Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,210
- Median hourly wage: $48.66
- Total employment: 560 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Richmond 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 Richmond, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $102,020
- Median hourly wage: $49.05
- Total employment: 2,710 people (4.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $102,630
- Median hourly wage: $49.34
- Total employment: 450 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $102,700
- Median hourly wage: $49.38
- Total employment: 190 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $102,840
- Median hourly wage: $49.44
- Total employment: 50 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $103,290
- Median hourly wage: $49.66
- Total employment: 1,230 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $103,960
- Median hourly wage: $49.98
- Total employment: 190 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $104,410
- Median hourly wage: $50.20
- Total employment: 750 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $104,590
- Median hourly wage: $50.28
- Total employment: 680 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tonhom1009 // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
- Median annual wage: $104,680
- Median hourly wage: $50.33
- Total employment: 70 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Undrey // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $104,800
- Median hourly wage: $50.39
- Total employment: 1,420 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $105,210
- Median hourly wage: $50.58
- Total employment: 1,130 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $105,840
- Median hourly wage: $50.89
- Total employment: 14,720 people (22.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Social scientists and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $105,870
- Median hourly wage: $50.90
- Total employment: 220 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $106,420
- Median hourly wage: $51.16
- Total employment: 1,070 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $107,720
- Median hourly wage: $51.79
- Total employment: 220 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $107,740
- Median hourly wage: $51.80
- Total employment: 830 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
THICHA SATAPITANON // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Financial risk specialists
- Median annual wage: $108,290
- Median hourly wage: $52.06
- Total employment: 410 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $108,600
- Median hourly wage: $52.21
- Total employment: 390 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $110,470
- Median hourly wage: $53.11
- Total employment: 560 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $110,500
- Median hourly wage: $53.13
- Total employment: 830 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Advertising and promotions managers
- Median annual wage: $111,030
- Median hourly wage: $53.38
- Total employment: 60 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Taty77 // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
- Median annual wage: $111,790
- Median hourly wage: $53.75
- Total employment: 40 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $117,020
- Median hourly wage: $56.26
- Total employment: 880 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $118,180
- Median hourly wage: $56.82
- Total employment: 200 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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aappp // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $118,390
- Median hourly wage: $56.92
- Total employment: 100 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $118,710
- Median hourly wage: $57.07
- Total employment: 400 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $121,010
- Median hourly wage: $58.18
- Total employment: 240 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $122,530
- Median hourly wage: $58.91
- Total employment: 1,550 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $124,020
- Median hourly wage: $59.63
- Total employment: 130 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SeventyFour // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $125,350
- Median hourly wage: $60.27
- Total employment: 100 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $125,780
- Median hourly wage: $60.47
- Total employment: 1,750 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $127,260
- Median hourly wage: $61.18
- Total employment: 490 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $128,070
- Median hourly wage: $61.57
- Total employment: 500 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $129,180
- Median hourly wage: $62.10
- Total employment: 840 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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dokurose // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $130,360
- Median hourly wage: $62.67
- Total employment: 160 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $130,760
- Median hourly wage: $62.87
- Total employment: 6,990 people (10.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $132,330
- Median hourly wage: $63.62
- Total employment: 110 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $137,380
- Median hourly wage: $66.05
- Total employment: 910 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $140,540
- Median hourly wage: $67.57
- Total employment: 1,960 people (3.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pressmaster // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $141,840
- Median hourly wage: $68.19
- Total employment: 370 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $144,520
- Median hourly wage: $69.48
- Total employment: 520 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $159,990
- Median hourly wage: $76.92
- Total employment: 540 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: $160,270
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $163,480
- Median hourly wage: $78.60
- Total employment: 120 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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dokurose // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $164,320
- Median hourly wage: $79.00
- Total employment: 1,520 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $166,800
- Median hourly wage: $80.19
- Total employment: 3,410 people (5.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $167,680
- Median hourly wage: $80.61
- Total employment: 1,100 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $172,070
- Median hourly wage: $82.72
- Total employment: 1,840 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $232,850
- Median hourly wage: $111.95
- Total employment: 690 people (1.06 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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