by Tyler Durden
If you want to make big bucks straight out of college, it’s probably wise to avoid choosing any of the following majors…
You will find more statistics at Statista
According to Glassdoor, Criminal Justice and Kinesiology have the lowest starting salary of any U.S. college majors at $40,000. Exercise Science might keep you physically and mentally sharp but it’s also at the bottom of the pay grade with the median base salary coming to $40,640.
At the opposite end of the scale, Statista’s Niall McCarthy notes that Computer Science ($70,000), Electrical Engineering ($68,438) and Mechanical Engineering ($66,040) are the best majors to choose if you want a lucrative salary after you graduate.
Sure they do…all entry degrees for a comfortable careers in government service. You may never get rich , but you’ll always be taken care of.
Stats for those who don’t understand how stats work.
“Liberal Arts” is a field, usually used as a minor, not a major.
Depending on where you are at on your job search, you could be either the CEO of a multinational corporation or still “discovering yourself” as a food clerk in service.
What was the sample?
What is the margin of error?
What method was used to ensure reliability?
Most importantly, what was the purpose of the study?
Starting salary shouldn’t be the sole criterion for assessing careers. Also, a criminal justice major may have a modest salary as a copfuk, but if you can retire with a generous pension after only 25 years (assuming your state/city doesn’t go bankrupt) that should be taken into account. Plus the free food you get from restaurant owners who like the low-cost protection.
Those who want to make big bucks straight out of college probably don’t understand the purpose of college.
To the guy that voted me down (Iska): You’re one of them.
What? Only the rich can go to college without worrying about the return on their investment. What are you taking about?
Wip, are you making an argument for universal free education?
Here’s a slogan for the Trump era: “Make the poor proud to be poor again!”
(You all know there’s truth to it, and it hurts!)
Oh yeah, and Tyler Durden is a gas-bag and an idiot.
Actually, Tyler Durden is a fictional character from the novel “Fight Club”. That pen name is being used by several (at least 3) “writers” who c&p the text of msm articles and slip in a little commentary of their own, making the resulting lines into their own “articles” for publication of sorts on their ad-heavy website. Click-bait titles assure them of lots of page views for ad revenue.
Gas bags aside, they aren’t idiots, just some guys making a living with a blog.
If you have NO aptitude for one of the “lucrative” majors, but great aptitude for one of the lower paying ones (like Biology – sad that it is included with some of these others) than you should study what interests you and that you are good at. You will NEVER graduate in a major you get nothing but Ds or Fs in. If you are capable and don’t see the job you start at as the end all of your career, if you see every opportunity that comes along as one that will allow you to grow, learn, and excel, then ANY major and any degree will provide you the foot in the door to future success. And NOTHING says that you need to go to college to be successful OR to learn how to program, or countless other in-demand job skills.
MrLiberty, I am positively GUSHING! I agree with everything you said, and compliment you on the way you said it!
Damn. “Gushing”, huh? I’ve heard a few women say that something made them wet, but damn.
My oldest grandson will graduate from Fairfield University next week. Business/Accounting Major. Has a job already, starting at $55K, with health benefits, 401K, three weeks vacation, bonuses and raise in 6 months. I didn’t make that much after 35 years of working and never saw a bonus or 401K.
@Dave, unless you provide details on his health care costs, 401k matching percentage by the company, those are not necessary good/competitive benefits. For instance, how much is his health care deductible and what are his co-pays? Does it include dental care? What about life insurance, does the company offer a 1x salary coverage for free? What is the company matching % for the 401k and how many years does it take for him to be fully vested in any company match?
What I’m saying is that there is a vast range in the quality/amount of company-sponsored benefits. I know some people who get 100% paid health premiums and 100% matching 401k. Others pay upwards of $15,000/yr. in premiums for a family of 3 for better health plans AFTER company contributions and only a 5% match of 401k contributions. So having great benefits can significantly add to the total compensation in addition to the salary.
I think Dave was implying that he had NONE of the coverage, not poorer or more costly coverage.
I was surprised that these starting salaries were this high.
Also note that these are the median,not the average.
What would be more informative is having the medians for 5,10,and 20 years experience.
Unless there is rapid advancement in these fields,I see lots of future salesmen on that chart,especially among the guys.
The annual salary range for an engineer with 10-20 years of experience, at least in my field or process engineering is about 85-120k, but it can go quite a bit higher if one is in management, has incentive bonuses and/or valuable industry contacts. One of the nice things about engineering is that old guys like me are valued as mentors to recent graduates. This is because the learning curve to be really productive is so long. I am at the point where I have sometimes wonder if I have forgotten more than I know.
Contrast this to a field such as computer science, where youth and treachery is preferred over age and experience…this is because the technology of computing is still relatively new and the change of pace is rapid. You can ask Stucky about that…
What “engineering” becomes after 10-20 years of experience is akin to short-order cooking.
You are then expected to take care of the machine that you built.
Nothing more is expected of you except for your procurement connections.
What is not stated in the data is the unemployment rate for those with degrees. Sure you might make $40,000 with a degree in sociology IF you can find a job in that field. OTOH a degree in physics might not get you a job in that field but employers will be impressed that you were smart enough to study that demanding subject.
By what measure do you standardize “demanding”, you who seems to be interested in units?
How is physics more ‘demanding’ than any other discipline?