20 Highest Paying Degrees
In an era where college graduates are facing significant financial challenges, the degree they choose to pursue plays a pivotal role in shaping their future earning potential. PayScale, a platform that provides compensation data, has compiled an influential survey of the best undergraduate college degrees by salary, highlighting which fields of study offer the highest-paying job prospects. According to their latest findings, petroleum engineering ranks at the top of this list, boasting an impressive median starting salary of $97,900 and a mid-career median pay of $155,000. Hot on its heels is chemical engineering, which also promises strong earnings potential. While both of these fields are rooted in the sciences, they also reflect broader trends in the job market, where highly technical skills are in great demand, especially in industries tied to energy, technology, and manufacturing. Petroleum engineering, the highest-paying degree according to PayScale’s survey, is an academic disc...