OBSERVED EARNINGS · LIKE-FOR-LIKE CATEGORIES

Highest-paying majors

National median earnings four years after completion, keeping field and credential level visible.

Field familyAll fields STEM & Computing Health & Clinical Business & Management Social & Behavioral Sciences Education Arts, Media & Humanities Law & Public Service Trades & Applied Fields

Degree levelAll credentials Associate Bachelor’s Master’s Doctorate

Trades & Applied Fields19 ranked field-and-credential categories with at least 10 earnings observations

1Air TransportationAssociate's Degree · 18 programs$75,637 2Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · 34 programs$74,666 3Electrical and Power Transmission InstallersAssociate's Degree · 63 programs$66,108 4Agricultural MechanizationAssociate's Degree · 10 programs$62,058 5Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and InspectionAssociate's Degree · 13 programs$60,948 6Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · 28 programs$59,987 7Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · 180 programs$59,977 8Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)Associate's Degree · 42 programs$58,608 9Precision Metal WorkingAssociate's Degree · 74 programs$56,479 10Funeral Service and Mortuary ScienceAssociate's Degree · 24 programs$53,579 11Agricultural Business and ManagementAssociate's Degree · 21 programs$48,565 12Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business ServicesAssociate's Degree · 13 programs$48,534 13Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · 139 programs$43,115 14Agricultural Production OperationsAssociate's Degree · 18 programs$41,868 15Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's Degree · 38 programs$40,142 16Culinary Arts and Related ServicesAssociate's Degree · 111 programs$38,508 17Graphic CommunicationsAssociate's Degree · 24 programs$38,274 18Audiovisual Communications Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · 35 programs$33,442 19Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesAssociate's Degree · 13 programs$23,086

Field families are reproducible groupings of federal two-digit CIP subject codes. Rankings require at least 10 programs with reported year-4 earnings; missing or suppressed values are not replaced with zero.