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Can’t Decide on a College Major? Here Are the Highest Paying Jobs for Graduates

If you were to choose a major to take up in college, what would it be? If you simply follow your passion and do what your heart desires, the answer is probably very easy. But gone are the days when passion and ambition were the only two factors to consider before entering the tertiary level.

With student debt (for some, the top) in mind, the choices would be narrowed down to which will actually pay the loans and put food to the table at the same time.

This is the sad situation for most students, who, despite having finished colleges and universities, still end up paying their student loans with the job they land.

An alarming study by Pollfish recently analyzed responses from 1,000 representative college students on their salary expectations after they graduate and mid-career.

Using the salary data on Census Bureau and PayScale, researchers found that there was a significant gap (23 percent) between what’s anticipated and what’s real.

App developers may have a median pay of over $100,000!

 

Electrical Engineering

If you have yet to find the perfect degree for you and you really need to earn more after graduating, then you might want to consider electrical engineering.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, those with this degree under their belt have the highest median annual salary at $72,600. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, meanwhile, said that for longer-term, they will have $99,070 as a median salary.

The future is looking good for accountants

CareerCast editor Kyle Kensing explained that you would definitely get a fatter paycheck when you finished a doctorate, but that would also mean more student debt.

The figures can be attractive but consider this fact: only 3 percent of fresh graduates with the major are unemployed, which may only mean that the competition is tough.

However, if you don’t really like the field and have no aptitude for it, Kyle suggested a double major or getting a minor you’re passionate about but choose a degree that is “a little more stable.”

Computer and Information Systems

If being an electrical engineer is not what you dreamed of, then perhaps you should think about computer and information systems as major.

After all, fresh grads who are armed with this degree have a median annual salary of $65,400. Things are looking good too in the hiring prospect department – for example, information security analysts have a median pay of $98,350.

The BLS said that the jobs will grow by 32 percent from last year to 2028. For software engineers and app software developers, median salaries can go north of $100,000!

Finance and Accounting

Fresh graduates with a major in finance are seeing a $63,700-median salary, while $57,700 for marketing majors. Their profession would pay more if they decide to be patient and stay – they are looking at a median pay of $88,890 for financial advisors and $70,500 for accountants and auditors.

Marketing

Marketing graduates have the potential to have over $130,000 as the annual median salary

Fresh-out-of-school marketing graduates are looking at a starting median pay per year of $50,400. But, there’s a lot of room to increase that. Promotions, advertising, and marketing managers currently have an annual median salary of $132,620.

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