Top 10 College Majors Likely to Land Jobs

Higher education may be getting more expensive, but a college degree is necessary to compete for jobs in many industries. College should be healthy mix of passion and pragmatism, and it’s important to pursue the things you love while recognizing the fields that give you the best chance of finding a job upon graduation.

According to research by CareerCast.com, here are the majors with the best career prospects. We also provided the median salaries of various jobs in each industry based on Salary.com data.

1) Accounting

They say numbers don’t lie, but did you know they can also get you a job? The employment rate for recent accounting majors is over 90%, and the need specifically for accountants will grow by 10% in the next eight years, according to CareerCast.

Jobs

Accountant I - $50,897

Accounting Supervisor - $79,934

Accounting Manager - $98,198

2) Business Management

Business management can get your foot in the door in many industries, including hospitality and tourism management, human resources, and health care – just to name a few. You might be surprised to learn that “Medical Services Manager” has a growth outlook of 20% – and is a great path for a Business Management graduate.

Jobs

Hotel Manager Assistant - $56,758

Human Resources Manager - $100,647

Business Development Manager - $120,708

3) Chemistry

Chemistry is a gateway to several high-paying careers, including the pharmacy or engineering realms. These types of roles require graduate education.

Jobs

Chemical Engineer - $74,667

Pharmacist - $128,622

Physician, Hospitalist - $222,363

4) Computer Science

There are few fields talked about more these days than computer science. Even folks with no interest in a CS-driven career are looking to add some basic coding to their skillsets. If you’re interesting in software development or a wide variety of tech positions, CS is a great college major.

Jobs

Web Software Developer - $79,055

Mobile Applications Developer - $88,407

Java Developer, Sr. - $105,269

5) Finance

The finance industry provides jobs for graduates that pace well ahead of job market averages. According to CareerCast, Financial Analyst roles have a growth outlook of 11%, and Personal Financial Advisor roles have a growth outlook of 15%.

Jobs

Financial Analyst I - $56,116

Financial Associate (Corporate) I - $64,910

Financial Analysis Manager - $115,402

6) Information Systems

Cloud-based technology will continue to transform several industries – and the job market. A degree in Information Systems opens up doors to jobs that don’t even exist yet.

Jobs

Information Technology Generalist - $62,831

Information Technology Supervisor I - $82,004

Information Security Analyst IV - $114,932

7) Marketing and Market Research

Trust us, fellow writers - we are aware of the hardships faced by journalism and other fields under the “communications” umbrella. Luckily, you may be able to apply those skills to marketing and market research jobs – which yield a 94% employment rate for folks in those majors, according to CareerCast.

Jobs

Market Research Analyst I - $58,169

Content Specialist - $66,906

Marketing Communication - $124,782

8) Mathematics

If you were an ace at math in high school, you might want to consider studying it in college. Several different mathematics careers appeared at the top of CareerCast's Best Jobs of 2018 report, including the ones we've listed below.

Jobs

Statistician I - $54,193

Actuary I - $68,051

Data Scientist III - $103,032

9) Mechanical Engineering

Many engineering jobs require workers to attend graduate school, but mechanical engineering majors can apply their B.A. to jobs in several industries, such as automotive, robotics and construction.

Jobs

Mechanical Engineer I - $66,542

Mechanical Engineering Supervisor I - $85,022

Project Engineer III, Construction - $109,572

9) Nursing

Nursing graduates enjoy one of the highest employment rates of all degrees. These types of roles also continue to be in high demand.

Jobs

School Nurse - $48,767

Staff Nurse – RN – Occupational Health - $83,997

Certified Nurse Midwife - $105,785

No Matter Your Passion, We’re Here to Help

Whether you go for one of the entry level jobs on this list, or are further along in your career and are applying for a mid- or senior-level position, it’s important to properly negotiate your compensation. Salary.com can help.

Our free Salary Wizard contains accurate data for thousands of unique jobs that can be modified according to education, location, years of experience, and other individual factors. Equitable pay is the first step to a healthy, prosperous career. Whether you’re just starting college or are hot on the job market, we wish you the best of luck!