Your decision of majors can have a huge effect on your post-graduation earnings. See Pay scale’s rundown of school majors by compensation potential.
Top 10 Majors by Salary Potential
 | MethodologyAnnual pay for bachelor’s graduates without higher degrees. Typical starting graduates have two years of experience; mid-career graduates have 15 years. See full methodology. |
Majors by Salary Potential – Full List
| 1 | Petroleum Engineering | $103,000 | $160,000 |
| 2 | Actuarial Mathematics | $58,700 | $120,000 |
| 3 | Nuclear Engineering | $67,600 | $117,000 |
| 4 | Chemical Engineering | $68,200 | $115,000 |
| 5 | Aerospace Engineering | $62,800 | $109,000 |
| 6 – tie | Electrical Engineering (EE) | $64,300 | $106,000 |
| 6 – tie | Computer Engineering (CE) | $65,300 | $106,000 |
| 8 | Computer Science (CS) | $59,800 | $102,000 |
| 9 | Physics | $53,100 | $101,000 |
| 10 | Mechanical Engineering (ME) | $60,900 | $99,700 |
| 11 | Materials Science & Engineering | $62,700 | $99,500 |
| 12 | Software Engineering | $60,500 | $99,300 |
| 13 | Statistics | $52,500 | $98,900 |
| 14 | Government | $43,200 | $97,100 |
| 15 | Economics | $50,100 | $96,700 |
| 16 | Applied Mathematics | $52,800 | $96,200 |
| 17 | Industrial Engineering (IE) | $61,100 | $94,400 |
| 18 | Management Information Systems (MIS) | $53,800 | $92,200 |
| 19 | Biomedical Engineering (BME) | $59,000 | $91,700 |
| 20 | Civil Engineering (CE) | $54,300 | $91,100 |
| 21 | Environmental Engineering | $49,400 | $89,800 |
| 22 – tie | Construction Management | $51,500 | $88,800 |
| 22 – tie | Mathematics | $49,400 | $88,800 |
| 24 | Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) | $57,900 | $87,600 |
| 25 | Computer Information Systems (CIS) | $50,800 | $87,400 |
| 26 | Information Systems (IS) | $51,900 | $87,200 |
| 27 | Finance | $49,200 | $87,100 |
| 28 | International Relations | $41,700 | $85,700 |
| 29 | Geology | $46,100 | $85,300 |
| 30 – tie | Chemistry | $44,100 | $84,100 |
| 30 – tie | Information Technology (IT) | $49,900 | $84,100 |
| 32 – tie | Biotechnology | $48,700 | $84,000 |
| 32 – tie | Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) | $54,100 | $84,000 |
| 34 – tie | Supply Chain Management | $52,800 | $83,700 |
| 34 – tie | International Business | $43,800 | $83,700 |
| 36 | Industrial Design (ID) | $44,800 | $82,200 |
| 37 | Industrial Technology (IT) | $50,800 | $81,500 |
| 38 | Telecommunications | $43,100 | $81,200 |
| 39 | Food Science | $45,200 | $80,500 |
| 40 | Occupational Health and Safety | $50,500 | $80,300 |
| 41 – tie | Biochemistry (BCH) | $42,900 | $80,200 |
| 41 – tie | Marketing Management | $42,100 | $80,200 |
| 43 | Civil Engineering Technology (CET) | $49,200 | $79,700 |
| 44 | Advertising | $40,000 | $79,400 |
| 45 | Philosophy | $39,700 | $78,300 |
| 46 | Marketing & Communications | $40,200 | $77,600 |
| 47 | Fashion Design | $39,400 | $77,100 |
| 48 | Political Science (PolySci) | $41,700 | $77,000 |
| 49 | Linguistics | $39,700 | $76,800 |
| 50 | Molecular Biology | $40,400 | $76,400 |
| 51 | Architecture | $41,900 | $75,800 |
| 52 | Accounting | $45,300 | $74,900 |
| 53 | Agriculture | $38,500 | $73,600 |
| 54 | Microbiology | $40,800 | $73,400 |
| 55 | Global & International Studies | $39,600 | $73,200 |
| 56 | Urban Planning | $41,100 | $72,200 |
| 57 | Nursing | $55,400 | $71,700 |
| 58 | Environmental Science | $41,300 | $71,500 |
| 59 | English Literature | $40,800 | $71,400 |
| 60 – tie | Business Administration | $43,500 | $71,000 |
| 60 – tie | History | $39,700 | $71,000 |
| 62 | Film Production | $38,200 | $70,900 |
| 63 | Biology | $40,200 | $70,800 |
| 64 | Health Sciences | $38,400 | $70,500 |
| 65 | Hotel Management | $40,600 | $69,800 |
| 66 | Communication | $40,000 | $69,600 |
| 67 | Forestry | $40,000 | $69,400 |
| 68 | American Studies | $41,400 | $69,000 |
| 69 | Broadcast Journalism | $32,700 | $68,800 |
| 70 | Landscape Architecture | $41,200 | $68,700 |
| 71 | Speech Communication | $39,400 | $68,100 |
| 72 | Journalism | $38,100 | $67,700 |
| 73 | Zoology | $37,400 | $67,600 |
| 74 | Geography | $40,800 | $67,200 |
| 75 | Public Administration | $40,600 | $66,900 |
| 76 | French Language | $40,900 | $66,700 |
| 77 | English Language | $38,700 | $65,200 |
| 78 | German Language | $41,400 | $65,000 |
| 79 | Human Resources (HR) | $38,800 | $63,900 |
| 80 | Public Relations (PR) | $37,400 | $63,300 |
| 81 | Hospitality & Tourism | $35,700 | $62,600 |
| 82 | Humanities | $37,900 | $61,800 |
| 83 | Anthropology | $36,200 | $61,400 |
| 84 | Multimedia & Web Design | $41,600 | $61,300 |
| 85 | Psychology | $36,300 | $60,700 |
| 86 – tie | Medical Technology | $48,900 | $60,500 |
| 86 – tie | Liberal Arts | $36,600 | $60,500 |
| 88 – tie | Kinesiology | $35,600 | $60,400 |
| 88 – tie | Visual Communications | $37,300 | $60,400 |
| 90 | Organizational Management | $41,900 | $60,300 |
| 91 | Interior Design | $36,000 | $59,300 |
| 92 – tie | Nutrition | $41,300 | $59,100 |
| 92 – tie | Fashion Merchandising | $39,100 | $59,100 |
| 94 | Art History | $36,900 | $59,000 |
| 95 | Sociology | $37,400 | $58,800 |
| 96 – tie | Health Care Administration | $39,300 | $58,600 |
| 96 – tie | Theater | $36,200 | $58,600 |
| 98 | Criminal Justice | $35,300 | $58,400 |
| 99 | Radio & Television | $37,900 | $58,300 |
| 100 | Fine Arts | $37,400 | $58,200 |
| 101 | Religious Studies | $34,900 | $57,900 |
| 102 | Sports Medicine | $39,300 | $57,400 |
| 103 | Art | $36,100 | $57,100 |
| 104 | Classics | $38,700 | $57,000 |
| 105 | Dietetics | $44,200 | $56,600 |
| 106 | Public Health (PH) | $35,900 | $56,500 |
| 107 – tie | Physical Education Teaching | $34,900 | $56,300 |
| 107 – tie | Drama | $35,600 | $56,300 |
| 109 | Graphic Design | $37,000 | $56,000 |
| 110 | Photography | $36,200 | $55,500 |
| 111 | Sports Management | $37,000 | $55,400 |
| 112 – tie | Education | $37,400 | $55,200 |
| 112 – tie | Animal Science | $33,600 | $55,200 |
| 114 | Social Science | $37,300 | $54,800 |
| 115 | Interdisciplinary Studies (IS) | $37,600 | $53,400 |
| 116 | Paralegal Studies | $35,000 | $53,000 |
| 117 | Theology | $34,000 | $52,200 |
| 118 | Recreation & Leisure Studies | $35,000 | $51,900 |
| 119 | Music | $35,700 | $51,400 |
| 120 | Culinary Arts | $34,800 | $51,100 |
| 121 | Exercise Science | $32,600 | $51,000 |
| 122 | Horticulture | $35,200 | $50,900 |
| 123 | Biblical Studies | $35,400 | $50,800 |
| 124 | Special Education | $33,800 | $49,600 |
| 125 | Human Development | $35,900 | $48,000 |
| 126 | Athletic Training | $34,800 | $46,900 |
| 127 | Social Work (SW) | $33,000 | $46,600 |
| 128 | Elementary Education | $32,200 | $45,300 |
| 129 | Child & Family Studies | $30,300 | $37,200 |
Methodology
This graph is based upon PayScale Salary Survey information for full-time representatives in the United States who have a four year certification and no higher degrees and have majored in the subjects recorded previously. These outcomes may not speak to all graduates with these degrees. More than 1,000 schools and colleges over the U.S. were incorporated. Subsequently, average pay figures may be skewed to extensive state colleges, since these schools have the biggest participation. Compensation is the entirety of remuneration from base pay, rewards, benefit offering, requisitions, and extra minutes, if material. Compensation does not incorporate value (stock) remuneration.
