As parents and students think about the future, according to a recent survey Engineering majors earn some of the highest salaries right after college — and they’re still near the top years later.

That’s according to the latest findings from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, based on 2024 U.S. Census data, the most recent available.

The analysis breaks down annual earnings for college graduates by major and reflects the income of full-time workers whose highest degree is a bachelor’s, excluding currently enrolled students. Various engineering degrees have consistently ranked among the top-paying fields in recent years.

Engineering also tends to pay well over time. Among graduates ages 35 to 45, every engineering major reports median pay of at least $100,000. Here are all of the majors with mid-career median earnings of $100,000 or more, according to the New York Fed.

1. Chemical engineering: $135,000

2. Computer engineering: $131,000

3. Aerospace engineering: $130,000

4. Electrical engineering: $123,000

5. Computer science: $120,000

6. Mechanical engineering: $120,000

7. Construction services: $120,000

8. Civil engineering: $115,000

9. Economics: $115,000

10.            Finance: $112,000

11.            Business analytics: $109,000

12.            General engineering: $105,000

13.            Miscellaneous engineering: $105,000

14.            Physics: $105,000

15.            Engineering technologies: $104,000

16.            Industrial engineering: $100,000

17.            Mathematics: $100,000

18.            Information systems: $100,000

19.            Marketing: $100,000

20.            Biochemistry: $100,000

21.            Political science: $100,000

In contrast, education and arts majors tend to earn significantly less overall. By ages 35 to 45, six fields of education majors report median earnings below $60,000, placing them among the lower-paid fields in the study.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/21/highest-paying-college-majors.html