PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $72,470
- Median hourly wage: $34.84
- Total employment: 40 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Beaumont 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 Beaumont, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $73,320
- Median hourly wage: $35.25
- Total employment: 530 people (3.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $74,110
- Median hourly wage: $35.63
- Total employment: 110 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $76,370
- Median hourly wage: $36.72
- Total employment: 860 people (5.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $77,280
- Median hourly wage: $37.15
- Total employment: 200 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $77,360
- Median hourly wage: $37.19
- Total employment: 260 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $78,860
- Median hourly wage: $37.91
- Total employment: 370 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $81,190
- Median hourly wage: $39.03
- Total employment: 2,880 people (18.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $81,950
- Median hourly wage: $39.40
- Total employment: 90 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $82,760
- Median hourly wage: $39.79
- Total employment: 440 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $84,040
- Median hourly wage: $40.41
- Total employment: 240 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $91,890
- Median hourly wage: $44.18
- Total employment: 90 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $93,540
- Median hourly wage: $44.97
- Total employment: 130 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $93,580
- Median hourly wage: $44.99
- Total employment: 610 people (3.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $94,620
- Median hourly wage: $45.49
- Total employment: 50 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $96,400
- Median hourly wage: $46.35
- Total employment: 60 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $96,470
- Median hourly wage: $46.38
- Total employment: 170 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $97,270
- Median hourly wage: $46.77
- Total employment: 4,880 people (30.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $97,530
- Median hourly wage: $46.89
- Total employment: 1,060 people (6.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $98,160
- Median hourly wage: $47.19
- Total employment: 1,430 people (8.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Chemists
- Median annual wage: $98,940
- Median hourly wage: $47.57
- Total employment: 210 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $98,970
- Median hourly wage: $47.58
- Total employment: 60 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $99,560
- Median hourly wage: $47.87
- Total employment: 80 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $100,620
- Median hourly wage: $48.38
- Total employment: 570 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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25 / 50#26. Emergency management directors
- Median annual wage: $101,870
- Median hourly wage: $48.98
- Total employment: 50 people (0.3 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: $102,210
- Median hourly wage: $49.14
- Total employment: 240 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $104,700
- Median hourly wage: $50.34
- Total employment: 380 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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28 / 50#23. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $113,790
- Median hourly wage: $54.71
- Total employment: 150 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $113,960
- Median hourly wage: $54.79
- Total employment: 130 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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30 / 50#21. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $114,520
- Median hourly wage: $55.06
- Total employment: 60 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $118,380
- Median hourly wage: $56.92
- Total employment: 70 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $118,840
- Median hourly wage: $57.14
- Total employment: 490 people (3.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $119,590
- Median hourly wage: $57.50
- Total employment: 360 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $119,620
- Median hourly wage: $57.51
- Total employment: 210 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $120,350
- Median hourly wage: $57.86
- Total employment: 50 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $120,620
- Median hourly wage: $57.99
- Total employment: 230 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $122,350
- Median hourly wage: $58.82
- Total employment: 400 people (2.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $123,140
- Median hourly wage: $59.20
- Total employment: 160 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $123,270
- Median hourly wage: $59.26
- Total employment: 550 people (3.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $125,950
- Median hourly wage: $60.55
- Total employment: 50 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $126,660
- Median hourly wage: $60.89
- Total employment: 230 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $133,210
- Median hourly wage: $64.05
- Total employment: 110 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $136,400
- Median hourly wage: $65.58
- Total employment: 530 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $137,380
- Median hourly wage: $66.05
- Total employment: 450 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $147,460
- Median hourly wage: $70.90
- Total employment: 50 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $154,200
- Median hourly wage: $74.14
- Total employment: 510 people (3.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $156,270
- Median hourly wage: $75.13
- Total employment: 270 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $166,230
- Median hourly wage: $79.92
- Total employment: 210 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Another77 // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Petroleum engineers
- Median annual wage: $167,090
- Median hourly wage: $80.33
- Total employment: 160 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $209,190
- Median hourly wage: $100.57
- Total employment: 80 people (0.53 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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