15 Top Jobs Requiring a Bachelor’s Degree
By Sonia Acosta, CareerBuilder Writer
Maybe you’re starting college and you’re not sure what your major should be. Perhaps you’ve been in the workforce for some time, are considering a career change and wondering whether you should get more education. As you make your decision, it might be beneficial to consider what kinds of jobs require a bachelor’s degree and, of those jobs, which ones pay well and are growing.
In an effort to help you explore your career, education and training options, Laurence Shatkin, Ph.D., has done the research for you. In his book “Best Jobs for the 21st Century,” Shatkin shares the best jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree is defined as a degree that “requires approximately four to five years of full-time academic work beyond high school.”
In creating this list, Shatkin used the most reliable and up-to-date information available on earnings, projected growth and number of openings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Statistics survey.
The data has its limitations, and figures should be considered estimates. The list should be used as a guide on jobs that, on average, have higher pay, faster projected growth and more openings than most other jobs in the category.
Here are 15 of the best jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree:
1. Software developers, applications
Annual earnings: $87,790
Percent growth: 34
Annual openings: 21,840
2. Software developers, systems software
Annual earnings: $94,180
Percent growth: 30.4
Annual openings: 15,340
3. Computer systems analysts
Annual earnings: $77,740
Percent growth: 20.3
Annual openings: 22,280
4. Civil engineers
Annual earnings: $77,560
Percent growth: 24.3
Annual openings: 11,460
5. Construction managers
Annual earnings: $83,860
Percent growth: 17.2
Annual openings: 13,770
6. Accountants and auditors
Annual earnings: $61,690
Percent growth: 21.6
Annual openings: 49,750
7. Network and computer systems administrators
Annual earnings: $69,160
Percent growth: 23.2
Annual openings: 13,550
8. Market research analysts and marketing specialists
Annual earnings: $60,570
Percent growth: 28.1
Annual openings: 13,730
9. Personal financial advisors
Annual earnings: $64,750
Percent growth: 30.1
Annual openings: 8,530
10. Financial analysts
Annual earnings: $74,350
Percent growth: 19.8
Annual openings: 9,520
11. Environmental engineers
Annual earnings: $78,740
Percent growth: 30.6
Annual openings: 2,790
12. Database administrators
Annual earnings: $73,490
Percent growth: 20.3
Annual openings: 4,440
13. Cost estimators
Annual earnings: $57,860
Percent growth: 25.3
Annual openings: 10,360
14. Biomedical engineers
Annual earnings: $81,540
Percent growth: 72
Annual openings: 1,490
15. Human resources specialists
Annual earnings: $52,690
Percent growth: 27.9
Annual openings: 11,230
Sonia Acosta is a writer and blogger for www.CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, www.TheWorkBuzz.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.