Each year prospective students face the same dilemma—which major to choose among many that are offered. There are many factors to consider before coming to a decision. One of those might be the promise of a big paycheck in the early days of the job. For this reason, we have compiled a list of the majors with the highest starting salaries. All the data was taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Payscale.
1. Business Administration
Students that hold a Business Administration degree in their hands are competent in many different business areas—accounting, finance, management, marketing, and operations. They’ll be skilled and knowledgeable enough to work in domestic and international business organizations, non-governmental organizations, and international entities.
Business Administration Starting Salary: $50.000
Business Administration Job Outlook: 7%
2. Accounting
An Accounting degree gives students a competitive edge by gaining skills and knowledge applicable in several different accounting job positions. With an accounting degree, accounting majors will be able to prepare and analyze financial and managerial reports using various accounting methods and standards, use technology to solve accounting problems and develop oral and written skills to effectively deliver accounting information.
Accounting Starting Salary: $50,000
Accounting Job Outlook: 6%
3. Information Technology
Information Technology degree prepares students by providing theoretical knowledge and technical expertise in developing and managing an organization’s technical resources. These resources might include logical, physical, human, and financial resources.
Information technology majors will be competent to design computer-based networks, systems, or processes to meet defined needs, develop information systems solutions, and apply data modeling in the development, deployment, and evaluation of information technology processes.
Information Technology Starting Salary: $56,466
Information Technology Job Outlook: 12%
4. Actuarial Science
Actuarial Science deals with risk evaluations and maintaining the economic stability of many financial institutions. Actuarial science students learn how to use mathematics, statistics, and probability to predict future events and take preventive measures. By preventive measures, we mean the sum of money that should be set aside to cover financial losses in the case of any loss occurrence.
Actuarial Science Starting Salary: $62,700
Actuarial Science Job Outlook: 20%
5. Construction Engineering Management
With a Construction Engineering Management degree, students are specialized in commercial, heavy, residential, and specialty construction, and finally, in facility management. Students learn to organize, lead, and manage business processes related to real estate, infrastructure, and facility projects.
Construction Engineering Management Starting Salary: $64,000
Construction Engineering Management Job Outlook: 5%
6. Electrical Engineering
An Electrical Engineering degree helps students to design, build, and maintain electrical systems. During their studies, electrical engineering students will gain extensive knowledge of electrical theory while also gain practical experience in circuitry, mechanics, thermodynamics, and computer programming.
Electrical Engineering Starting Salary: $69,900
Electrical Engineering Job Outlook: 2%
7. Systems Engineering
System Engineering degree enables students to build, examine, and manage complex technological systems used for multiple purposes. During their studies, students engage in research that allows them to develop new techniques to tackle problems and improve operations.
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Systems Engineering Starting Salary: $70,800
Systems Engineering Job Outlook: 5-9%
8. Computer Science
With a Computer Science degree, students develop the skills and gain the knowledge necessary to plan, optimize, design, develop, and test small and large software applications and hardware systems for academic, commercial and government environments.
Computer Science Starting Salary: $74,000
Computer Science Job Outlook: 16%
9. Pharmacy
Pharmacy graduates carry a big responsibility on their shoulders. They are the professionals that make sure that the individuals are receiving the proper drug and treatments for different health issues. Having this responsibility, pharmacy students gain a deep understanding of the medications and the treatments that are used to treat various health afflictions.
Pharmacy Starting Salary: $79,600
Pharmacy Job Outlook: 6.9%
10. Petroleum Engineering
Petroleum Engineering degree prepares students for the job market by giving them the skills to evaluate oil and gas reservoirs, oversee drilling activities, select and implement recovery schemes, and design surface collection and treatment facilities. Petroleum engineering majors also learn to develop and apply new technology to recover hydrocarbon from oil shale and offshore oil and gas fields.
Petroleum Engineering Starting Salary: $82,700
Petroleum Engineering Job Outlook: 15%
There you go, the list of college majors with the highest starting salaries is on your hands (not literally). We hope it will come to help in your process of making one of the most important decisions in your life—choosing your major or career.
Good luck major hunting!
