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1 / 50#50. Education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare
- Median annual wage: $45,710
- Median hourly wage: $21.98
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Laredo 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 Laredo, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Meeting, convention, and event planners
- Median annual wage: $46,580
- Median hourly wage: $22.39
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Financial specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $47,410
- Median hourly wage: $22.80
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $47,460
- Median hourly wage: $22.82
- Total employment: 490 people (4.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors
- Median annual wage: $47,550
- Median hourly wage: $22.86
- Total employment: 40 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
- Median annual wage: $48,500
- Median hourly wage: $23.32
- Total employment: 310 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Teaching assistants, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $48,750
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Child, family, and school social workers
- Median annual wage: $48,790
- Median hourly wage: $23.46
- Total employment: 240 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $49,910
- Median hourly wage: $24.00
- Total employment: 190 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Public relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $52,260
- Median hourly wage: $25.13
- Total employment: 100 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $57,980
- Median hourly wage: $27.88
- Total employment: 80 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $59,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.37
- Total employment: 120 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $59,630
- Median hourly wage: $28.67
- Total employment: 240 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lopolo // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $60,100
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 820 people (7.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $60,300
- Median hourly wage: $28.99
- Total employment: 80 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $60,610
- Median hourly wage: $29.14
- Total employment: 550 people (5.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $60,980
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,640 people (15.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Dietitians and nutritionists
- Median annual wage: $61,220
- Median hourly wage: $29.43
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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19 / 50#32. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $61,360
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,020 people (9.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $61,380
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 90 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $61,870
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 340 people (3.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $62,180
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 280 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $63,440
- Median hourly wage: $30.50
- Total employment: 260 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $63,520
- Median hourly wage: $30.54
- Total employment: 90 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $65,400
- Median hourly wage: $31.44
- Total employment: 110 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $67,230
- Median hourly wage: $32.32
- Total employment: 70 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $67,990
- Median hourly wage: $32.69
- Total employment: 60 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $69,970
- Median hourly wage: $33.64
- Total employment: 3,080 people (29.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $70,570
- Median hourly wage: $33.93
- Total employment: 320 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $72,750
- Median hourly wage: $34.98
- Total employment: 120 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $75,830
- Median hourly wage: $36.46
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $77,200
- Median hourly wage: $37.11
- Total employment: 100 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,600
- Median hourly wage: $37.31
- Total employment: 140 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $78,580
- Median hourly wage: $37.78
- Total employment: 1,670 people (15.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $84,470
- Median hourly wage: $40.61
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $85,080
- Median hourly wage: $40.90
- Total employment: 70 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $85,580
- Median hourly wage: $41.15
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $93,310
- Median hourly wage: $44.86
- Total employment: 1,490 people (14.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $93,900
- Median hourly wage: $45.15
- Total employment: 70 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $95,490
- Median hourly wage: $45.91
- Total employment: 320 people (3.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $97,880
- Median hourly wage: $47.06
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $100,530
- Median hourly wage: $48.33
- Total employment: 320 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $104,900
- Median hourly wage: $50.43
- Total employment: 190 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $108,530
- Median hourly wage: $52.18
- Total employment: 120 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $109,700
- Median hourly wage: $52.74
- Total employment: 110 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $109,830
- Median hourly wage: $52.80
- Total employment: 130 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $123,200
- Median hourly wage: $59.23
- Total employment: 90 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $125,300
- Median hourly wage: $60.24
- Total employment: 570 people (5.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $127,470
- Median hourly wage: $61.28
- Total employment: 30 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $158,320
- Median hourly wage: $76.11
- Total employment: 30 people (0.3 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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