10 Highest-Paying Bachelor’s Degrees of 2025

While engineering fields aren’t the only bachelor’s degrees on our list of the highest-paid majors, it certainly dominates the list. Here are the top three:

We all know that getting a bachelor’s degree can be expensive. So, how do you ensure a good return on investment? By picking a degree that will lead to a high-paying job, of course.

Rest assured, any degree you choose is likely to pay off — the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that bachelor’s degree holders earned a median income of about $1,500 per week in 2023, compared to just $900 for those with only a high school diploma.

But while many majors can lead to a comfortable lifestyle down the road, some are more likely to land you the big bucks. Read our list of the top 10 highest-paying bachelor’s degrees to find out which majors can help you earn that coveted six-figure paycheck and send student debt packing.

What’s the highest-paying college major? In a word, engineering. As you’ll see in the list below, you can hardly go wrong by picking any engineering field that floats your boat.

Unless otherwise noted, all information in the following list is sourced from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s February 2025 release of Labor Market Outcomes of College Graduates by Major, which relies on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the American Community Survey.

Want to help build planes, rockets, or missiles? Aerospace engineers do just that, helping to design, develop, and test aircraft and spacecraft equipment.

They earn a hearty median salary of $125,000 by mid-career, with a median early-career salary of $76,000. They should also see job growth in the next few years, with a 6% projected growth rate from 2023-2033 according to the BLS.

Computer engineers are a close second to chemical engineers in terms of sheer earning potential, with a mid-career median salary of $122,000. This profession also sees a high early-career salary of $80,000.

Computer engineers help design, develop, and test computer systems and hardware. These professionals need both computer science and engineering expertise, making it the perfect field for those interested in both subjects.

Electrical engineers design and test electrical equipment and systems. They may work on communications equipment, power generation, or navigation equipment.

Like other engineering fields, electrical engineering typically comes with a high salary right off the bat. Early-career professionals earn a median wage of $78,000 and mid-career electrical engineers bring in $120,000.

If you’re interested in chemistry, chemical engineering could be the career for you. Chemical engineers focus on the chemistry involved in manufacturing processes and products.

Chemical engineers are some of the highest-earning engineers on the market, with a median mid-career salary of $120,000 and a median early-career salary of $80,000.

In addition to strong wages, these engineering professionals should see strong job growth in the years ahead — the BLS projects a likely job growth of 10% between 2023 and 2033, which is faster than average.

Mechanical engineering majors study mathematics, physical science, engineering, and design in order to learn how to develop and manipulate mechanical systems such as engines. Mechanical engineers earn a mid-career median salary of $115,000 and a median of $75,000 at the beginning of their career.

This engineering specialty is likely to be in high demand in the near future due to increasing automation in the machine industry. The BLS projects an 11% growth rate for this occupation, which is much higher than the average growth rate of 4% across all professions.

With the boom of the tech industry, computer science has become an increasingly popular and lucrative major. With recent advancements in artificial intelligence, this looks unlikely to change anytime soon. Computer science majors may pursue jobs as software or web developers, user experience designers, data scientists, and product managers.

Early-career computer science majors earn a median salary of $80,000, and mid-career professionals earn $115,000.

Finance majors study economics, math, statistics, and financial topics such as banking and trading. Finance majors often become investment bankers, financial advisors, financial analysts, financial planners, financial managers, business analysts, or accountants.

This is one of the highest-paid non-engineering majors, with a mid-career median salary of $110,000. Early-career finance majors earn a more modest median salary of $70,000.

Economics majors often work in the banking, investment, and insurance industries. They may also work on policy in government, corporate, and nonprofit environments. While finance majors focus more on money management and investment topics, economics majors delve into public policy and economic theory.

Majors in this field earn a median income of $70,000 early in their career and $110,000 by mid-career.

Industrial engineers design facilities and information systems, manage inventories, and ensure workplace safety. Industrial engineering students will often study general business practices and manufacturing.

Industrial engineers make a median of $76,000 as early-career professionals, but by mid-career, that figure climbs to the six-figure range at $108,000.

For students interested in space, energy, and time, a physics major is a great choice. Physicists use science and math to conduct research and experiments so they can better understand the physical properties of the universe.

Like economics and civil engineering majors, physics majors earn a median salary of $70,000 during their early career and $100,000 at mid-career.