When people go to college, they often times do not think about the fact that it may be difficult to find work once they graduate. With the idea of college almost becoming a necessity in today’s world, thousands of people are now obtaining higher education than might have in the past. This has flooded the market with college graduates that are all looking for jobs in their respective fields. Some majors fare better than others in the job market and this is creating a shift in what classes people take while in college. If finding a job after college is your goal, do not take the hardest majors to get a job.

Unable To Find Jobs As A Psychology Major

One field, that has seen high competition among graduates, is the psychology field. These graduates face a 19.5% unemployment rate, making them the most unemployable graduates of any group. This extends to many aspects of psychology, such as clinical psychology, educational psychology, and industrial and organizational psychology.

This unemployment outlook is made even worse due to the fact that psychology related degrees are the fifth most popular fields of study for students. This popularity will only continue to flood the job market with qualified graduates all seeking the same job.

Good Jobs In Medical Technology

The opposite end of this spectrum is graduates who have degrees in Medical Technology. These graduates only face a 1.4% unemployment rate when they begin looking for their first job in their career. The medical field has the most degree options with the lowest unemployment rate. Those seeking a degree in the medical field, will find that they have one of the best majors when it comes time to look for work.

Favorite Majors Among College Students

The number 1 college majors are in the business field. These include all degrees in business management and commerce. The unemployment rate among those graduates with a degree in business is 7.0%, which is moderately high compared to other degree fields.

When a student is deciding on a college major, they are often times more focused on their interests rather than on the employment rate 2, 4, 6, or even 8 or more years down the road. This is because many who start of on the college path either do not want to study something not interesting to them, or have hope that the job market will get better by the time they graduate. Although college is a great place to help explore your options and find your path, life after college is a road paved with reality and bills. So choose wisely. The trend is slowly shifting though, as students go into college considering what is marketable, rather than what they will enjoy.

So what are the best college majors? How do you decide what to focus on for the next four years of your life? Is it most important that you choose an area of study that will lead to a career in a field you truly love? Or, maybe you would consider the best college major to be the one that will lead to the biggest paycheck. If you’re lucky, you will find a major you love in a high paying field with lots of job opportunities. Let’s take a look at the highest to lowest paying jobs for college majors after graduation.

Expected High Salary College Majors

According to Payscale.com, the best college major for an undergraduate to take if you want to start out at the top of the pay scale is engineering. Aerospace, Chemical, Computer and Electrical Engineers have a starting median salary of around $60,000 per year. A mid career median salary in the engineering field will be slightly over $100,000.

Other best college majors to consider if you are motivated by a high salary include Economics, Finance, Information Technology and Nursing. You can expect to earn a starting salary right around $50,000.

Now, not everyone is cut out to be an engineer or computer wizard. And to be a nurse, you have to be a certain type of individual; one with patience and a strong stomach. If you are not interested for the positions above, you can try these lower salary, but interesting, college majors.

You may have to accept a lower starting salary if you want to be a Journalist ($36,300) or an Interior Designer ($35,700). Social work and Elementary Education land at the bottom of the payscale, paying about $33,000 per year.

If you are not the type of go through four years of schooling but prefer on the job training, there are CNC machinist and operator jobs that help design and cut out the parts that all companies use for manufacturing. In addition, the jobs for the future will be in solar energy jobs that provide the energy for the masses.

These payscales and estimated salaries will improve or decrease depending on your work area. Places with higher living standards such as big metropolitan cities will tend to have higher pay but increased living standards.

Take Advantage of College Resources

There is no college major that will guarantee you a job but you can take advantage of the resources that your college has available for you. When there is a college job fair, be sure to meet with the individuals in your interested field. Get internships, make connections with alumnus, and stay connected with the real world.

The present state of the economy causes many students to worry about their financial future. Yes, making money is important, but it should not be the dominating factor in deciding what the best college major is for you. You will probably be working for the next 40 years and you don’t want to be working at a job that does not provide some sort of satisfaction beyond a paycheck. These are the college majors that will get you a job but don’t rush into choosing a major. It’s not too late to wait a year or two before finding the best college major for you.