This year, college graduates left school with high hopes, promising futures, and an average of $29,000 in student loan debt.
That’s not a small burden to bear, especially for a new grad with little to no actual work experience. How is one supposed to support themselves with that kind of debt as an immediate impediment to saving when they may only qualify for an entry level, meagerly salaried job?
Fortunately for this year’s graduating class, an entry level position is not their only option. There are numerous jobs open to new grads with the right educational background and skill set that pay quite a bit more than the average starting salary. We looked at the requirements for jobs posted on our site to determine the necessary education level for a variety of career paths, and compared those findings to compensation numbers on salary.com to find out which jobs will earn you the most pay right now. The skill level and specific education required for these jobs range widely from the highly specialized to more general backgrounds – so no matter what you studied in college, you’ve got a pretty good shot at making an early dent in that loan.
Are you a college grad searching for a job? Click any title to find out where you can apply for one these jobs right now!
1. Investment Banker
- Median annual wage: $112,000
- Preferred Degree: Economics, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting
2. Cloud Architect
- Median annual wage: $104,000
- Preferred Degree: Computer Science, Software Engineering
3. Computer Hardware Engineer
- Median annual wage: $100,920
- Preferred Degree: Computer Science, Electrical Engineering
4. Mobile Applications Developer
- Median annual wage: $95,000
- Preferred Degree: Range of backgrounds accepted, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mobile Applications Development
5. Actuary
- Median annual wage: $79,000
- Preferred Degree: Science, Math, Statistics, Economics, Business, Finance
6. Financial Analyst
- Median annual wage: $76,950
- Preferred Degree: Business, Economics, Accounting, Math
7. Market Research Analyst
- Median annual wage: $60,300
- Preferred Degree: marketing, market research, economics, statistics, mathematics, computer science
8. Web Designer
- Median annual wage: $58,000
- Preferred Degree: Graphic Design, Multimedia, Computer Science, Communications, Business
9. High School Teacher
- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Preferred Degree: Secondary Education, subject-specific field
10. Nurse
- Median annual wage: $47,000
- Preferred Degree: Nursing
