Upon starting college, many students look for the college major they most enjoy, the field of study they feel most passionate about.
But passion doesn’t always pay the bills.
According to statistics found in the “College Majors Handbook with Real Career Paths and Payoffs,” students who study engineering or medicine have a higher salary than those with other majors.
The hankbook uses figures from the Census Bureau, the U.S. Department of Labor and a survey of 170,000 college graduates by the National Science Foundation conducted in 2011.
Financial management ranks fourth out of the 15 majors included in the study. Students with this major typically receive an annual salary of $63,000.
“I chose my major because the world, like it or not, revolves around money,” senior business finance major John Au said. “Finance is the most dynamic sub category of business and has endless potential.”
The list predominantly consists of science and business majors, and no liberal arts studies made the cut.
However, students like senior illustration major Rea Kim said their training at school will help them find a good job, even if their major didn’t make the list.
“After I graduate, I think there is a high chance of me finding a high-paying job since Cal State Long Beach provides a great art program,” Kim said. “It’s all about competition and how you expose yourself.”
Some students who chose majors they are passionate about are not necessarily unhappy with their decisions. According to the Fortune magazine article, recent graduates that studied history – who ended up working in an unrelated field – reported a higher-than average satisfaction with their decisions.
“I like language, ” senior linguistics major Alex Cheng said. “I’m not worrying about money; I’m just trying to finish my education. [Although] this could potentially give me money if I work overseas as a translator or English teacher.”
Starting a career after graduation often lingers on a student’s mind; however, choosing a profitable major is not the only way to get a high-paying career, according to Au.
“More than ever before, networking is becoming more and more important,” Au said. “If I vastly expand my networking, I should have no problem in finding a great job.”