The research company, which specializes in compensation data, ranked 319 majors at the bachelor level based on how much money graduates in each field are making. The top 25 bachelor-level majors all have mid-career median pay numbers above $100,000, and the vast majority of them are STEM majors.
Among many disciplines in the compsci arena, graduates who earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering were ranked highest (6th place), reporting a median mid-career salary of $115,000. Computer science majors (ranked 18th) earn a median mid-career salary of $105,000. (See also: Top 25 computer science colleges)
Here's the list of Payscale's top 25 high-paying college majors based on data from its 2015-2016 College Salary Report.
1. Petroleum EngineeringEarly career median pay: $101,000Mid-career median pay: $168,000
2. Nuclear EngineeringEarly career median pay: $68,200Mid-career median pay: $121,000
3. Actuarial MathematicsEarly career median pay: $58,800Mid-career median pay: $119,000
4. Chemical EngineeringEarly career median pay: $69,500Mid-career median pay: $118,000
5. Electronics & Communications EngineeringEarly career median pay: $65,000Mid-career median pay: $116,000
6. Computer Science & EngineeringEarly career median pay: $69,100Mid-career median pay: $115,000
7. Systems Engineering (tie)Early career median pay: $67,100Mid-career median pay: $114,000
7. Electrical & Computer Engineering (tie)Early career median pay: $67,000Mid-career median pay: $114,000
9. Aeronautical EngineeringEarly career median pay: $65,100Mid-career median pay: $113,000
10. Computer Engineering (tie)Early career median pay: $68,400Mid-career median pay: $109,000
10. Mining Engineering (tie)Early career median pay: $71,500Mid-career median pay: $109,000
12. Electrical Engineering (tie)Early career median pay: $66,500Mid-career median pay: $108,000
12. Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering (tie)Early career median pay: $61,100Mid-career median pay: $108,000
14. Aerospace Engineering (tie)Early career median pay: $64,800Mid-career median pay: $107,000
14. Computer Science & Mathematics (tie)Early career median pay: $62,900Mid-career median pay: $107,000
16. Physics (tie)Early career median pay: $55,500Mid-career median pay: $106,000
16. Industrial Distribution (tie)Early career median pay: $58,100Mid-career median pay: $106,000
18. Computer Science (tie)Early career median pay: $63,100Mid-career median pay: $105,000
18. Materials Science & Engineering (tie)Early career median pay: $64,600Mid-career median pay: $105,000
20. Applied Mathematics (tie)Early career median pay: $55,800Mid-career median pay: $102,000
20. Mechanical Engineering (tie)Early career median pay: $62,500Mid-career median pay: $102,000
20. Cognitive Science (tie)Early career median pay: $51,400Mid-career median pay: $102,000
20. Government (tie)Early career median pay: $46,900Mid-career median pay: $102,000
24. Physics & Mathematics (tie)Early career median pay: $50,900Mid-career median pay: $101,000
24. Finance & Economics (tie)Early career median pay: $55,700Mid-career median pay: $101,000
The data used in PayScale's College Salary Report is from the company’s online compensation survey, which collects user-provided data about jobs, compensation, employer, demographics and educational background. The sample considered for the 2015-2016 College Salary report was 1.4 million college graduates.
PayScale defines early-career employees as those with five years of experience or less, and mid-career employees as those with at least 10 years of experience.