Degrees that pay: 10 Majors that lead to higher salaries

Any major with an emphasis in math or science is going to lead to a higher salary — so we’re not surprised engineers average $60,000-$70,000 starting out and can make well over $100,000 mid-career. Specific fields of engineering include electrical, chemical, aerospace, civil and mechanical.

Are you good with computers? Do you love developing software and working independently? If you’ve always envisioned working for Microsoft, computer science is the major for you. Starting salary is a little over $50,000 and average pay is $65,000 per year.

If creating budgets is something you do in your spare time, why not make a living out of it? Finance majors may work at local banks as financial advisors or work for large corporations as financial analysts. Most graduates earn $55,000 starting, with the potential to earn six figures.

Majoring in physics does not mean you’ll wind up teaching at a high school or college. Physics majors can work in medicine, engineering or business fields, at consulting firms or in a lab, and more. Though starting salary sits right around $50,000, the average salary is just about $100,000 per year.

Perfect for those who like to work with their hands and be outside is construction management. Graduates typically organize, supervise and plan the construction of buildings. If the thought of being trapped behind a desk all day terrifies you, this field could be for you. Average salary is $85,000 per year.

Do you enjoy working in labs and performing science experiments? Biochemists get paid — and paid well — to do just that. Hospital biochemists start around $60,000 and the average salary of the field overall is $84,000.

Accountants crunch numbers all day. While it’s similar to a degree in finance, people majoring in finance tend to work with clients, whereas accountants work independently or with other team members. Accountants start at $50,000 and average about $52,000 per year overall.

A career that never goes out of style is nursing. Nursing majors have endless options on where they can take their career — they can work in doctor’s offices, hospitals, nursing homes or be a traveling nurse. Most start out making $50,000 but can easily make $120,000 per year if they seek specialized and advanced nursing degrees.

Economics majors earn $50,000 on average right out of college and can expect to earn close to $100,000 by mid-career. Though working for a financial institution is most common, economists also work in business, law, education and government fields.

Few architects earn millions, but most can expect to see a decent salary throughout their career. Average salary is $79,000 per year and most start out around $50,000. To make the most money, you’ll need to open up your own firm and attract high-paying clients. Though the field is competitive, it’s expected to grow faster than average over the next few years.