The highest paid bachelor degree jobs aren't always what career advice websites claim. Most "highest paying jobs" lists recycle Bureau of Labor Statistics averages that lump together MBAs, PhDs, and 20-year veterans with fresh graduates. That tells you almost nothing about what a bachelor's degree alone will earn you.
We used a different source: the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which tracks actual reported earnings of bachelor's degree holders one year after graduation across 24,479 programs at 1,879 schools. These are real paychecks, not projections or survey estimates.
The result is a list of highest paying jobs you can realistically get with a four-year degree and no graduate school. We also rated each field for AI automation risk, because a $90K starting salary means less if the job is likely to shrink over the next decade.
These are the top-earning fields of study for bachelor's degree holders, ranked by average earnings reported one year after graduation. Every number comes from federal data.
| Major / Field | Avg 1-Yr Earnings | Schools | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics & Computer Science | $92,849 | 9 | Low-Med |
| Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering | $89,782 | 5 | Low |
| Operations Research | $87,035 | 6 | Medium |
| Mining & Mineral Engineering | $84,287 | 5 | Low |
| Marine Transportation | $82,678 | 7 | Low |
| Computer Engineering | $78,681 | 173 | Low-Med |
| Mechatronics & Robotics Engineering | $78,331 | 5 | Low |
| Electrical Engineering | $77,489 | 261 | Low |
| Construction Engineering | $76,543 | 14 | Low |
| Nursing (BSN) | $75,165 | 941 | Low |
| Chemical Engineering | $74,892 | 166 | Low |
| Petroleum Engineering | $74,318 | 18 | Low |
| Computer Science | $73,456 | 889 | Low-Med |
| Aerospace Engineering | $72,189 | 63 | Low |
| Industrial Engineering | $71,547 | 112 | Medium |
A few things jump out from this list. Engineering dominates, claiming 10 of the 15 spots. But the two most accessible high-paying paths are Nursing (941 schools) and Computer Science (889 schools). You don't need to get into one of five niche programs to earn $73K-$75K straight out of school.
Also notice the AI risk column. Most engineering and nursing fields rate "Low" because these jobs require physical presence, hands-on problem solving, or both. Operations Research and Industrial Engineering rate higher because a significant portion of their workflow involves optimization and analysis tasks that AI can assist with or automate.
If you've seen other "highest paying jobs" rankings, you probably noticed different numbers. Here's why ours look different.
We measure bachelor's degree holders only. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports median pay for all workers in an occupation, regardless of education. When BLS says "software developers earn $130K," that includes senior developers with 15 years of experience and master's degrees. Our data isolates what a bachelor's degree earns you right out of school.
These are first-year earnings, not mid-career. Starting salaries and mid-career salaries tell different stories. Computer Science graduates start at $73K but many reach $120K+ within five years. Nursing graduates start at $75K and typically reach $85-95K within five years. The trajectory matters as much as the starting point.
We report averages across all schools. A Computer Engineering degree from Stanford pays differently than one from a regional state school. Our figures represent the average outcome across all 173 (or 261, or 941) schools offering each program. That gives you a realistic expectation rather than an aspirational one.
Ranking by salary alone favors niche fields with a handful of programs. But if you're choosing a major today, you probably care about which high-paying paths you can actually get into. Here are the highest paying bachelor degree jobs filtered for accessibility (50+ schools offering the program).
| Major | Avg Earnings | Schools | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (BSN) | $75,165 | 941 | Every state |
| Computer Science | $73,456 | 889 | Every state |
| Electrical Engineering | $77,489 | 261 | Every state |
| Computer Engineering | $78,681 | 173 | Most states |
| Chemical Engineering | $74,892 | 166 | Most states |
| Industrial Engineering | $71,547 | 112 | Most states |
| Aerospace Engineering | $72,189 | 63 | Many states |
Nursing and Computer Science stand out as the two highest paying jobs that are available at nearly every four-year institution in the country. You can find a BSN program or a CS program within commuting distance of almost any zip code in the United States. That accessibility makes them the most realistic high-earning paths for the largest number of students.
Earnings vary dramatically by school. Check the numbers for your specific program.
Explore Degree ValuesThe table above shows averages, but what does "entry level" actually look like for the top-paying majors? Here's what you can realistically expect in your first job out of college with each degree.
Well paying entry level jobs for CS graduates include software developer, data analyst, QA engineer, IT consultant, and systems administrator. Starting salaries range from $55K at smaller companies in low-cost areas to $110K+ at major tech firms in San Francisco or Seattle. The median is around $73-79K. Remote work has expanded options significantly, letting you earn a tech salary while living in a lower-cost city.
Entry-level roles include design engineer, test engineer, power systems engineer, and controls engineer. Starting pay averages $77K nationally, with higher pay in defense (Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman) and semiconductor companies (Intel, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm). This field has steady demand and isn't subject to the hiring boom-bust cycles that software experiences.
New BSN graduates enter as staff nurses, typically in hospitals. Starting salary averages $75K nationally, but varies widely by state. California nurses start near $95K. Texas and Florida nurses start closer to $60K. Travel nursing can push first-year earnings above $100K, though with significant lifestyle trade-offs. The nursing shortage means new graduates often have multiple job offers before they finish their last semester.
Entry-level chemical engineers work in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, energy, and food processing. Starting pay averages about $75K. Companies like Dow, BASF, ExxonMobil, and Procter & Gamble are the largest employers. Many of these jobs are in locations with lower cost of living (Houston, Midland, Baton Rouge), which means the salary goes further than a comparable number in a coastal city.
Entry-level aerospace engineers design and test aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles. Starting pay averages $72K, with major employers including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, and NASA contractors. Most positions require U.S. citizenship due to ITAR regulations, which limits international competition for these roles and helps support salaries.
Earning $90K in year one means little if the job shrinks by 30% over the next decade. We rate every program on DegreeWorth for AI automation risk using research from OpenAI, academic institutions, and labor economists. Here's how the highest paid bachelor degree jobs break down.
| AI Risk | Majors | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Nursing, Electrical Engineering, Construction Engineering, Marine Engineering, Aerospace, Chemical, Petroleum, Mechatronics | Physical presence required. Hands-on work. Licensed professions. |
| Low-Medium | Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Math & CS | AI will change these jobs significantly but won't replace them. Developers who use AI tools will be more productive, not unemployed. |
| Medium | Operations Research, Industrial Engineering | Heavy optimization and analysis workloads. AI excels at exactly these tasks. Roles will shift toward oversight rather than execution. |
The safest combination of high pay and low AI risk belongs to Nursing and Electrical Engineering. Both pay above $75K, are available at hundreds of schools, and involve work that AI cannot perform. A robot isn't going to start an IV or troubleshoot a high-voltage substation anytime soon.
Computer Science is the interesting case. AI will reshape software development over the next decade, but the demand for people who can build, manage, and improve AI systems is also growing. CS graduates who adapt will likely earn more, not less. But the nature of the work will change substantially.
One of the most important findings in our data: the school you attend matters as much as the major you choose. The same degree can pay $40K at one school and $110K at another.
Computer Science is the most dramatic example. The average across all 889 schools is $73,456. But the range spans from roughly $35K at some smaller schools to over $170K at top programs. Electrical Engineering shows a similar pattern: $77K average, but a range from $45K to $130K depending on the school.
Even Nursing, which has a tighter salary range because licensure standardizes the profession, varies from about $50K in rural southern states to $95K+ in California and the Northeast.
This is exactly why broad "salary by major" rankings can be misleading. Your actual earnings depend on which specific school's program you graduate from, which state you work in, and which industry you enter. A Computer Science degree from Georgia Tech and one from a no-name online university lead to very different outcomes despite being the same major.
DegreeWorth tracks earnings for every school-major combination using federal data. Find yours.
Explore Degree ValuesThis list only covers bachelor's degree earnings. Some of the highest paying jobs in the economy (physicians, lawyers, investment bankers with MBAs) require additional schooling beyond a four-year degree.
That's a deliberately separate question. Graduate school means more tuition, more time out of the workforce, and more debt. A bachelor's in Nursing at $75K with zero graduate debt can outperform an MD at $250K if the doctor carries $300K in loans and doesn't start earning until age 30.
If you're evaluating graduate school, the same ROI logic applies: what will the additional degree cost, and how much additional earning power does it provide? Our analysis of highest ROI college majors covers this in more detail.
Here's how to turn these numbers into an actual decision.
The highest paying jobs you can get with a bachelor's degree cluster heavily in engineering, computer science, and nursing. These fields pay $71K-$93K in the first year after graduation, according to actual federal earnings data.
But the single most important takeaway from this data isn't which major to pick. It's that the same major at different schools produces wildly different outcomes. Choosing Computer Science is only the first step. Choosing the right Computer Science program for your situation is what actually determines your earning power.
That's why we built DegreeWorth to show you earnings data for every school-major combination individually, not just field-level averages. The national average is a starting point. Your specific school's data is what actually matters for your decision.