Ranked

Highest paying college majors in the US

Ranked on what graduates earn two years after finishing — every major we hold federal earnings for, best first.

#MajorLevelGradeMedian earningsTypical rangeGraduates/yr
121 Natural Resources and Conservation Master's C $52,107 $41,205–$54,528 3,728
122 Foods, Nutrition Master's C $52,107 $43,128–$52,107 1,093
123 Teacher Education Master's C $50,231 $43,351–$53,810 16,391
124 Linguistic, Comparative Master's C $52,107 $39,909–$52,941 1,168
125 TESOL Master's C $53,108 $38,289–$56,544 3,033
126 Dietetics and Nutrition Master's D $47,260 $46,087–$50,105 1,804
127 General Sales Bachelor's C $45,435 $39,523–$52,198 2,458
128 Allied Health Diagnostic Bachelor's B $53,858 $36,848–$57,318 7,919
129 Accounting Bachelor's B $49,527 $42,123–$53,629 42,077
130 Environmental & Natural Resources Management Master's D $47,260 $38,289–$51,273 1,046
131 Health Services Master's D $48,432 $39,909–$55,964 1,209
132 International & Globalization Studies Master's C $55,964 $41,565–$47,260 934
133 Political Science Master's C $52,107 $37,208–$50,856 2,000
134 Economics Bachelor's B $51,760 $41,087–$52,607 35,879
135 Architecture Bachelor's C $43,798 $39,369–$50,141 3,714
136 Liberal Arts and Sciences Master's C $50,856 $41,565–$50,856 1,685
137 Criminal Justice Master's D $47,729 $39,009–$52,289 6,816
138 Communications Master's C $51,899 $40,728–$53,775 4,685
139 Criminology Master's D $47,056 $36,668–$51,106 767
140 Forestry Master's C $51,273 $42,682–$51,273 329
141 Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution Master's C $54,109 $40,467–$54,109 398
142 Design and Applied Arts Master's C $54,624 $40,461–$57,318 1,687
143 Teaching Master's D $45,383 $41,789–$50,439 27,930
144 Community Organization and Advocacy Master's D $45,466 $40,945–$49,058 478
145 Human Resources Management and Services Bachelor's C $46,321 $40,461–$48,849 10,227
146 Social Work Master's D $46,118 $42,263–$48,432 34,645
147 Broadcasting Master's D $48,041 $38,289–$48,041 2,951
148 Clinical, Counseling Master's D $44,468 $39,585–$49,832 26,377
149 Air Transportation Bachelor's B $46,869 $39,950–$47,650 6,478
150 Architectural Engineering Technology Bachelor's B $61,020 $43,798–$53,697 342
151 International Business Bachelor's C $44,189 $38,289–$52,107 5,159
152 Research and Experimental Psychology Master's C $50,677 $36,183–$50,677 2,544
153 Theological and Ministerial Studies Master's D $44,576 $35,954–$48,823 9,676
154 Student Counseling Master's D $44,327 $40,089–$48,041 12,984
155 Mathematics Bachelor's B $47,260 $38,289–$49,436 19,260
156 Library Science and Administration Master's D $43,872 $40,461–$45,696 5,568
157 Homeland Security Bachelor's B $53,858 $37,208–$47,260 2,797
158 Physiology Master's F $31,851 $41,565–$44,835 2,048
159 Psychology Master's D $41,681 $38,289–$48,265 6,941
160 Agricultural Business and Management Bachelor's C $45,149 $38,289–$46,087 4,791

Why engineering, computing and health lead every list like this

The majors at the top feed occupations with a licence, a shortage, or both. That is a fact about the labour market rather than about the difficulty of the subject — and it is why the same handful of fields tops this table in every country that publishes graduate earnings.

The gap inside a major is wider than the gap between majors

Each row is a median across every US programme in that field. Open any one and the range between the 25th and 75th programme is often $20,000 or more. Where you study, and what you do alongside the degree, moves your number more than swapping subjects does.

Questions

What is the highest paying college major?
Natural Resources and Conservation (Master's) — $48,432 median earnings two years after finishing, across 242 US programmes.
Are these starting salaries?
No. They are median earnings two years after students completed the degree, taken from tax records rather than surveys or job adverts.
Can I compare a master's with a bachelor's here?
Only with care. Each grade is a percentile inside its own credential level, so an A master's and an A bachelor's are both top-of-their-level rather than equal in salary.
All degree grades Most popular majors Lowest earning majors University costs & payback Scholarships

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study earnings, measured two years after completion. Majors with too few programmes publishing earnings are left out rather than estimated.