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1 / 50#50. Genetic counselors
- Median annual wage: $100,690
- Median hourly wage: $48.41
- Total employment: 100 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Seattle that require a graduate degree
Earning top dollar typically requires more education than an undergraduate degree can provide. Doctors, lawyers, and professors need extra years of focused study for their chosen fields, but they're not alone. Graduate degrees in fields like business, teaching, and public health build specialized knowledge that can fast-track a career—and one's salary.
Many hiring managers view a master's degree as the equivalent of two years of work experience, giving graduate degree holders a leg up. In 2024, master's degree holders earned a weekly median of $1,840, a 19% premium over undergraduate degree holders. Doctorates earned $2,278, and professional degree holders earned $2,363.
Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in Seattle that require a graduate degree in Seattle. This includes doctorates, master's degrees, and professional degrees. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
Job security is another benefit. The unemployment rate for a master's degree holder is 2.2%, compared to 2.5% for undergraduate degree holders. Doctorates and professional degree holders' unemployment rate is close to 1%.
Employers believe a graduate degree showcases an employee's drive and commitment, but that comes at a price. Between 2000 and 2020, median annual tuition and fees for graduate degree programs increased by 233%. Unsurprisingly, median student debt has also increased, rising 47% to $50,000.
Depending on the career field, some prospective students may find it difficult to justify the expense. Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce found that full-time workers in STEM fields earned $128,000 annually, almost twice as much as their degreed counterparts in humanities and the arts. A graduate degree in humanities also only brought a 10% earnings premium over someone with a bachelor's degree.
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Librarians and media collections specialists
- Median annual wage: $100,810
- Median hourly wage: $48.47
- Total employment: 1,440 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $101,500
- Median hourly wage: $48.80
- Total employment: 6,230 people (2.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pheelings media // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Statisticians
- Median annual wage: $102,950
- Median hourly wage: $49.50
- Total employment: 2,100 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chad McDermott // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Urban and regional planners
- Median annual wage: $103,410
- Median hourly wage: $49.71
- Total employment: 1,390 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Library science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $103,950
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $104,120
- Median hourly wage: $50.06
- Total employment: 2,260 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY / Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Speech-language pathologists
- Median annual wage: $104,940
- Median hourly wage: $50.45
- Total employment: 1,780 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $105,720
- Median hourly wage: $50.83
- Total employment: 3,000 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other
- Median annual wage: $107,100
- Median hourly wage: $51.49
- Total employment: 620 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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luchschenF // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Biochemists and biophysicists
- Median annual wage: $107,730
- Median hourly wage: $51.79
- Total employment: 400 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $110,310
- Median hourly wage: $53.04
- Total employment: 1,070 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
I. Noyan Yilmaz // // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Environmental science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $110,760
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Physicists
- Median annual wage: $112,790
- Median hourly wage: $54.23
- Total employment: 120 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. School psychologists
- Median annual wage: $114,110
- Median hourly wage: $54.86
- Total employment: 670 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Clinical and counseling psychologists
- Median annual wage: $117,790
- Median hourly wage: $56.63
- Total employment: 590 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Audiologists
- Median annual wage: $119,190
- Median hourly wage: $57.30
- Total employment: 130 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Psychologists, all other
- Median annual wage: $119,640
- Median hourly wage: $57.52
- Total employment: 290 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $126,460
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 490 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Worawee Meepian // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers
- Median annual wage: $128,850
- Median hourly wage: $61.95
- Total employment: 180 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Economists
- Median annual wage: $129,280
- Median hourly wage: $62.16
- Total employment: 250 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Law teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $130,580
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: Not available
Sebastian Duda // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $132,960
- Median hourly wage: $63.92
- Total employment: 540 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $135,510
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 3,630 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ESB Professional // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $136,050
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Desizned // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Political scientists
- Median annual wage: $140,970
- Median hourly wage: $67.78
- Total employment: 100 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $142,940
- Median hourly wage: $68.72
- Total employment: 2,850 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
antoniodiaz // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Nurse midwives
- Median annual wage: $145,370
- Median hourly wage: $69.89
- Total employment: Not available
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $159,130
- Median hourly wage: $76.50
- Total employment: 1,020 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $162,680
- Median hourly wage: $78.21
- Total employment: 9,440 people (4.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $162,820
- Median hourly wage: $78.28
- Total employment: 550 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $163,090
- Median hourly wage: $78.41
- Total employment: 430 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $163,460
- Median hourly wage: $78.59
- Total employment: 1,910 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $165,270
- Median hourly wage: $79.46
- Total employment: 4,850 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $170,150
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 3,250 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kenishirotie //Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Mathematicians
- Median annual wage: $176,000
- Median hourly wage: $84.61
- Total employment: 110 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $208,810
- Median hourly wage: $100.39
- Total employment: 1,670 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $232,120
- Median hourly wage: $111.60
- Total employment: 2,070 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Nurse anesthetists
- Median annual wage: $237,310
- Median hourly wage: $114.09
- Total employment: 410 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
40 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 480 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
41 / 50#1. Physicians, pathologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 220 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
42 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 810 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Djols // Shutterstock
43 / 50#1. Emergency medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
44 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 3,850 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photoroyalty // Shutterstock
45 / 50#1. Surgeons, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 560 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#1. Neurologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 150 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elnur // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Podiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 140 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 280 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Radiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 1,690 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Ophthalmologists, except pediatric (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 363 metros.
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