Top Paying Degrees - How Does This Influence Your Major?
I love getting these emails telling me the top paying degrees. As if that will really matter to me if it is not something of interest to me. I know they are just trying to be helpful, but be helpful to whom? and at what cost?
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According to FastWeb, these are the Top Paying Degrees:
1. Chemical Engineering ($59,218)
2. Electrical Engineering ($55,333)
3. Mechanical Engineering ($54,057)
4. Computer Science ($53,051)
5. Civil Engineering ($48,998)
6. Economics ($47,782)
7.
8. Finance ($46,442)
9. Accounting ($46,292)
10. Business Administration/Management ($43,256)
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Now what? Am I supposed to change my major or decide to major in something just because it is considered a top paying degree? Loyal reader Luna commented last week on just this very thing. Well, not this very thing, but in response to my quandary on my choice of major. Luna started out as a Computer Science major. [Notice Computer Science is number 4 on the list above.] After spending some time actually working in that field, Luna decided it was not for her. Luna is now a Business Management major and happier for it. [Business is number 10.] There is a good $10,000 difference in those two yearly incomes. Does this mean Luna made the wrong choice? Absolutely not.
Is it the money or the love of what you do that makes you successful?
I am an Accounting major [number 9]. I will be receiving my degree in January 2010 and can look forward to making a whopping $46,292 (on average) per year. I was making $39,000 + benefits without the degree. This is not making me think I made a good decision in returning to school. And, to top it all off, there are NO JOBS where I reside. None. Zip. Nada. And those few random positions listed by temp-to-hire companies want you to have a Masters degree. For no more money! You have got to be kidding me.
Oh, and that is not even the worst part. Really, there is more. I do not want to be an accountant. I know, why did I choose to study accounting if I do not want to be an accountant? Well, my thinking was it is what I know. I have an Associates degree in accounting and have worked in the bookkeeping, office management, accounting field for the past 15 some odd years. And there was the slight possibility I would be moving back to my old stomping grounds in South Florida and I did not want to start at the bottom, AGAIN. Therefore, the continuation only made sense. I never moved. In fact, so much changed where I was working that I ended up losing my job when new management came in and I was deemed incompatible - read: had a mind of my own and did not mind using it.
What does this mean to you? Did you choose your major based on salary? And do you think it is the money or the love of what you do that makes you successful?
image courtesy of swamysk.
