Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
1 / 50#49. Architects, except landscape and naval (tie)
- Median annual wage: $97,360
- Median hourly wage: $46.81
- Total employment: 110 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Bremerton 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 Bremerton, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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2 / 50#49. Financial specialists, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $97,360
- Median hourly wage: $46.81
- Total employment: 200 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photographee.eu // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Special education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $97,580
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Special education teachers, middle school
- Median annual wage: $99,390
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Karanov // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $100,190
- Median hourly wage: $48.17
- Total employment: 150 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $100,250
- Median hourly wage: $48.20
- Total employment: 370 people (3.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
B Brown // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $100,500
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 450 people (4.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
boonchoke // Shutterstock
8 / 50#41. Business operations specialists, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $100,610
- Median hourly wage: $48.37
- Total employment: 2,310 people (24.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
9 / 50#41. Education administrators, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $100,610
- Median hourly wage: $48.37
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pakorn Khantiyaporn // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Logisticians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $100,610
- Median hourly wage: $48.37
- Total employment: 410 people (4.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Elementary school teachers, except special education
- Median annual wage: $100,620
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,020 people (10.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $100,660
- Median hourly wage: $48.40
- Total employment: 80 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $101,180
- Median hourly wage: $48.65
- Total employment: 1,290 people (13.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Career/technical education teachers, secondary school
- Median annual wage: $101,490
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 120 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $102,140
- Median hourly wage: $49.11
- Total employment: 260 people (2.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Management analysts
- Median annual wage: $102,900
- Median hourly wage: $49.47
- Total employment: 810 people (8.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $103,600
- Median hourly wage: $49.81
- Total employment: 160 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Martynova Anna // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Career/technical education teachers, middle school
- Median annual wage: $104,080
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 30 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lopolo // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education
- Median annual wage: $105,610
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 300 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $107,000
- Median hourly wage: $51.44
- Total employment: 170 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#27. Marine engineers and naval architects (tie)
- Median annual wage: $107,100
- Median hourly wage: $51.49
- Total employment: 140 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
luchschenF // Shutterstock
22 / 50#27. Chemists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $107,100
- Median hourly wage: $51.49
- Total employment: 70 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#27. Mechanical engineers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $107,100
- Median hourly wage: $51.49
- Total employment: 690 people (7.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Electrical engineers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $107,100
- Median hourly wage: $51.49
- Total employment: 240 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $109,960
- Median hourly wage: $52.87
- Total employment: 40 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $113,590
- Median hourly wage: $54.61
- Total employment: 60 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $115,770
- Median hourly wage: $55.66
- Total employment: 610 people (6.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $116,830
- Median hourly wage: $56.17
- Total employment: 80 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
creativemarc // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $117,260
- Median hourly wage: $56.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $120,080
- Median hourly wage: $57.73
- Total employment: 100 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $124,440
- Median hourly wage: $59.83
- Total employment: 50 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $125,820
- Median hourly wage: $60.49
- Total employment: 50 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $127,360
- Median hourly wage: $61.23
- Total employment: 1,400 people (14.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $127,500
- Median hourly wage: $61.30
- Total employment: 270 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $128,510
- Median hourly wage: $61.79
- Total employment: 100 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $129,730
- Median hourly wage: $62.37
- Total employment: 160 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $139,060
- Median hourly wage: $66.86
- Total employment: 620 people (6.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $140,130
- Median hourly wage: $67.37
- Total employment: 390 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $141,380
- Median hourly wage: $67.97
- Total employment: 40 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $142,810
- Median hourly wage: $68.66
- Total employment: 30 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $144,320
- Median hourly wage: $69.38
- Total employment: 40 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $145,950
- Median hourly wage: $70.17
- Total employment: 40 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $148,890
- Median hourly wage: $71.58
- Total employment: 140 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $149,700
- Median hourly wage: $71.97
- Total employment: 200 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $149,910
- Median hourly wage: $72.07
- Total employment: 50 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $152,930
- Median hourly wage: $73.52
- Total employment: 230 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $161,760
- Median hourly wage: $77.77
- Total employment: 70 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $164,200
- Median hourly wage: $78.94
- Total employment: 170 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $180,120
- Median hourly wage: $86.60
- Total employment: 210 people (2.2 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: 70 people (0.8 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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