Highest Paying Majors 5 years After Graduation

[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.

Exactly!

My kid is a chem engineer major. Not because of the pay, but because it's what interests them. They've always loved science and math. So some type of engineering was the obvious path for them (and they don't want to work in a lab and have no desire to do anything medical directly)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

DC doesn’t want a job where they might get shot.

Is there a profession where someone hasn’t been shot, stabbed or violently attacked at work? At least our child has a bulletproof vest, several guns, training, and armed backup.

You’re more likely to get seriously injured on the way to and from work than a police officer is to get shot on the job.

Don't be ridiculous! Law enforcement is a field where you daily put yourself at high risk. Most engineers are NOT daily at risk. If you think otherwise, you are quite something

kudos for your kid pursuing being a police officer---we need them. But their high pay is quite frankly because of the risks they are under daily.

[Anonymous]

Agree with medicine. I work part time as a primary care doctor and make 205k. No way could I make this money and be part time in any other field. Unless AI comes to my license it’s also nice to have the job security.

[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.

Except my Chem Eng student will not face life and death dangers each day on the job

Neither does law enforcement. Most shifts are run of the mill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No Surprise Engineering dominating.

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

Despite the naysayers, Computer Science isn't dead. 🙂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No Surprise Engineering dominating.

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

Despite the naysayers, Computer Science isn't dead. 🙂

At my kid's school everyone of his friends in CS have high paying internships this summer.

[Anonymous]

law. Starting salary for Biglaw is $235k

[Anonymous]

None of this matters. AI is reshaping everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with medicine. I work part time as a primary care doctor and make 205k. No way could I make this money and be part time in any other field. Unless AI comes to my license it’s also nice to have the job security.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:law. Starting salary for Biglaw is $235k

using the term "Biglaw" shows that you are not a lawyer or least not an experienced one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

DC doesn’t want a job where they might get shot.

Is there a profession where someone hasn’t been shot, stabbed or violently attacked at work? At least our child has a bulletproof vest, several guns, training, and armed backup.

You’re more likely to get seriously injured on the way to and from work than a police officer is to get shot on the job.

Don't be ridiculous! Law enforcement is a field where you daily put yourself at high risk. Most engineers are NOT daily at risk. If you think otherwise, you are quite something

kudos for your kid pursuing being a police officer---we need them. But their high pay is quite frankly because of the risks they are under daily.

This really depends on where you’re policing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with medicine. I work part time as a primary care doctor and make 205k. No way could I make this money and be part time in any other field. Unless AI comes to my license it’s also nice to have the job security.

Exactly! Once educated as an MD, as long as you keep your license (practice a bit) you will always have a job. We desperately need general doctors now. Most places would take you for only 1-2 days per week if you want, as they need doctors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:None of this matters. AI is reshaping everything.

True, but medicine and engineering seem the most immune from the AI carnage. Obviously, AI will impact these fields on a peripheral level. But for now, there is still a real need for human talent and judgement. Which is not the case in other fields. AI can already do nearly everything that a law associate or new consulting hire does. But human beings aren't robots. People skills and emotional intelligence will be very valuable in the years ahead.

In the decades ahead, I can see the world breaking down into the AI world and the real world. AI is going to get stronger and stronger every year, and there will be pushback from the other 8 billion people on Earth who are getting wrecked by AI. People like Sam Altman, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and the other Silicon Valley billionaires are an existential threat to humanity. And there is going to be a response. But it's unclear how it all plays out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:True, but medicine and engineering seem the most immune from the AI carnage.

Law enforcement officer just collectively said, “hold my beer.” LOL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:True, but medicine and engineering seem the most immune from the AI carnage.

Law enforcement officer just collectively said, “hold my beer.” LOL!

yo - did you not watch robocop?