ImageFlow // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $62,470
- Median hourly wage: $30.04
- Total employment: 640 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Brownsville 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 Brownsville, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $62,600
- Median hourly wage: $30.10
- Total employment: 50 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $62,840
- Median hourly wage: $30.21
- Total employment: 80 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $62,900
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,620 people (10.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $63,050
- Median hourly wage: $30.31
- Total employment: 50 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $63,130
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 210 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $63,280
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 200 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedy // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $64,060
- Median hourly wage: $30.80
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ermolaev Alexander // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Special education teachers, all other
- Median annual wage: $64,980
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Deemerwha studio // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Conservation scientists
- Median annual wage: $65,170
- Median hourly wage: $31.33
- Total employment: 30 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $65,760
- Median hourly wage: $31.61
- Total employment: 450 people (2.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $67,950
- Median hourly wage: $32.67
- Total employment: 510 people (3.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Financial specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $69,950
- Median hourly wage: $33.63
- Total employment: 40 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $70,080
- Median hourly wage: $33.69
- Total employment: 150 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $71,810
- Median hourly wage: $34.52
- Total employment: 140 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $72,470
- Median hourly wage: $34.84
- Total employment: 3,640 people (23.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $73,960
- Median hourly wage: $35.56
- Total employment: 180 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $74,060
- Median hourly wage: $35.60
- Total employment: 200 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $74,850
- Median hourly wage: $35.99
- Total employment: 60 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $75,810
- Median hourly wage: $36.45
- Total employment: 3,030 people (19.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $79,360
- Median hourly wage: $38.15
- Total employment: 220 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $80,580
- Median hourly wage: $38.74
- Total employment: 50 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $80,840
- Median hourly wage: $38.86
- Total employment: 150 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $81,940
- Median hourly wage: $39.39
- Total employment: 220 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $82,410
- Median hourly wage: $39.62
- Total employment: 140 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $83,240
- Median hourly wage: $40.02
- Total employment: 80 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $84,030
- Median hourly wage: $40.40
- Total employment: 90 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $84,190
- Median hourly wage: $40.48
- Total employment: 110 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Biological scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $89,860
- Median hourly wage: $43.20
- Total employment: 50 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $92,260
- Median hourly wage: $44.36
- Total employment: 30 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $92,750
- Median hourly wage: $44.59
- Total employment: 940 people (5.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $94,680
- Median hourly wage: $45.52
- Total employment: 140 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $95,500
- Median hourly wage: $45.91
- Total employment: 760 people (4.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $96,480
- Median hourly wage: $46.38
- Total employment: 120 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $98,560
- Median hourly wage: $47.39
- Total employment: 50 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $98,650
- Median hourly wage: $47.43
- Total employment: 140 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,420
- Median hourly wage: $49.72
- Total employment: 60 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $103,510
- Median hourly wage: $49.76
- Total employment: 320 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $105,370
- Median hourly wage: $50.66
- Total employment: 50 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $105,560
- Median hourly wage: $50.75
- Total employment: 390 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $105,690
- Median hourly wage: $50.81
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $106,180
- Median hourly wage: $51.05
- Total employment: 30 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $107,740
- Median hourly wage: $51.80
- Total employment: 130 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $110,350
- Median hourly wage: $53.05
- Total employment: 140 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $113,730
- Median hourly wage: $54.68
- Total employment: 150 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $122,050
- Median hourly wage: $58.68
- Total employment: 290 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $127,520
- Median hourly wage: $61.31
- Total employment: 430 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $139,680
- Median hourly wage: $67.15
- Total employment: 210 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $152,990
- Median hourly wage: $73.55
- Total employment: 50 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $158,820
- Median hourly wage: $76.36
- Total employment: 50 people (0.31 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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