What high-paying post-grad degrees/fields pay well? $75k+
August 24, 2011 8:18 AM Subscribe
What high-paying post-grad degrees/fields pay well? $75k+
Last I heard, the money-buys-happiness barrier is $75,000. What post-grad degree (i.e. if you already have a B.A. or B.S.) with few (or no) pre-reqs pretty much guarantees a salary of $75,000 right out?
Last I heard, the money-buys-happiness barrier is $75,000. What post-grad degree (i.e. if you already have a B.A. or B.S.) with few (or no) pre-reqs pretty much guarantees a salary of $75,000 right out?
I think that's only true for certain definitions of happiness. It also varies by geography. $75k for a family of four is barely getting by in a lot of big cities.
The folks I know who are the happiest are perusing their dreams singlemindedly. Whether those dreams are saving the world or being a stay-at-home parent, it seems have clear-to-you goals and priorities is very different from rakin' in the dough.
The articles I've read that discuss that hurdle seem to focus on $75k being the level where in most parts of the US, rent, childcare expenses, etc, are tolerable enough that you aren't constantly stressed about money.
I'd rephrase the question as "what post-grad degree aligns well with my goals?"
posted by colin_l at 8:27 AM on August 24, 2011
The folks I know who are the happiest are perusing their dreams singlemindedly. Whether those dreams are saving the world or being a stay-at-home parent, it seems have clear-to-you goals and priorities is very different from rakin' in the dough.
The articles I've read that discuss that hurdle seem to focus on $75k being the level where in most parts of the US, rent, childcare expenses, etc, are tolerable enough that you aren't constantly stressed about money.
I'd rephrase the question as "what post-grad degree aligns well with my goals?"
posted by colin_l at 8:27 AM on August 24, 2011
Most of the areas I'm familiar with where a Master's would pay $75K+ are ones in which the BS on its own would get to $75K or close to it. Hard sciences, IT, engineering.
But $75K is not a magic number. It's a vague average and it depends heavily on standard of living and location. $75K in Manhattan is not $75K in Pittsburgh, which is not $75K in rural Oklahoma, but each of those is part of somebody's happiness. Don't think too hard about $75K - figure out your own "magic number" given where you want to live. My magic number runs a bit higher than most, because I've concluded I can only be maximally happy in dense urban areas, which are pricey. I'm not you.
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:28 AM on August 24, 2011
But $75K is not a magic number. It's a vague average and it depends heavily on standard of living and location. $75K in Manhattan is not $75K in Pittsburgh, which is not $75K in rural Oklahoma, but each of those is part of somebody's happiness. Don't think too hard about $75K - figure out your own "magic number" given where you want to live. My magic number runs a bit higher than most, because I've concluded I can only be maximally happy in dense urban areas, which are pricey. I'm not you.
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:28 AM on August 24, 2011
Best answer: A friend of mine just completed a MS in geology (emphasis in geophysics). He has no professional experience except for a summer internship. He just accepted a position with a salary of $70K, which he said was on the low end of the starting salary scale.
You can get more ideas by using a career site. Monster (and others, I'm sure) has advanced search options that let you limit by years of experience (0) and education level (HS, BA/S, advanced). Try it and see what comes up.
posted by Anephim at 8:36 AM on August 24, 2011
You can get more ideas by using a career site. Monster (and others, I'm sure) has advanced search options that let you limit by years of experience (0) and education level (HS, BA/S, advanced). Try it and see what comes up.
posted by Anephim at 8:36 AM on August 24, 2011
Yeah, this is going to be very heavily location- and lifestyle-dependent.
You assert that $75k buys one happiness, but different places have vastly different costs of living.
And, many of the wealthiest people I know have only bachelors' degrees. Many of the people I know who are struggling to get by have master's degrees or PhDs.
posted by dfriedman at 8:37 AM on August 24, 2011
You assert that $75k buys one happiness, but different places have vastly different costs of living.
And, many of the wealthiest people I know have only bachelors' degrees. Many of the people I know who are struggling to get by have master's degrees or PhDs.
posted by dfriedman at 8:37 AM on August 24, 2011
Best answer: I heard on NPR this morning that petroleum engineers make 6 figures right out of grad school with no experience.
posted by babbyʼ); Drop table users; -- at 8:38 AM on August 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by babbyʼ); Drop table users; -- at 8:38 AM on August 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Biomedical engineering, petroleum engineer/geologist, other engineers, possibly a Master in Nursing based on willingness to move work different shifts--also check Forbes for a scan of their "10 Best". Good Luck
posted by rmhsinc at 8:41 AM on August 24, 2011
posted by rmhsinc at 8:41 AM on August 24, 2011
Many people believe this is true of the law (guarenteed $75k+).
It isn't.
posted by craven_morhead at 8:46 AM on August 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
It isn't.
posted by craven_morhead at 8:46 AM on August 24, 2011 [3 favorites]
GPA matters a lot here. If you have a high (3.7+) GPA in math, econ, or a hard science, and good internship experience and you went to an elite college you can get a 75K per year job at a consultancy right out of school. They will work you like a dog though.
posted by Aizkolari at 8:46 AM on August 24, 2011
posted by Aizkolari at 8:46 AM on August 24, 2011
Best answer: $75,000 is really not that difficult to make in business, even without a professional degree. Start as an analyst in banking, investment management, professional services, etc. and you'll make that within about 18 months. I mean, if all you want to do is hit that number. Many or most of these jobs simply require a bachelor's degree (in any subject).
posted by 2bucksplus at 8:47 AM on August 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by 2bucksplus at 8:47 AM on August 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Pharmacists make six figures right out of school. However, Pharmacy is a 5 year degree.
posted by COD at 8:48 AM on August 24, 2011
posted by COD at 8:48 AM on August 24, 2011
1. Too many variables to answer, but probably the closest thing to a "best answer" is none. There is no such thing as a pretty much guaranteed salary for the entry level out of a particular degree.
2. This method that you are pursuing, I would presume to cut through being confused about where to go with your professional life, will not work.
It is quite dangerous, in fact, in its potential to take a fundamentally flawed method (a goal based on an arbitrary and personally meaningless statistic and a false premise, that certain specific degrees confer a guarantee of specific financial remuneration) and use it as a justification to pursue a path of potentially great expense (in terms of both time and money).
Every person I know who pursued graduate school with the specific primary premise of guaranteed minimum money - every single one - is either unhappy with their position in life or has ended up pursuing something totally different and view their graduate degrees as an expensive mistake they are still paying for. Because they made decisions that "looked good on paper" and had little to do with who they actually were as people.
posted by nanojath at 8:56 AM on August 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
2. This method that you are pursuing, I would presume to cut through being confused about where to go with your professional life, will not work.
It is quite dangerous, in fact, in its potential to take a fundamentally flawed method (a goal based on an arbitrary and personally meaningless statistic and a false premise, that certain specific degrees confer a guarantee of specific financial remuneration) and use it as a justification to pursue a path of potentially great expense (in terms of both time and money).
Every person I know who pursued graduate school with the specific primary premise of guaranteed minimum money - every single one - is either unhappy with their position in life or has ended up pursuing something totally different and view their graduate degrees as an expensive mistake they are still paying for. Because they made decisions that "looked good on paper" and had little to do with who they actually were as people.
posted by nanojath at 8:56 AM on August 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
Certain kinds of engineering.
That's about it. Everything else either involves graduate studies or isn't a sure thing, i.e. only a few people get that much or you have to do a huge amount of hustling.
posted by valkyryn at 8:57 AM on August 24, 2011
That's about it. Everything else either involves graduate studies or isn't a sure thing, i.e. only a few people get that much or you have to do a huge amount of hustling.
posted by valkyryn at 8:57 AM on August 24, 2011
My wife made $75k right out of grad school with a Master's and one year of PhD work, teaching English at a college, while teaching extra during the summer. But she is also in the most desirable market in the country, and it was such tough, competitive work getting there that extremely few do it. For a comparison, her equals in other markets barely pull in $45k a year and don't even have health care...
She is not in a normal situation and we appreciate this aspect every single day. Oh, and she will probably never get a raise since she is at the top of the salary cap already. :-|
posted by TinWhistle at 8:58 AM on August 24, 2011
She is not in a normal situation and we appreciate this aspect every single day. Oh, and she will probably never get a raise since she is at the top of the salary cap already. :-|
posted by TinWhistle at 8:58 AM on August 24, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks for the responses so far!
If it helps with our list, forget the happiness part of the question.
I wanted to base my question on a number and so picked this number I've seen cited lately. It's as arbitrary as $100,000 but felt more attainable. I wasn't actually trying to assert that a level of money buys happiness, sorry for the misleading description.
posted by jander03 at 8:59 AM on August 24, 2011
If it helps with our list, forget the happiness part of the question.
I wanted to base my question on a number and so picked this number I've seen cited lately. It's as arbitrary as $100,000 but felt more attainable. I wasn't actually trying to assert that a level of money buys happiness, sorry for the misleading description.
posted by jander03 at 8:59 AM on August 24, 2011
Best answer: Well, I left out my clever editorializing after you clarified your question drat it was rather clever, I wrote a program for happiness and stuff.
Anyways, a software engineering track will provide you with this I suspect. But you don't need a grad degree for that, so maybe it doesn't count...but anyways, if you go back to school and get a MS in CompSci you'll generally be doing quite well, especially if it is in some under-represented specialty which is hot these days, like distributed computing or whatnot.
posted by dubitable at 9:03 AM on August 24, 2011
Anyways, a software engineering track will provide you with this I suspect. But you don't need a grad degree for that, so maybe it doesn't count...but anyways, if you go back to school and get a MS in CompSci you'll generally be doing quite well, especially if it is in some under-represented specialty which is hot these days, like distributed computing or whatnot.
posted by dubitable at 9:03 AM on August 24, 2011
Best answer: Not sure what "no pre-reqs" means (you're not going to get into grad school for petroleum engineering without calculus & at least some science) but surprised no one has mentioned computer science.
posted by animalrainbow at 9:04 AM on August 24, 2011
posted by animalrainbow at 9:04 AM on August 24, 2011
> It's as arbitrary as $100,000 but felt more attainable.
If you're only looking at starting salary, that may well be true, but if the only interest is a single number, why not set the bar higher, and phrase the question as "How can I attain $x salary after 5 or 10 years of hard work?"
The prospects further down the career path may be more meaningful than starting salary, unless there's a specific reason for that particular data point.
posted by colin_l at 9:04 AM on August 24, 2011
If you're only looking at starting salary, that may well be true, but if the only interest is a single number, why not set the bar higher, and phrase the question as "How can I attain $x salary after 5 or 10 years of hard work?"
The prospects further down the career path may be more meaningful than starting salary, unless there's a specific reason for that particular data point.
posted by colin_l at 9:04 AM on August 24, 2011
Best answer: What is a pre-req in this scenario? Would you have work experience? Only 7 of the top 57 MBA programs in this list report an average post-MBA starting salary less than $75k. But you probably need a couple years work experience for these programs.
(note that the average salary is juiced by finance and consulting jobs)
posted by mullacc at 9:05 AM on August 24, 2011
(note that the average salary is juiced by finance and consulting jobs)
posted by mullacc at 9:05 AM on August 24, 2011
Best answer: Well, if you toil (and I mean toil) away at political work in your spare time, you might get a Grade 12 Schedule C position in the executive branch. (In my day there were about 3,000 executive branch appointees, most of whom are not PAS -- confirmed by the Senate.) You could get a bit less as a Hill press secretary. There is a guy in the 'hood I've known since his babyhood who is making 60K as a senator's press secretary. It's his second job after college; he's in his late 20s. That salary won't get you far in DC without roommates.
posted by jgirl at 10:44 AM on August 24, 2011
posted by jgirl at 10:44 AM on August 24, 2011
Best answer: A friend is going back to school to be a physician's assistant -- it's a 2-year program, a lot of work, and she needed recent science classes to get in, but the BLS says median income for first-year graduates was $74,470.
posted by jabes at 11:50 AM on August 24, 2011
posted by jabes at 11:50 AM on August 24, 2011
Best answer: Remember, it doesn't matter that you make $75,000 if you're saddled with extreme amounts of debt, which law school (for example) would do to you.
posted by desjardins at 11:53 AM on August 24, 2011
posted by desjardins at 11:53 AM on August 24, 2011
Best answer: Computer science, 100%. I mean, $50,000+ starting can be standard for somebody with just a B.S. in compsci. I suppose a MS in it requires a BS in something highly related, though.
posted by 200burritos at 12:46 PM on August 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by 200burritos at 12:46 PM on August 24, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Petroleum geologist/ engineering, guaranteed starting salary of at least $60,000 for a Masters. (Average starting salary of $80,000). I can personally vouch for this. Also, if you got in a Masters program, you will probably get a job (meaning, you need the skills, but is not highly competitive).
posted by moiraine at 2:47 PM on August 24, 2011
posted by moiraine at 2:47 PM on August 24, 2011
Best answer: I think jabes' answer linked to it as well, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the Occupational Outlook Handbook each year. There are people who disagree with their methodology, but it may be a good place to start if you want an easy way to research typical salaries in different fields.
posted by aka burlap at 7:24 PM on August 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by aka burlap at 7:24 PM on August 24, 2011 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks friends! Lots of interesting stuff here.
>I'd rephrase the question as "what post-grad degree aligns well with my goals?"
Next week, same bat-channel...
posted by jander03 at 6:55 AM on August 25, 2011
>I'd rephrase the question as "what post-grad degree aligns well with my goals?"
Next week, same bat-channel...
posted by jander03 at 6:55 AM on August 25, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
A B.S. + Patent Lawyer quals might get you there.
posted by jannw at 8:26 AM on August 24, 2011 [2 favorites]