College-bound students dreaming of earning $163,000 to $212,000, on average, after their first decade of work, should choose their major wisely. There are specific STEM fields that do not require advanced degrees and pay particularly high salaries.
Five college majors with the highest pay potential, according to U.S. News & World Report, are Petroleum Engineering, Operations Research & Industrial Engineering, Interaction Design, Applied Economics & Management, and Building Science.
These five majors “feature specialized STEM skill sets that can result in steady employment where there is more labor demand than supply, creating lucrative career opportunities over time,” according to Payscale data analyst Jackson Gruver.
Petroleum Engineering tops the list, with average annual early career pay of $97,000 and mid-career (at least ten years of experience) pay of $212,000. Petroleum Engineering is the core of energy transition, the core of renewable energy, and the provider of energy security for our nation, according to Richard Schultz of the College of Engineering & Mines at the University of North Dakota.
Colleges that top the rankings for a major in Petroleum Engineering: Texas A & M, Colorado School of Mines, University of Texas - Austin, Louisiana State University -Baton Rouge, and University of Oklahoma.
Operations Research & Industrial Engineering merge two fields, the first often considered a business major and the second an engineering major. Early career pay averages $98,300, while mid-career professionals earn, on average, $191,800. University of Michigan is among the top five schools for each of these specialties.
Interaction Design is an interdisciplinary field that combines elements of technology and design, and often leads to careers in digital, experience, motion, and multimedia design, as well as in 3D printing and app and responsive web design. Early career pay in this field averages $74,700, while mid-career professionals earn, on average, $173,600. Colleges to consider for this major include Carnegie Mellon, Savannah College of Art & Design, University of Michigan, and Purdue.
Applied Economics & Management students typically take a curriculum strong in macro and microeconomics, finance, management, and econometrics. Careers are often as operations managers, research analysts, project managers, and business analysts. Early career professionals earn an average of $76,500, with mid-career average earnings of $164,400. Undergraduate programs in this field are offered at a multitude of schools including Cornell, Tufts, and Virginia Tech.
Building Science is a construction management degree where jobs, according to Gruver, cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence. Average early career pay is $69,000, with mid-career pay of $163,000. Colleges featuring this major include NYU, Columbia and Stevens Institute of Technology.
Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT®preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362
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