It’s Almost Impossible to Get Rich If This Is Your College Major

24/7 Wall St. Insights

• By the middle of their career, people working in Early Childhood Education make the lowest median salary of just $48,000, which is not a liveable wage in some areas of the country.
• Although many performing arts majors start with a very low salary, people in the arts typically earn around $64,000 by the middle of their career.
• Most lower-salaried employees majored in, and now work in, the education sector, highlighting a need to reprioritize education on a national scale.
• Also: Discover the “Next NVIDIA”

When many Gen Xers and millennials were growing up, the benefits of a college education were lauded. College not only allowed for students to build a stronger community and more significantly contribute to those around them, but provided an opportunity for enhanced learning, growth, and skill-building. Over time, thoughts on the importance of a college degree have fluctuated. The Pew Research Center found that 40% of Americans don’t believe a college degree is necessary to get a well-paying job in today’s economy, with 35% saying it is somewhat important and 25% arguing that it is very important. While we view earning a college degree as a smart investment, the impact of your degree may vary based on what you major in. (Here are the hardest colleges to get into in each state.)

Some majors, such as business or accounting, are typically associated with higher-paying careers after college. Other majors, usually in the liberal arts vein, are often not seen as great investments because the salary is lower. While students should pursue a degree that makes them feel fulfilled, and that could lead to a career they are happy in, salary and financial stability undoubtedly influence quality-of-life in many cases. Here, 24/7 Wall St. looked at labor-market outcomes from the Federal Reserve to determine which college majors received the lowest average salary. You probably won’t be surprised that many of the lowest-paying majors are in education.

This list is organized by median mid-career wage. Even though some of the majors on this list start out with a lower salary, their mid-career wage is higher. For others, the early-career wage does not significantly rise by mid-career, which can lead to financial stagnancy. We also looked at the percentage of college graduates in these majors who are unemployed or underemployed to highlight the potential difficulties of finding a job in these fields. Remember, salary isn’t everything – but it is an important factor. (See the 10 richest universities.)

Here are the 10 majors that tend to land on the lower end of the pay scale: 

Why We’re Telling You

It seems crazy to ask people to choose what they want to do with their lives at age 17 or 18, but that’s how our education system operates. Choosing a college major is an important decision that can affect your earning potential and future career options. By highlighting the lowest-paying college majors, 24/7 Wall St. aims to provide readers with the facts to make an informed decision – especially if you’re looking into what major to pick.

10. Performing Arts

• Median Wage Early Career: $38,000
• Median Wage Mid-Career: $64,000
• Unemployment Rate: 5.5%
• Underemployment Rate: 65.9%

Performing Arts majors face all sorts of difficulties when entering the job market. Successful performers can have a high earnings potential, especially depending where they end up and on what stages. However, the reality for most graduates is a competitive job market and long hours. The median starting salary is only $38,000, which jumps to $64,000 by mid-career. Because Performing Arts can lead to many diverse career paths, such as talent director, dancer, or costume designer (among others), graduates will have varying levels of success.

9. Family and Consumer Sciences

• Median Wage Early Career: $40,000
• Median Wage Mid-Career: $59,000
• Unemployment Rate: 3.1%
• Underemployment Rate: 43.8%

Family and Consumer Sciences comprises nutrition, child development, and family resource management. Typically, professionals tend to focus on increasing family well-being. Sadly, the salary is very low, starting at only $40,000 and only jumping slightly up to $59,000. This low salary is a significant barrier for those looking for careers in financial literacy, food security, or similar areas.

8. Special Education

• Median Wage Early Career: $43,000
• Median Wage Mid-Career: $57,000
• Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
• Underemployment Rate: 12.1%

Special education is a specific major that teaches future students how to work with and support people with disabilities. Often, these students face unique challenges and may need additional support with mobility, language, or learning difficulties. Because of the specialized training required, these teachers often have a higher starting salary than others working in education. The salary of special education teachers also jumps quite a bit in the mid-career stages.

7. Theology and Religion

• Median Wage Early Career: $38,000
• Median Wage Mid-Career: $56,000
• Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
• Underemployment Rate: 44.1%

Graduates with this degree typically pursue careers in religious ministry or religious education. The starting salary is very low, at only $38,000. However, the mid-career range can reach $56,000. It’s also important to note that many religiously-oriented careers often come with benefits like housing that can supplement income, making it an attractive choice for some.

6. Social Services

• Median Wage Early Career: $40,000
• Median Wage Mid-Career: $56,000
• Unemployment Rate: 4.4%
• Underemployment Rate: 28.9%

Social Services encompasses a huge range of careers, such as social worker, drug counselor, and family therapist. People who major in Social Services are all typically dedicated to helping vulnerable populations. Despite being very important, social service professionals have a median starting salary of only $40,000. This can be a challenge for those who are passionate about social justice, as $40,000 may make it hard to live in certain states. Luckily, that does increase to $56,000 by the middle of their career.

5. Miscellaneous Education

• Median Wage Early Career: $43,000
• Median Wage Mid-Career: $56,000
• Unemployment Rate: 2.5%
• Underemployment Rate: 20.6%

“Miscellaneous Education” is a catch-all term for education that doesn’t fall into other categories. It includes things like adult education and curriculum development. They have a higher starting salary than most, but this salary often doesn’t increase all that much. There are tons of diverse career paths in this category. It’s important to research specific career options in this category to understand your earning potential.

4. Secondary Education

• Median Wage Early Career: $41,000
• Median Wage Mid-Career: $55,000
• Unemployment Rate: 1.6%
• Underemployment Rate: 22.0%

Secondary education focuses on specific subjects, like science or math, for middle and high school students. The median salary is only $41,000, but it does increase to $55,000 by the middle of a career. Teachers may also be paid more or less for their specific subject matter or how specialized a topic they’re teaching. Those in higher demand often get paid more.

3. General Education

• Median Wage Early Career: $41,000
• Median Wage Mid-Career: $52,000
• Unemployment Rate: 1.5%
• Underemployment Rate: 19.6%

This generalized degree can lead to a wide range of different jobs. The salary is higher than that of those with some specialized degrees, though. However, the lack of specialization also prevents those with this degree from reaching higher potentials, like some of the other options on this list.

2. Elementary Education

• Median Wage Early Career: $40,000
• Median Wage Mid-Career: $52,000
• Unemployment Rate: 1.5%
• Underemployment Rate: 13.5%

Elementary education is an essential field. However, it faces challenges due to its low starting salary. The average starting salary is only $40,000, and it only increases slightly to $52,000 by mid-career. Financial compensation is notoriously very low in this field despite its importance. This leads to challenging questions like why some super important jobs pay so little, and how we can prioritize these fields moving forward. Teacher shortages are very common, and are at least partially caused by these low wages.

1. Early Childhood Education

• Median Wage Early Career: $40,000
• Median Wage Mid-Career: $48,000
• Unemployment Rate: 1.9%
• Underemployment Rate: 18.2%

Early childhood education has the lowest median wage, even after the middle of their career. The starting salary is also very low at only $40,000. Early childhood educators play a crucial role in shaping young minds during critical developmental years. However, despite its importance, the field faces the harsh reality of a very low salary. This low pay also leads to a high turnover rate, which can negatively impact the quality of early childhood education.

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