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Meghan Malas

<p>Landing a job that delivers personal and professional satisfaction is the goal of most college students, but many people also hope they will earn a good salary. As prospective students weigh <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/04/12/whats-next-for-student-loan-cancellation-as-told-by-4-leading-experts/">the cost of attending college </a>with potential post-grad earnings, they may prioritize picking a major that will teach them a highly specialized skill set that could lead to a highly paid job. </p><div class="paywall-selector"></div><div class="paywall">



<p>So what are today’s highest-paying college majors? Engineering majors take the cake for the highest <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/03/24/these-mba-programs-dont-require-a-gmat-and-see-most-grads-start-at-110k/">early-career earnings</a>, according to a <a href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market/index.html#/overview">tool</a> about labor market outcomes for recent college graduates that’s regularly updated by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. </p>



<p>“There is a<a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/02/24/a-hot-market-for-data-scientists-means-starting-salaries-of-125k-and-up-this-year/"> growing demand for high-skilled labor</a>,” says Jaison Abel, assistant vice president and head of the regional analysis function at the New York Fed. As a result, students with more specialized, technical majors—like engineering and computer science—see the highest starting salaries of $70,000 and up.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-top-majors-with-highest-median-wages">Top majors with highest median wages</h2>



<p>The latest data from the Fed shows that the top 15 college majors with the highest median wages among bachelor’s degree holders graduates 22 to 27 years old are:</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Computer Engineering: $74,000</li>



<li>Computer Science: $70,000</li>



<li>Aerospace Engineering: $70,000</li>



<li>Chemical Engineering: $70,000</li>



<li>Electrical Engineering: $70,000</li>



<li>Industrial Engineering: $69,000</li>



<li>Mechanical Engineering: $68,000</li>



<li>Miscellaneous Engineering: $65,000</li>



<li>Civil Engineering: $63,000</li>



<li>General Engineering: $62,000</li>



<li>Economics: $60,000</li>



<li>Construction Services: $60,000</li>



<li><a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/03/07/10-data-science-and-business-analytics-courses-that-should-be-on-every-executives-radar/">Business Analytics</a>: $60,000</li>



<li>Finance: $60,000</li>



<li>Physics: $55,000</li>
</ol>



<p>The New York Fed’s labor market outcomes tool includes information about unemployment, underemployment, and the percent of bachelor’s degree holders of each major that go on to <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/04/20/what-youll-learn-in-a-masters-of-public-health-program/">pursue a graduate degree</a>. These components help paint a more complete picture of the job trajectory for each college major.</p>



<p>Engineering majors also earn the highest median wages mid-career. Chemical engineering graduates ages 35 to 45 make a median wage of $111,000. However, other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors, like pharmacy and computer science, also see <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/articles/2022/04/07/how-i-used-my-online-mba-degree-to-land-a-six-figure-job/">six-figure or higher median wages</a> mid-career. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-putting-a-major-s-salary-prospects-into-context">Putting a major’s salary prospects into context</h2>



<p>It’s important to remember that just because a major leads to the highest earnings, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is the right degree for a student to pursue, Abel says. Work is a key part of life, so career path satisfaction is key. </p>



<p>The five lowest earning majors are anthropology, social services, general social sciences, performing arts, and family and consumer sciences—all of which pay a median salary of $36,000 or less during the early-career stage. </p>



<p>Unemployment rates of specific majors is also a key factor to consider. According to the New York Fed tool, majors like construction services, education, biochemistry and nursing have some of the lowest unemployment rates for graduates. </p>



<p>However, if someone goes to college and pursues a major that is more general, that does not mean their degree won’t pay out, says Richard Deitz, assistant vice president and senior economist for the New York Fed. </p>



<p>Most people are better off earnings-wise if they graduate from college, no matter what major they choose. The <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/">National Center for Education Statistics</a> found that in 2019, the median earnings of bachelor’s degree holders were 59% higher than those who completed high school.</p>



<p>Additionally, on average, people in all majors see their earnings increase from early to mid-career, Abel and Deitz say. </p>



<p><em>See how the schools you’re considering landed in Fortune’s rankings of the best <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/education/public-health/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-public-health-programs/" rel="noreferrer noopener">master’s in public health programs</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/education/business-analytics/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-business-analytics/" rel="noreferrer noopener">business analytics programs</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/education/data-science/masters/rankings/best-online-masters-in-data-science/" rel="noreferrer noopener">data science programs</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/education/business/mba/rankings/best-parttime-mba-programs-in-2022/" rel="noreferrer noopener">part-time</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/education/business/mba/rankings/best-executive-mba-programs-in-2021/" rel="noreferrer noopener">executive</a>,<a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/education/business/mba/rankings/best-mba-programs/" rel="noreferrer noopener"> full-time</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/education/business/mba/rankings/best-online-mba-programs/" rel="noreferrer noopener">online</a> MBA programs.</em></p>



<div class="wp-block-group pro-tip-box-widget"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading pro-tip-box-heading">Read more</h3>



<li>Interested in learning more about how AI can help your career? Check out our list of <a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/ai-bootcamps/">AI bootcamps</a>.</li>
<li>Our ranking of the <a href="https://fortune.com/education/information-technology/best-online-masters-in-data-science/">best online data scientist masters programs</a> can help you find the program that best fits your schedule.</li>
<li>Choose from our list of the <a href="https://fortune.com/education/information-technology/best-online-masters-in-computer-science/">best online masters in computer science programs</a> to help you make your next career move.</li>
<li>Explore our collection of the <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/best-mba-programs/">best MBA programs</a> to find the next phase of your educational journey.</li>
<li>One of the <a href="https://fortune.com/education/bootcamps/best-data-science-and-analytics-bootcamps/">best data science and analytics bootcamps</a> can boost your professional skillset.</li>
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