Best-Paying Jobs With a Bachelor’s Degree
Careers where a bachelor’s degree is the typical entry requirement, ranked by median salary.
The 50 jobs below have a median salary of $130,000 — 155% above the $50,980 median for all U.S. workers. 84% of them are projected to grow faster than the 3.5% average through 2035, and together they are expected to have about 1,121,700 openings a year. The most common entry requirement on this list is: bachelor's degree (50 jobs).
| # | Job | Median salary | Take-home* | Education | Growth 2025–35 | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $232,140 | $171,457 | Bachelor's degree | +8.3% | 11,200 |
| 2 | Chief Executive | $213,990 | $159,231 | Bachelor's degree | +3.2% | 19,100 |
| 3 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | $175,140 | $130,974 | Bachelor's degree | +15.8% | 53,500 |
| 4 | Architectural and Engineering Manager | $171,270 | $128,329 | Bachelor's degree | +5.5% | 14,900 |
| 5 | Natural Sciences Manager | $167,220 | $125,561 | Bachelor's degree | +8.2% | 9,200 |
| 6 | Marketing Manager | $166,790 | $125,267 | Bachelor's degree | +6.9% | 34,000 |
| 7 | Financial Manager | $166,570 | $125,117 | Bachelor's degree | +9.7% | 65,600 |
| 8 | Computer Hardware Engineer | $161,740 | $121,815 | Bachelor's degree | +9.1% | 4,100 |
| 9 | Human Resources Manager | $149,280 | $113,299 | Bachelor's degree | +5.5% | 16,800 |
| 10 | Compensation and Benefits Manager | $149,230 | $113,265 | Bachelor's degree | +1.1% | 1,600 |
| 11 | Sales Manager | $148,270 | $112,609 | Bachelor's degree | +4.5% | 47,300 |
| 12 | Purchasing Manager | $148,080 | $112,479 | Bachelor's degree | +4.0% | 6,400 |
| 13 | Medical Dosimetrist | $147,470 | $112,062 | Bachelor's degree | +5.0% | 200 |
| 14 | Public Relations Manager | $146,910 | $111,679 | Bachelor's degree | +5.7% | 6,100 |
| 15 | Petroleum Engineer | $144,910 | $110,312 | Bachelor's degree | +2.0% | 1,000 |
| 16 | Managers, All Other | $141,900 | $108,255 | Bachelor's degree | +4.9% | 100,900 |
| 17 | Database Architect | $139,500 | $106,614 | Bachelor's degree | +9.4% | 3,900 |
| 18 | Software Developer | $135,980 | $104,208 | Bachelor's degree | +10.2% | 95,300 |
| 19 | Aerospace Engineer | $134,960 | $103,511 | Bachelor's degree | +8.3% | 3,800 |
| 20 | Computer Network Architect | $134,050 | $102,889 | Bachelor's degree | +7.7% | 9,600 |
| 21 | Nuclear Engineer | $133,970 | $102,834 | Bachelor's degree | +0.4% | 800 |
| 22 | Advertising and Promotions Manager | $133,660 | $102,623 | Bachelor's degree | -3.7% | 2,300 |
| 23 | Training and Development Manager | $133,000 | $102,172 | Bachelor's degree | +6.4% | 4,100 |
| 24 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $130,220 | $100,271 | Bachelor's degree | +3.7% | 4,900 |
| 25 | Actuary | $130,000 | $100,121 | Bachelor's degree | +9.2% | 1,500 |
| 26 | Information Security Analyst | $129,180 | $99,561 | Bachelor's degree | +21.0% | 14,100 |
| 27 | Industrial Production Manager | $126,060 | $97,428 | Bachelor's degree | +2.6% | 17,000 |
| 28 | Fundraising Manager | $125,470 | $97,025 | Bachelor's degree | +5.4% | 3,700 |
| 29 | Chemical Engineer | $125,040 | $96,731 | Bachelor's degree | +4.7% | 1,100 |
| 30 | Sales Engineer | $124,900 | $96,635 | Bachelor's degree | +2.8% | 3,800 |
| 31 | Medical and Health Services Manager | $123,860 | $95,924 | Bachelor's degree | +24.2% | 62,300 |
| 32 | Engineers, All Other | $122,930 | $95,289 | Bachelor's degree | +3.7% | 8,800 |
| 33 | Physical Scientists, All Other | $122,570 | $95,043 | Bachelor's degree | +2.1% | 1,400 |
| 34 | Electrical Engineer | $120,630 | $93,693 | Bachelor's degree | +9.9% | 11,400 |
| 35 | Data Scientist | $120,230 | $93,412 | Bachelor's degree | +34.6% | 24,800 |
| 36 | Materials Scientist | $117,790 | $91,695 | Bachelor's degree | +8.3% | 600 |
| 37 | Financial Risk Specialist | $117,330 | $91,372 | Bachelor's degree | +7.4% | 4,800 |
| 38 | Computer Occupations, All Other | $116,580 | $90,844 | Bachelor's degree | +5.1% | 27,000 |
| 39 | Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | $115,160 | $89,845 | Bachelor's degree | +5.4% | 1,200 |
| 40 | Construction Manager | $114,990 | $89,725 | Bachelor's degree | +9.1% | 49,700 |
| 41 | Art Director | $114,850 | $89,627 | Bachelor's degree | +4.2% | 12,200 |
| 42 | Administrative Services Manager | $114,130 | $89,120 | Bachelor's degree | +5.2% | 22,000 |
| 43 | Materials Engineer | $112,860 | $88,227 | Bachelor's degree | +7.5% | 1,300 |
| 44 | Marine Engineer and Naval Architect | $112,230 | $87,784 | Bachelor's degree | +6.7% | 500 |
| 45 | Bioengineer and Biomedical Engineer | $109,370 | $85,772 | Bachelor's degree | +7.6% | 1,200 |
| 46 | Environmental Engineer | $107,110 | $84,182 | Bachelor's degree | +6.3% | 2,300 |
| 47 | Facilities Manager | $106,660 | $83,865 | Bachelor's degree | +4.6% | 14,200 |
| 48 | Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | $106,220 | $83,556 | Bachelor's degree | +3.8% | 300 |
| 49 | Computer Systems Analyst | $105,850 | $83,295 | Bachelor's degree | +7.9% | 32,900 |
| 50 | General and Operations Manager | $105,770 | $83,239 | Bachelor's degree | +5.0% | 285,000 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal tax and FICA, no state income tax. Pick your state in the calculator below to see your own number. Average growth for all jobs: 3.5%.
What would #1 take home in your state?
Your take-home pay
$171,457
per year · effective tax rate 26.1%
$14,288Monthly
$7,144Twice a month
$6,594Every 2 weeks
$82.43Hourly
- Federal income tax$45,589
- Social Security (6.2%)$11,439
- Medicare (1.45%)$3,655
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$171,457
Marginal rate: 32% federal + 0.00% state
Frequently asked questions
What is the best-paying job with a bachelor’s degree?
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers earn a median $232,140 a year (BLS, May 2025). Typical entry education: bachelor's degree.
Where does this data come from?
Salaries are U.S. median wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). Education, openings and growth come from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Take-home pay uses 2026 federal tax rules for a single filer in a state with no income tax.