Top 20 Best College Majors for Jobs in 2023

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College is a time to explore your passions, learn new skills, and make friends. But while you’re in school, it’s important to keep an eye on what kind of job you could get after graduation. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of the best college majors for jobs in 2022. Whether you’re looking for a career choice or trying to decide where to apply next year, here are 20 top-notch majors that will help you land employment

Overview of Best College Majors for Jobs

A degree doesn’t necessarily need to be pigeonholed into just one field. Many of today’s top college majors are actually best suited for several professions, not just one. That’s why students should consider their goals when choosing a major and course load, especially for post-graduate plans.

For example, if you major in communications as an undergraduate, you might decide to work in PR after graduation or attend law school and become a litigator. That’s why it’s important to look at factors other than salary when deciding on a college major;

For example, keep in mind that some degrees open more doors to lucrative jobs than others. If your goal is to get hired by Google or Facebook, then you might want to consider a computer science major instead of English literature. 

With 20% of Americans now attending college and millennials making up a greater share of students than any generation before, it’s no surprise that many are weighing whether or not college is worth it.

But going to school doesn’t only prepare you for life after graduation, it also trains you for your ideal career path . . . potentially! With so many choices of degree programs available, it can be difficult to know where your interests should lie.

The best way to find out what major will put you on top is to weigh which industries and job roles are most likely to stay afloat—and consistently growing—over time. Here are some of our favorite careers that pay well, have plenty of demand, and aren’t likely to disappear anytime soon.

List of the Best College Majors for Jobs

Here is the list of 20 best college majors jobs in 2022:

Top 20 Best College Majors for Jobs

1. Wind Turbine Technology

  • Employment Rate: 68%
  • Average Annual Salary: $69,300

Future wind energy technologies will play a significant role in the broad spectrum of renewable energy sources that will power cities. While in operation, wind turbines emit no emissions, and large-scale wind energy is already economically competitive with many conventional power sources.

Although wind turbines can emit greenhouse gases over the course of their lifetimes, by replacing fossil fuel-based grid power, productive systems can have carbon payback times of one year or less.

2. Biomedical Engineering

  • Employment Rate: 62%
  • Average Annual Salary: $69,000

One of the specialized engineering fields in the nation that deals with the study of engineering concepts is biomedical engineering. These ideas are blended with the medical sciences to further streamline the nation’s healthcare services.

Due to increased awareness and population expansion, healthcare costs are anticipated to rise. Additionally, as medical discoveries have become more widely known, more people are turning to biological treatments to address their health problems. The employment graph for biomedical engineers will eventually see an increase.

3. Nursing

  • Employment Rate: 52%
  • Average Annual Salary: $82,000

The practice of nursing, which is a crucial component of the health care system, includes caring for physically ill, mentally ill, and disabled individuals of all ages in a variety of community settings as well as promoting health and preventing illness.

Individual, family, and group phenomena are of particular relevance to nurses within this broad field of healthcare. These human responses cover a wide range, from activities taken to restore health following a specific sickness event to the creation of laws aimed at improving the long-term health of a population.

4. Infomation Technology

  • Employment Rate: 46%
  • Average Annual Salary: $92,000

The study and use of computers and any type of telecommunications that store, retrieve, study, transmit, alter data, and deliver information together constitute information technology (IT). A combination of hardware and software is employed in information technology to carry out the basic functions that people require and utilize on a daily basis.

When working with an organization, the majority of IT professionals first demonstrate to them the current technology that is available to carry out their necessary activities before adopting it into the setup or developing a whole new setup.

Today’s world undersells the importance of the crucial career sector of information technology. Information technology is quite important, which was unanticipated.

5. Statistics

  • Employment Rate: 35%
  • Average Annual Salary: $78,000

The gathering, characterization, analysis, and drawing of inferences from quantitative data are all tasks that fall under the purview of statistics, a subfield of applied mathematics. Probability theory, linear algebra, and differential and integral calculus play major roles in the mathematical theories underlying statistics.

Finding valid inferences about big groups and general events from the behavior and other observable characteristics of small samples is a major challenge for statisticians or persons who study statistics. These small samples are representative of a small subset of a larger group or a small number of isolated occurrences of a widespread phenomenon.

6. Computer Science

  • Employment Rate: 31%
  • Average Annual Salary: $90,000

In the present world, computers are used in every facet of life. There are now apps for just much everything, from shopping to gaming to exercise. Computer science graduates built each of those systems.

A computer science degree will open up a world of opportunities, whether you want to work for a large company managing networks and building software or become the next rich tech entrepreneur.

Graduates with degrees in computer science can work in a variety of industries, such as software engineering, website building, programming, and information security. The abilities you will learn in this degree can be applied to different employment areas and range from report writing to programming languages.

7. Software Engineering

  • Employment Rate: 30%
  • Average Annual Salary: $89,000

The real job of software engineering starts even before the product has been designed, and according to the fundamentals of software engineering, it must continue long after the “work” has been finished.

It all starts with having a clear understanding of the requirements for your program, including what it must be able to accomplish, how it must run, and all the security requirements it requires.

Software engineering fundamentals include security since it is so crucial at every stage of development. Your team might quickly get lost in the development stage without tools to help you better understand how your code is being produced and where any potential security issues may fall.

8. Animal Care and Welfare

  • Employment Rate: 29%
  • Average Annual Salary: $52,000

This course is for you if you care about animal welfare but realize that applying scientific concepts is likely to produce better results than simply reacting emotionally and you want to learn more about the biology of a variety of animals.

The course includes a scientific component because you will learn about the biology of animals and sickness. This is essential since managing animals for their welfare requires a solid grasp of the underlying sciences, including how their bodies function, what is required to preserve health, and what happens in the case of disease. Although not “animal experimentation” in its sensationalist form, this does contain laboratory activity.

9. Actuarial Science

  • Employment Rate: 24%
  • Average Annual Salary: $65,000

The field of actuarial science focuses on using mathematical, statistical, probabilistic, and financial theories to address actual business issues. These issues include forecasting future financial occurrences, particularly when payments are concerned that will occur at a specific or uncertain time. Actuaries typically work in the fields of investment, pensions, and life and general insurance.

Actuaries are also increasingly working in other industries where their analytical talents can be put to use, such as health insurance, solvency assessments, asset-liability management, financial risk management, mortality and morbidity research, etc. Actuarial science knowledge is currently in high demand on a local, regional, and global scale.

10. Software Development

  • Employment Rate: 22%
  • Average Annual Salary: $74,000

The method programmers use to create computer programs is called software development. The procedure, commonly referred to as the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), consists of a number of stages that offer a way to create products that adhere to both technical requirements and user requirements.

Software developers can use the SDLC as a global standard while creating and enhancing their computer programs. It provides a clear framework development teams may adhere to when designing, producing, and maintaining high-quality software.

The goal of the process for developing IT software is to create useful solutions within a set spending limit and delivery window.

11. Phlebotomy

  • Employment Rate: 22%
  • Average Annual Salary: $32,000

Making an incision into a vein is the exact definition of phlebotomy. Phlebotomists, also known as phlebotomy technicians, typically operate as a team in a medical laboratory, though they may also occasionally be employed by independent practices or ambulatory care facilities.

Phlebotomists take blood samples in labs, which are then examined and frequently utilized for diagnosis or to keep track of chronic medical issues. Blood samples may also be donated to a blood bank or utilized for scientific purposes.

12. Speech-Language Pathology

  • Employment Rate: 21%
  • Average Annual Salary: $88,000

A speech-language pathologist usually referred to as a speech therapist, is a medical specialist who detects and resolves issues with swallowing and communicating. They work in clinics, schools, and hospitals with both children and adults.

A speech-language pathologist is responsible for numerous tasks. They often assess a person’s swallowing or speech skills, identify underlying issues, create an individualized treatment plan, deliver therapy, and keep records to monitor a person’s development. Every service they provide is referred to as therapy.

13. Civil Engineering

  • Employment Rate: 19%
  • Average Annual Salary: $87,000

Civil engineering is concerned with the upkeep, building, and design of various kinds of public works, including transportation infrastructure, governmental structures, water systems, and public facilities like train stations and airports.

Most civil engineers work for local governments, the federal government, or private businesses with contracts to design buildings and build public works. A four-year degree in civil engineering is a fundamental need for this profession.

One’s career qualifications can be improved by obtaining more appropriate education and certifications.

14. Marketing Research 

  • Employment Rate: 19%
  • Average Annual Salary: $94,000

The practice of evaluating the viability of a new service or product through a study done directly with potential customers is known as market research, often known as “marketing research.” Market research enables a business to identify the target market and obtain consumer comments and other input regarding their interest in the good or service.

This kind of research can be carried out internally, by the business itself, or by an outside market research firm. Surveys, product testing, and focus groups are all viable methods.

Typically, test subjects receive free product samples or a small stipend in exchange for their time. The development of a new product or service requires extensive research and development (R&D).

15. Financial Management

  • Employment Rate: 17.3%
  • Average Annual Salary: $86,000

Financial management is fundamentally the process of creating a business plan and ensuring that it is followed by all departments. A long-term vision may be created with the help of data that the CFO or VP of finance can supply.

This data also helps with investment decisions and provides information on how to finance those investments as well as liquidity, profitability, cash runway, and other factors.

16. Petroleum Engineering

  • Employment Rate: 17%
  • Average Annual Salary: $82,000

Petroleum engineering is the area of engineering that focuses on the methods used to develop and exploit oil and gas fields as well as the technical evaluation, computer modeling, and projection of how well they will produce in the future.

Mining engineering and geology gave rise to petroleum engineering, and the two disciplines are still intimately related. Geoscience aids engineers in understanding the geological structures and conditions that support the formation of petroleum deposits.

17. Prosthetics and Orthotics

  • Employment Rate: 17%
  • Average Annual Salary: $84,000

People with physical impairments or functional restrictions can live healthy, productive, independent, and dignified lives and participate in school, the labor market, and social life thanks to prostheses (artificial legs and hands) and orthoses (braces and splints).

The use of orthoses or prostheses can lessen the need for long-term care, formal medical assistance, support services, and caregivers. People who require orthoses or prostheses are frequently left out, segregated, and trapped in poverty without access to these devices, which increases the burden of sickness and disability.

18. Hospitality

  • Employment Rate: 12%
  • Average Annual Salary: $58,000

Food and beverage, travel and tourism, housing, and recreation make up the four primary segments of the hospitality business, a sizable subset of the service sector. For instance, the F&B category includes eateries, bars, and food trucks; the travel & tourism category includes various modes of transportation and travel agencies; the lodging category includes everything from hotels to hostels; and the recreation category includes leisure pursuits like sports, wellness, and entertainment.

All of these sectors are interwoven and dependent on one another, but because of new technologies and shifting consumer attitudes, many of these in the hotel industry is evolving swiftly.

19. Construction Management

  • Employment Rate: 11.5%
  • Average Annual Salary: $83,000

Construction management is a specialized service that gives project owners effective control over the project’s budget, timeline, scope, quality, and function. All project delivery techniques are compatible with construction management. No of the situation, the owner and a successful project are the duty of the construction manager (CM).

The CM oversees the entire project on behalf of the owner and represents the owner’s interests. His or her responsibility is to collaborate with other parties to complete the project on time, within budget, and to the owner’s expectations for quality, scope, and functionality.

20. Mental Health Counseling

  • Employment Rate: 22%
  • Average Annual Salary: $69,036

Licensed practitioners that specialize in treating the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional facets of mental illness and substance use disorders are known as mental health counselors. In a range of contexts, they work with people, families, couples, and organizations.

They discuss various therapy alternatives with clients while also discussing their symptoms. Professional counselors who hold a license may be able to diagnose mental health issues in some states. In some states, a diagnosis must be made by a doctor, a psychiatric professional, or a psychologist.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What factors should I consider before choosing a major?

Before choosing a major, you should think about a number of things, such as the cost of the school, your expected pay, and the job rates in that area of study. You should also consider your personality, academic and professional aspirations, and interests.

What are the 4 types of degrees?

The four types of college degrees are associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral. Each level of a college degree has different lengths, specifications, and results. Each college degree fits the various personal interests and career objectives of students.

When do I know I’ve selected the “Right” major?

There isn't just one major that's right for you, despite what many people think. While it's true that majors like nursing, computer science, and accounting prepare students for certain sectors of work, a much larger number of majors offer learning opportunities and experiences that may be applied to a pretty wide range of job fields.

Do I need to include a minor in my majors?

Your marketability will increase, your career prospects will be greater, and your credentials for a job or graduate school will be stronger if you enroll in an academic program that includes a minor. Normally, six courses (18 credits) in a subject of study are needed to complete a minor. You can finish a minor while pursuing your major with a little advanced preparation. The courses needed for a minor frequently satisfy general education requirements. You can organize your course schedule with the aid of your academic advisor.

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Conclusion: 

A college major is not only a great way to learn new skills and explore your interests, but it also can help you land a job in the future. With the variety of majors out there, it’s hard to know what type of career path would be best for you.

We have compiled some of our favorite majors and their associated jobs so that you can make an informed decision about what type of career path is right for your future!