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1 / 50#50. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $100,540
- Median hourly wage: $48.34
- Total employment: 2,310 people (18.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Kennewick 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 Kennewick, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $103,180
- Median hourly wage: $49.61
- Total employment: 190 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $103,710
- Median hourly wage: $49.86
- Total employment: 110 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
B Brown // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $105,630
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 720 people (5.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Technical writers
- Median annual wage: $106,220
- Median hourly wage: $51.07
- Total employment: 90 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $106,850
- Median hourly wage: $51.37
- Total employment: 300 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $107,280
- Median hourly wage: $51.58
- Total employment: 1,070 people (8.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $107,660
- Median hourly wage: $51.76
- Total employment: 30 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $107,990
- Median hourly wage: $51.92
- Total employment: 40 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $108,310
- Median hourly wage: $52.07
- Total employment: 330 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,110
- Median hourly wage: $52.46
- Total employment: 180 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Csomos Attila // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers
- Median annual wage: $110,880
- Median hourly wage: $53.31
- Total employment: 80 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $111,480
- Median hourly wage: $53.60
- Total employment: 60 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $113,120
- Median hourly wage: $54.38
- Total employment: 270 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $114,990
- Median hourly wage: $55.28
- Total employment: 30 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Legislators
- Median annual wage: $116,210
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $116,420
- Median hourly wage: $55.97
- Total employment: 110 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $120,260
- Median hourly wage: $57.82
- Total employment: 710 people (5.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $120,330
- Median hourly wage: $57.85
- Total employment: 40 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $121,170
- Median hourly wage: $58.25
- Total employment: 500 people (3.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $122,920
- Median hourly wage: $59.10
- Total employment: 1,670 people (13.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $127,540
- Median hourly wage: $61.32
- Total employment: 250 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $128,270
- Median hourly wage: $61.67
- Total employment: 70 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $128,440
- Median hourly wage: $61.75
- Total employment: 120 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $129,340
- Median hourly wage: $62.18
- Total employment: 220 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $129,830
- Median hourly wage: $62.42
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $130,980
- Median hourly wage: $62.97
- Total employment: 50 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $132,160
- Median hourly wage: $63.54
- Total employment: 610 people (4.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $132,490
- Median hourly wage: $63.70
- Total employment: 40 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $133,770
- Median hourly wage: $64.31
- Total employment: 340 people (2.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $137,080
- Median hourly wage: $65.91
- Total employment: 60 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $138,090
- Median hourly wage: $66.39
- Total employment: 290 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $138,120
- Median hourly wage: $66.40
- Total employment: 210 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $138,370
- Median hourly wage: $66.53
- Total employment: 490 people (3.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $139,080
- Median hourly wage: $66.87
- Total employment: 300 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $139,560
- Median hourly wage: $67.10
- Total employment: 300 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $141,600
- Median hourly wage: $68.08
- Total employment: 120 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $142,820
- Median hourly wage: $68.67
- Total employment: 110 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Lobanov // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Nuclear engineers
- Median annual wage: $150,950
- Median hourly wage: $72.57
- Total employment: 220 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $151,630
- Median hourly wage: $72.90
- Total employment: 250 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $155,380
- Median hourly wage: $74.70
- Total employment: 90 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $159,400
- Median hourly wage: $76.63
- Total employment: 60 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $159,530
- Median hourly wage: $76.70
- Total employment: 100 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $161,670
- Median hourly wage: $77.73
- Total employment: 260 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $173,620
- Median hourly wage: $83.47
- Total employment: 160 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $175,070
- Median hourly wage: $84.17
- Total employment: 400 people (3.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Social scientists and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $178,810
- Median hourly wage: $85.97
- Total employment: 60 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $184,200
- Median hourly wage: $88.56
- Total employment: 290 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $209,260
- Median hourly wage: $100.61
- Total employment: 110 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 80 people (0.59 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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