Who are the highest-paid majors among graduates in the liberal arts? Liberal arts and sciences/general studies majors are currently the top paid among graduates in the liberal arts, but not by much.
Liberal arts and sciences/general studies majors have received a median salary of $38,300 followed closely by history majors with a median salary of $37,500, according to results of the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) April 2012 Salary Survey.
While NACE notes that it’s early in the salary-reporting cycle for Class of 2012 graduates, the results do show that the highest-paid majors in liberal arts are fairly clustered. In fact, all of their median starting salaries are above $30,000, and just $3,500 separates their highest and lowest median salaries.
Rounding out the top highest-paying majors for liberal arts graduates are foreign languages and literatures ($37,400), English language and literature/letters ($36,900), and visual and performing arts ($34,800).
It’s important to remember, of course, that these are national and median salaries—individual salaries vary due to a number of factors, including who your employer is, the nature of the job, and where the job is located. Still, it’s important for you to have some sense of the “going rate.” Check with your career center for additional resources that can help you. (One option for getting salary information for specific occupations: the Job Seeker Salary Calculator at www.jobsearchintelligence.com/NACE/jobseekers/salary-calculator.php.)
NACE’s next update on starting salaries for new college graduates will be available in September 2012. In the meantime, whether you’re majoring in liberal arts or any other discipline, make sure to visit the career services office for the most up-to-date information about the job market for college graduates.
Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, copyright holder, www.naceweb.org.