Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $78,190
- Median hourly wage: $37.59
- Total employment: 190 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $78,200
- Median hourly wage: $37.60
- Total employment: Not available
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Technical writers
- Median annual wage: $78,590
- Median hourly wage: $37.78
- Total employment: Not available
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $79,650
- Median hourly wage: $38.29
- Total employment: 130 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $81,210
- Median hourly wage: $39.04
- Total employment: 240 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $81,600
- Median hourly wage: $39.23
- Total employment: 340 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $82,260
- Median hourly wage: $39.55
- Total employment: 1,400 people (5.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $83,470
- Median hourly wage: $40.13
- Total employment: 1,460 people (5.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $84,090
- Median hourly wage: $40.43
- Total employment: 490 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sabthai // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Budget analysts
- Median annual wage: $85,730
- Median hourly wage: $41.22
- Total employment: 70 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $86,600
- Median hourly wage: $41.64
- Total employment: 50 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $87,860
- Median hourly wage: $42.24
- Total employment: 640 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $88,020
- Median hourly wage: $42.32
- Total employment: 110 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $89,830
- Median hourly wage: $43.19
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $91,150
- Median hourly wage: $43.82
- Total employment: 420 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Insurance underwriters
- Median annual wage: $95,720
- Median hourly wage: $46.02
- Total employment: 100 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $96,210
- Median hourly wage: $46.26
- Total employment: 330 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $96,350
- Median hourly wage: $46.32
- Total employment: 160 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,440
- Median hourly wage: $46.85
- Total employment: 460 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,120
- Median hourly wage: $47.65
- Total employment: 840 people (3.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $99,490
- Median hourly wage: $47.83
- Total employment: 910 people (3.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $100,470
- Median hourly wage: $48.30
- Total employment: 190 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $100,760
- Median hourly wage: $48.44
- Total employment: 1,070 people (3.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $101,820
- Median hourly wage: $48.95
- Total employment: 1,210 people (4.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $103,200
- Median hourly wage: $49.61
- Total employment: 5,650 people (20.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,670
- Median hourly wage: $49.84
- Total employment: 460 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,830
- Median hourly wage: $49.92
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $104,050
- Median hourly wage: $50.03
- Total employment: 70 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $105,200
- Median hourly wage: $50.58
- Total employment: 70 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $105,300
- Median hourly wage: $50.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $106,320
- Median hourly wage: $51.12
- Total employment: 250 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $107,850
- Median hourly wage: $51.85
- Total employment: 200 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $108,930
- Median hourly wage: $52.37
- Total employment: 60 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $110,070
- Median hourly wage: $52.92
- Total employment: 570 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $110,090
- Median hourly wage: $52.93
- Total employment: 40 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $114,450
- Median hourly wage: $55.03
- Total employment: 350 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $116,270
- Median hourly wage: $55.90
- Total employment: 70 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $116,570
- Median hourly wage: $56.04
- Total employment: 100 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $119,770
- Median hourly wage: $57.58
- Total employment: 470 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $123,480
- Median hourly wage: $59.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $124,010
- Median hourly wage: $59.62
- Total employment: 60 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $125,040
- Median hourly wage: $60.11
- Total employment: 960 people (3.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $127,160
- Median hourly wage: $61.14
- Total employment: 520 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $130,510
- Median hourly wage: $62.74
- Total employment: 1,220 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $131,150
- Median hourly wage: $63.05
- Total employment: 680 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Lobanov // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Nuclear engineers
- Median annual wage: $138,050
- Median hourly wage: $66.37
- Total employment: 110 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $145,720
- Median hourly wage: $70.06
- Total employment: 700 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $148,530
- Median hourly wage: $71.41
- Total employment: 40 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $152,800
- Median hourly wage: $73.46
- Total employment: 400 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $172,780
- Median hourly wage: $83.07
- Total employment: 400 people (1.5 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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