Engineers Receive the Highest Paying Job Offers
Students often ask which is the "best" major or "hottest" career field. The correct answer is that it depends upon the student's competencies, interests, and values. What are they good at? What do they like to do? What is important to them? If making the most money is important to them, then they should strongly consider majoring in engineering.
According to a report issued by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), engineering majors receive the highest offers, on average, of all majors. Indeed, the four highest paying majors are all for engineering disciplines. There was also plenty of good news for students in other majors. According to Marilyn Mackes, executive director of NACE, "seven of the top-10 majors with the highest starting salary offers saw increases in their offers over last year. Engineering remains strong, and another high point comes for economics/finance graduates, who saw a spectacular 11-percent increase to their average starting salary offers."
The following majors have the highest salaries paid to 2005-06 graduates (average salary offers are in parentheses):
1. Chemical engineering ($55,900)
2. Computer engineering ($54,877)
3. Electrical/electronics and communications engineering, ($52,899)
4. Mechanical engineering ($50,672)
5. Computer science ($50,046)
6. Accounting ($45,723)
7. Economics/finance, including banking ($45,191)
8. Civil engineering ($44,999)
9. Business administration/management ($39,850)
10.Marketing/marketing management, including marketing research ($36,260)
Hmmm. I don't see owner of college job board listed anywhere there.
Nor do I see an English major turned adjuster/paralegal in the top ten. May I just add my two cents about making a lot of money, admitting full well that it has NEVER been my strong suit (even though my father always told me it was just as easy to love a rich man!) Money isn't everything. It most definitely is not happiness, and it does not always define success and fulfullment, though we all want a lot of it so that we can have the paraphenalia of a "good life." You have to prioritize your values in line with your abilities and ask yourself if loving your job or making a lot of money is more important. And if you can do both, more power to you.