Highest paying jobs in Madison that require a bachelor's degree
While college and university tuition costs may be skyrocketing, a bachelor's degree remains essential to many high-paying jobs across the United States.
Annual tuition and fees at four-year colleges rose 10 to 14% on average from 2010-11 to 2021-22, National Center for Education Statistics data shows. For many students, this means taking out loans. Federal student loan recipients who earned a bachelor's degree in 2016 borrowed an average of over $45,000 to earn their degree, as measured four years after graduation.
While expensive, bachelor's degrees provide higher earnings potential for U.S. workers. A Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis from 2021 shows that bachelor's degree holders make $277 more weekly than the median for all jobs, and $525 more than those whose highest education level is a high school diploma. What's more, the unemployment rate is lower for bachelor's degree holders at 3.5%, compared to 4.7% for all U.S. workers.
To be sure, not all jobs that require a bachelor's pay well. So, if you're going to get an undergraduate degree, what jobs will pay enough to make it worthwhile?
Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in Madison that require a bachelor's degree. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
Keep reading to discover the highest-paying jobs that require a bachelor's degree in Madison.
This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 366 metros.
#50. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $82,240
- Median hourly wage: $39.54
- Total employment: 330 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#49. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $83,050
- Median hourly wage: $39.93
- Total employment: 270 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#48. Occupational health and safety specialists
- Median annual wage: $83,120
- Median hourly wage: $39.96
- Total employment: 110 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#47. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $83,200
- Median hourly wage: $40.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#46. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $83,390
- Median hourly wage: $40.09
- Total employment: 1,030 people (2.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#45. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $83,450
- Median hourly wage: $40.12
- Total employment: 830 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#44. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $83,530
- Median hourly wage: $40.16
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#43. Cartographers and photogrammetrists
- Median annual wage: $84,550
- Median hourly wage: $40.65
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#42. Food scientists and technologists
- Median annual wage: $84,630
- Median hourly wage: $40.69
- Total employment: 110 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#41. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $85,050
- Median hourly wage: $40.89
- Total employment: 1,550 people (4.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#40. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $85,440
- Median hourly wage: $41.08
- Total employment: 900 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#39. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $86,650
- Median hourly wage: $41.66
- Total employment: 2,830 people (7.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#38. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $87,580
- Median hourly wage: $42.11
- Total employment: 150 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#37. Art directors
- Median annual wage: $89,460
- Median hourly wage: $43.01
- Total employment: 100 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#36. Project management specialists
- Median annual wage: $93,000
- Median hourly wage: $44.71
- Total employment: 2,880 people (7.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#35. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $95,360
- Median hourly wage: $45.85
- Total employment: 670 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. Web and digital interface designers
- Median annual wage: $96,870
- Median hourly wage: $46.57
- Total employment: 310 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#33. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,920
- Median hourly wage: $46.60
- Total employment: 350 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#32. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,440
- Median hourly wage: $46.85
- Total employment: 150 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#31. Financial and investment analysts
- Median annual wage: $97,910
- Median hourly wage: $47.07
- Total employment: 810 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#30. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
- Median annual wage: $98,390
- Median hourly wage: $47.30
- Total employment: 130 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#29. Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $98,420
- Median hourly wage: $47.32
- Total employment: 380 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#28. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $98,490
- Median hourly wage: $47.35
- Total employment: 130 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#27. Financial risk specialists
- Median annual wage: $99,820
- Median hourly wage: $47.99
- Total employment: 50 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#26. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $100,320
- Median hourly wage: $48.23
- Total employment: 4,960 people (12.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#25. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $100,370
- Median hourly wage: $48.26
- Total employment: 610 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#24. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $101,220
- Median hourly wage: $48.66
- Total employment: 680 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#23. Construction managers
- Median annual wage: $101,760
- Median hourly wage: $48.92
- Total employment: 840 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#22. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $102,870
- Median hourly wage: $49.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#21. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $103,450
- Median hourly wage: $49.73
- Total employment: 150 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#20. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $103,500
- Median hourly wage: $49.76
- Total employment: 90 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#19. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $104,440
- Median hourly wage: $50.21
- Total employment: 1,600 people (4.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#18. Administrative services managers
- Median annual wage: $105,640
- Median hourly wage: $50.79
- Total employment: 940 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#17. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $105,990
- Median hourly wage: $50.96
- Total employment: 140 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#16. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $106,790
- Median hourly wage: $51.34
- Total employment: 510 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#15. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $108,650
- Median hourly wage: $52.24
- Total employment: 580 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#14. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $109,450
- Median hourly wage: $52.62
- Total employment: 1,040 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#13. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $109,980
- Median hourly wage: $52.87
- Total employment: 190 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#12. General and operations managers
- Median annual wage: $113,780
- Median hourly wage: $54.70
- Total employment: 4,580 people (11.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#11. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $119,790
- Median hourly wage: $57.59
- Total employment: 110 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#10. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $127,990
- Median hourly wage: $61.54
- Total employment: 760 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#9. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $129,370
- Median hourly wage: $62.20
- Total employment: 430 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#8. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $130,000
- Median hourly wage: $62.50
- Total employment: 280 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#7. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $132,000
- Median hourly wage: $63.46
- Total employment: 500 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#6. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $132,900
- Median hourly wage: $63.90
- Total employment: 1,420 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#5. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $133,200
- Median hourly wage: $64.04
- Total employment: 590 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#4. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $133,410
- Median hourly wage: $64.14
- Total employment: 940 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#3. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $137,830
- Median hourly wage: $66.26
- Total employment: 1,390 people (3.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#2. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $143,230
- Median hourly wage: $68.86
- Total employment: 610 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $175,080
- Median hourly wage: $84.18
- Total employment: 560 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
