Highest Paying Jobs in Houston That Require a Bachelor’s Degree

HOUSTON (Stacker) — Even as college and university tuition soars, a bachelor’s degree remains essential for many high-paying jobs in the United States.

Annual tuition and fees at four-year colleges increased 10 to 14 percent on average from 2010-11 to 2021-22, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. For many students, this means taking out loans. Federal student loan recipients who earned a bachelor’s degree in 2016 borrowed an average of more than $45,000 to complete their degree, measured four years after graduation.

Although expensive, bachelor’s degrees offer higher earning potential for American workers. A 2021 Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis shows that those with a bachelor’s degree earn $277 more per week than the median for all jobs, and $525 more than those whose highest level of education is a high school diploma. Additionally, the unemployment rate is lower for those with a bachelor’s degree, at 3.5%, compared to 4.7% for all American workers.

Granted, not all jobs that require a bachelor’s degree pay well. So if you want to get an undergraduate degree, what jobs will pay enough to make it worth it?

Stacker used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to find the highest paying jobs in Houston that require a bachelor’s degree. Jobs are ranked by their median annual salary as of May 2022, so any jobs for which annual compensation figures are not available have been excluded from this analysis.

Keep reading to discover the highest paying jobs that require a bachelor’s degree in Houston.

This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series using data automation in 366 metros.

#50. Network and IT system administrators

– Median annual salary: $96,370
– Median hourly wage: $46.33
– Total employment: 5,650 people (1.85 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#49. Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers

– Median annual salary: $98,820
– Median hourly wage: $47.51
– Total employment: 3,200 people (1.05 per 1,000 jobs in the area)

#48. Management analysts

– Median annual salary: $98,990
– Median hourly wage: $47.59
– Total employment: 5,970 people (1.95 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#47. Site managers

– Median annual salary: $99,410
– Median hourly wage: $47.79
– Total employment: 11,040 people (3.61 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#46. Fundraising Managers

– Median annual salary: $99,470
– Median hourly wage: $47.82
– Total employment: 580 people (0.19 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#45. Maritime engineers and naval architects

– Median annual salary: $99,950
– Median hourly wage: $48.05
– Total employment: 760 people (0.25 out of 1,000 jobs in the area)

#44. Tax inspectors and collectors and revenue officers

– Median annual salary: $100,630
– Median hourly wage: $48.38
– Total employment: 460 people (0.15 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#43. Emergency Management Directors

– Median annual salary: $101,550
– Median hourly wage: $48.82
– Total employment: 180 people (0.06 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#42. Social scientists and related workers, all others

– Median annual salary: $102,100
– Median hourly wage: $49.09
– Total employment: 300 people (0.1 out of 1,000 jobs in the area)

#41. Administrative Services Managers

– Median annual salary: $102,320
– Median hourly wage: $49.19
– Total employment: Not available

#40. Industrial engineers

– Median annual salary: $103,650
– Median hourly wage: $49.83
– Total employment: 7,150 people (2.34 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#38. Mechanical engineers (tie)

– Median annual salary: $104,440
– Median hourly wage: $50.21
– Total employment: 6,840 people (2.24 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#38. Natural science managers (equality)

– Median annual salary: $104,440
– Median hourly wage: $50.21
– Total employment: 2,150 people (0.7 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#37. Facilities Managers

– Median annual salary: $104,790
– Median hourly wage: $50.38
– Total employment: 2,220 people (0.73 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#36. Database administrators

– Median annual salary: $105,280
– Median hourly wage: $50.62
– Total employment: 1,240 people (0.41 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#35. Medical and health service managers

– Median annual salary: $105,930
– Median hourly wage: $50.93
– Total employment: 10,220 people (3.35 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#34. Computer systems analysts

– Median annual salary: $106,580
– Median hourly wage: $51.24
– Total employment: 11,600 people (3.8 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#33. Mining engineers and geologists, including mining safety engineers

– Median annual salary: $107,820
– Median hourly wage: $51.84
– Total employment: 3,770 people (1.23 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#32. Electrical engineers

– Median annual salary: $106,920
– Median hourly wage: $51.40
– Total employment: 200 people (0.07 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#31. Computer hardware engineers

– Median annual salary: $109,690
– Median hourly wage: $52.73
– Total employment: 810 people (0.27 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#30. Training and development managers

– Median annual salary: $109,990
– Median hourly wage: $52.88
– Total employment: 1,010 people (0.33 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#29. Public relations managers

– Median annual salary: $110,550
– Median hourly wage: $53.15
– Total employment: 1,400 people (0.46 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#28. Actuaries

– Median annual salary: $110,600
– Median hourly wage: $53.17
– Total employment: 270 people (0.09 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#27. Information security analysts

– Median annual salary: $111,640
– Median hourly wage: $53.67
– Total employment: 2,420 people (0.79 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#26. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors

– Median annual salary: $115,850
– Median hourly wage: $55.70
– Total employment: 1,080 people (0.35 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#25. Sales engineers

– Median annual salary: $116,480
– Median hourly wage: $56.00
– Total employment: 1,570 people (0.51 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#24. Software developers

– Median annual salary: $117,800
– Median hourly wage: $56.64
– Total employment: 18,520 people (6.06 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#23. Engineers, everyone else

– Median annual salary: $119,660
– Median hourly wage: $57.53
– Total employment: 2,830 people (0.92 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#22. Compensation and benefits managers

– Median annual salary: $119,780
– Median hourly wage: $57.59
– Total employment: 400 people (0.13 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#21. Environmental engineers

– Median annual salary: $122,050
– Median hourly wage: $58.68
– Total employment: 930 people (0.31 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#20. Electronic engineers, except computer science

– Median annual salary: $122,800
– Median hourly wage: $59.04
– Total employment: 1,320 people (0.43 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#19. Sales Directors

– Median annual salary: $122,980
– Median hourly wage: $59.12
– Total employment: 15,940 people (5.22 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#18. Industrial production managers

– Median annual salary: $126,640
– Median hourly wage: $60.89
– Total employment: 5,210 people (1.7 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#17. Purchasing directors

– Median annual salary: $127,670
– Median hourly wage: $61.38
– Total employment: 2,060 people (0.67 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#16. Human resources managers

– Median annual salary: $131,520
– Median hourly wage: $63.23
– Total employment: 3,990 people (1.31 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#15. Marketing managers

– Median annual salary: $132,610
– Median hourly wage: $63.76
– Total employment: 6,200 people (2.03 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#14. Materials engineers

– Median annual salary: $132,750
– Median hourly wage: $63.82
– Total employment: 460 people (0.15 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#13. Managers, all others

– Median annual salary: $132,850
– Median hourly wage: $63.87
– Total employment: 9,990 people (3.27 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#12. Aerospace engineers

– Median annual salary: $133,450
– Median hourly wage: $64.16
– Total employment: 1,670 people (0.55 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#11. Chemical engineers

– Median annual salary: $133,680
– Median hourly wage: $64.27
– Total employment: 2,180 people (0.71 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#ten. Database architects

– Median annual salary: $134,170
– Median hourly wage: $64.50
– Total employment: 830 people (0.27 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#9. Medical dosimetrists

– Median annual salary: $136,570
– Median hourly wage: $65.66
– Total employment: 100 people (0.03 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#8. Computer network architects

– Median annual salary: $138,740
– Median hourly wage: $66.70
– Total employment: 2,090 people (0.68 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#7. Petroleum engineers

– Median annual salary: $141,660
– Median hourly wage: $68.11
– Total employment: 5,480 people (1.8 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)

#6. Financial managers

– Median annual salary: $157,250
– Median hourly wage: $75.60
– Total employment: 14,420 people (4.72 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#5. IT and information systems managers

– Median annual salary: $160,220
– Median hourly wage: $77.03
– Total employment: 10,390 people (3.4 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#4. Architecture and engineering managers

– Median annual salary: $165,320
– Median hourly wage: $79.48
– Total employment: 6,370 people (2.08 per 1,000 jobs in the region)

#3. Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers

– Median annual salary: $170,870
– Median hourly wage: $82.15
– Total employment: 2,600 people (0.85 per 1,000 jobs in the area)

#2. Airline pilots, co-pilots and flight engineers

– Median annual salary: $221,160
– Median hourly wage: Not available
– Total employment: 3,120 people (1.02 per 1,000 jobs in the area)

#1. Leaders

– Median annual salary: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
– Total employment: 1,270 people (0.42 out of 1,000 jobs in the region)