The 10 highest-paying college majors, five years after graduation (via CNBCMakeIt)
Within five years of graduation, eight of the top 10 majors with graduates earning the most money are subsets of engineering,Chemical engineering majors take the top spot, as graduates earn a median annual salary of $75,000 shortly after college. In contrast, graduates with the lowest-paying major, theology and religion, make $36,000 within five years of graduation — less than half of what chemical engineers earn.
The only non-engineering majors in the top 10 are computer science, ranked fourth, and business analytics, ranked ninth.Engineering is a highly technical profession that's needed in all sorts of major industries, including computer technology, resource extraction, manufacturing and construction. As a STEM occupation — those in science, technology, engineering and mathematics — there are more job opportunities available too.
Engineering majors also make the most later in their careers, with "mid-career" graduates earning a median of $100,000 or more in 2022, according to the New York Federal Reserve. That's about $25,000 more than the median salaries for all majors, which is $75,000.Notably, the spread between STEM and non-STEM salaries becomes more exaggerated over time.
Data for this study was compiled from U.S. Census data from 2021, the most recent available. Recent graduate data is based on college graduates who work full-time, have a bachelor's degree only and are ages 22 to 27. Data for mid-career graduates is based on those aged 35 to 45 who have earned a bachelor's degree or higher., which distills the billionaire's No.