Highest Paying Jobs Out of College

Ever since you started your quest for higher education, a college degree has been your number one goal. That single piece of paper, along with the education behind it, is your key to the job of your dreams. But do you know whether the career you intend to pursue is one that will pay off as soon as you get your first job in the profession? If that’s an important part of your ultimate plans, you’d be wise to think about pursuing one of the following career choices.

Starting salaries for high school teachers vary between $42,000 per year and $52,000 per year. If you teach a foreign language, you can expect to be at the higher end of that salary scale, and don’t forget that you’ll have all summer off, plus winter and spring breaks. So in essence, you’re only working nine months out of the year. Try getting an office job with that kind of vacation plan.

Nursing is always in demand. Wages for this profession vary widely depending on a number of factors, but starting salaries can vary between $39,000 to $64,000 per year, which is nothing to sneeze at.

Now that everybody and their brother is getting a website, web designers (as you might expect) are in high demand, particularly in mid-size and larger companies. Be prepared to show off a portfolio of impressive work in order to land the larger salaries, but you can earn anywhere from $40,000 per year to $88,000.

Speaking of websites, Internet marketing is another big money career path. You can expect to earn anywhere from $43,000 to $124,000 per year in this arena. Of course, the high end of that range has to do with sales, so if you’re outgoing and like influencing people, this may be a good choice for you.

Engineering has always been a good career choice for the technically inclined. Salary levels depend on your specialty, but the range is from $67,000 yearly to $123,000.

Software developers never stop learning due to the constant improvements in technology. However, the compensation is well worth it, as you can expect to earn anywhere from $52,000 to $93,000 per year.

Every company that has a computer networking system needs a network systems administrator. You will be the go-to guy whenever somebody’s computer gets the “blue screen of death,” and you’ll be the hero who restores the system if it ever crashes. Expect to make $62,000 to $99,000 yearly in this profession.

If you like numbers, you’ll love being a financial analyst. These folks make anywhere from $57,000 to $97,000 per year. But if that’s not enough dough for you, you can become an actuary and make $65,000 to $93,000 yearly, plus you’ll likely be working for an insurance company.

Now that you know where you can make big dollars as soon as you graduate, you may want to give your major some serious thought.