Money isn’t everything, but it’s pretty hard to enjoy all the other glorious parts of life if your bank account is in the red. For this reason, it’s not a bad idea to make after-graduation earnings a part of your decision about which college major to study.
(Photo Credit: Tax Credits)
As part of PayScale’s College Salary Report, we published a list of 10 majors that pay, including:
1. Petroleum Engineering
Typical Jobs: Drilling Engineering Manager, Petroleum Engineer
Median Mid-Career Pay: $160,000
Even if you ride your bike everywhere you go and never travel anywhere that would require a plane, train, or automobile, there’s no doubt that you owe at least some of your lifestyle to petroleum engineering grads. These folks work for oil companies, research institutions, and universities and perfect methods of finding the stuff that makes modern life go.
2. Actuarial Mathematics
Typical Jobs: Actuary, Data Analyst
Median Mid-Career Pay: $120,000
If Malibu Stacy is your nemesis and Danica McKellar your hero, you might have a future in this field, which comprises a number of well-paying jobs for math lovers.
3. Nuclear Engineering
Typical Jobs: Nuclear Engineer, Reactor Operator
Median Mid-Career Pay: $117,000
Design equipment and instruments, monitor nuclear facilities, and perform experiments to ensure safe waste disposal and determine information about material usage. Famous people who have earned degrees in this field include President Jimmy Carter.
For more majors that pay, look at our slideshow.
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