Want to earn more money? Major in engineering

Article by: Alejandra Matos
Updated: October 12, 2012 - 4:39 PM

The U.S. Census Bureau released a report this week detailing average income based on college majors. Those who majored in engineering earned the highest average incomes, while visual and performing arts majors earned the least.

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AlBundyOct. 12, 12 3:36 PM

To sum up, you have to major in a challenging, brain-intensive field to earn more money. Did we need a survey to figure this out?

rhankinsOct. 12, 12 4:19 PM

I'd also guess there's a big difference depending on whether you're in computers, or mathematics and statistics.

dpengineerOct. 12, 12 4:53 PM

Yes, the people who are not able to major in a challenging, brain-intensive field needed the study since they do not have the critical thinking skills to figure it out on their own.

rhanOct. 12, 12 5:20 PM

But Engineering is hard...

dtmonkeyboyOct. 12, 12 5:33 PM

Wrong. The study was needed to quantify assumptions and add validity to claims. If you think the study wasn't needed, I would guess that you know very little about the rigorous and disciplined areas of study that make the most money.

thecynic5712Oct. 12, 12 6:14 PM

Are these numbers for folks right out of college, or are they an average in the field, or what the heck do they represent? Really a well written article. LOL

truthtopowerOct. 12, 12 7:25 PM

If you don't have the aptitude for the work, please don't bother--there's enough goofballs out there who are "just in it for the money" and are huge annoyances to those who are actually competent.

RalphMalphOct. 13, 12 6:20 AM

Are the low year-round numbers for education because most teachers get the summer off? Isn't that kind of a silly measure for that field?

furguson11Oct. 13, 12 7:30 AM

Unfortuately lawyers still rule the world

maclennanOct. 13, 12 7:39 AM

Such interesting comments and questions! Here's what I did. Noting that the StarTribune article stated, "The U.S. Census Bureau released a report this week detailing average income based on college majors," I Googled "census bureau," which led me to the U.S. Census Bureau site (http://www.census.gov). I then used the site's search utility with the keywords "college majors" to locate the USCB's 10 October 2012 released report page (https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/education/cb12-196.html). This page offers additional links to aspects of the report. The good news is that each of us with an Internet connection and English-language skills (including all commenters thus far with questions and guesses) possess the ability to answer our questions, going beyond the StarTribune's newsworthy summary. Now I may indeed be an engineer, a mathematician, and a licensed teacher, but I would credit my general development of logical thinking to solve problems such as these primarily to my K-12 public education, and in particular to my mathematics courses. Study hard, kids - the future is yours, if you want it! :-)