Highest-Paying Bachelor’s Degree Jobs That Are Also Growing (2025-35)
- BLS lists 158 detailed occupations where the typical entry credential is “bachelor's degree.” 152 of them have a U.S. median wage at or above the all-jobs median of $50,980.
- The best-paid is airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers, at a median of $232,140 in May 2025.
- The job in this group with the most projected openings each year is general and operations managers, with about 285,000 openings a year through 2035.
This list covers jobs that typically need a bachelor’s degree. It combines the government’s May 2025 wage survey (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025) with the education level BLS says is typical for entry and its 10-year employment outlook (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35). “Typical” means what most new workers have when they start; some people in each job have more or less schooling.
The 15 highest-paying jobs that typically need a bachelor’s degree
Occupations with at least 5,000 U.S. jobs, ranked by median annual wage. Growth is the BLS projection for 2025–35.
| Occupation | U.S. median | Jobs | Growth 2025–35 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $232,140 | 103,560 | +8.3% |
| Chief Executives | $213,990 | 204,350 | +3.2% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $175,140 | 670,570 | +15.8% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $171,270 | 220,260 | +5.5% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $167,220 | 108,690 | +8.2% |
| Marketing Managers | $166,790 | 395,240 | +6.9% |
| Financial Managers | $166,570 | 841,710 | +9.7% |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $161,740 | 76,660 | +9.1% |
| Human Resources Managers | $149,280 | 220,660 | +5.5% |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | $149,230 | 22,940 | +1.1% |
| Sales Managers | $148,270 | 637,080 | +4.5% |
| Purchasing Managers | $148,080 | 84,320 | +4.0% |
| Public Relations Managers | $146,910 | 74,850 | +5.7% |
| Petroleum Engineers | $144,910 | 18,060 | +2.0% |
| Database Architects | $139,500 | 67,140 | +9.4% |
Above-median pay and the fastest growth
Of the jobs in this group that pay at least the all-jobs median, these are projected to grow fastest. For comparison, BLS projects total U.S. employment to grow 3.5% over the decade.
| Occupation | U.S. median | Jobs | Growth 2025–35 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientists | $120,230 | 262,440 | +34.6% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $123,860 | 597,080 | +24.2% |
| Information Security Analysts | $129,180 | 190,650 | +21.0% |
| Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | $90,150 | 140,610 | +18.5% |
| Logisticians | $82,320 | 251,040 | +17.6% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $175,140 | 670,570 | +15.8% |
| Forensic Science Technicians | $72,060 | 19,120 | +13.3% |
| Exercise Physiologists | $59,460 | 8,560 | +12.8% |
| Industrial Engineers | $102,440 | 365,740 | +12.4% |
| Operations Research Analysts | $88,940 | 108,510 | +11.9% |
Where the openings are
Openings include new jobs plus replacements for workers who retire or change careers, so even slow-growing jobs can hire a lot. Average annual openings, 2025–35:
| Occupation | Openings per year | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 285,000 | $105,770 |
| Registered Nurses | 180,800 | $97,550 |
| Accountants and Auditors | 115,300 | $83,680 |
| Software Developers | 95,300 | $135,980 |
| Management Analysts | 94,100 | $101,860 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 87,500 | $63,970 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 82,000 | $78,760 |
| Project Management Specialists | 76,500 | $102,320 |
What this means for you
- The median job in this group pays $85,950 (the middle value of the 158 occupation medians).
- Pay spreads are wide. Each wage above is a midpoint; click any occupation for its full 10th-to-90th percentile range and its best-paying states.
- Training matters too. Many of these jobs also require on-the-job training, an apprenticeship or a license on top of the entry credential.
Published October 27, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
A related data point from a different BLS survey: full-time workers age 25 and over whose highest education was a bachelor's degree had median weekly earnings of $1,578 in 2025 and an unemployment rate of 2.8%, compared with $1,268 and 3.4% for all workers. Source: BLS “Education pays” table (Current Population Survey, 2025).