{"h1":"Degree fields with the highest posted pay","faq":[{"a":"Computer science and IT has the highest median posted pay of the degree fields: $188k a year.","q":"Which degree field or education level ranks first: degree fields with the highest posted pay?"},{"a":"15 degrees have at least 300 open jobs, so the list has 15 entries.","q":"How many degrees are ranked?"},{"a":"A degree field is a group of occupations that are usually reached through the same kind of study, such as Nursing, Engineering or Accounting. The grouping is our own judgment on the occupation code, and only occupations that typically need a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree are included. A field's score is the median advertised annual salary of its roles that post a salary range. A posting does not state a degree. Each is matched to its standard occupation, and the education shown is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists as typical for entering that occupation. Some employers ask for more or less, and about one posting in a hundred has an occupation we could not match, which is left out.  Only fields with at least 300 open jobs and 50 that post pay are ranked.","q":"How is the ranking calculated?"},{"a":"Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.","q":"How often is it updated?"}],"lead":"Computer science and IT has the highest median posted pay of the degree fields: $188k a year.","minN":300,"rows":[{"n":43985,"bar":1,"key":"field:Computer science and IT","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Computer science and IT","rank":1,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"43,985"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"21.0%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$188k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+7.6%"}],"value":187500,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$188k"},{"n":3815,"bar":0.9333333333333333,"key":"field:Law","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Law","rank":2,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"3,815"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"1.8%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$175k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+4.5%"}],"value":175000,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$175k"},{"n":2259,"bar":0.88,"key":"field:Design and architecture","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Design and architecture","rank":3,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"2,259"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"1.1%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$165k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+1.7%"}],"value":165000,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$165k"},{"n":833,"bar":0.8506666666666667,"key":"field:Health professions and medicine","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Health professions and medicine","rank":4,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"833"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"0.4%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$160k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+8.0%"}],"value":159500,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$160k"},{"n":6682,"bar":0.8157333333333333,"key":"field:Math and statistics","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Math and statistics","rank":5,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"6,682"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"3.2%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$153k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+25.2%"}],"value":152950,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$153k"},{"n":30658,"bar":0.8098666666666666,"key":"field:Marketing and communications","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Marketing and communications","rank":6,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"30,658"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"14.6%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$152k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+4.5%"}],"value":151850,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$152k"},{"n":1068,"bar":0.76,"key":"field:Life sciences","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Life sciences","rank":7,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"1,068"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"0.5%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$143k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+9.4%"}],"value":142500,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$143k"},{"n":31677,"bar":0.7568,"key":"field:Engineering","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Engineering","rank":8,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"31,677"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"15.1%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$142k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+8.4%"}],"value":141900,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$142k"},{"n":376,"bar":0.746952,"key":"field:Social sciences and psychology","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Social sciences and psychology","rank":9,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"376"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"0.2%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$140k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+4.1%"}],"value":140053.5,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$140k"},{"n":62474,"bar":0.7466666666666667,"key":"field:Business administration and management","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Business administration and management","rank":10,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"62,474"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"29.8%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$140k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+6.8%"}],"value":140000,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$140k"},{"n":18841,"bar":0.712,"key":"field:Finance and economics","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Finance and economics","rank":11,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"18,841"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"9.0%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$134k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+5.3%"}],"value":133500,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$134k"},{"n":934,"bar":0.6064,"key":"field:Physical sciences","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Physical sciences","rank":12,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"934"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"0.4%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$114k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+5.7%"}],"value":113700,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$114k"},{"n":366,"bar":0.582612,"key":"field:Social work and counseling","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Social work and counseling","rank":13,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"366"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"0.2%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$109k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+7.3%"}],"value":109239.75,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$109k"},{"n":443,"bar":0.5489866666666666,"key":"field:Education","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Education","rank":14,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"443"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"0.2%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$103k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+1.6%"}],"value":102935,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$103k"},{"n":5169,"bar":0.4426666666666667,"key":"field:Accounting","sub":"Field of study","href":null,"name":"Accounting","rank":15,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"5,169"},{"label":"Share of four-year-degree jobs","value":"2.5%"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$83k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+5.0%"}],"value":83000,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$83k"}],"slug":"degree-fields-with-the-highest-posted-pay","unit":"openings","scope":{"id":"us","kind":"national","name":"United States"},"title":"Degree fields with the highest posted pay","family":"Degrees","method":["A degree field is a group of occupations that are usually reached through the same kind of study, such as Nursing, Engineering or Accounting. The grouping is our own judgment on the occupation code, and only occupations that typically need a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree are included. A field's score is the median advertised annual salary of its roles that post a salary range.","A posting does not state a degree. Each is matched to its standard occupation, and the education shown is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists as typical for entering that occupation. Some employers ask for more or less, and about one posting in a hundred has an occupation we could not match, which is left out.  Only fields with at least 300 open jobs and 50 that post pay are ranked."],"builtAt":"2026-11-03T15:06:31.259Z","edition":"2026-11","measure":"dg_fieldpay","sources":["NextChapter job data: open professional roles, matched to standard occupation (SOC) codes","Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-35: typical entry-level education and projected employment change by occupation"],"baseline":null,"keyFacts":["#1 Computer science and IT, Field of study: $188k","#2 Law, Field of study: $175k","#3 Design and architecture, Field of study: $165k","15 degrees ranked across all fields","Data as of November 2026"],"placeNoun":"degrees","commentary":["The top ten is tightly packed: Computer science and IT leads on $188k, and #10 Business administration and management is at $140k.","Social sciences and psychology reaches #9 on a sample of 376 open jobs, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.","Business administration and management is the largest market in the top ten, with 62,474 open jobs behind its figure.","Degrees with fewer than 300 open jobs are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful."],"license":"Free to use and share with a link to https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/degree-fields-with-the-highest-posted-pay"}