Glassdoor’s List Of The 50 College Majors With The Highest Post-Graduation Earnings Is Hilariously Awful
It’s a pretty standard content move to craft a ranking list catered to college students. These lists can range anywhere from completely subjective, asinine power rankings of “The Most Cat-Friendly Colleges For The Cat-Loving College Kid Who Can’t Stand Leaving Their Fuzzy Wuzzy Ball Of Fluff” to critically acclaimed thinkpieces rooted strictly in facts and quantifiable evidence, like TFM’s own The Top 10 Colleges Where Sex Comes Easy; it all depends on the publisher. When the publisher is, say, a website trying to create a list out of nothing so that they can use it for their own personal gain, you can pretty much guess how that list is going to turn out.
Here’s the list, which is of “The 50 Highest Paying College Majors,” that job hunting site Glassdoor posted on their website.
1. Computer Science
Median Base Salary: $70,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Software Engineer, Systems Engineer, Web Developer2. Electrical Engineering
Median Base Salary: $68,438
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Electrical Engineer, Systems Engineer, Software Developer3. Mechanical Engineering
Median Base Salary: $68,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Mechanical Engineer, Design Engineer, Project Engineer4. Chemical Engineering
Median Base Salary: $65,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Chemical Engineer, Process Engineer, Project Engineer5. Industrial Engineering
Median Base Salary: $64,381
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Industrial Engineer, Quality Engineer, Production Planner6. Information Technology
Median Base Salary: $64,008
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Programmer Analyst, Technical Support, Systems Engineer7. Civil Engineering
Median Base Salary: $61,500
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Field Engineer8. Statistics
Median Base Salary: $60,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Data Analyst, Statistician, Data Scientist9. Nursing
Median Base Salary: $58,928
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Registered Nurse, Licensed Vocational Nurse, Case Manager10. Management Information Systems
Median Base Salary: $58,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Network Administrator, Help Desk Analyst, Business Analyst11. Finance
Median Base Salary: $54,900
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Financial Analyst, Investment Banking Analyst, Accountant12. Mathematics
Median Base Salary: 54,018
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Math Teacher, Software Engineer, Data Analyst13. Biomedical Engineering
Median Base Salary: $52,814
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Biomedical Engineer, Service Engineer, Clinical Research Associate14. Accounting
Median Base Salary: $52,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Accountant, Auditor, Financial Analyst15. Economics
Median Base Salary: $52,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Financial Analyst, Management Analyst, Accountant16. Physics
Median Base Salary: $50,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Physicist, Research Fellow, Computer Programmer17. Biotechnology
Median Base Salary: $50,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Laboratory Technician, Quality Control Analyst, Research Associate18. Architecture
Median Base Salary: $50,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Architect, CAD Designer, Project Designer19. Fashion Design
Median Base Salary: $50,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Fashion Designer, Textile Designer, Stylist20. Business
Median Base Salary: $47,850
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Account Manager, Marketing Manager, Market Research Analyst21. International Relations
Median Base Salary: $45,880
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Marketing Associate, English Teacher, Research Assistant22. Graphic Design
Median Base Salary: $45,846
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Graphic Designer, Web Designer, Art Manager23. Marketing
Median Base Salary: $45,475
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Marketing Coordinator, Account Executive, Marketing Analyst24. English
Median Base Salary: $45,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: English Teacher, Editor, Copywriter25. Political Science
Median Base Salary: $45,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Law Clerk, Paralegal, Consultant26. History
Median Base Salary: $45,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Research Assistant, History Teacher, Teaching Assistant27. Human Resources
Median Base Salary: $45,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: HR Coordinator, Corporate Recruiter, HR Analyst28. Journalism
Median Base Salary: $45,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Reporter, Editor, Public Relations Coordinator29. Advertising
Median Base Salary: $45,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Account Executive, Marketing Analyst, Media Planner30. Philosophy
Median Base Salary: $45,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Teaching Assistant, Writer, Consultant31. Environmental Science
Median Base Salary: $45,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Environmental Scientist, Laboratory Technician, Safety Manager32. Social Science
Median Base Salary: $45,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: HR Assistant, Management Consultant, Visual Merchandiser33. Spanish
Median Base Salary: $44,256
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Spanish Teacher, Spanish Translator, Project Manager34. Communications
Median Base Salary: $44,190
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Public Relations Coordinator, Journalist, Content Marketing Manager35. Interior Design
Median Base Salary: $44,098
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Interior Designer, Visual Merchandiser, Drafter36. Chemistry
Median Base Salary: $44,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Pharmacy Technician, Chemist, Laboratory Technician37. Music
Median Base Salary: $44,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Music Teacher, Audio Engineer, Media Sales38. Film Studies
Median Base Salary: $44,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Production Coordinator, Video Editor, Proposal Manager39. Public Relations
Median Base Salary: $43,156
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Public Relations Coordinator, Account Executive, Event Planner40. Sports Management
Median Base Salary: $43,156
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Personal Trainer, Sales Associate, Production Assistant41. Education
Median Base Salary: $43,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Special Education Teacher, Elementary School Teacher, Language Arts Teacher42. Anthropology
Median Base Salary: $43,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Project Coordinator, Research Assistant, Administrative Assistant43. Hospitality Management
Median Base Salary: $42,734
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Food and Beverage Manager, Front Desk Manager, Housekeeping Manager44. Biochemistry
Median Base Salary: $42,672
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Research Technician, Pharmacy Technician, Chemist45. Liberal Arts
Median Base Salary: $42,500
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Sales Manager, Receptionist, Teacher46. Psychology
Median Base Salary: $42,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Case Manager, Mental Health Counselor, Sales Associate47. Sociology
Median Base Salary: $42,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: HR Assistant, Account Manager, Administrative Assistant48. Healthcare Administration
Median Base Salary: $42,000
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Medical Assistant, File Clerk, Office Manager49. Social Work
Median Base Salary: $41,656
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Social Worker, Mental Health Counselor, Camp Counselor50. Biology
Median Base Salary: $41,250
Popular Entry-Level Jobs: Lab Assistant, Paramedic, Tutor
Wow! Let’s summarize all of the amazing things we learned from this GoodListâ„¢!
1. Popular entry-level jobs for Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Industrial, and Civil Engineering majors include being an Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Industrial, and Civil Engineer, and popular entry-level jobs for Statistics, Nursing, and English majors include being a Statistician, a Nurse, and an English Teacher. Fascinating!
2. Don’t listen to your grandpa when he tells you you’re stupider than the heaps of bones you dust off all day, Anthropology majors — you’ll make more out of college than Biochem and Psych majors!
3. Same goes for you, Music majors; those MORONS majoring in Public Relations are going to make less out of college than you! You better prep your world’s tiniest violin for those sadsacks, hahaha!!!
While listing the word for somebody who majors in something as being a popular job in that field is inexcusably stupid, Glassdoor isn’t 100% in the wrong. They don’t explicitly say that, on average, Music majors will make more right out of college than Public Relations majors (which is completely untrue), but they do arrange their list in a way that would make it appear as if that’s what they’re saying, which is pretty much the same thing. I declare them 99% in the wrong.
If it’s not abundantly clear by now, this list does not take into account people who graduate with these majors and then don’t get jobs in them because there aren’t any jobs to get. Yeah, out of 100 Music majors, maybe 50 will get jobs that average around $44k a year, but what about those other 50? Meanwhile, Public Relations majors look at this list and go “Oh shit, maybe PR isn’t such a good route for me” when, in reality, many more people are getting jobs in PR than in Music; it’s just that the starting salary for a PR job is actually around $43k, making that number mean something except when it’s compared to Music’s $44k, which only serves as a misleading base salary placeholder. If you want a more accurate list, redo the whole thing and see how much adding a bunch of zeroes into the mix skews the averages.
I was surprised to see that this garbage heap of a list made its way into The Washington Post‘s published pile. When I see “Washington Post,” I think “legitimate news organization.” I picture a bustling newsroom with monocle-wearing aristocrats typing news stories on typewriters (for some reason that I don’t “get” because I’m not a traditional media guy) while the editor from Spider-Man sits in his office speaking unintelligibly fast and a bunch of orphan newsies wait by the back door to receive a stack of newspapers while they practice yelling “extry! extry!” before dying Edgar Allan Poe-style in a curb somewhere because nobody loves neither them nor the glorified packaging material they’re trying to hock. Just your stereotypical, highly-regarded newsroom operation. But even the Washington Post is content-starved sometimes, and since content starvation leads to employee starvation, I can’t blame them for smearing this dogshit list across the internet like that hobo outside my apartment building smears literal dogshit onto a piece of “toast” which is really just a hubcap that fell off of a passing Lincoln MKZ last week..
[via The Washington Post]
Image via Shutterstock
Remember to multiply by .70 for the female salary numbers.
8 years ago at 5:12 amdsd
8 years ago at 6:50 amStrange I don’t see Petroleum Engineering on here… had an internship in that field years back before the price of gas crashed, making $27 an hour while still majoring in civil engineering. A fraternity brother of mine who majored in Petroleum Engineering had a similar internship and was making about $40 an hour… unfortunately he’s now unemployed 2 years post-graduation. I now have a job in my field and make ~ 26/hr; considerably less than I would had I remained in oil and gas.
8 years ago at 7:51 amGranted, I work for the state and have other benefits (good health care, pension, etc) that are of some value, offsetting a reduced salary. But I am nearly a licensed professional engineer (I’m old af)… and expect my salary to be +30/hr in a year or so…
8 years ago at 7:52 amSpanish majors as project managers
8 years ago at 8:22 am