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1 / 50#50. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $54,530
- Median hourly wage: $26.21
- Total employment: 110 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Wichita Falls 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 Wichita Falls, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Public relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $56,720
- Median hourly wage: $27.27
- Total employment: 70 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
- Median annual wage: $56,740
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $56,840
- Median hourly wage: $27.33
- Total employment: 220 people (3.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $57,270
- Median hourly wage: $27.54
- Total employment: 80 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 480 people (8.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Educational instruction and library workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $58,820
- Median hourly wage: $28.28
- Total employment: 70 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $59,060
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $60,910
- Median hourly wage: $29.28
- Total employment: 60 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $62,230
- Median hourly wage: $29.92
- Total employment: 60 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $62,860
- Median hourly wage: $30.22
- Total employment: 50 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GLRL // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $62,910
- Median hourly wage: $30.25
- Total employment: 150 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Financial specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $64,590
- Median hourly wage: $31.05
- Total employment: 40 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $64,750
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 750 people (13.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $66,570
- Median hourly wage: $32.01
- Total employment: 70 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $68,030
- Median hourly wage: $32.71
- Total employment: 90 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Dietitians and nutritionists
- Median annual wage: $69,300
- Median hourly wage: $33.32
- Total employment: 40 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $69,400
- Median hourly wage: $33.37
- Total employment: 80 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Teachers and instructors, all other
- Median annual wage: $69,950
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 260 people (4.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $71,250
- Median hourly wage: $34.26
- Total employment: 300 people (5.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $71,600
- Median hourly wage: $34.43
- Total employment: 70 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $72,550
- Median hourly wage: $34.88
- Total employment: 250 people (4.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $73,490
- Median hourly wage: $35.33
- Total employment: 90 people (1.66 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: $74,640
- Median hourly wage: $35.89
- Total employment: 70 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $75,900
- Median hourly wage: $36.49
- Total employment: 1,730 people (30.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $76,260
- Median hourly wage: $36.67
- Total employment: 30 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $76,310
- Median hourly wage: $36.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $76,480
- Median hourly wage: $36.77
- Total employment: 150 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $79,620
- Median hourly wage: $38.28
- Total employment: 1,450 people (25.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $85,490
- Median hourly wage: $41.10
- Total employment: 90 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $87,010
- Median hourly wage: $41.83
- Total employment: 50 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $92,000
- Median hourly wage: $44.23
- Total employment: 30 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $93,350
- Median hourly wage: $44.88
- Total employment: 40 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $94,270
- Median hourly wage: $45.32
- Total employment: 50 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,090
- Median hourly wage: $46.20
- Total employment: 90 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $96,240
- Median hourly wage: $46.27
- Total employment: 40 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
37 / 50#13. Industrial production managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $98,770
- Median hourly wage: $47.49
- Total employment: 90 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Administrative services managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $98,770
- Median hourly wage: $47.49
- Total employment: 70 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $100,160
- Median hourly wage: $48.16
- Total employment: 140 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $101,560
- Median hourly wage: $48.83
- Total employment: 320 people (5.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $101,930
- Median hourly wage: $49.01
- Total employment: 50 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: $107,240
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $109,220
- Median hourly wage: $52.51
- Total employment: 60 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $110,540
- Median hourly wage: $53.14
- Total employment: 70 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $118,040
- Median hourly wage: $56.75
- Total employment: 60 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $120,750
- Median hourly wage: $58.06
- Total employment: 80 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $123,450
- Median hourly wage: $59.35
- Total employment: 40 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $130,140
- Median hourly wage: $62.57
- Total employment: 150 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $137,050
- Median hourly wage: $65.89
- Total employment: 40 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Another77 // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Petroleum engineers
- Median annual wage: $160,890
- Median hourly wage: $77.35
- Total employment: 60 people (1.08 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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