Deciding on a college degree? Check out this list of college degrees with the highest salaries.
Salary shouldn’t be the only factor in deciding which degree to pursue but it should be one of the things that you consider when choosing a career path.
Here are some of the highest-paying college degrees. It’s not listed in order.
Table of Contents
1. Engineering
There are many types of engineering degrees. Below are just a few of them:
- Petroleum engineering
- Chemical engineering
- Material engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Computer engineering
- Mining engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Aerospace and aeronautical engineering
The mid-career pay of engineers can reach $182,000 per year. That’s pretty good considering how you’d spend 4–6 years in school to get a bachelor’s degree.
It’s typical for a college student to take 6 years instead of 4 years to finish their degree. This is especially the case if you’re part of the co-op program. You may take an extra year to get real workplace experience.
2. Nursing
Nurses don’t typically make “a lot” but I include them on this list because there is a shortage of nurses currently.
It’s a very daunting job. It does require a lot of physical labor in many cases. You may have to move the patient physically should they need your help. There may also be a lot of paperwork that most nursing students don’t expect.
Because of the shortage of nurses, there is a certain salary guaranteed. However, you shouldn’t go study nursing for the money. Otherwise, you will be disappointed.
Nurses do get paid a lot less compared to doctors and the work can be more labor-intensive.
Nurses with a bachelor’s degree earn $75300 on average. Those who have a master’s degree earn $117,670 on average.
3. Computer programing
Some senior-level (7+ years experience) computer programmers can make more than a million per year if they work for FAANG companies (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google). You may also be given generous stock options per year and extraordinary bonuses.
You can become a computer programmer without a degree but it’d be harder to get your foot in the door. Some companies won’t consider you if you don’t have a valid accredited bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field.
The average computer programmer makes $89k per year. The top 25% make more than $110k per year.
4. Pharmacy
There are some talks about pharmacists being replaced by robots in the near future so you may want to do some research on this one before studying pharmacy. You’ll need to study for 4 years in undergrad to get a bachelor’s degree to become a licensed pharmacist.
The average pharmacies make $142773 per year.
5. Public accounting
Accountants have still highly sought after. You can also study to become a CPA or Certified Public Account which will help you make more money.
The average accountant makes 54k per year. CPA accountants make on average $119k per year.
Should you study something you’re not interested in?
This is a tricky question because everyone has a different answer. For a student whose parents both work double shifts in order to send their child to school, it may seem like a bad decision for the child to end up studying something that they can’t get a job out of. Some would argue that in such a case, you should push through even if you are not interested in studying the lucrative subject.
There are also those who would argue that you shouldn’t ever study something you’re not interested in because it’s your life and you shouldn’t make yourself miserable.
Personally, I think because there are so many ways to make a living online (although it’s not easy) that it’s okay to study something that you’re interested in but hard to get a job out of.
Sophia Lee was a college student when she started her blog and has been making a full-time income from her blog for a few years now since she was still a student in college. She took an extra two years to finish but the result is well worth it. If you want to learn how to start a blog, click here.
It’s quite difficult to build up a brand on the internet but it’s not impossible. If you want to learn how to be a content creator and make money this year, click here.
Going to college for the sake of getting a degree
I had a roommate at university who was only there to get any degree to show her parents because her parents wanted her to get one. Her parents didn’t go to college and they think it’s the best path for their daughter.
She planned to attend college after getting her bachelor’s and become an electrician. She could’ve spent two years after high school to obtain her electrician license and avoid spending an extra 4 years and tens of thousands of dollars getting a degree that she isn’t ever going to use.
The years between 13 to 18 pass by extremely slowly and the next 4 years after high school will determine the trajectory of your life. You don’t have to get a degree to be considered successful. You should consider your path carefully instead of simply doing what everyone else is doing.
Final thought
Choosing a college degree can be daunting. Talk to your friends, family, and school counselor to help you decide. Ultimately, it is your choice and no one else can make it for you.
Something to note is that a lot of people do end up changing their college major. 40% of millennials work at a job that has nothing to do with their college major. Don’t feel like this is a permanent decision. You can always change your major if you wish although it may be difficult depending on the college you attend.
Good luck!
