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1 / 50#50. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $69,010
- Median hourly wage: $33.18
- Total employment: 410 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Spartanburg 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 Spartanburg, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $69,110
- Median hourly wage: $33.22
- Total employment: 90 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $72,840
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors
- Median annual wage: $73,560
- Median hourly wage: $35.37
- Total employment: 40 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $74,320
- Median hourly wage: $35.73
- Total employment: 50 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $74,650
- Median hourly wage: $35.89
- Total employment: 770 people (4.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $78,190
- Median hourly wage: $37.59
- Total employment: 330 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $79,410
- Median hourly wage: $38.18
- Total employment: 140 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $79,550
- Median hourly wage: $38.25
- Total employment: 4,660 people (28.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $81,470
- Median hourly wage: $39.17
- Total employment: 600 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $81,740
- Median hourly wage: $39.30
- Total employment: 370 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $82,060
- Median hourly wage: $39.45
- Total employment: 150 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $83,240
- Median hourly wage: $40.02
- Total employment: 240 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $83,250
- Median hourly wage: $40.02
- Total employment: 230 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $83,700
- Median hourly wage: $40.24
- Total employment: 170 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $86,650
- Median hourly wage: $41.66
- Total employment: 130 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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17 / 50#34. Insurance underwriters
- Median annual wage: $86,720
- Median hourly wage: $41.69
- Total employment: 30 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Financial specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $88,170
- Median hourly wage: $42.39
- Total employment: 50 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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19 / 50#32. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $89,590
- Median hourly wage: $43.07
- Total employment: 30 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
REDPIXEL.PL // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Commercial and industrial designers
- Median annual wage: $90,880
- Median hourly wage: $43.69
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $92,090
- Median hourly wage: $44.27
- Total employment: 130 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $93,250
- Median hourly wage: $44.83
- Total employment: 800 people (4.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $93,350
- Median hourly wage: $44.88
- Total employment: 230 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $94,550
- Median hourly wage: $45.46
- Total employment: 650 people (3.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $98,990
- Median hourly wage: $47.59
- Total employment: 110 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $100,260
- Median hourly wage: $48.20
- Total employment: 200 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $101,140
- Median hourly wage: $48.62
- Total employment: 110 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $102,010
- Median hourly wage: $49.04
- Total employment: 360 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $102,070
- Median hourly wage: $49.07
- Total employment: 90 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $102,190
- Median hourly wage: $49.13
- Total employment: 2,400 people (14.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $102,940
- Median hourly wage: $49.49
- Total employment: 40 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $104,040
- Median hourly wage: $50.02
- Total employment: 230 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $104,320
- Median hourly wage: $50.15
- Total employment: 120 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $104,560
- Median hourly wage: $50.27
- Total employment: 140 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $105,580
- Median hourly wage: $50.76
- Total employment: 390 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $106,780
- Median hourly wage: $51.34
- Total employment: 60 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $117,950
- Median hourly wage: $56.71
- Total employment: 530 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $122,420
- Median hourly wage: $58.86
- Total employment: 30 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $123,780
- Median hourly wage: $59.51
- Total employment: 540 people (3.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $124,790
- Median hourly wage: $60.00
- Total employment: 130 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $126,000
- Median hourly wage: $60.58
- Total employment: 140 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $126,600
- Median hourly wage: $60.86
- Total employment: 110 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $126,820
- Median hourly wage: $60.97
- Total employment: 730 people (4.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $127,090
- Median hourly wage: $61.10
- Total employment: 190 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $128,980
- Median hourly wage: $62.01
- Total employment: 500 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $134,950
- Median hourly wage: $64.88
- Total employment: 60 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $137,140
- Median hourly wage: $65.93
- Total employment: 130 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $150,280
- Median hourly wage: $72.25
- Total employment: 30 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $153,000
- Median hourly wage: $73.56
- Total employment: 210 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $190,080
- Median hourly wage: $91.39
- Total employment: 180 people (1.11 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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