Top 5 Highest Paying Majors in the US

International students alone contribute $45 billion annually to the US economy. With little to no financial aid and scholarships at their disposal, students invest upwards of $55,000 on tuition alone not counting health insurance, travel, textbooks, dining, housing, and miscellaneous expenses. Students consider their higher education an investment towards their future and see the return in lucrative employment opportunities post-graduation. Here are the top 5 most well-paying jobs right out of college.

1. Engineering

Engineering is the #1 most well paying major for graduating students out of university. Majoring in engineering opens up a broad range of opportunities for students right out of college. Most upcoming jobs in engineering with an average annual salary ay $91,010. Engineering as a field is highly dependent on the specialization which can drastically change the salary; aerospace engineers make $109,650, computer hardware engineers make $115,080, and petroleum engineers land offers at $128,230.

2. Economics

Economics is one of the most versatile majors with degree holders moving into finance, consulting, big data, and analyst positions. On average economics, majors will land a salary of $75,505 but ranging up to $104,340 for quantitative analysts, $113,430 for Actuary, and Senior Market Analyst at $115,166.

3. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The third best-paying major is in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology with average salaries of $73,052. Epidemiologists make $75,690 biomedical engineers with $95,090, and biochemists with $105,940.

4. Computer Science

The fourth and one of the most popular majors among undergraduate students is computer science. Average salaries out of college are $70,000 per year, data scientists make $121,897 development and operations engineer make $121996, and software architects at $139,099.

5. Information Technology

The fifth best paying major for undergraduates in the US is information technology. The average salary is $64008 but web developers make $64,970, computer systems analysts make $85,800, and software developers make $100,690.