This Is the Lowest Paying College Major in America

By Douglas A. McIntyre Updated Feb 26, 1:15PM EST · Published Feb 23, 8:00AM EST

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America has many outstanding colleges and universities, although there’s a long-running debate about what their focus should be. Some students want a broad-based education, often heavy on the liberal arts, while others want something more narrowly career-focused, or vocational. The debate has become more heated as the cost of education has risen steadily over the past four decades, and as students have had to take larger and larger loans as a result. (This is the most expensive colleges in every state.)

Whatever their philosophy or career goals, graduates will be entering a knowledge-based economy in which education is crucially important to advancement. They should make informed choices.

To determine the highest and lowest paying college majors in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed Census Bureau data on average annual earnings of individuals holding an undergraduate degree in 2019. The disparities in incomes between the highest and lowest paying majors are quite stark.

The highest-paying college majors on our list are health and medical preparatory programs, pharmacology, and computer engineering. The average annual earnings in these fields in 2019 were all significantly above $100,000. The list reflects the value of an education in STEM – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – fields in particular. (These are America’s top public universities.)

The lowest-paying majors include elementary education, library science, and miscellaneous education, with average annual earnings no higher than $30,000. It’s a terrible irony that in an increasingly knowledge-based economy, where education is crucial to success, teachers are paid so poorly.

Click here to see the highest and lowest paying college majors in America
Click here to read our detailed methodology

Highest paying:

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25. Mining and mineral engineering
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $87,606
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 4.3%
> Total workforce in 2019: 13,956

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24. Transportation sciences and technologies
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $87,686
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.0%
> Total workforce in 2019: 156,104

23. Zoology
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $87,985
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.9%
> Total workforce in 2019: 112,113

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22. Genetics
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $88,409
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 4.1%
> Total workforce in 2019: 24,263

21. Architectural engineering
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $88,629
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 0.9%
> Total workforce in 2019: 21,858

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20. Construction services
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $88,872
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.0%
> Total workforce in 2019: 126,242

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19. Physiology
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $89,456
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.4%
> Total workforce in 2019: 134,398

18. Materials science
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $89,616
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.0%
> Total workforce in 2019: 33,907

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17. Applied mathematics
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $89,756
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 4.2%
> Total workforce in 2019: 44,094

Governor Offers Remarks at the... by Maryland GovPics

Governor Offers Remarks at the... (CC BY 2.0) by Maryland GovPics

16. Public policy
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $89,761
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.7%
> Total workforce in 2019: 41,923

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15. Mechanical engineering
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $89,801
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.3%
> Total workforce in 2019: 942,913

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14. Actuarial science
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $90,399
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.5%
> Total workforce in 2019: 17,470

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computer science students at t... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Stefan

13. Mathematics and computer science
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $91,843
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.1%
> Total workforce in 2019: 18,076

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12. Chemical engineering
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $93,118
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.9%
> Total workforce in 2019: 340,918

11. Economics
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $94,493
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 3.1%
> Total workforce in 2019: 1,150,173

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10. Aerospace engineering
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $94,685
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.0%
> Total workforce in 2019: 113,112

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9. Biomedical engineering
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $94,798
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 3.6%
> Total workforce in 2019: 80,008

8. Computer science
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $94,816
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 3.4%
> Total workforce in 2019: 1,409,826

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7. Electrical engineering
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $95,540
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.3%
> Total workforce in 2019: 1,084,380

6. Finance
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $98,610
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.8%
> Total workforce in 2019: 1,287,699

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5. Molecular biology
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $99,520
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.9%
> Total workforce in 2019: 94,075

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4. Biochemical sciences
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $103,991
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.7%
> Total workforce in 2019: 247,265

3. Computer engineering
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $106,276
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.6%
> Total workforce in 2019: 369,297

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2. Pharmacology
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $106,536
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.0%
> Total workforce in 2019: 13,510

1. Health and medical preparatory programs
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $107,638
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.9%
> Total workforce in 2019: 93,428

Lowest paying:

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25. Visual and performing arts
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $43,064
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 3.3%
> Total workforce in 2019: 77,640

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24. Miscellaneous fine arts
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $42,045
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 5.9%
> Total workforce in 2019: 22,161

23. Fine arts
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $41,678
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 3.6%
> Total workforce in 2019: 600,376

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22. Studio arts
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $41,649
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.7%
> Total workforce in 2019: 106,521

21. Human services and community organization
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $41,439
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 3.0%
> Total workforce in 2019: 125,804

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20. Theology and religious vocations
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $40,688
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.7%
> Total workforce in 2019: 348,312

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19. Physical and health education teaching
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $39,229
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.1%
> Total workforce in 2019: 277,464

18. Educational psychology
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $38,909
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 3.2%
> Total workforce in 2019: 23,762

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17. Social work
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $38,718
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.4%
> Total workforce in 2019: 557,967

16. Special needs education
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $37,655
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.5%
> Total workforce in 2019: 261,029

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15. Mathematics teacher education
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $37,110
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.1%
> Total workforce in 2019: 101,012

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14. Counseling psychology
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $36,690
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.5%
> Total workforce in 2019: 64,146

13. Science and computer teacher education
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $36,683
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.4%
> Total workforce in 2019: 81,888

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12. Family and consumer sciences
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $36,335
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.7%
> Total workforce in 2019: 430,607

11. Social science or history teacher education
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $35,502
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.2%
> Total workforce in 2019: 143,978

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10. School student counseling
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $34,955
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 3.1%
> Total workforce in 2019: 17,908

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9. Art and music education
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $33,541
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.0%
> Total workforce in 2019: 274,707

8. Early childhood education
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $33,511
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.1%
> Total workforce in 2019: 230,628

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7. General education
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $33,504
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.8%
> Total workforce in 2019: 1,710,780

6. Language and drama education
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $32,624
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.0%
> Total workforce in 2019: 230,952

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5. Teacher education: multiple levels
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $32,416
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.0%
> Total workforce in 2019: 112,630

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4. Secondary teacher education
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $30,589
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.0%
> Total workforce in 2019: 207,455

3. Miscellaneous education
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $30,168
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 2.0%
> Total workforce in 2019: 172,208

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2. Library science
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $28,969
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.5%
> Total workforce in 2019: 25,000

1. Elementary education
> Avg. annual earnings in 2019: $28,376
> Unemployment rate in 2019: 1.4%
> Total workforce in 2019: 1,391,273

Methodology

To determine the highest and lowest paying college majors in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on earnings from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample files. Undergraduate college majors were ranked based on the average reported incomes of individuals holding the degree in 2019.

Data on unemployment rate and total workforce were calculated using data on employment status by field of degree from the ACS PUMA data. The Census Bureau considers the first degree listed by survey respondents in response to the prompt: “Please print below the specific major(s) of any BACHELOR’S DEGREES this person has received” to be their major undergraduate field of degree.

About the Author Douglas A. McIntyre →

Douglas A. McIntyre is the co-founder, chief executive officer and editor in chief of 24/7 Wall St. and 24/7 Tempo. He has held these jobs since 2006.

McIntyre has written thousands of articles for 24/7 Wall St. He is an expert on corporate finance, the automotive industry, media companies and international finance. He has edited articles on national demographics, sports, personal income and travel.

His work has been quoted or mentioned in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, Time, The New Yorker, HuffPost USA Today, Business Insider, Yahoo, AOL, MarketWatch, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, The Guardian and many other major publications. McIntyre has been a guest on CNBC, the BBC and television and radio stations across the country.

A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College, McIntyre also was president of The Harvard Advocate. Founded in 1866, the Advocate is the oldest college publication in the United States.

TheStreet.com, Comps.com and Edgar Online are some of the public companies for which McIntyre served on the board of directors. He was a Vicinity Corporation board member when the company was sold to Microsoft in 2002. He served on the audit committees of some of these companies.

McIntyre has been the CEO of FutureSource, a provider of trading terminals and news to commodities and futures traders. He was president of Switchboard, the online phone directory company. He served as chairman and CEO of On2 Technologies, the video compression company that provided video compression software for Adobe’s Flash. Google bought On2 in 2009.