Before you choose your career, it’s important to look at the highest paying jobs with a bachelor’s degree. A career path will tell you how much college you need and what type of training you need. While you can certainly get a high-paying job with just an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree might lead you to the career you really want.
Plenty of careers pay far more than $70K per year if you have a bachelor’s degree. Let’s look at the highest-paying jobs with a bachelor’s degree.
Top High Paying Jobs You Can Get with a Bachelor’s Degree
1. Systems Engineering Manager
A career path offering about 10% growth over the next few years, becoming a system engineering manager will pay you around $151K per year. This position may also be called an IT manager or an IT project manager. You will likely need a Bachelor of Science in Information System Management to land this job.
According to Salary.com, the median salary is about $144K per year for this position. The range goes from about $116K to $170K per year, making this the highest paying job with a bachelor’s degree on the list.
2. Network Architect
You can become a network architect and design network infrastructure with a bachelor’s degree. This career has an average salary of around $128K and offers a cash bonus of around $15K, as well.
As a network architect, you will work with the long-term technology goals of your company. It’s necessary to have a strong background in computer science to work in this position. Network architects are found in nearly all industries and they also work in the government.
This is a growing career with expected growth to be about 5% over the next ten years. It’s one of the highest-paying jobs you can get with a bachelor’s degree.
3. Actuary
Another high-paying job you can get with a bachelor’s degree is one as an actuary. You will need to use a high level of statistics, math, and computer science in this field. Your job will be to assess the financial risk and help to manage that risk. Cost/benefit analyses will be a part of your job. Actuaries often work for the U.S. Social Security Admonition and for insurance agencies.
According to Indeed.com, the average annual salary for an actuary is about $114K. With more than six years of experience, you can earn a salary of nearly $200K per year, however. Some employers also pay a higher average salary than the national average.
This job is also a growing career option with expected growth at about 24% over the next ten years.
4. Software Engineer
With a bachelor’s degree, you can get a software engineer position and earn around $112K per year. This position also offers an average cash bonus of about $4K per year, too.
As a software engineer, you will design, build, and test software for applications and operating systems. You will need to be well-trained in design principles and programming languages. It’s common to create custom programs for each client as a software engineer, too.
Software engineers are in high demand with an expected growth rate of 22% over the next decade.
5. Airline Pilot
You don’t need a degree to become a pilot unless you plan to work for an airline. Airline pilots will need pilot training and a bachelor’s degree. However, this is one of the highest-paying jobs with a bachelor’s degree.
This career will pay an average salary of about $130K per year. It has a job growth rate of about 5% over the next decade. Along with a degree, you will have to get advanced certificates including the Air Transport Pilot certificate from the FAA. Your degree can be in any subject if you become an airline pilot.
6. Electronics Engineer
If you want to work with the design and production of electronic equipment, this is the career for you. It’s one of the highest paying jobs with a bachelor’s degree with an average salary of about $109K per year. As an electronics engineer, you will design, test, and produce new electronic equipment. This equipment may range from microprocessors to analog systems. You might work in a manufacturing facility, a lab, or even for the government.
The growth rate for electronics engineers is about 7% over the next ten years.
7. Economist
You can become an economist with a bachelor’s degree in economics. This career pays an average salary of about $107K per year. You will likely analyze the trends and costs of the product for a company to help solve issues.
You will need to have great written and verbal communication skills, along with data analysis skills. It’s common to work in one of many industries and even write articles in this career.
This career is expected to grow over the next decade by about 13%.
8. Aerospace Engineer
Earn an average salary of more than $104K per year as an aerospace engineer. You will help to design, build, and test aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and other national defense systems in this career. A background in physics and aerodynamics will help you earn a job in this career.
Aerospace engineers need to know how to use a wide variety of technology. You will likely learn how to work with technology that controls missiles, satellites, aircraft, and spacecraft. It’s a specialized career and you will work in the aerospace industry.
It’s rather common to work in robotics with this type of position, too. You may specialize in structural design, instrumentation, and communication, or even fluid flow.
9. Statistician
If you love working with numbers, becoming a statistician is a great option. This career will land you in the finance, marketing, or human resources industries. You might work in another industry, but these are rather common.
Statisticians earn an average salary of about $98K per year. This salary will likely be higher with some top employers and can go up to as much as $180K per year. Some locations have a higher average salary, as well.
The job openings within this career are expected to grow by as much as 33% over the next decade. That’s a very high growth rate compared to the average of all occupations and many other career options.
10. Materials Engineer
As a materials engineer, you will work with metals, ceramics, and plastics, most commonly. Your job will be to make sure materials work well for products. You will test and design the right materials for new products.
This type of job will have you looking at how quickly materials degrade and how to improve the quality of materials. You can earn a salary of nearly $94K per year as a materials engineer.
Materials engineers are found in many industries and work for the government, as well. This career is expected to grow by about 8% over the next decade.
11. Database Administrator
With an average salary of about $88K, this is one of the high-paying jobs you can get with a bachelor’s degree. As a database administrator, you will need to understand how to design, structure, and update databases to give easy access to users. It’s also necessary to understand database security.
Database administrators work in many different industries. This job is expected to grow by about 8% over the next decade.
12. Compensation Manager
With an average salary of more than $86K, this career option is a well-paying choice with a bachelor’s degree. you will be in charge of creating and updating the payroll and pay structure for a company.
If you want to become a compensation manager, you will need to gain a good understanding of competitive pay and promotions for employers. You will also need to understand how to recruit and retain employees.
Every company needs someone in charge of compensation. It’s an important part of the business. Compensation managers are found in nearly every industry. This career is expected to grow by about 4% over the next ten years.
13. Information Security Analyst
Paying an average salary of about $84K and a $5K cash bonus, working as an information security analyst is a great choice. This type of career requires a bachelor’s degree and a good understanding of computer networks and computer security.
Your job will be to find weaknesses in the networks and investigate security breaches. You will likely spend time installing and monitoring security software. It’s common for information security analysts to be consulted about system and software upgrades.
information security analysts are found in many different industries and also work for the government. This job is expected to grow by about 33% over the next decade, which is much higher than many other career options.
14. Sales Engineer
With an average salary above $81K per year, you can work as a sales engineer with a bachelor’s degree. Your job will be to sell technology solutions to clients. This may include upgrading current systems, managing any equipment installed, and troubleshooting products.
To work in this career, you will need to understand what customers need and how to meet their requirements. you will work closely with systems engineers. This job is expected to grow by about 8% over the next decade.
15. Chemical Engineer
Another engineering position you can get with a bachelor’s degree is a job as a chemical engineer. This job pays an average salary of about $81K per year. You will design, test, and use equipment and systems for refining and combining materials into products. It’s common to work with drugs and food products as a chemical engineer.
It’s common for a chemical engineer to work for a laboratory, food manufacturer, pharmaceutical company, or government agency. This job has a growth rate of about 9% over the next decade.
Some top employers will pay well over $100K per year for good chemical engineers. It’s also common to earn a higher salary if you work in the right location and have the right experience.
16. Construction Superintendent
Earn an annual salary of about $80K per year, along with a $5,000 bonus per year as a construction superintendent. This job will put you in charge of supervising a construction site. You will make sure safety is taken seriously, scheduling is handled, and all tasks are supervised. It’s common for construction superintendents to work for private companies.
This career is expected to grow by about 11% over the next decade. It’s a good option and you can start in this type of position with a bachelor’s degree.
17. Architect
As an architect, you will help to design buildings. It’s common to draft, design, and oversee a building product when you take on this type of career. It’s one of the most desirable careers with an average salary of more than $77K per year.
Architects often work on industrial, residential, government, or commercial buildings. You will likely specialize in one area or another. This career is expected to grow by about 3% over the next decade.
Along with these 17 popular high paying jobs, you can get with a bachelor’s degree, you can choose from the following:
- Marketing Manager – $141K per year
- Natural Science Manager – $137K per year
- Petroleum Engineer – $137K per year
- Financial Manager – $134k per year
- Sales Manager – $132K per year
- Human Resources Manager – $121K per year
- Computer Hardware Engineer – $119K per year
- Nuclear Engineer – $116K per year
- Medical Health Services Manager – $104K per year
- Project Manager – $74K per year + a $13,500 cash bonus
If you want to get a high-paying job with a bachelor’s degree, these are some of the best options. Some of these careers have very high growth rates, as well. There are many other great jobs you can get with a degree.
Finding the right career path for you isn’t just about the money. However, a nice salary can certainly help you make your decision. With this list of the highest paying jobs with a bachelor’s degree, you can make a better choice for the right career path for you.
Jordan Fabel
Covering different 'paths' that people's lives can take. Creative, foster parent, ticket dismissal, you get the idea. Exploring the requirements, certifications, exams, and obviously, approved courses along each path.