The Top 5 College Majors and What They Pay

When choosing a college major there are so many great options from which to choose – but which option is right for you? If you are looking for a major that will benefit you the most when you graduate, consider one of the top 5 college majors and what they pay when making your decision.

Engineering
Engineering in its many forms results in some of the most respected and highest paying careers. This major leads to many different industries resulting in the likelihood of greater job satisfaction. Of course, the pay is fabulous.

Engineering Salaries by Type
The types of engineering fields include Petrochemical, Chemical, Materials Science and Engineering, and Aerospace engineering to name a few. The average salary for Chemical was approximately $90,000 with higher paying jobs earning over $150,000 per year. Electrical engineers enjoyed an average of $88,670 while Material Science Engineers earned $69,790 average per year.

Physics
Physicists who earn their bachelor, masters, or doctorate degrees have many choices of careers available to them from developing new methods, technologies, and theories from their own research, to higher positions in education. For the year 2010, the median pay for physicists was $105,430 annually. The highest range of pay was in the health care field at $151,970 and the lower ranges were college and university professors who earned approximately $80,130 annually.

Mathematics
For those who have an aptitude with math, earning a degree in mathematics can lead to a lucrative career using those skills to solve problems and help develop new technologies in government or the private.The average pay for all types of mathematicians in 2010 was $99,380 per year. The lower ranges of pay are still quite respectable at $62,010 for education or professorial positions with higher ranges, such as those in scientific research and development averaging over $108,000.

Computer Science
With so many aspects of life and work revolving around the computer, computer science is a very well-respected and high paying career resulting from this major. Whether working in development and design of software and hardware or in managing computer systems, the computer science major will be sure to go far.

Computer Science Salaries
The higher salaries belonged to those in information research which had an average pay of $100,660 per year with a doctorate. Network and computer administration averaged approximately $69,160 annually with software developers coming in at $90,530 annually in 2010.

Economics
While the current state of the economy results in much attention paid to it, economists have long been important to everyday life with the result that a major in economics will always result in a sound career. In 2010, economist average wages were $89,450 with a bachelor degree.

Choosing a major is a decision that will impact the graduate for the rest of their life and this decision with its importance can be daunting at best. Knowing the top 5 college majors and what they pay can help to make that decision the right one and assure a life-long career with excellent wages for those who pursue them.