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1 / 50#50. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $62,420
- Median hourly wage: $30.01
- Total employment: 1,330 people (4.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in McAllen 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 McAllen, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $62,490
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 950 people (3.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedy // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $62,500
- Median hourly wage: $30.05
- Total employment: 80 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $63,280
- Median hourly wage: $30.42
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $64,060
- Median hourly wage: $30.80
- Total employment: 990 people (3.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Budget analysts
- Median annual wage: $65,500
- Median hourly wage: $31.49
- Total employment: 30 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $65,640
- Median hourly wage: $31.56
- Total employment: 720 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $66,350
- Median hourly wage: $31.90
- Total employment: 320 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $67,660
- Median hourly wage: $32.53
- Total employment: 1,470 people (5.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $68,800
- Median hourly wage: $33.08
- Total employment: 230 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $68,930
- Median hourly wage: $33.14
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $69,220
- Median hourly wage: $33.28
- Total employment: 150 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors
- Median annual wage: $69,710
- Median hourly wage: $33.51
- Total employment: 70 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Motortion Films // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling
- Median annual wage: $71,160
- Median hourly wage: $34.21
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $71,970
- Median hourly wage: $34.60
- Total employment: 70 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $72,020
- Median hourly wage: $34.62
- Total employment: 6,630 people (22.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $73,530
- Median hourly wage: $35.35
- Total employment: 200 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $73,940
- Median hourly wage: $35.55
- Total employment: 60 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $74,230
- Median hourly wage: $35.69
- Total employment: 70 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $74,270
- Median hourly wage: $35.71
- Total employment: 170 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $74,410
- Median hourly wage: $35.78
- Total employment: 280 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $74,580
- Median hourly wage: $35.86
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $76,930
- Median hourly wage: $36.99
- Total employment: 390 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $77,240
- Median hourly wage: $37.13
- Total employment: 5,660 people (19.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,490
- Median hourly wage: $37.26
- Total employment: 70 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $77,960
- Median hourly wage: $37.48
- Total employment: 140 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $82,840
- Median hourly wage: $39.83
- Total employment: 250 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $83,120
- Median hourly wage: $39.96
- Total employment: 80 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $83,840
- Median hourly wage: $40.31
- Total employment: 140 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $83,900
- Median hourly wage: $40.34
- Total employment: 100 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $84,440
- Median hourly wage: $40.59
- Total employment: 400 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $84,570
- Median hourly wage: $40.66
- Total employment: 60 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $86,170
- Median hourly wage: $41.43
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $87,050
- Median hourly wage: $41.85
- Total employment: 230 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
35 / 50#15. Biological scientists, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $92,750
- Median hourly wage: $44.59
- Total employment: 90 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Social scientists and related workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $92,750
- Median hourly wage: $44.59
- Total employment: 60 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $93,750
- Median hourly wage: $45.07
- Total employment: 160 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $94,120
- Median hourly wage: $45.25
- Total employment: 50 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $94,550
- Median hourly wage: $45.46
- Total employment: 1,290 people (4.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $94,850
- Median hourly wage: $45.60
- Total employment: 740 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $98,640
- Median hourly wage: $47.42
- Total employment: 80 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $99,490
- Median hourly wage: $47.83
- Total employment: 320 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $99,830
- Median hourly wage: $48.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $101,590
- Median hourly wage: $48.84
- Total employment: 60 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $106,910
- Median hourly wage: $51.40
- Total employment: 440 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $107,810
- Median hourly wage: $51.83
- Total employment: 180 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $120,640
- Median hourly wage: $58.00
- Total employment: 690 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $123,760
- Median hourly wage: $59.50
- Total employment: 580 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $126,850
- Median hourly wage: $60.98
- Total employment: 290 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $150,950
- Median hourly wage: $72.57
- Total employment: 100 people (0.33 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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