
Nuclear engineering majors study how nuclear power can generate carbon-free electricity, which can be used to create radiation and radioactive materials. The median salary depends on the area you specialize in, but ranges from $95,300 for industrial engineers, according to the BLS, to $105,550 for chemical engineers, also as reported by the BLS. Systems engineering majors can learn to manage electrical, mechanical or chemical systems.Īfter graduation, a systems engineer can work in a variety of industries for differing employers, from military divisions to for-profit corporations. The systems engineering major can encompass building, analyzing and managing systems.
Highest paying stem majors software#
The median pay for all software developers was $120,730 in 2021, according to the BLS. As a highly specialized field, this major tends to require more hands-on, practical skills than some other computer science majors.Īfter graduation, a degree in software engineering can lead to a career in software development and quality assurance. Software engineering majors use engineering principles to develop, design, test and troubleshoot computer software. More colleges are beginning to offer a specific major in software engineering as the field grows. What is a software engineer? At some schools, software engineering is included in a computer science curriculum. The median salary for computer hardware engineers was $128,170 in 2021, as reported by the BLS.įor more information, check out our guide that compares computer science vs.
Highest paying stem majors how to#
Computer engineering majors learn how to research, design and test computer systems and supporting components.Īfter graduation, you can work in laboratories or manufacturing facilities to build and test computer hardware. Computer Engineering: $80,000Ĭomputer engineering deals with hardware rather than software. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median salary for all petroleum engineers was $130,850 in 2021. After graduation, you can work in an office or at drilling sites to design and develop methods for extracting oil and gas deposits.Īccording to the U.S. Petroleum engineering majors learn about how to find and safely use oil resources. On average, graduates with a degree in this major earn $30,000 more than all bachelor’s degree graduates. The highest-paying major is petroleum engineering. Based on the median projected starting salaries reported in NACE’s analysis, the 10 highest-paying majors are as follows: 1. NACE’s report looked at the average starting salaries for entry-level positions it did not take into account other compensation like bonuses, commissions or additional benefits. While other majors like marketing and business can earn lucrative salaries, workers usually reach those numbers only after working in their fields for several years. When thinking about salaries after graduation, the best majors in college tend to be related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).Īccording to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) winter 2023 salary survey, the highest-paying majors for college graduates with bachelor’s degrees are all in STEM.
