Everybody wants to rule the world, and it’s a little more likely with these best majors that make the most money.
The great philosopher Drake once said “money over everything, money on my mind,” which is why I maybe should have chosen one of the majors on this list. It’s probably best if the major you choose is somewhat interesting to you so you’re not bored or struggling to terribly much, but sometimes you just want your bank account to be a little more than $4. At least that sounds like it would be a good option.
It’s a lot of work to finish up your degree to graduate and then move into a full-time job, which is why people tend to choose fields that they know will make them a lot of money. I think most would believe it’s more worthwhile and pays off better in the long run. It’d be interesting to see if any on this list matched up with the 10 Easiest College Majors That Will Earn Your Money Back. In this day and age where students take out an exorbitant amount of loans, it’s fairly important to be pragmatic with a career path and plan well.
In order to create this list, we took data and information from CNN Money and Student Tutor. We ranked each major by the average amount of money that one could make in the workforce. It’s important to note that for some of these majors there’s a wide variety of jobs that one could have, which is why we took the average salary.
Get your college applications ready for the best majors that make the most money.
10. Computer engineering
Average salary: $87,000
Computer engineering majors work to find out how to make computers smarter, faster, and more efficient. They study math, physics, and, of course, computer science.
9. Mechanical engineering
Average salary: $87,000
Mechanical engineering majors apply the basic principles of engineering like physics, analysis, materials science for design, manufacturing, and maintaining mechanical systems. This branch of engineering requires design, production, and operations with machinery.
8. Aerospace engineering
Average salary: $90,000
Aerospace engineers learn how to use math and science to develop aircraft and space crafts. They study topics like engines, flying controls, aerodynamics, orbits, and launch.
7. Electrical engineering
Average salary: $93,000
Electrical engineering majors develop new electrical equipment, solve problems, and test their equipment. They deal with electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.
6. Chemical engineering
Average salary: $96,000
Chemical engineering majors learn how to design processes and equipment for large production. They plan and test methods and supervise production. These products can range from anything from cookies to fragrances to office supplies and they work closely with manufacturers to solve issues like pollution.
5. Mining and mineral engineering
Average salary: $97,000
Mining and mineral engineering majors work with math and science principles to design, develop, and operate mineral extraction through processing and refining systems, including pit and shaft mines. They analyze equipment, environment, safety, and communication systems as well. The high salary solidifies its place on our list of the 10 best majors that make the most money.
4. Metallurgical engineering
Average salary: $98,000
Metallurgical engineering majors are a new idea to me, and the name sounds super fancy so the job must be fancy, too. These engineers work with math and metallurgical principles for design development and operation with metal components, power, transmission, and moving systems. They analyze the stress, failure, and behavior of related design considerations.
3. Mathematics
Average salary: $108,000
Math isn’t everyone’s strong suit, but if it’s yours you can be comfortable with a high salary. You can choose whatever part of mathematics you want and apply it to so many careers, which contributes to its high ranking on our list.
2. Pharmacy
Average salary: $113,000
Pharmacy majors rank second in our list of best majors that make the most money and they generally head into pharmacy school and then become the people who give you your medicine when you’re sick or coming in for refills. They have to have extensive drug knowledge and know about all the safety procedures involved. It’s a pretty hefty task, which is why the salary is so high.
1. Petroleum engineering
Average salary: $136,000
At the top of our list is petroleum engineering majors, who apply math and science to design, develop, and operate the evolution of systems for locating, processing, and extracting natural gas and crude oil with mining and drilling systems. It’s quite the task and requires a lot of studying, which is why the salary range is the highest on this list.
That concludes our list of the best majors that make the most money. We hope it helped you pick out what you want to study in school or gave you some extra information about how much money people make in different fields!