Starting salaries for business majors are soaring in industries such as investment banking and consulting.
The Highest and Lowest Paying College Majors
Not all college majors pay off equally.
While some graduates quickly climb into six-figure salaries, others earn significantly less, even decades into their careers. The latest ranking from Visual Capitalist, compiled by Julia Wendling using new data from the New York Fed, compares lifetime earning potential across dozens of majors to reveal which degrees offer the strongest financial return.
THE HIGHEST-PAYING DEGREES
| Rank | Major | Mid‑Career Median Wage |
| 1 | Chemical Engineering | $135,000 |
| 2 | Computer Engineering | $131,000 |
| 3 | Aerospace Engineering | $130,000 |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering | $123,000 |
| 5 | Computer Science | $120,000 |
| 6 | Mechanical Engineering | $120,000 |
| 7 | Construction Services | $120,000 |
| 8 | Civil Engineering | $115,000 |
| 9 | Economics | $115,000 |
| 10 | Finance | $112,000 |
| 11 | Business Analytics | $109,000 |
| 12 | General Engineering | $105,000 |
| 13 | Misc Engineering | $105,000 |
| 14 | Physics | $105,000 |
| 15 | Engineering Technologies | $104,000 |
| 16 | Info Systems & Mgmt | $100,000 |
| 17 | Industrial Engineering | $100,000 |
| 18 | Biochemistry | $100,000 |
| 19 | Mathematics | $100,000 |
| 20 | Political Science | $100,000 |
Engineering completely dominates the rankings. Engineering majors claim the top seven spots, led by Chemical Engineering with a median mid-career salary of $135,000. Computer Engineering follows at $131,000, then Aerospace Engineering close behind at $130,000. If there’s one takeaway from the chart, it’s that engineering continues to set the standard when it comes to long-term earning potential.
Business majors still have plenty to celebrate. While engineering occupies the very top of the list, business-related fields comfortably land in the next tier of highest earners. Economics ranks ninth with a median mid-career salary of $115,000, Finance comes in at $112,000, and Business Analytics follows at $109,000.
“These disciplines provide analytical and quantitative skills that employers value across many industries,” says Wendling.
Science majors also perform well, with Physics, Biochemistry, and Mathematics each reaching median mid-career salaries above $100,000. These majors are all about building analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills that employers consistently seek.
THE LOWEST-PAYING DEGREES
| Rank | Major | Mid‑Career Median Wage |
| 1 | Early Childhood Education | $52,000 |
| 2 | Elementary Education | $55,000 |
| 3 | General Education | $55,000 |
| 4 | Special Education | $56,000 |
| 5 | Miscellaneous Education | $60,000 |
| 6 | Social Services | $60,000 |
| 7 | Secondary Education | $62,000 |
| 8 | Family & Consumer Sciences | $65,000 |
| 9 | Anthropology | $65,000 |
| 10 | Theology & Religion | $66,000 |
| 11 | Health Services | $67,000 |
| 12 | Nutrition Sciences | $70,000 |
| 13 | Treatment Therapy | $70,000 |
| 14 | Psychology | $72,000 |
| 15 | Fine Arts | $72,000 |
| 16 | Liberal Arts | $75,000 |
| 17 | Leisure & Hospitality | $75,000 |
| 18 | Earth Sciences | $75,000 |
| 19 | General Social Sciences | $75,000 |
| 20 | Performing Arts | $75,000 |
At the bottom of the rankings, education and social-service majors make up the majority. Early Childhood Education posted a median mid-career salary of $52,000, followed by Elementary Education and General Education at $55,000 each. Psychology, Fine Arts, and Performing Arts also landed near the bottom.
While business degrees may not have surpassed engineering, they also didn’t appear anywhere near the bottom of the rankings. In these rankings, business majors have consistently delivered strong earning potential.
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