We have long known that a person’s educational level correlates with lifetime income, but what we haven’t realized until now is that our college majors are also significant to the bottom line. The U.S. Census Bureau recently published data acquired from its 2009 American Community Survey that shows wide disparities between differing majors and their median incomes: from a low of $29,000 for counseling-psychology majors to a high of $120,000 for petroleum engineering majors. Only full-time workers between the ages of 25 and 64 were surveyed, to help eliminate temporary or first jobs from the figures. The figures support surveys illustrating that educational level is the most important factor in determining future income: counseling-psychology was the only major that had a lower median income than the average for those with only a high school diploma ($33,000). The overall median income for those with college degrees is $55,000.
Not surprisingly, engineering is the most lucrative major, with incomes ranging from $55,000 to $120,000, computers and mathematics majors earn in the range of $50,000 to $98,000, and health is surprisingly rewarding with incomes from $40,000 to $105,000. On the lower end are arts and humanities majors — with median incomes of $45,000.
| What kids are reading |
| This weekly column looks at lists of books kids are reading in various categories. Information on the books below came from Amazon.com’s list of best-sellers for children. |
| Children’s books on college majors (young adult and adult) |
| College Majors Handbook with Real Career Paths and Payoffs by Neeta Fogg, Paul Harrington, and Thomas Harrington |
| Book of Majors 2011 by the College Board |
| The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Choosing a College Major by Randall S. Hansen |
| 10 Best College Majors for Your Personality by Laurence Shatkin |
| The Everything College Major Test Book: 10 Tests to Help You Choose the Major That Is Right For You by Burton Jay Nadler |
| Major in Success: Make College Easier, Fire Up Your Dreams, and Get a Great Job by Patrick Combs and Jack Canfield |
| The Secrets of College Success by Lynn Jacobs and Jeremy Hyman |
| 50 Best College Majors for a Secure Future by Laurence Shatkin |
| Guide to College Majors, 2010 Edition by Princeton Review |
Does this mean that parents and counselors should advise students to major in subjects with the highest median salaries? Not necessarily. As is true with any poll, there are other factors at work beyond those measured. It’s possible that the average arts or humanities major is less interested in earning top dollar than the average engineering or computer science major; part of the financial success of the latter may be due to their competitiveness and drive rather than their major.
It would be interesting to compare students with differing majors who land in the same field — editors or public relations experts who might have backgrounds as varied as English, social studies or the sciences. Would the science majors have higher incomes, or would their college majors have become less significant after similar work experiences?
The other factor that seems so obvious it shouldn’t bear mentioning — except that I haven’t seen it mentioned in the coverage accompanying the publication of this data — is that our college majors contribute more than future income. In the case of the English major, with which I am the most familiar, students who learn to read prose with an eye for tone and irony are much less apt to misinterpret others’ ideas and writings whether in contracts or informal emails.
There is an art to “reading between the lines” that takes years to learn and apply to the real world. Also, there is no substitute for knowing how to write clearly and cogently. Good writing might help a worker’s ascent in different fields because it is a rare gift and highly valued. Many can be trained to work hard and earn a decent income, but someone who picks up on subtle clues dropped by a client or competitor operates on a different gold standard.
Do all English majors have these gifts? Of course not. So I would continue to advise students to major in what interests them — no matter what the median future income. “Follow your passion” is still good advice because doing what we love allows us to become our best selves.
Erica Jacobs, whose column appears Wednesday, teaches at George Mason University. Email her at [email protected].
