The Top 5 College Majors For 2010 and What They Pay

Whether you are looking to go back to school, just starting school, or just plain curious, it’s good to have an idea of what your diploma will mean to you when you graduate-at least in terms of what you can expect to earn. We’ve compiled the top five college majors for 2010 in terms or earning potential for an entry level position.

Highest-Paying Major one: Business Administration and Management. Even with the collapse on Wall Street, this major can set the foundation for an excellent corporate job. A Business major is also a good stepping stone if you want to go back to school and get your M.B.A., or Master’s in Business Administration. An entry level graduate with a degree in Business Administration and Management can expect to earn anywhere from $50,000 to $60,000 annually.

Highest-Paying Major two: Psychology. A bachelor’s degree in psychology sets you up for graduate school where you have the potential to earn even more money, but an entry level position as a youth counselor or substance abuse counselor, you can earn, on average, $45,000 to $47,000 a year right out of college.

Highest-Paying Major three: Nursing. Even in a recession, the healthcare industry continues to grow because, let’s face it-people are always going to get sick! A nursing degree can open a lot of doors for you and you can be somewhat picky. Graduates with nursing degrees can expect to earn $40,000 to $42,000 a year.

Four: Biology. This one is tricky, because salary varies depending on which discipline you choose. Biology majors can go into research, ecology, biochemistry, bioengineering, botany, and many other fields. As mentioned, each field commands its own salary. Go to graduate or professional school and your salary could really go through the roof.

Five: Education. I know you may be asking how this one made the cut, but the nation’s public school system has a strict salary grid for beginning teachers. Salaries definitely vary by school district and state, but graduates can expect to start out at $29,000 to $30,000 a year. Plus, you get summers off and lots of vacation. If nothing else, there are three reasons to be a teacher: June, July, and August! All kidding aside, an education major is recession proof because people will always be willing to spend on education.

Remember that these salaries are ballpark figures and may be different in each individual case. Always do your research and we at careerinfo1 do NOT recommend choosing your college major just for money.

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This entry was posted on 24/04/2010 at 24/04/2010 and is filed under College. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.