Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 31 seconds
“Holy crap!”
That’s what I indelicately exclaimed when I saw the list of 10 highest-paying degrees, as determined by the PayScale College Salary Report. I didn’t expect to see American Literature or Elementary Education, but I also didn’t expect this.
1. Petroleum Engineering
2. Chemical Engineering
3. Electrical Engineering
(Seeing a trend here?)
4. Materials Science and Engineering
5. Aerospace Engineering
6. Computer Engineering
(What do these things have in common?)
7. Physics
8. Applied Mathematics
9. Computer Science
10. Nuclear Engineering
Dang, that’s a lot of math there. Here’s some more: The typical entry level salary for someone with a petroleum engineering degree is $97,900. The typical entry level salary for someone with a degree in, oh let’s say, English is $30,968. The English major can expect to earn about 32% of what the petroleum engineering graduate earns.
So, I’m not breaking my promise that you don’t have to be BFFs with math. But I do want to point out that math-intensive degrees are getting a lot of attention from employers, who are willing to pay big bucks. If I had to guess–and this is just a guess–some of the reason that engineers, physicists and applied mathematicians earn so much is because there aren’t many of them. At least compared to the number want ads in these fields.
So, if you’re a parent or a high school kid or a college student thinking of changing your major, consider the sciences (for your kid or yourself). If you’re afraid of the math, learn to cope with your anxiety.
Or at least don’t diss these geeks. Their bank accounts are probably bigger than yours.
Don’t know what a physicist or applied mathematician might do? Over the weekend, I interviewed a physicist who helped develop a math model that can predict how a tumor will grow and metastasize. Save
