The Federal Reserve of New York conducted a study titled Labor Market Outcomes of College Graduates by Major. It shows the unemployment rate, the median wage in early career, the median wage in mid-career, and the unemployment rate for each major. “Early Career” is defined as five years after graduation.
Three majors paid only $38,000 at the early career point: liberal arts, performing arts, and theology. CNBC pointed out, “For context, that’s slightly less than the U.S. personal income median of $40,480 as of 2022, per the latest data available from the U.S. Census.” These are the world-paying jobs for women.
Some early-career salaries were about double the three at the bottom. Computer engineering paid $80,000, and chemical engineering paid $79,000.
Oddly, unemployment among the lowest-paying majors was not necessarily high, particularly in one case. Among theology majors, it was 3.2%. However, among liberal arts majors, it was 7.9%, and among performing arts majors, it was 5.5%.
A great deal has been written about the value of a college education. Often, the analysis comes down to majors. The average student takes out $30,000 in loans to get a bachelor’s degree. Among majors that pay poorly, it could take years to pay them off.
Credit Card Companies Are Doing Something Nuts
Credit card companies are at war. The biggest issuers are handing out free rewards and benefits to win the best customers.
It’s possible to find cards paying unlimited 1.5%, 2%, and even more today. That’s free money for qualified borrowers, and the type of thing that would be crazy to pass up. Those rewards can add up to thousands of dollars every year in free money, and include other benefits as well.
We’ve assembled some of the best credit cards for users today. Don’t miss these offers because they won’t be this good forever.
Flywheel Publishing has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Flywheel Publishing and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.