I remember struggling my first years of college trying to decide on a major. It is so hard asking an immature 19-year-old to make a decision that ultimately will control the fate of the rest of their life.
Yes, I will be the first to say I should have listened to society and my mother-money does matter when you are living with a family. I would like to be able to just say do what you love, but unfortunately that does not always pay the bills.
So what is the best major? Evidently anything in the medical field according to a recent Forbes.com study. The medical profession continues to dominate the top end of the Forbes list of the 25 best- and worst-paying jobs in America. Anesthesiologists have flipped places with surgeons to take the top spot, but the next eight places are firmly in the healing hands of various sorts of specialist practitioners. Chief executives, at number. 10, and airline pilots, at number. 14, are the only two non-medical occupations in the top 15. Lawyers came in at number 16.
So pre-med seems to be the way to go if you are looking for the most bang for your buck in college. According to government data, the mean annual salary for America's 29,890 anesthesiologists is $184,340 compared to the average American salary of $39,190. Wow! I wonder if I am too old to go back to school?
So what are the worst paying jobs? If you are anything like I was-you are already working in the industry. I worked my way through college working in the restaurant/fast-food industry. The lowest paid are people who cook, prepare and serve in fast-food joints, followed by dishwashers, busboys and hostesses. The average salary for its 2.5 million fast-food workers and servers is $15,230.
According to Forbes, in all, the lowest-paying 25 occupations employ 15.6 million people in America; the best-paying jobs employ 3 million. So my advice is to shoot to be in the top three million. That is why you are going to college, to make a difference with your life.
You can take heart, however, the survey does not include self-employed workers or partners in firms. Then again, not sure that is a major in college.
Honestly, don’t let money be the only factor in choosing your future career. But do be aware of it. Because no matter how happy you are at doing a task, if you can’t make rent and have to work extra jobs just to get by-it most likely is not going to be enjoyable after all. So the trick is finding something you enjoy that pays well at the same time.
Don’t feel like you have to find a major immediately either. Explore the different subjects and areas-you may find something new that you are talented at and enjoy. Take your time and actually research your options now so that you can make educated decisions. Don’t wait until you graduate to decide what kind of job you are going to get. Use this time in college to learn valuable skills for the future so that you are not wasting a four year degree in the end. Try out what you think you might like. If you think you want to be a doctor, call and ask to spend the day with one. If you want to teach preschool, ask to visit for a day. It could make a difference. Real world exposure could mean more than what you read about in the books.
So what are the top 25 according to Forbes?
- Anesthesiologists
- Surgeons
- Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- Orthodontists
- Oral Surgeons
- Internists, General
- Prosthodontists
- Psychiatrists
- Family and General Practitioners
- Chief Executives
- Physicians and Surgeons
- Pediatricians
- Dentists, General
- Airline Pilots
- Podiatrists
- Lawyers
- Air Traffic Controllers
- Engineering Managers
- Dentists, All Other Specialists
- Natural Science Managers
- Marketing Managers
- Computer and Information System Managers
- Sales Managers
- Petroleum Engineers
- Financial Managers
