Not all bachelor's degrees are equal when it comes to salary expectation and job outlook.
Earning your bachelor鈥檚 degree tends to lead to higher salaries and lower unemployment rates than high school graduates experience, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) []. However, some bachelor鈥檚 degrees can lead to more high-paying jobs than others, either at the outset of your career or by the midpoint of it.听
For example, the most popular majors, which include business, health professions, engineering, and biomedical sciences, all tend to lead to high-paying jobs after graduation []. But liberal arts majors typically achieve a comparable salary by the mid-point of their career. In other words, they may make less to start, but will eventually earn as much as their STEM counterparts thanks to the transferable nature of their skill set, according to New York Times [闭.听
In this article, we鈥檒l go over 14 high-paying jobs that require less than five years of experience, and the six high-paying management tracks you can typically explore after gaining at least five years of experience.听
We鈥檝e compiled a list of 14 jobs that span majors and tend to pay above-average salaries []. It鈥檚 worth noting, however, that entry-level jobs all have different requirements. The jobs listed below require a bachelor鈥檚 degree and little to no experience, according to BLS, though you may find that different companies have different expectations when it comes to minimum experience. The type of salary you can earn for each of the jobs listed below, which we鈥檝e collected from both BLS and Glassdoor, will also likely depend on your experience, the seniority of the job title, and where you live.听
The increasingly global nature of business requires working with companies, clients, and customers in different languages. Translators work in numerous industries, communicating information and ideas from one language to another. As such, they must be fluent in at least two languages.
Typical majors: Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, Arabic聽聽聽
Median annual salary: $57,090
Job outlook: 4 percent
Companies require talent in order to be successful, and human resources teams identify new talent and ensure their continued success. Human resource specialists may recruit talent, onboard and situate new hires in their roles, or oversee compensation packages. They often need to understand aspects of human behavior and effective communication.听听听
Typical majors: Human resources management, psychology, sociology, communication studies
Median annual salary: $67,650
Job outlook: 6 percent
Businesses need to understand risk to evaluate and make the best decisions. Actuaries typically work for insurance companies, applying their knowledge of mathematics, statistics, and finance to assess risk and guide businesses to minimize it. They need to have strong math skills and a keen understanding of business.
Typical majors: Mathematics, statistics, actuarial science聽聽
Median annual salary: $120,000
Job outlook: 23 percent聽
Companies must have a web presence鈥攁nd even an app鈥攖o connect with customers and stay competitive. UX writers, sometimes called content designers, research users鈥 needs and think about the best language to help them navigate a website or product. They typically need to be strong researchers and writers, with some design knowledge.听
Typical majors: English, communication studies聽聽聽
Average annual salary: $80,050
Job outlook: 7 percent
Companies require visuals for many different aspects of their business, including their marketing, branding, and products. Graphic designers produce digital and print visuals, such as logos, images, or interfaces. The work requires a combination of creativity and technical design skills.听听听聽
Typical majors: Graphic design, programming, marketing, fine arts, art history, creative studies聽聽
Median annual salary: $58,910
Job outlook: 3 percent聽
Web designers also balance creativity with technical know-how when creating engaging web pages. They can work in a number of different industries, and they typically need to know a programming language, such as Python, JavaScript, or CSS, alongside basic design principles.听聽
Typical majors: Web design and development, computer science, computer programming聽聽
Median annual salary: $92,750
Job outlook: 16 percent聽
Financial analysts review data in order to help guide a business鈥 financial decisions. They often look at a company鈥檚 financial information in light of business news and market trends to yield useful insights about expenditures, profits, and more. They may also compile written reports and support budget efforts as well.听聽
Typical majors: Business, finance, statistics, economics聽聽
Median annual salary: $99,890
Job outlook: 8 percent聽
Social media helps attract customers, build engagement with a company鈥檚 brand, and highlight new products or services. Social media managers often set content strategies, which can include text, visuals, and video. They typically need to have a knack for creativity alongside the job鈥檚 technical requirements, such as monitoring engagement and tracking analytics.听聽
Typical majors: Marketing, communications, English, journalism, audio & video production聽聽聽
Average annual salary: $56,770
Job outlook: 10 percent聽
Civil engineers focus on building and improving infrastructures, such as roads, bridges, railroads, and other such resources. 鈥淐ivil engineer鈥 can be a large term that describes a few different specialties, and many civil engineer graduates concentrate on an area of civil engineering, such as stormwater management or transportation, based on their interests.听
Typical majors: Civil engineering, environmental engineering, construction engineering聽聽聽
Median annual salary: $95,890
Job outlook: 5 percent聽
Software developers apply their knowledge of computer science to developing new programs and updating existing ones. The role typically requires knowing a programming language and being aware of basic design elements in order to write code and effectively design and develop useful software tools.听
Typical majors: Software engineering, computer science, information technology (IT)聽聽
Median annual salary: $130,160
Job outlook: 25 percent聽
When a company has a product or service it wants to launch, market research analysts spend time understanding the market, competitors, and other elements that will help a company鈥檚 offerings succeed. They often need to understand data collection processes as well as data analyses in order to conduct useful research and guide a business鈥檚 marketing decisions.听聽
Typical majors: Marketing, communications, business, psychology, sociology聽聽聽
Median annual salary: $74,680
Job outlook: 13 percent聽
Mechanical engineers research, design, and develop mechanical devices and systems, as well as machines and tools. They often have to build and test their designs to ensure proper working order. As with civil engineers, 鈥渕echanical engineer鈥 is a large term that can be applied to work in a number of different industries, such as robotics, health care, energy, and defense.听聽
Typical majors: Mechanical engineering聽聽聽
Median annual salary: $99,510
Job outlook: 10 percent聽
With the vast amount of personal information being traded across network systems, information security analysts play a vital role in making sure a company鈥檚 information, as well as its customers鈥, remains safe from bad actors. They often establish best security practices for a company鈥檚 needs, in addition to monitoring information systems, detecting issues, and working quickly to troubleshoot.听
Typical majors: Information technology (IT), computer science, engineering聽聽
Median annual salary: $120,360
Job outlook: 32 percent聽
Network engineers work directly with a company鈥檚 computer network to plan, implement, and monitor its operations. Thanks to the prevalence of network systems, network engineers can apply their skills to a number of different industries. They also typically know a programming language, are familiar with cloud computing, and have experience in network security.听
Typical majors: Information technology (IT), computer science, engineering聽聽
Median annual salary: $95,360
Job outlook: 2 percent聽
Learn more: 12 Jobs in High Demand
The more experience you acquire, the more you may qualify for managerial roles鈥攎any of which boast a high salary.听
Job title | Median US salary | Job growth rate |
---|---|---|
Human resources manager | $136,350 | 5% |
Sales manager | $135,160 | 4% |
Financial manager | $156,100 | 16% |
Marketing manager | $156,580 | 6% |
Engineering manager | $165,370 | 4% |
Computer and information systems manager | $169,510 | 15% |
Earn your bachelor鈥檚 degree in lucrative areas like business administration, marketing, and computer science from the University of London on 糖心vlog官网观看. Or explore degrees in general business and applied arts and science from the University of North Texas. Each program takes place entirely online, so you can learn at your own pace from anywhere with internet access.听
If you鈥檝e already earned your bachelor鈥檚 degree, consider strengthening your skill set and experience with a Professional Certificate in project management, UX design, social media management, or data analysis. These skills are in high demand and programs are designed to help get you job ready.听
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. 鈥 https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm.鈥 Accessed April 23, 2024.
National Center for Education Statistics. 鈥,聽 https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp.鈥 Accessed April 23, 2024.
The New York Times. ,聽 聽 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/business/liberal-arts-stem-salaries.html.鈥 Accessed April 23, 2024.
Indeed. 鈥,聽 https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/pay-salary/average-salary-in-us.鈥 Accessed April 23, 2024.
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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.