PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Coaches and scouts
- Median annual wage: $39,330
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 160 people (3.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Longview 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 Longview, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
DGLimages // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Community and social service specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $54,080
- Median hourly wage: $26.00
- Total employment: 60 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Agricultural inspectors
- Median annual wage: $55,210
- Median hourly wage: $26.55
- Total employment: 40 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $57,050
- Median hourly wage: $27.43
- Total employment: 50 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $57,410
- Median hourly wage: $27.60
- Total employment: 210 people (5.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,380
- Median hourly wage: $28.07
- Total employment: 60 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
- Median annual wage: $59,440
- Median hourly wage: $28.58
- Total employment: 60 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $65,240
- Median hourly wage: $31.37
- Total employment: 100 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $69,760
- Median hourly wage: $33.54
- Total employment: 100 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $69,990
- Median hourly wage: $33.65
- Total employment: 50 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $70,850
- Median hourly wage: $34.06
- Total employment: 80 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $74,070
- Median hourly wage: $35.61
- Total employment: 170 people (4.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
- Median annual wage: $74,160
- Median hourly wage: $35.65
- Total employment: 40 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GLRL // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $75,420
- Median hourly wage: $36.26
- Total employment: 170 people (4.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $75,920
- Median hourly wage: $36.50
- Total employment: 80 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $76,520
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 470 people (11.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Child, family, and school social workers
- Median annual wage: $76,660
- Median hourly wage: $36.86
- Total employment: 120 people (2.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Iam_Anupong // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $77,670
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $77,700
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
- Median annual wage: $77,810
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mongta Studio // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $79,700
- Median hourly wage: $38.32
- Total employment: 90 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Robert Kneschke // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Foresters
- Median annual wage: $79,760
- Median hourly wage: $38.35
- Total employment: 50 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $81,390
- Median hourly wage: $39.13
- Total employment: 180 people (4.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $83,830
- Median hourly wage: $40.30
- Total employment: 290 people (7.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lopolo // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $84,430
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 140 people (3.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Patrizio Martorana // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health
- Median annual wage: $86,060
- Median hourly wage: $41.37
- Total employment: 40 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $87,840
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 30 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $88,350
- Median hourly wage: $42.48
- Total employment: 50 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $88,400
- Median hourly wage: $42.50
- Total employment: 50 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $94,880
- Median hourly wage: $45.62
- Total employment: 60 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $95,720
- Median hourly wage: $46.02
- Total employment: 110 people (2.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
B Brown // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $98,280
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 210 people (5.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $98,980
- Median hourly wage: $47.59
- Total employment: 50 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,690
- Median hourly wage: $48.41
- Total employment: 90 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $101,090
- Median hourly wage: $48.60
- Total employment: 220 people (5.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $103,200
- Median hourly wage: $49.62
- Total employment: 50 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $103,740
- Median hourly wage: $49.88
- Total employment: 790 people (19.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $117,630
- Median hourly wage: $56.55
- Total employment: 570 people (13.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $122,770
- Median hourly wage: $59.02
- Total employment: 90 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $123,880
- Median hourly wage: $59.56
- Total employment: 70 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $125,340
- Median hourly wage: $60.26
- Total employment: 40 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $126,800
- Median hourly wage: $60.96
- Total employment: 140 people (3.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $127,120
- Median hourly wage: $61.11
- Total employment: 60 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $128,420
- Median hourly wage: $61.74
- Total employment: 40 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $129,840
- Median hourly wage: $62.42
- Total employment: 70 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $143,480
- Median hourly wage: $68.98
- Total employment: 80 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $148,650
- Median hourly wage: $71.46
- Total employment: 40 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $157,490
- Median hourly wage: $75.71
- Total employment: 90 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $159,650
- Median hourly wage: $76.76
- Total employment: 100 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $162,310
- Median hourly wage: $78.03
- Total employment: 70 people (1.69 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.
