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Episode 485: What's Your Major?

Have you considered petroleum engineering?
Diane Bondareff
/
AP
Have you considered petroleum engineering?

Sure, some college degrees lead to higher paying jobs than others. But what's shocking — at least, it was shocking to us — is just how big the gap can be.

The most lucrative majors typically lead to jobs with salaries over $100,000 a year. The least lucrative lead to salaries of around $30,000.

On today's show, we run the numbers. We talk to people who majored in the most- and least-lucrative subjects. And we hear from an economist who says, when it comes to income, choosing a major is more important than choosing a college.

For More:

* The Most (And Least) Lucrative College Majors, In 1 Graph

* Why Women (Like Me) Choose Lower Paying Jobs

Music: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings's "Money" and Pink Floyd's "Money." Find us:Twitter/Facebook/Spotify/Tumblr. Download the Planet MoneyiPhone App.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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