The 20 college majors that pay the least

Andy KierszNov 14, 2019, 03:56 IST

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Some collegiate fields of study may not guarantee great wealth, even if they still lead to socially useful and emotionally satisfying careers.
Using Census data, we found the 20 college majors with the lowest average personal incomes post-graduation.
Many of the majors on the list are in education, and there's been a big recent push to increase pay for teachers.
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While some fields of study, like engineering or finance, can reliably lead to highly remunerative careers, other majors may not guarantee great wealth, even if they're still associated with socially useful and emotionally satisfying jobs.

Using individual-level data from the US Census Bureau's 2017 American Community Survey compiled by the Minnesota Population Center's Integrated Public Use Microdata Series program, we looked at average total annual personal incomes for different fields of study among college degree holders.

One of the questions on the American Community Survey asks respondents what their level of educational attainment is. Among those with a bachelor's degree or higher, the survey also asks what major field of study the respondent's degree was in. Using that data, we found the majors with the lowest average total personal income among employed Americans with bachelor's degrees in that field.

While the entries on the list tend to have lower pay than other fields of study, they can still lead to careers that are fulfilling in other ways. Many of the majors with lower-than-average pay are in education, and teachers tend to be passionate about helping their students grow and learn, although there is a growing push for higher salaries among teachers. In October, teachers in Chicago went on an 11-day strike, demanding smaller class sizes and higher pay.

It's also worth noting that this is a fairly simple analysis. We're just considering all employed Americans who had a degree in each major, without considering other significant factors that could affect personal income, like their particular post-college occupations and industries. Still, it gives an indication of which areas of study may lead to lower earnings after graduation.

Here are the 20 college majors with the lowest average incomes, in order of decreasing pay:

See The 20 college majors that pay the least >>

20. Special needs education majors had an average annual total income of $59,000.

19. General interdisciplinary studies majors had an average annual total income of $58,700.

18. Language and drama education majors had an average annual total income of $58,200.

17. Physical fitness, parks, recreation, and leisure majors had an average annual total income of $57,800.

16. Composition and speech majors had an average annual total income of $57,600.

15. Art and music education majors had an average annual total income of $56,900.

T13. Family and consumer sciences majors had an average annual total income of $56,600.

T13. Drama and theater arts majors had an average annual total income of $56,600.

12. School student counseling majors had an average annual total income of $56,200.

11. Theology and religious vocations majors had an average annual total income of $56,000.

10. Studio arts majors had an average annual total income of $54,700.

9. Human services and community organization majors had an average annual total income of $54,400.

8. Counseling psychology majors had an average annual total income of $54,300.

7. Elementary education majors had an average annual total income of $54,200.

6. Multiple-level education majors had an average annual total income of $53,900.

5. Social work majors had an average annual total income of $53,400.

4. Cosmetology services and culinary arts majors had an average annual total income of $50,000.

The US Census Bureau's coding links these two fields of study under one category.

3. Visual and performing arts majors had an average annual total income of $49,200.

2. Miscellaneous fine arts majors had an average annual total income of $48,300.

This is a catchall category including fine arts majors not accounted for in some other grouping.

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