total employment: 520 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Computer science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $99,170
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $99,240
- Median hourly wage: $47.71
- Total employment: 110 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $100,690
- Median hourly wage: $48.41
- Total employment: 620 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $101,370
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 960 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $103,000
- Median hourly wage: $49.52
- Total employment: 2,180 people (5.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $112,050
- Median hourly wage: $53.87
- Total employment: 960 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $119,620
- Median hourly wage: $57.51
- Total employment: 410 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Psychologists, all other
- Median annual wage: $124,380
- Median hourly wage: $59.80
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Matej Kastelic // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Business teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $126,000
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 220 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $130,450
- Median hourly wage: $62.72
- Total employment: 230 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $134,730
- Median hourly wage: $64.77
- Total employment: 1,030 people (2.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $137,250
- Median hourly wage: $65.99
- Total employment: 90 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $198,310
- Median hourly wage: $95.34
- Total employment: 570 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $217,580
- Median hourly wage: $104.61
- Total employment: 100 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $219,170
- Median hourly wage: $105.37
- Total employment: 170 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Physicians, pathologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 1,250 people (3.25 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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