It’s no surprise to anyone applying for student loans or scholarships — or saddled with seemingly insurmountable debt for a college education already completed — that obtaining a bachelor’s degree in America today is an expensive proposition.
According to the Education Data Initiative, the average total cost (including tuition, fees, books, supplies, and room and board) for an in-state student living on campus for four years at a public institution is $103,456. An out-of-state student will need $174,885 at a public college or university — or $215,796 at a private one. And, notes the study, while four years is the traditional period needed to earn a BA, only 39% of students graduate that fast, with 60% taking six years.
The good news is that the investment usually pays off big. The Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities has calculated that holders of BAs earn an average of $32,000 more per year than those who have only a high school degree — amounting to about $1 million more over the course of their working life. In addition, many potentially lucrative job classifications are closed to those who don’t have at least a BA. (These are jobs with six-figure salaries.)
To find the highest paying jobs in the New York City metro area that require a bachelor’s degree, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data at the metro area level. Data on median annual wage nationwide and in New York for all occupations as well as per occupation comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics as of May 2020. BLS employment growth projections are for 2020 to 2030. (These are the 25 cities with the highest-paying jobs.)
Because New York is a major financial center, several of the jobs on this list are tied to finance — but those relating to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are also well represented — even though New York isn’t necessarily known as a major tech hub. Many of the other jobs are managerial posts of various kinds.
Click here to see the highest-paying jobs in New York City that require a bachelor’s degree
Whatever the field, these are all positions that could lead to long, profitable careers.
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25. Information Security Analysts
> Median annual wage in New York: $127,070
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 244.3%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $103,590
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 8,280
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 33.4%
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24. Sales Engineers
> Median annual wage in New York: $127,990
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 246.0%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $108,830
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 2,280
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 7.8%
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23. Actuaries
> Median annual wage in New York: $130,360
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 250.6%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $111,030
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 2,870
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 24.5%
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22. Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
> Median annual wage in New York: $131,460
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 252.7%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $64,770
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 72,100
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 4.2%
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21. Medical and Health Services Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $132,640
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 255.0%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $104,280
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 27,400
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 32.5%
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20. Computer Network Architects
> Median annual wage in New York: $132,820
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 255.3%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $116,780
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 10,770
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 5.4%
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19. Administrative Services and Facilities Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $133,590
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 256.8%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $98,890
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 24,470
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 8.9%
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18. Industrial Production Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $135,440
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 260.4%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $108,790
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 6,200
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 5.3%
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17. Construction Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $139,100
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 267.4%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $97,180
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 11,510
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 11.5%
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16. Personal Service Managers, All Other; Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling; and Managers, All Other
> Median annual wage in New York: $140,980
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 271.0%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $116,350
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 21,680
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 7.4%
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15. Personal Financial Advisors
> Median annual wage in New York: $146,600
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 281.8%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $89,330
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 23,020
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 4.6%
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14. General and Operations Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $150,440
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 289.2%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $103,650
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 152,090
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 9.4%
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13. Purchasing Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $158,470
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 304.6%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $125,940
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 4,900
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 6.2%
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12. Public Relations and Fundraising Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $162,060
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 311.5%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $118,430
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 7,350
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 12.7%
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11. Human Resources Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $163,420
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 314.1%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $121,220
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 12,270
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 9.2%
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10. Training and Development Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $167,450
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 321.9%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $115,640
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 3,030
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 10.7%
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9. Advertising and Promotions Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $168,330
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 323.6%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $133,460
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 7,690
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 10.3%
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8. Architectural and Engineering Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $169,190
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 325.2%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $149,530
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 7,590
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 4.1%
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7. Compensation and Benefits Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $178,240
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 342.6%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $125,130
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 1,530
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 3.7%
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6. Marketing Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $181,590
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 349.1%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $142,170
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 28,360
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 10.0%
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5. Natural Sciences Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $184,740
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 355.1%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $137,940
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 6,410
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 5.7%
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4. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
> Median annual wage in New York: $185,670
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 356.9%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $160,970
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 8,700
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 13.8%
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3. Computer and Information Systems Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $187,240
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 359.9%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $151,150
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 37,080
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 10.9%
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2. Sales Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $189,000
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 363.3%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $132,290
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 30,840
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 7.0%
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1. Financial Managers
> Median annual wage in New York: $199,230
> Wage as pct. of median wage for all occupations: 383.0%
> Median annual wage for occupation nationwide: $134,180
> Total employment for occupation in New York: 56,680
> Projected employment growth nationwide: 17.3%
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