A bachelor’s degree in [subject] can be a great launching pad for your career, but it may not be the best choice for everyone.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median salary for people with a bachelor’s degree in [subject] is $50,000 per year. That’s up from a median salary just under $40,000 per year as of 2012.
That’s great news if you’re looking to get started in a career right out of college. But if you’re looking to make more money later on, you may want to consider continuing your education by pursuing an online master’s degree or even attending law school or business school.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), which has conducted surveys on the job market since 1954, graduates with advanced degrees typically earn more than those who only have bachelor’s degrees. The median salary for graduates with just bachelor’s degrees is about $75,000 per year—that number jumped up from about $68,000 in 2009!
So think about what kind of work might interest you now and down the road—and what kind of education would help you get there!
It Salary With Bachelor’s Degree
Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top Earners | $79,000 | $6,583 | $1,519 | $38 |
| 75th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $1,173 | $29 |
| Average | $52,138 | $4,344 | $1,002 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18 |
How much does a Bachelors Degree make?
As of Jun 15, 2022, the average annual pay for the Bachelors Degree jobs category in the United States is $52,138 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $25.07 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,003/week or $4,345/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $96,500 and as low as $25,000, the majority of salaries within the Bachelors Degree jobs category currently range between $38,000 (25th percentile) to $61,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $79,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Bachelors Degree job varies greatly (by as much as $23,000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Bachelors Degree job market in both Lagos, NG and throughout the entire state of is not very active as few companies are currently hiring. People working within the Bachelors Degree category in your area are making on average $52,148 per year, or $10 (0%) more than the national average annual salary of $52,138. ranks number 1 out of 50 states nationwide for Bachelors Degree job salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Bachelors Degree jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job within the Bachelors Degree category on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Bachelors Degree Jobs
We’ve identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Bachelors Degree job is above the national average. Topping the list is Green River, WY, with Richmond, CA and Stamford, CT close behind in the second and third positions. Stamford, CT beats the national average by $9,751 (18.7%), and Green River, WY furthers that trend with another $11,083 (21.3%) above the $52,138 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations in the Bachelors Degree jobs category appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top ten cities varies very little at 7% between Green River, WY and Gillette, WY, reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Bachelors Degree role.
| City | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green River, WY | $63,221 | $5,268 | $1,216 | $30.39 |
| Richmond, CA | $62,619 | $5,218 | $1,204 | $30.11 |
| Stamford, CT | $61,889 | $5,157 | $1,190 | $29.75 |
| Bellevue, WA | $61,540 | $5,128 | $1,183 | $29.59 |
| Belgrade, MT | $60,809 | $5,067 | $1,169 | $29.24 |
| Santa Clara, CA | $60,062 | $5,005 | $1,155 | $28.88 |
| San Francisco, CA | $59,002 | $4,917 | $1,135 | $28.37 |
| Hartford, CT | $58,644 | $4,887 | $1,128 | $28.19 |
| Elk Grove, CA | $58,561 | $4,880 | $1,126 | $28.15 |
| Gillette, WY | $58,536 | $4,878 | $1,126 | $28.14 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Bachelors Degree Jobs in the U.S.
We found at least five jobs related to the Bachelors Degree job category that pay more per year than a typical Bachelors Degree salary. Top examples of these roles include: Computer Programmers, Mathematical Engineer, and Computer Engineer.
Importantly, all of these jobs are paid between $31,405 (60.2%) and $45,574 (87.4%) more than the average Bachelors Degree salary of $52,138. If you’re qualified, getting hired for one of these related Bachelors Degree jobs may help you make more money than that of the average Bachelors Degree position.
Are you the type of person who likes to tinker with your computer when it’s having an issue? Do you like to work with computer-related problems and find solutions?
If you answered yes to both those questions, a career in information technology (IT) could be an area to consider.
While it’s true you can enter the IT field without a college degree, and that you can obtain knowledge over time about the field through job experience and certifications, your options for how you start your career without prior experience, and the salary you can demand, will be limited.
With a college degree, knowledge about the field, and even some hands-on experience, you’ll be able to start in a better position, demand a higher salary, and move up the corporate ladder faster.
Do You Need a Degree for an IT Job?
There are jobs out there in the world that may seem impossible to obtain because certain skills or background is needed. This belief is certainly true about jobs in the IT field. Those beliefs are that you need a four-year degree (preferably in a technical area to even get in the door); that to be successful in a technology job, the skills needed can only be learned in college; and that hiring managers are more interested in your educational background than job experience.
The reality is that 26% of people working in the IT field in the United States don’t have a bachelor’s degree, and many IT job listings don’t list a college degree as a requirement. Additionally, hiring managers are more interested in job experience, but also look for potential employees with a desire to learn, an ability to fix problems and find solutions, and a willingness to work with other people.
As far as the type of jobs available, roles like web development, cybersecurity, software development, mobile app development, and help desk support are all possibilities. Average salaries for these positions can reach $83,000 per year, but that is more likely for someone with skills or experience in their background, and maybe even some certifications. The truth is that while a good job in IT can be had without a college degree, it will take someone much longer to achieve career goals and to reach a higher pay grade.
That means an employee may start work as a Help Desk Technician (typically considered an entry-level position that doesn’t require prior knowledge or experience), receive less pay with a salary that tops out at $30,000 per year, and experience high levels of stress. With experience and certifications, a Help Desk Technician might be able to move to a different job and earn a higher salary. With a college degree, on the other hand, employees can start in a position more in line with their skills and education and earn a much higher salary with lots of growth potential during the course of their career.
Information Technology Degree Salaries
While it is possible to obtain an information technology position with basic job experience, a high school diploma, or even an associate’s degree, the type of job choices and increases in salary can happen slowly. An IT job candidate with a bachelor’s degree or higher, however, will find better jobs to choose from, higher pay, and an overall easier career path. Here are the two main degrees and their average salaries, based on information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Degrees
Bachelor of Information Technology Salary
A Bachelor of Information Technology degree educates students through hands-on instruction, lecture, and preparation for industry-specific certifications. Students learn the concepts and practices related to technology and take courses in the following areas:
- Essential Computer Technology
- Basic Web Design
- Information Security
- Basic Networking
- IT Ethics and Law
These types of courses and the degree itself also prepare interested students to pursue a master’s degree in the field, perhaps in an even more specialized area.
The average salary scale for someone with a Bachelor of Information Technology (also sometimes called a Bachelor of Science) can start around $68,000 per year. From there, salaries can increase based on experience, skills, certifications, and the responsibilities of the position.
