OBSERVED EARNINGS · LIKE-FOR-LIKE CATEGORIES

Highest-paying majors

National median earnings four years after completion, keeping field and credential level visible.

Field familyAll fields STEM & Computing Health & Clinical Business & Management Social & Behavioral Sciences Education Arts, Media & Humanities Law & Public Service Trades & Applied Fields

Degree levelAll credentials Associate Bachelor’s Master’s Doctorate

Trades & Applied Fields68 ranked field-and-credential categories with at least 10 earnings observations

31Electrical and Power Transmission InstallersUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 185 programs$55,719 32Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's Degree · 287 programs$55,044 33Environmental/Natural Resources Management and PolicyBachelor's Degree · 32 programs$53,620 34Funeral Service and Mortuary ScienceAssociate's Degree · 24 programs$53,579 35Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's Degree · 660 programs$53,190 36Ground TransportationUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 114 programs$53,102 37Agriculture, GeneralBachelor's Degree · 51 programs$52,804 38Agricultural Production OperationsBachelor's Degree · 19 programs$52,516 39Agricultural Public ServicesBachelor's Degree · 10 programs$52,404 40Plumbing and Related Water Supply ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 17 programs$50,748 41Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 337 programs$50,285 42Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities ManagementBachelor's Degree · 57 programs$49,799 43Parks, Recreation, and Leisure StudiesBachelor's Degree · 67 programs$49,369 44Animal SciencesBachelor's Degree · 83 programs$49,193 45Agricultural Business and ManagementAssociate's Degree · 21 programs$48,565 46Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business ServicesAssociate's Degree · 13 programs$48,534 47Precision Metal WorkingUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 398 programs$47,927 48Culinary Arts and Related ServicesBachelor's Degree · 20 programs$47,139 49Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 261 programs$46,867 50Wildlife and Wildlands Science and ManagementBachelor's Degree · 38 programs$45,348 51Audiovisual Communications Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's Degree · 27 programs$45,120 52Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 55 programs$43,750 53Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · 139 programs$43,115 54Graphic CommunicationsBachelor's Degree · 69 programs$43,058 55CarpentersUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 14 programs$42,787 56Agricultural Production OperationsAssociate's Degree · 18 programs$41,868 57Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's Degree · 13 programs$41,690 58Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's Degree · 38 programs$40,142 59Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and InspectionUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 37 programs$39,229 60Culinary Arts and Related ServicesAssociate's Degree · 111 programs$38,508

Field families are reproducible groupings of federal two-digit CIP subject codes. Rankings require at least 10 programs with reported year-4 earnings; missing or suppressed values are not replaced with zero.