possohh // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Emergency management directors
- Median annual wage: $90,240
- Median hourly wage: $43.39
- Total employment: 140 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Nashville 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 Nashville, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
You may also like: Car insurance rates in Nashville October 2025
ZikG // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Fish and game wardens
- Median annual wage: $90,960
- Median hourly wage: $43.73
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $92,160
- Median hourly wage: $44.31
- Total employment: 1,840 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $92,470
- Median hourly wage: $44.46
- Total employment: 1,330 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $96,930
- Median hourly wage: $46.60
- Total employment: 1,060 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best colleges in Nashville
Taty77 // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,190
- Median hourly wage: $46.73
- Total employment: 30 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,970
- Median hourly wage: $47.10
- Total employment: 230 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $98,800
- Median hourly wage: $47.50
- Total employment: 6,440 people (5.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,780
- Median hourly wage: $47.97
- Total employment: 1,620 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $100,180
- Median hourly wage: $48.16
- Total employment: 2,400 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Cities with the most expensive homes in the Nashville metro area
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,600
- Median hourly wage: $48.85
- Total employment: 1,200 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $102,080
- Median hourly wage: $49.08
- Total employment: 5,770 people (5.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $102,850
- Median hourly wage: $49.45
- Total employment: 1,890 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $103,160
- Median hourly wage: $49.60
- Total employment: 320 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $103,400
- Median hourly wage: $49.71
- Total employment: 1,490 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Mexican restaurants in the Nashville area by diners
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $106,050
- Median hourly wage: $50.98
- Total employment: 2,540 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $107,100
- Median hourly wage: $51.49
- Total employment: 830 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $107,660
- Median hourly wage: $51.76
- Total employment: 120 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $108,380
- Median hourly wage: $52.11
- Total employment: 23,930 people (21.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $108,580
- Median hourly wage: $52.20
- Total employment: 120 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Nashville by diners
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,400
- Median hourly wage: $52.60
- Total employment: 560 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $109,440
- Median hourly wage: $52.62
- Total employment: 200 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $109,620
- Median hourly wage: $52.70
- Total employment: 670 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,900
- Median hourly wage: $52.84
- Total employment: Not available
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $110,270
- Median hourly wage: $53.02
- Total employment: 1,140 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated steak restaurants in the Nashville area by diners
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $111,140
- Median hourly wage: $53.44
- Total employment: 390 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Atmospheric and space scientists
- Median annual wage: $113,030
- Median hourly wage: $54.34
- Total employment: 30 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $114,120
- Median hourly wage: $54.86
- Total employment: 1,590 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $115,970
- Median hourly wage: $55.75
- Total employment: 5,050 people (4.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $119,430
- Median hourly wage: $57.42
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Closest national parks to Nashville
fizkes // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $120,560
- Median hourly wage: $57.96
- Total employment: 190 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $121,620
- Median hourly wage: $58.47
- Total employment: 1,700 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $127,150
- Median hourly wage: $61.13
- Total employment: 8,420 people (7.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $127,770
- Median hourly wage: $61.43
- Total employment: 1,490 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $128,080
- Median hourly wage: $61.58
- Total employment: Not available
You may also like: Most expensive homes for sale in Nashville
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $128,510
- Median hourly wage: $61.78
- Total employment: 210 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $128,810
- Median hourly wage: $61.93
- Total employment: 1,840 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mark_Kostich // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Medical dosimetrists
- Median annual wage: $130,360
- Median hourly wage: $62.68
- Total employment: Not available
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $130,640
- Median hourly wage: $62.81
- Total employment: 320 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $131,420
- Median hourly wage: $63.19
- Total employment: 4,030 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Michelin-starred restaurants in Nashville
creativemarc // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $132,060
- Median hourly wage: $63.49
- Total employment: 3,750 people (3.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $134,070
- Median hourly wage: $64.46
- Total employment: 4,610 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $135,740
- Median hourly wage: $65.26
- Total employment: 180 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $140,440
- Median hourly wage: $67.52
- Total employment: 8,160 people (7.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $146,130
- Median hourly wage: $70.26
- Total employment: 270 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Most common languages spoken at home in Greater Nashville and surrounding regions
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: $149,740
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $153,920
- Median hourly wage: $74.00
- Total employment: 970 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $158,360
- Median hourly wage: $76.13
- Total employment: 5,650 people (5.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $170,400
- Median hourly wage: $81.92
- Total employment: 590 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $179,170
- Median hourly wage: $86.14
- Total employment: 2,220 people (2.03 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.
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Nashville that don't require a college degree
