Highest-Paying College Majors | BestColleges (2024)

Engineering is the highest-paying college major, with graduates making $65,000-$80,000 immediately after college.

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Jane Nam is a staff writer for BestColleges' Data Center. Before her work on higher education data trends, Jane was a news writer and the managing editor for an academic journal. She has graduate degrees in social and political philosophy and women's...

Updated on April 23, 2024

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Lyss Welding is a higher education analyst and senior editor for BestColleges who specializes in translating massive data sets and finding statistics that matter to students. Lyss has worked in academic research, curriculum design, and program evalua...

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By

Jane NamRead Full Bio

Data Reporter

Jane Nam is a staff writer for BestColleges' Data Center. Before her work on higher education data trends, Jane was a news writer and the managing editor for an academic journal. She has graduate degrees in social and political philosophy and women's...

Edited by

Lyss WeldingRead Full Bio

Higher Education Research Analyst

Lyss Welding is a higher education analyst and senior editor for BestColleges who specializes in translating massive data sets and finding statistics that matter to students. Lyss has worked in academic research, curriculum design, and program evalua...

Fact-checked by Marley Rose

Updated on April 23, 2024

Learn more about our editorial process

Highest-Paying College Majors | BestColleges (7)

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Data Summary

  • The average starting salary for class of 2022 was about $61,870 — up $3,000 from the previous year.Note Reference [1]
  • Chemical engineering was the highest-paying college major, with graduates earning $79,000 per year as a starting salary and $133,000 by mid-career.Note Reference [2]
  • Business majors earned an early-career median wage range of $50,000-$66,000 per year.Note Reference [2]
  • Computer science majors made an early-career median salary of $78,000 per year. This figure increased to $110,000 by mid-career.Note Reference [2]
  • Psychology majors made a median annual wage of $40,000 right out of college and $65,000 by mid-career.Note Reference [2]

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the overall average starting salary for 2022's college graduates was $61,870. However, this figure varied widely by field.Note Reference [1] This report breaks down income by major, including the highest-paying college majors.

Highest-Paying Majors

Engineering majors made the most right after college, however, graduates who majored in business, economics, and math also made median wages well over $50,000.

Which Majors Make the Most Right After College?

Engineering majors boasted the highest early-career salaries, making between $65,000 and $80,000 immediately after graduation.

  • Computer engineering majors topped the list of highest earners right after college, making a median annual wage of $80,000, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.Note Reference [2]
  • According to 2022 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), computer engineers (hardware) earned a median salary of $132,360.Note Reference [3] This was among all computer engineers (hardware) and not just recent graduates.
  • The top 10% of all computer engineers (hardware) made over $208,200 as of 2022.Note Reference [3]

Which Majors Make the Most Mid-Career?

There was not a significant difference between majors that made the most early-career and mid-career.

  • Computer engineering majors topped the list of high early-career earners, making a median income of $80,000 per year.Note Reference [2]
  • Chemical engineering majors made slightly less during their early careers: $79,000 per year. However, they came out during the middle of their careers, making $133,000 per year.Note Reference [2]
  • Other engineering majors, such as those in aerospace, electrical, and mechanical engineering, all made high median mid-career wages as well — well over six figures.Note Reference [2]

Did You Know...

BLS data shows a strong correlation between workers' earnings and workers' educational attainmentNote Reference [4]:

  • Those without a higher school diploma or GED certificate earned a median of $682 per week.
  • People with an associate degree earned a median of $1,005 per week.
  • People with a bachelor's degree earned a median of $1,432 per week.
  • People with a master's earned a median of $1,661 per week.
  • In contrast, those with doctoral or professional degrees made a median of over $2,080 per week.

How Much Do Business Majors Make?

Depending on the specific major, those who studied business earned an early-career median wage of $50,000-$66,000.Note Reference [2] The mid-career median wage range was $78,000-$104,000.

  • Finance majors made the most by mid-career with a median wage of $104,000.Note Reference [2]
  • Accounting boasted the lowest underemployment rate of all business majors (21%), which suggests that nearly 80% of accounting majors end up with jobs that match the expected accounting major salary.Note Reference [2]
  • Those in marketing, general business, and business management earned the lowest median starting salary of $50,000 per year.Note Reference [2]
  • Marketing and general business majors faced the highest unemployment rates in 2022 (3.2% and 3%, respectively). However, these rates are nearly two times lower than in 2021 when the unemployment rate for marketing majors was 6.6% and the rate for general business majors was 5.3%.Note Reference [2]
  • Business management had the highest underemployment rate at 53.6%, comparable with those who studied history (53.5%) and a foreign language (53.4%).
  • Less than one-third of all business majors went on to pair their bachelor's degree with a graduate degree. Accounting majors were mostly likely to do so, with 33% going on to earn higher degrees.Note Reference [2]

How Much Do Computer Science Majors Make?

Computer science majors made a median early-career salary of $78,000. This figure increased to $110,000 by mid-career — a 5% increase in salary from the previous year.Note Reference [2]

Around 32% of computer science majors went on to get a graduate degree in computer science. This may suggest that the majority of computer science graduates did not feel the need to pursue higher degrees in their field to make higher salaries.

Computer science also has one of the lowest underemployment rates: 16.7%. This was even lower than the unemployment rate for chemical engineering majors (17.8%) and aerospace engineering majors (17.9%).

The BLS projects positions for computer and information research scientists will increase 23% from 2023-2032. This is much higher than the national average growth rate across all occupations at 3%.Note Reference [5] This translates to roughly 8,300 job openings each year on average for the next 10 years.

How Much Do Psychology Majors Make?

Psychology majors made a median wage of $40,000 per year right out of college and then $65,000 by mid-career.Note Reference [2] Psychology majors also had a relatively high underemployment rate at 48.4%.

Unemployment rates for other social science majors ranged from 49.4% for sociology to 45.7% for political science.Note Reference [2]

How Much Do Science Majors Make?

Depending on the specific major, those studying the sciences made a median early-career salary of $40,000-$64,000. By mid-career, this range increased to $65,000-$95,000.

  • Pharmacy, physics, and nursing majors made the most in their early careers, earning a median annual wage of over $60,000.
  • Pharmacy, biochemistry, chemistry, and physics majors made the most by their mid-careers, with median wages ranging from $85,000-$95,000.
  • For several science majors, a high percentage of students went on to earn graduate degrees. Biochemistry topped the list, with about 70% of folks in the discipline earning higher degrees.

Other Popular Majors and Salaries

Out of some other popular majors, STEM and adjacent majors made the most. Economics, math, and information systems and management topped the list with a median early-career wage of $57,000-$65,000.

How to Decide on a Major

While median income is a helpful way to gauge the money-making potential of a field, you can also consider which majors are in demand to measure employability. For example, foreign language majors may earn a median mid-career wage of $66,000 per year, but they also have an underemployment rate of 53.4%.Note Reference [2]

Over half of all foreign language graduates (51.4%), chemistry majors (65.3%), and physics majors (67.9%) go on to earn graduate-level degrees.Note Reference [2] This means roughly 65% of bachelor's degree-holders in chemistry, for example, go on to get a master's or doctorate in that same field. Even if a field's projected salary seems decent, it's worth considering other factors when choosing a major.


  1. First Destinations for the College Class of 2022. National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). December 2023. (back to footnote 1 in content ⤶)
  2. The Labor Market for Recent College Graduates. Federal Reserve Bank of New York. February 2024. (back to footnote 2 in content ⤶)
  3. Computer Hardware Engineers. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Department of Labor. September 2023. (back to footnote 3 in content ⤶)
  4. Table 5.1 Unemployment Rates and Earnings by Educational Attainment, 2022. September 2023. (back to footnote 4 in content ⤶)
  5. Computer and Information Research Scientists. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Department of Labor. September 2023. (back to footnote 5 in content ⤶)

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Highest-Paying College Majors | BestColleges (2024)

FAQs

Which college major pays the most? ›

No surprise, majoring in engineering and finance yields the biggest paydays five years after graduating college, while majoring in liberal arts or performing arts pays the least.

Which 4 year degree pays the most? ›

What Are the Highest-Paying Bachelor's Degrees?
  1. Chemical Engineering. If you're interested in chemistry, chemical engineering could be the career for you. ...
  2. Computer Engineering. ...
  3. Aerospace Engineering. ...
  4. Electrical Engineering. ...
  5. Mechanical Engineering. ...
  6. Computer Science. ...
  7. Finance. ...
  8. Economics.
Jun 13, 2024

How to make 100k out of college? ›

Jobs that pay six figure salaries and require only a bachelor's degree
  1. Construction managers: $101,480.
  2. Medical and health services managers: $104,830.
  3. Art directors: $105,180.
  4. Actuaries: $113,990.
  5. Computer network architects: $126,900.
  6. Medical dosimetrists: $128,970.
  7. Human resources managers: $130,000.
Feb 8, 2024

What 2 year degree pays the most? ›

18 highest-paying associate degrees
  • Software engineering. ...
  • Nuclear science. ...
  • Radiation therapy. ...
  • Vascular technology. ...
  • Associate of Arts. ...
  • Associate of Science. ...
  • Associate of Applied Arts. ...
  • Associate of Applied Science.
Jul 30, 2024

What is the number #1 highest paying major? ›

Computer engineering majors ranked first with an annual median salary of $80,000, followed by chemical engineering and computer science — the only two other majors that pay more than $75,000 annually. The trend is expected to continue going forward too.

Which degree is best for a high salary? ›

Details on Top 5 High Salary Courses After 12th Science PCM
  1. Engineering. Engineering is at the top of all the courses in the high salary courses after 12th science PCM list. ...
  2. Environmental Science Courses. ...
  3. Astronomical Courses. ...
  4. Automobile Engineering Courses. ...
  5. Pilot Training Courses.

What jobs make 6 figures straight out of college? ›

Highest paying jobs you can get with a bachelor's degree
  • Engineer. ...
  • Marketing manager. ...
  • Architect. ...
  • Human resources manager. ...
  • Database administrator. ...
  • Finance manager. ...
  • Computer and information systems analyst. ...
  • Accountant.
Feb 16, 2023

Can you make 6 figures with a bachelor's degree? ›

Whatever your area of interest may be, there are plenty of exciting six-figure jobs out there that can be obtained with a Bachelor's degree. Overall employment in these seven occupational groups are projected to grow as fast as the average or higher than other occupations, making them high-demand professions.

How to make 6 figures out of college? ›

Six-figure jobs with a bachelor's degree
  1. Financial manager. National average salary:$102,857 per year Primary duties: Financial managers help improve a company's financial health. ...
  2. Development director. ...
  3. Aeronautical engineer. ...
  4. Sales engineer. ...
  5. Software engineer. ...
  6. Architect. ...
  7. Actuary. ...
  8. Chief executive officer (CEO)
Apr 18, 2024

How to make 200k a year without a degree? ›

3 jobs that can pay $200k a year
  1. Real estate associate.
  2. Voice-over artist.
  3. Business owner.
  4. Inspector.
  5. Makeup artist.
  6. Sales representative.
  7. Web developer.
  8. Truck driver.
Apr 18, 2024

What is the easiest job that pays 100k a year? ›

Easiest Jobs That Pay $100K
  • Information Technology Manager. Average Annual Salary: $119,500. ...
  • Risk Manager. Average Annual Salary: $116,000. ...
  • Hacker. Average Annual Salary: $86,000. ...
  • Geophysicist. Average Annual Salary: $105,000. ...
  • Equity Research Associate. ...
  • Dentist. ...
  • Investment Banking Associate. ...
  • Optometrist.
Aug 1, 2023

How to make $100,000 a year with no degree? ›

Now, let's get into some high-paying jobs that pay over $100K without a degree.
  1. Technology Sales Manager. Getty Images / BartekSzewczyk. ...
  2. Computer and Information Systems Manager. ...
  3. Fire chief. ...
  4. Product Manager. ...
  5. Professional Sports Referee. ...
  6. Senior Real Estate Manager. ...
  7. Court Reporter/Typist. ...
  8. Executive Assistant.
Feb 20, 2024

What double majors make the most money? ›

The most profitable second majors, regardless of the first major, appear to be Business and Administration, Computer Science, and Engineering. In some cases, gender appears to matter greatly. Female engineering-math/science double majors, for example, have greater earning returns than males.

What degree is the most profitable? ›

10 college majors that make the most money
  • Accounting.
  • Biomedical engineering.
  • Mathematics or Statistics.
  • Finance.
  • Nursing.
  • Information technology.
  • Engineering.
  • Computer science.
Jul 1, 2024

What's the fastest degree that makes the most money? ›

Top 15 Quick Degrees That Pay Well
  • Human Resources. ...
  • Information Technology. ...
  • Management. ...
  • Management Information Systems. ...
  • Marketing. ...
  • Psychology. ...
  • Sociology. A bachelor's in sociology doesn't mean you have to become a sociologist. ...
  • Supply Chain Management. A global economy relies on effective supply chains.

What career pays the most out of college? ›

25 of the highest-paying out-of-college jobs
  1. Financial analyst. ...
  2. Industrial engineer. ...
  3. Mechanical engineer. ...
  4. Biomedical engineer. ...
  5. Nuclear engineer. ...
  6. Petroleum engineer. ...
  7. Civil engineer. ...
  8. Aerospace engineer.
Apr 18, 2024

What is the lowest paying college major? ›

Students who major in liberal arts, performing arts, and theology earn the lowest annual median salary ($38,000) five years after graduating college, according to a new study by the New York Federal Reserve. The study looked at median annual income for 75 different majors right after college and mi-career.

What university degrees pay the most? ›

Architecture—£26,000/Year
The 11 highest paying degrees in the UK
RankDegreeSalary
1Medicine and dentistry£35,000
2Veterinary sciences£32,000
3Engineering and technology£30,000
18 more rows
May 13, 2024

What college major are worth the money? ›

A recent study published in the American Educational Research Journal found that engineering and computer science majors provide the highest returns in lifetime earnings, followed by business, health, and math and science majors.

References

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