Highest-paying jobs in Hartford that require a bachelor's degree

Between rising tuition and a tight job market, getting a bachelor's degree is an increasingly daunting prospect these days. Per a May 2024 Pew Research Center survey, believe a college degree is necessary to secure a high-paying job.

Many second-guess the value of college because of the cost. For the 2024-2025 school year, annual tuition and fees at in-state public universities, a nearly 3% increase from the previous year. Tuition at private schools increased by roughly 4% in the same time period.

Besides financial concerns, there are career opportunities to consider. Though the job market in the United States shifts from month to month, the unemployment rate for recent college graduates aged 22 to 27 in March 2025, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. For context, that's more than double the unemployment rate of all college graduates.

These factors all contribute to the belief that college may not be the answer for everyone. However, research shows that a bachelor's degree still pays off in the long run. As of 2024, the most recent year with available data, the $60,000 median is $20,000 more than the median earnings for someone with only a high school diploma.

Although high school grads can make a decent salary without taking on student loan debt, range between $630,000 and $900,000 more for those with a bachelor's degree. Graduate degree holders, meanwhile, may earn $1.1 million to $1.5 million more than high school graduates.

With this in mind, many different jobs make a degree worth the cost of tuition. ranked the highest-paying jobs that require a bachelor's degree in Hartford, using annual compensation data from the.

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1 / 50

#50. Emergency management directors

- Median annual wage: $101,950
- Median hourly wage: $49.01
- Total employment: 100 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Software quality assurance analysts and testers

- Median annual wage: $102,350
- Median hourly wage: $49.21
- Total employment: 530 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Management analysts

- Median annual wage: $102,940
- Median hourly wage: $49.49
- Total employment: 4,020 people (6.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

TaLaNoVa // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Sales engineers

- Median annual wage: $103,780
- Median hourly wage: $49.90
- Total employment: 210 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Social scientists and related workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $103,850
- Median hourly wage: $49.93
- Total employment: 50 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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6 / 50

#45. Materials engineers

- Median annual wage: $104,120
- Median hourly wage: $50.06
- Total employment: 80 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Project management specialists

- Median annual wage: $104,600
- Median hourly wage: $50.29
- Total employment: 2,520 people (4.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Architects, except landscape and naval

- Median annual wage: $104,630
- Median hourly wage: $50.30
- Total employment: 450 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Mechanical engineers

- Median annual wage: $104,950
- Median hourly wage: $50.46
- Total employment: 1,710 people (2.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Database administrators

- Median annual wage: $105,230
- Median hourly wage: $50.59
- Total employment: 350 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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11 / 50

#40. Computer systems analysts

- Median annual wage: $105,600
- Median hourly wage: $50.77
- Total employment: 3,110 people (5.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Education administrators, all other

- Median annual wage: $105,760
- Median hourly wage: $50.85
- Total employment: 230 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Electrical engineers

- Median annual wage: $105,780
- Median hourly wage: $50.86
- Total employment: 730 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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14 / 50

#37. Aerospace engineers

- Median annual wage: $105,800
- Median hourly wage: $50.87
- Total employment: 780 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tonhom1009 // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#35. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $105,980
- Median hourly wage: $50.95
- Total employment: 50 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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16 / 50

#35. Engineers, all other (tie)

- Median annual wage: $105,980
- Median hourly wage: $50.95
- Total employment: 520 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Environmental engineers

- Median annual wage: $107,810
- Median hourly wage: $51.83
- Total employment: 310 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Biological scientists, all other

- Median annual wage: $107,910
- Median hourly wage: $51.88
- Total employment: 60 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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19 / 50

#32. Facilities managers

- Median annual wage: $107,960
- Median hourly wage: $51.91
- Total employment: 890 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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20 / 50

#31. Financial examiners

- Median annual wage: $108,130
- Median hourly wage: $51.99
- Total employment: 140 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Data scientists

- Median annual wage: $115,700
- Median hourly wage: $55.63
- Total employment: 560 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

creativemarc // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Administrative services managers

- Median annual wage: $118,170
- Median hourly wage: $56.81
- Total employment: 690 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Construction managers

- Median annual wage: $118,670
- Median hourly wage: $57.06
- Total employment: 1,180 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PanuShot // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Advertising and promotions managers

- Median annual wage: $119,990
- Median hourly wage: $57.69
- Total employment: 60 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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25 / 50

#26. Fundraising managers

- Median annual wage: $120,930
- Median hourly wage: $58.14
- Total employment: 210 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

#25. Medical and health services managers

- Median annual wage: $124,260
- Median hourly wage: $59.74
- Total employment: 2,880 people (4.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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27 / 50

#24. Technical writers

- Median annual wage: $125,760
- Median hourly wage: $60.46
- Total employment: 540 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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28 / 50

#23. Software developers

- Median annual wage: $128,870
- Median hourly wage: $61.96
- Total employment: 7,300 people (12.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Electronics engineers, except computer

- Median annual wage: $128,970
- Median hourly wage: $62.01
- Total employment: 150 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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30 / 50

#21. Purchasing managers

- Median annual wage: $130,010
- Median hourly wage: $62.51
- Total employment: 650 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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31 / 50

#20. Information security analysts

- Median annual wage: $131,370
- Median hourly wage: $63.16
- Total employment: 530 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Industrial production managers

- Median annual wage: $131,840
- Median hourly wage: $63.39
- Total employment: 1,540 people (2.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Compensation and benefits managers

- Median annual wage: $134,100
- Median hourly wage: $64.47
- Total employment: 120 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. General and operations managers

- Median annual wage: $135,210
- Median hourly wage: $65.00
- Total employment: 15,410 people (26.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Computer network architects

- Median annual wage: $136,920
- Median hourly wage: $65.83
- Total employment: 910 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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36 / 50

#15. Actuaries

- Median annual wage: $138,280
- Median hourly wage: $66.48
- Total employment: 810 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Training and development managers

- Median annual wage: $141,030
- Median hourly wage: $67.80
- Total employment: 230 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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38 / 50

#13. Managers, all other

- Median annual wage: $142,490
- Median hourly wage: $68.51
- Total employment: 2,440 people (4.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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39 / 50

#12. Computer hardware engineers

- Median annual wage: $144,080
- Median hourly wage: $69.27
- Total employment: Not available

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Human resources managers

- Median annual wage: $146,240
- Median hourly wage: $70.31
- Total employment: 1,200 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Database architects

- Median annual wage: $147,400
- Median hourly wage: $70.87
- Total employment: 380 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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42 / 50

#9. Public relations managers

- Median annual wage: $150,410
- Median hourly wage: $72.31
- Total employment: 270 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

dokurose // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Sales managers

- Median annual wage: $151,000
- Median hourly wage: $72.60
- Total employment: 3,270 people (5.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Marketing managers

- Median annual wage: $157,190
- Median hourly wage: $75.57
- Total employment: 2,240 people (3.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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45 / 50

#6. Natural sciences managers

- Median annual wage: $165,350
- Median hourly wage: $79.49
- Total employment: 190 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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46 / 50

#5. Computer and information systems managers

- Median annual wage: $167,000
- Median hourly wage: $80.29
- Total employment: 4,270 people (7.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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47 / 50

#4. Financial managers

- Median annual wage: $167,790
- Median hourly wage: $80.67
- Total employment: 7,740 people (13.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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48 / 50

#3. Architectural and engineering managers

- Median annual wage: $171,160
- Median hourly wage: $82.29
- Total employment: 2,340 people (3.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers

- Median annual wage: $211,480
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Chief executives

- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 480 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.

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