10 Highest Paying Online Bachelor’s Degrees

Are you on the hunt in search of the highest paying online degree options for those who hold a bachelor’s degree? The technological marvels and advances over the past few decades have made it challenging to keep pace with which of the many options is among the highest paying jobs for bachelor degrees can now be earned entirely (or primarily) online through some truly sophisticated educational platforms online.

So, while it was once unheard of to think that the highest paying degree options could be earned online, the reality is the number of reputable education options has grown exponentially – especially in the wake of the significant need that was created by the pandemic.

A baccalaureate degree is an academic credential that offers many benefits. Online degrees offer the opportunity to further one’s education while maintaining a full-time job or other commitments.

The following narrative offers a look into the highest paying jobs for bachelor degrees that can be earned online. The information has been extracted from the Occupational Outlook Handbook maintained by the federal government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. The analysis has been based on the highest paying degree options for typical entry-level jobs for those who hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning.

Online Bachelor’s in Engineering Management

Earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering management offers students and other working learners one of the highest paying jobs for bachelor degrees in the field. An engineering management degree is an excellent fit for individuals who want to work in a managerial or leadership position in the field of engineering as engineering managerial professionals are responsible for actively planning, directing, resourcing, and coordinating the activities within engineering/architectural companies and organizations.

The BLS’s Occupational Outlook Handbook notes that there were nearly 200,000 engineering & architectural management professionals working in the U.S. in 2019. As one of the highest paying degree options at the bachelor’s level, the median salary for Engineering professionals during 2020 was $149,530 per year, which is equivalent to $71.89 per hour.

Computer and Information Systems Management

With computers and information, the primary driving force supporting industries across the board, earning an online Computer and Information Systems (CIS) management degree will open job opportunities in one of the highest paying online degree options available. CIS professionals are responsible for the coordination and meeting a company’s computer-related activities and demands. As one would expect, to keep pace with the computer and information systems management demands across the world, the job growth outlook for CIS professionals is expected to be 10%, which is considered 2.5 times faster than the anticipated job growth average of all other occupations.

The BLS’s Occupational Outlook Handbook notes that in 2020, the median annual salary for Computer and Information Systems Managers was $151,150, which translates to more than $72.00 per hour or one of the highest paying degree choices.

Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration

In 2019, there were more than 2.7 million upper-level business administration professionals working in the United States. With a minimum of a baccalaureate degree to begin, business administrators and managerial professionals are responsible for planning and executing business policies and strategies to achieve company objectives. Business administrators offer some of the highest paying online degree options taking classes in business areas that include leadership, financial management, and ethical decision-making, among others.

Business administrators and other top executives earned a median income in 2020 of $107,680, which is equivalent to $51.77/hourly. It is anticipated that with average job growth of 4 percent through the next decade, there will be about 110,000 new positions created in the highest paying degree field.

Management Analyst

Managerial analysts work in a consultant capacity with the primary goal to revise operations to improve an organization or company’s efficiency in meeting its objectives. A management analyst provides objective guidance offers a career that is often characterized as self-employed. This type of managerial position can often involve domestic and international travel. The BLS notes that there were more than 875,000 management analysis professionals working in the country in 2019, with a 2020 median pay per year of $87,660, which equals $42.14 each hour.

The field of managerial analysis is anticipated to offer professionals a potential anticipated job growth through 2029 of 11%, which is noted to be significantly faster than the 4% expected for all jobs combined in the nation. This means that it is expected that there will be approximately 93,000 new management analyst jobs created over the next decade.

Financial Management

Financial managers are considered one of the highest paying jobs for bachelor degrees available across industries. Financial managers’ responsibilities include a diverse mix of financial reporting, financial planning, and the direction of investment activities to meet a company’s long-term objectives. Ultimately, the nearly 700,000 financial managers working in the United States in 2019 were responsible for their employer’s company’s financial well-being.

Anticipated job growth for financial managers over the next decade is expected to be 15% – which rises to nearly four times the national average of 4% for all combine jobs. With a 2020 median annual salary for financial managers of $134,170 (translating to $64.61 hourly), a career as a financial manager is likely to be recognized as one of the highest paying online degree options.

Human Resources Management

Human Resources management professionals work across industries, with the skills required to meet company goals by ensuring the coordination and direction of human resource/capital are maximized. AS one of the highest paying degree opportunities, human resource managers refine their skills in recruiting, training, and motivating employees to optimize company production and profits. Managers specializing in human resources take classes that range from assessment, business strategy, business law, mediation, and conflict management, to name a few.

In the next decade – through 2029, it is expected that the job growth for human resources managers is going to be 6%, which translates to more than 10,000 new jobs over the next ten years. With a 2020 median annual salary of $121,220 (or $58.28/hourly), human resources management professionals offer one of the highest paying degree program options.

Online Bachelor’s in Computer Science

The field of computer science primarily focuses on the various aspects that define computers which include theory, user-interact, software design, math processes, and systems development – among others. In 2019, there were nearly 33,000 computer science professionals working in the nation. The good news for those interested in this highest paying degree program option is that the anticipated job growth for computer science professionals is anticipated to be 15% over the next ten years, which is near 4X faster than the national average of all jobs during the same time.

In 2020, the annual median salary for computer science professionals in the United States was $126,830, or $60.97 per hour. While a baccalaureate degree is a great entry-level degree, most computer science professionals choose to earn a graduate degree eventually.

Online Bachelor’s In Electrical Engineering

An online baccalaureate degree in electrical engineering is a great fit for those students who enjoy working in physical sciences and math. There were more than 325,000 electrical and electronic engineers employed in the United States during 2019, with a job growth anticipated through 2029 of 3% – which is about average when compared to all other occupations combined. Students complete classes in digital or solid-state circuits/electronics, analytic geometry, and electric/power systems, plus advanced math like calculus, to name a few

Electrical engineers are responsible for the oversight of electrical equipment manufacturing, which includes the design, testing ad development of electrical equipment. Electrical and electronic engineers’ median annual salary for 2020 was $103,390, which translates to $49.71 per hour, making it one of the highest paying degree program options.

Online Bachelor’s In Computer Hardware Engineering

Computer engineers create innovative computer programs, machines, and robots. They also work with hardware and software to ensure that machines/computers operate with both power and efficiency. Our increasingly computer-reliant world is creating job opportunities for graduates with computer engineering degrees. An engineering program that is hardware–centered engineering will likely emphasize the areas of electrical or communications engineering. Classes will include intro to engineering, robotics, analytic geometry, and thermodynamics, among others.

The BLS’s Occupational Outlook Handbook reveals that the 2020 median annual salary for computer hardware engineers was $119,560, which translates to $57.48 per hour – making it one of the highest paying degree program options. The market supported the employment of more than 71,000 computer hardware engineers in 2019, with a 2% job growth anticipated through 2029.

Online Bachelor’s Degree In Finance

The field of finance is often at the top of the list for the highest paying degree program choices. Finance professionals are critical thinkers with refined leadership and problem-solving skills. Classes for this degree in finance include debt management, economics, financial analysis, and risk management, among others. Finance majors have several viable career paths – a financial analyst and accounting/auditing, among others.

Financial Analysts – offer financial guidance to maximize profits, had a 2020 median annual salary of $83,660 and an anticipated job growth of 5% through 2029. Auditors & accountants – responsible for preparing and examining financial records and reports, had a 2020 median annual salary of $73,560 and an anticipated job growth of 4% through 2029.

Online Bachelor’s In Healthcare Management

A healthcare management career is now among the highest paying degree programs available through an online degree. Health and medical managers, as a member of upper-level management, seek to integrate business and healthcare to maximize patient care and company revenue. Health care managers are highly skilled leaders with exceptional communication and strategy building talents. Classes for this degree would likely include business law, health care policy, quality management, and finance, to name a few.

In 2019, there were nearly 425,000 healthcare management professionals working in the nation, with a median pay for 2020 of $104,280/year or $50.13 per hour. Incredulously, the statisticians at BLS anticipate the job growth for healthcare management to be 32% – 8 times the expected job growth for all combined jobs.

The Bottom-Line

Earning a bachelor’s degree is often recognized as the classic next step after graduation from high school. Statistics reveal that earning a bachelor’s degree offers one a higher level of employability (and thus job stability).

Programs that lead to the highest paying jobs for bachelor degrees are now available online from some of the finest institutions of higher learning across the country.