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1 / 48#48. Coaches and scouts
- Median annual wage: $39,490
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 30 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Beckley 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 Beckley, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 48#47. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents
- Median annual wage: $41,660
- Median hourly wage: $20.03
- Total employment: 60 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
3 / 48#46. Property appraisers and assessors
- Median annual wage: $41,990
- Median hourly wage: $20.19
- Total employment: 50 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
4 / 48#45. Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
- Median annual wage: $42,320
- Median hourly wage: $20.35
- Total employment: 30 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
5 / 48#44. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $43,290
- Median hourly wage: $20.81
- Total employment: 90 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 48#43. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $46,390
- Median hourly wage: $22.30
- Total employment: 90 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
comzeal images // Shutterstock
7 / 48#42. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $46,820
- Median hourly wage: $22.51
- Total employment: 50 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VH-studio // Shutterstock
8 / 48#41. Child, family, and school social workers
- Median annual wage: $47,230
- Median hourly wage: $22.71
- Total employment: 130 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
9 / 48#40. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $47,820
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 380 people (8.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lopolo // Shutterstock
10 / 48#39. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $48,650
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 200 people (4.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Iam_Anupong // Shutterstock
11 / 48#38. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $49,430
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
12 / 48#37. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
- Median annual wage: $49,700
- Median hourly wage: $23.90
- Total employment: 60 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
B Brown // Shutterstock
13 / 48#36. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $50,210
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 210 people (4.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
14 / 48#35. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $52,440
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 48#34. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $54,040
- Median hourly wage: $25.98
- Total employment: 100 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 48#33. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $55,100
- Median hourly wage: $26.49
- Total employment: 30 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
17 / 48#32. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $55,430
- Median hourly wage: $26.65
- Total employment: 150 people (3.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 48#31. Substitute teachers, short-term
- Median annual wage: $56,060
- Median hourly wage: $26.95
- Total employment: 380 people (8.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
19 / 48#30. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $56,930
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GLRL // Shutterstock
20 / 48#29. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $61,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 60 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 48#28. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $61,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 30 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 48#27. Teachers and instructors, all other
- Median annual wage: $61,660
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
23 / 48#26. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $62,890
- Median hourly wage: $30.23
- Total employment: 140 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
24 / 48#25. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $71,990
- Median hourly wage: $34.61
- Total employment: 40 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
25 / 48#24. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $72,550
- Median hourly wage: $34.88
- Total employment: Not available
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26 / 48#23. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $72,600
- Median hourly wage: $34.91
- Total employment: 270 people (6.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
27 / 48#22. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $72,760
- Median hourly wage: $34.98
- Total employment: 40 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 48#21. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $75,480
- Median hourly wage: $36.29
- Total employment: 70 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
29 / 48#20. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $76,470
- Median hourly wage: $36.76
- Total employment: 960 people (22.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
30 / 48#19. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $77,620
- Median hourly wage: $37.32
- Total employment: 80 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 48#18. Financial specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,960
- Median hourly wage: $37.48
- Total employment: 110 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Taty77 // Shutterstock
32 / 48#17. Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
- Median annual wage: $78,880
- Median hourly wage: $37.93
- Total employment: 110 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
33 / 48#16. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $78,930
- Median hourly wage: $37.95
- Total employment: 1,290 people (30.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
34 / 48#15. Social workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $81,020
- Median hourly wage: $38.95
- Total employment: 70 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
35 / 48#14. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $84,890
- Median hourly wage: $40.81
- Total employment: 50 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
36 / 48#13. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $85,170
- Median hourly wage: $40.95
- Total employment: 50 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
37 / 48#12. Social scientists and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $85,790
- Median hourly wage: $41.25
- Total employment: 30 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
38 / 48#11. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $89,860
- Median hourly wage: $43.20
- Total employment: 60 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
39 / 48#10. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $92,750
- Median hourly wage: $44.59
- Total employment: 60 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
40 / 48#9. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $94,010
- Median hourly wage: $45.20
- Total employment: 70 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
41 / 48#8. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $98,700
- Median hourly wage: $47.45
- Total employment: 100 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
42 / 48#7. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $99,280
- Median hourly wage: $47.73
- Total employment: 70 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 48#6. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $102,890
- Median hourly wage: $49.47
- Total employment: 150 people (3.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
44 / 48#5. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $110,140
- Median hourly wage: $52.95
- Total employment: 140 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
45 / 48#4. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $110,430
- Median hourly wage: $53.09
- Total employment: 170 people (4.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
46 / 48#3. Education administrators, all other
- Median annual wage: $113,730
- Median hourly wage: $54.68
- Total employment: 40 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
47 / 48#2. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $119,990
- Median hourly wage: $57.69
- Total employment: 40 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
48 / 48#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $150,850
- Median hourly wage: $72.53
- Total employment: 80 people (1.81 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.
