Highest Paying Majors 5 years After Graduation

[Anonymous]

No Surprise Engineering dominating.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/21/highest-paying-college-majors.html

[Anonymous]

Flash! Students who go into industries with higher average salaries earn more money! News at 11!

[Anonymous]

Sure, but a kid who majored in Bio and is still in med school or a Philosophy major in law school aren't going to pop up on this list. Very few kids go into undergrad thinking they'll be done with their education after only 4 years. As a parent of a Computer Engineering major who couldn't find a summer internship this year, I think the job market it tough all around for kids right now.

[Anonymous]

silly piece. The answer is humanities into law school = $235K BigLaw Starting Salary. And if you clerked for SCOTUS, you get a signing bonus of $500,000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:silly piece. The answer is humanities into law school = $235K BigLaw Starting Salary. And if you clerked for SCOTUS, you get a signing bonus of $500,000.

So humanities for maybe a couple hundred students in the country.

[Anonymous]

parents of engineering aspirants are almost always intellectual peasants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:silly piece. The answer is humanities into law school = $235K BigLaw Starting Salary. And if you clerked for SCOTUS, you get a signing bonus of $500,000.

you silly person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:parents of engineering aspirants are fortunate to have such brilliant children.

FIFY

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:parents of engineering aspirants are almost always intellectual peasants.

This post illustrates DCUM pathology very well.

[Anonymous]

Our DC is considered “underemployed” in law enforcement because the position doesn’t require a degree to start. Five years after earning their B.S. they earn a $102k salary and $40k+ in overtime. They get a raise every year, and sometimes two raises.

That’s better than earnings of Chemical Engineering majors at 35-45 year olds, the #1 major, BTW. Our child could retire with a full pension at 46. LOL.

Our child will make sergeant soon. That comes with a nice raise. By 35 they’ll be a lieutenant. That’s a big salary bump. That’s when 1.5x overtime rates really start to pay out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is considered “underemployed” in law enforcement because the position doesn’t require a degree to start. Five years after earning their B.S. they earn a $102k salary and $40k+ in overtime. They get a raise every year, and sometimes two raises.

That’s better than earnings of Chemical Engineering majors at 35-45 year olds, the #1 major, BTW. Our child could retire with a full pension at 46. LOL.

Our child will make sergeant soon. That comes with a nice raise. By 35 they’ll be a lieutenant. That’s a big salary bump. That’s when 1.5x overtime rates really start to pay out.

Ok and our plumber makes 190k.
I make 240k as a part-time physician in a group practice, working 32 hrs a week, no overtime needed and time to spare for spouse/family(three 10-11 hr days). I am the very lowest paid of all of my med school friends because i chose part time, would not have it any other way. They are raking in 400-600k.
Spouse makes 260k as a FT engineer and sibling makes way more than 300k, he won't say, as an engineer with a PhD.
Our neighbor makes 700k as a lawyer, spouse stays home, and they are continuously complaining they not rich enough to afford private college yet we sent two.

There are lots of high paying jobs everywhere. The goal is to do what you enjoy and hope you are good at managing money because many are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No Surprise Engineering dominating.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/21/highest-paying-college-majors.html

15 yr data is more meaningful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is considered “underemployed” in law enforcement because the position doesn’t require a degree to start. Five years after earning their B.S. they earn a $102k salary and $40k+ in overtime. They get a raise every year, and sometimes two raises.

That’s better than earnings of Chemical Engineering majors at 35-45 year olds, the #1 major, BTW. Our child could retire with a full pension at 46. LOL.

Our child will make sergeant soon. That comes with a nice raise. By 35 they’ll be a lieutenant. That’s a big salary bump. That’s when 1.5x overtime rates really start to pay out.

Ok and our plumber makes 190k.
I make 240k as a part-time physician in a group practice, working 32 hrs a week, no overtime needed and time to spare for spouse/family(three 10-11 hr days). I am the very lowest paid of all of my med school friends because i chose part time, would not have it any other way. They are raking in 400-600k.
Spouse makes 260k as a FT engineer and sibling makes way more than 300k, he won't say, as an engineer with a PhD.
Our neighbor makes 700k as a lawyer, spouse stays home, and they are continuously complaining they not rich enough to afford private college yet we sent two.

There are lots of high paying jobs everywhere. The goal is to do what you enjoy and hope you are good at managing money because many are not.

So you're a woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is considered “underemployed” in law enforcement because the position doesn’t require a degree to start. Five years after earning their B.S. they earn a $102k salary and $40k+ in overtime. They get a raise every year, and sometimes two raises.

That’s better than earnings of Chemical Engineering majors at 35-45 year olds, the #1 major, BTW. Our child could retire with a full pension at 46. LOL.

Our child will make sergeant soon. That comes with a nice raise. By 35 they’ll be a lieutenant. That’s a big salary bump. That’s when 1.5x overtime rates really start to pay out.

Sounds like a great deal. Unfortunately, many on this site will look down on it because it's not BigLaw/med/IB/SWE. My own DS just earned his degree while serving Active Duty, and as an E-6 he makes more after taxes than a few of his engineer friends in the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is considered “underemployed” in law enforcement because the position doesn’t require a degree to start. Five years after earning their B.S. they earn a $102k salary and $40k+ in overtime. They get a raise every year, and sometimes two raises.

That’s better than earnings of Chemical Engineering majors at 35-45 year olds, the #1 major, BTW. Our child could retire with a full pension at 46. LOL.

Our child will make sergeant soon. That comes with a nice raise. By 35 they’ll be a lieutenant. That’s a big salary bump. That’s when 1.5x overtime rates really start to pay out.

BS

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/chemical-engineers.htm
https://www.mtu.edu/engineering/about/salary/