Jobs With the Best 10-Year Outlook for College Grads

New data highlights jobs with the highest projected growth rates from 2020-2030.
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Evan Thompson
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Evan Thompson is an education and careers writer with BestColleges. He was previously a journalist with bylines in the Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune, and Everett Herald. His beats have included education, sports, business, outdoors, and lifestyl...
Updated on November 30, 2022
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Jennifer Cuellar is a managing editor at BestColleges and oversees content around college rankings and careers. She has previously worked with TheBestSchools, Lantern, Expedia, Travelocity, Quicken, and Mint as a writer, editor, and content strategis...
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  • Median salary and job growth are two key factors for career longevity.
  • Some jobs have better prospects than others.
  • These jobs include software development, nursing, and operations management.

When you invest in a college education, the big hope is that you get your money's worth after graduation. And what determines this? Often, it comes down to median salary and job growth.

The best jobs for college grads have both, whether it's an entry-level job that pays well or your career long-term.

A degree leading to a job with a high salary will help you become financially stable. If inflation causes expenses such as food, rent, and gas to increase, you'll be able to cover it.

Job growth means you'll likely have an easier time landing a job in your field, despite competition. It also means you'll have a diverse group of roles and responsibilities to choose from.

Read More: Top 10 Entry-Level Jobs for the Class of 2022

But some degrees — and the jobs they lead to — will always have better prospects than others. So, which jobs have the best outlook in 2022?

Here are the top 10 jobs with the highest projected growth from 2020-2030.

Job Title Projected 10-Year Job Growth Median Salary
Software Developers +409,500 $110,140
Registered Nurses +276,800 $77,600
Operations Managers +226,300 $97,970
Market Research Analysts +163,600 $63,920
Medical and Health Services Managers +139,600 $101,340
Management Analysts +124,400 $93,000
Financial Managers +118,200 $131,710
Elementary School Teacher +101,700 $61,350
Project Management Specialist +99,200 $94,500
Accountants/Auditors +96,000 $77,250

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

BestColleges.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

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