The last few years have led to the worst job market that I have seen in my lifetime. Lots of students are graduating from college only to find that they are unable to find gainful employment. There are a hundred people or more applying for every single job opening. In order to give yourself the best chance at finding a good job, you need to select the right major. Selecting the right major can lead to a high starting salary and lots of career opportunity. So, what major should you select?
A number of majors offer good starting salaries and job growth over the next decade. Engineering, medicine, and business are all solid career tracks but one major outshines them all. This major currently boasts the number one job in the country which is a software architect. The number one major for future college graduates is computer science. Computer science majors learn all about the construction of databases, algorithms, programming, graphics, and analyzing systems.
Computer Science
Information technology is not only the future but it is the present as well. We live in the digital age and almost every single aspect of society relies on technology to perform their duties. The manufacturing and construction industries use technology to build cars, planes, and equipment. Office professionals, executives, and assistants rely on technology to conduct business on a daily basis. You cannot even visit the grocery store without seeing the power of automation at the self checkouts.
Computer science is the number one field for anyone entering the market today. The number one profession for projected job growth over the next few years is software architect. Computer science majors come out of school making over $65k and can expect salaries in the six figures after a few years in their careers. Computer science is such a lucrative profession that you almost cannot go wrong picking a track. Systems analysts, software architects, and software engineers all make great salaries.
Why You Should Major In Computer Science
The problem is that the United States companies have a difficult time finding enough computer science majors. Computer science is one of those majors that not enough student select when attending college. Students have to be proficient in mathematics and science in order to find success in this field. Unlike many majors however, a four year degree is enough to gain a high salary. The great thing about the computer science field is that demand will only pick up for this profession over the next decade.
8 Comments to “What College Major Will Make You Rich?”
Computer science as a major is even better than engineering which usually gathers half or more of the top 10 earning spots.The one caveat is that coders are facing increased competition from outsourcing to India, so like any other field, you need to specialize and gather skills that make you invaluable.
Mark, I agree….I actually run a software company and computer science is where it’s at.If only I had the aptitude to do it myself!I’m more on the functional side of the house.It takes a certain kinda person to write and design code….kinda like being able to speak another language fluently.But if your searching for a good career path, you can’t go wrong w/ CS.
Computer Science is certainly an appealing major, and well-paying.I work as a system engineer with several software engineers, and their job is certainly highly portable.Most of their skills will easily convert to any employer in that field, while us hardware engineers inevitably develop a very specific set of knowledge that makes a transition to another company a bit more complex.
That’s what I got my degree in!Outsourcing is big and getting bigger at the company that I work at…I wouldn’t recommend it to my son or daughter.
My focus has been in the DB world, but that has shifted because of politics.It’s still a facinating world though…
I graduated in computer science and I am now managing a team of software engineers. I’d have to say that you still need to show business aptitude or be very specialized to reach higher level of pay. It’s not handed to you on a plater. Outsourcing and contracting is very much part of the new business models to save development cost at many companies.
I must say that I am surprised to see so many techies in the financial blogging world
I am surprised too. I didn’t know it was that many tech majors.
I know one thing, my kids are learning math!I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, so I am one of the few people from my Arts classes that actually has a decent-paying job (teachers in Manitoba, Canada start at about 50K, max out around 82K, and our union is pretty embarrassingly strong).If you want to expand your horizons, simply read books.If you want to earn money, learn math!I actually love learning math as it pertains to finance (as opposed to math “for math’s sake” that I was taught in high school).Once you got numbers down fields like engineering, geology, and computer science open up.
PS.Have you looked into what the market is for a geology degree?That’s where I have been advising all my students to go!!
Good pick! I am sure that the geology field is not overcrowded. That is a major that very few select.