Andy Kropa/Getty Petroleum engineers make an average of $139,000 a year.
It turns out, certain fields are significantly more lucrative than others, and your decision could mean the difference between a hefty paycheck and just getting by.
"Over a lifetime, the average difference between the lowest and the highest paying majors is $3.4 million," stated a recent Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce report, "The Economic Value of College Majors," which analyzes college graduates' wages and career wage growth.
Petroleum engineering topped the list, earning a median annual salary of $139,000 (for those between the ages of 25 and 59). It was followed by pharmaceutical sciences and administration at $113,000.
Here is the full list of college majors with the highest salary potential, according to Georgetown's Center on Education and the Workforce:
Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce