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1 / 50#50. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Median annual wage: $51,410
- Median hourly wage: $24.72
- Total employment: 160 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Wheeling 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 Wheeling, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $55,010
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Iam_Anupong // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $55,740
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Training and development specialists
- Median annual wage: $56,990
- Median hourly wage: $27.40
- Total employment: 100 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
- Median annual wage: $57,680
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Loan officers
- Median annual wage: $57,780
- Median hourly wage: $27.78
- Total employment: 120 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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7 / 50#44. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $58,920
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 460 people (7.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $59,020
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 570 people (9.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Social and community service managers
- Median annual wage: $59,150
- Median hourly wage: $28.44
- Total employment: 40 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lopolo // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $59,820
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 330 people (5.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Human resources specialists
- Median annual wage: $61,640
- Median hourly wage: $29.64
- Total employment: 190 people (3.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $61,980
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $62,120
- Median hourly wage: $29.87
- Total employment: 150 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GLRL // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Buyers and purchasing agents
- Median annual wage: $63,420
- Median hourly wage: $30.49
- Total employment: 90 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Business operations specialists, all other
- Median annual wage: $63,820
- Median hourly wage: $30.68
- Total employment: 200 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Compliance officers
- Median annual wage: $64,140
- Median hourly wage: $30.84
- Total employment: 130 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Accountants and auditors
- Median annual wage: $64,440
- Median hourly wage: $30.98
- Total employment: 330 people (5.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Social workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $65,240
- Median hourly wage: $31.37
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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19 / 50#32. Cost estimators
- Median annual wage: $66,850
- Median hourly wage: $32.14
- Total employment: 70 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. Logisticians
- Median annual wage: $69,650
- Median hourly wage: $33.49
- Total employment: 30 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $75,770
- Median hourly wage: $36.43
- Total employment: 1,430 people (24.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $76,400
- Median hourly wage: $36.73
- Total employment: 1,460 people (24.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $78,720
- Median hourly wage: $37.85
- Total employment: 90 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $80,290
- Median hourly wage: $38.60
- Total employment: 80 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Undrey // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $80,490
- Median hourly wage: $38.70
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $81,330
- Median hourly wage: $39.10
- Total employment: 80 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $83,280
- Median hourly wage: $40.04
- Total employment: 160 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Labor relations specialists
- Median annual wage: $83,770
- Median hourly wage: $40.28
- Total employment: 30 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Taty77 // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers
- Median annual wage: $84,050
- Median hourly wage: $40.41
- Total employment: 40 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $85,660
- Median hourly wage: $41.18
- Total employment: 60 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $87,620
- Median hourly wage: $42.12
- Total employment: 90 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $89,900
- Median hourly wage: $43.22
- Total employment: 80 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $91,230
- Median hourly wage: $43.86
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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34 / 50#17. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $92,490
- Median hourly wage: $44.47
- Total employment: 50 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $93,930
- Median hourly wage: $45.16
- Total employment: 60 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $94,870
- Median hourly wage: $45.61
- Total employment: 100 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $95,690
- Median hourly wage: $46.01
- Total employment: 180 people (3.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,070
- Median hourly wage: $46.19
- Total employment: 60 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,690
- Median hourly wage: $46.49
- Total employment: 50 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $101,870
- Median hourly wage: $48.98
- Total employment: 50 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $102,280
- Median hourly wage: $49.17
- Total employment: 100 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $102,880
- Median hourly wage: $49.46
- Total employment: 250 people (4.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $105,130
- Median hourly wage: $50.54
- Total employment: 80 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $105,560
- Median hourly wage: $50.75
- Total employment: 40 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $106,930
- Median hourly wage: $51.41
- Total employment: 90 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $116,850
- Median hourly wage: $56.18
- Total employment: 40 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $126,250
- Median hourly wage: $60.70
- Total employment: 200 people (3.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $127,660
- Median hourly wage: $61.38
- Total employment: 60 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $133,440
- Median hourly wage: $64.16
- Total employment: 70 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $194,900
- Median hourly wage: $93.70
- Total employment: 100 people (1.72 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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