10 In-Demand Jobs for People With a Bachelor’s Degree

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This story originally appeared on SmartAsset.com.

Jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education for entry are often more insulated from unemployment than others. During the COVID-19 pandemic, total unemployment for individuals 25 years and older spiked to 13.1% in April 2020. However, the highest unemployment rate over the past year for bachelor’s degree holders 25 and older was 8.4% in April 2020.

As of November 2020, the national unemployment rate was 6.7% — 2.5 percentage points higher than the unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders.

Some jobs for bachelor’s degree holders may be even more insulated from economic changes as demand is high.

In this study, we investigated the most in-demand jobs for bachelor’s degree holders. This is SmartAsset’s third annual study on the most in-demand jobs for bachelor’s degree holders. Check out last year’s rankings here.

We compared a total of 131 occupations across four metrics: percentage change in average earnings from 2018 to 2019, percentage change in employment from 2018 to 2019, projected employment change from 2019 to 2029 and projected percentage change in employment from 2019 to 2029.

For details on our data sources or how we put all the information together to create our final rankings, check out the Data and Methodology section at the end.

1. Producers and Directors

Film set - director, cinematographer and actors working on the cinema, wide angle
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The producer and director occupation ranks in the top quartile of our study for all four metrics we considered. Between 2018 and 2019, employment of producers and directors grew by almost 9%, while average earnings rose by about 5%.

Moreover, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects the occupation will continue to grow. According to their estimates, the number of producers and directors will increase by 16,000, or 10.0%, from 2019 to 2029.

2. Computer and Information Systems Managers (tie)

Information security analyst
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The computer and information systems manager occupation ranks in the top 15% of occupations for three of the four metrics in our study. The occupation saw the ninth-largest percentage increase in employment from 2018 to 2019, growing by 10.87%.

Between 2019 and 2029, the BLS expects it will grow by an additional 10.4%, adding 48,100 workers. Across all 131 occupations in the BLS data, that is the 19th-highest percentage increase and ninth-largest gross increase in workers.

2. Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes (tie)

Businesswoman smiling
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The occupation of agent and business manager for artists, performers, and athletes ties with computer and information systems manager as the No. 2 in-demand job for bachelor’s degree holders.

Between 2018 and 2019, the average pay for agents and business managers for artists, performers and athletes grew by almost 7%, the seventh-highest rate across all 131 occupations. Over the same time period, employment grew by 15%, second-highest in our study for this metric.

4. Information Security Analysts

Man working on computer cybersecurity and password manager
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Information security analyst is the fourth most in-demand job for bachelor’s degree holders, moving up from fifth place last year. Though average earnings grew at a comparable pace year-over-year, employment increased sharply in this profession.

BLS estimates show that information security analyst employment increased by 16.20%. There were about 108,100 information security analysts in 2018 and almost 125,600 in 2019.

5. Actuaries

Computer actuary
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Most actuaries work for insurance companies, assessing the financial costs of risk and uncertainty. Between 2018 and 2019, average earnings for actuaries grew by 4.06% — the 15th-highest one-year earnings increase in our study.

Additionally, between 2019 and 2029, employment for this occupation is expected to grow by an additional 17.6%, the seventh-largest percentage change in employment in the study.

6. Interpreters and Translators

Black Translator
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According to BLS employment projections, the number of interpreters and translators in the U.S. is expected to increase by 20% between 2019 and 2029, a top-five rate in our study.

With that projected percentage change, employment will grow by roughly 15,500 workers, a top-30 rate. Most recently, from 2018 to 2019, average earnings for interpreters and translators grew by 3.20%, the 25th-highest rate for this metric in the study.

7. Fundraisers

An older businessman gestures thumbs up
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The occupation of fundraiser ranks in the top third of all 131 occupations for three of the four metrics we considered. Between 2018 and 2019, employment grew by 7.87%, the 19th-highest rate.

Looking forward, total employment of fundraisers is expected to grow by 14,400, or 14.3%, over the next 10 years — the 30th-largest gross increase and 11th-highest percentage increase.

8. Medical and Health Service Managers

Medical coding
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Medical and health service managers plan and coordinate the business activities of health care providers. Average earnings for medical and health service managers are high and growing.

In 2018 and 2019, average annual earnings for workers in the occupation stood at $113,730 and $115,160, respectively. Additionally, across the 131 occupations in our study, BLS expects the profession to have the third-largest gross employment increase (133,200 workers) and highest percentage employment increase (31.5%) over approximately the next decade.

9. Athletic Trainers

Motivation, two men working out
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Between 2019 and 2029, the occupation of athletic trainer is expected to grow by 16.2%, the ninth-highest rate for this metric in our study. Athletic trainers may also see their earnings continue to grow over time.

Between 2018 and 2019, average annual earnings for athletic trainers increased by 2.56% from about $49,300 to more than $50,500.

10. Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists

Manager
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Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialist rounds out our list of the top 10 most in-demand jobs for bachelor’s degree holders. Average earnings for compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists grew by 2.84% between 2018 and 2019, 33rd-highest in our study.

The occupation ranks within the top third of the study for the other three metrics as well. It had the 26th-highest percentage change in employment from 2018 to 2019 (6.88%), the 43rd-greatest projected gross employment change from 2019 to 2029 (7,500) and the 28th-highest projected percentage employment change from 2019 to 2029 (7.9%).

Data and Methodology

A man studies financial data at his computer
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To find the most in-demand jobs for bachelor’s degree holders, we looked at data for 131 occupations that the BLS classifies as typically requiring a bachelor’s degree for entry. We compared the 131 occupations across four metrics:

  • Percentage change in average earnings from 2018 to 2019. Data comes from the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics and is for May 2018 and May 2019.
  • Percentage change in employment from 2018 to 2019. Data comes from the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics and is for May 2018 and May 2019.
  • Projected employment change from 2019 to 2029 (gross figure). This is the projected change in the total number of people employed in an occupation from 2019 to 2029. Data comes from the BLS 2019 Employment Projections.
  • Projected employment change from 2019 to 2029 (percentage change). This is the projected percentage change in the number of people employed in an occupation from 2019 to 2029. Data comes from the BLS 2019 Employment Projections.

We ranked each occupation in every metric, giving a full weighting to all metrics. We then found each occupation’s average ranking and used that to determine a final score. The occupation with the best average ranking received a score of 100 while the occupation with the worst average ranking received a score of 0.

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