For those individuals who possess bachelor’s degrees and wish to further their educations, master’s degrees can provide excellent opportunities for skill and career enhancement. Often requiring two years or less to complete, master’s degrees in certain fields can greatly increase an individual’s earning potential within the workforce. Below is a list of the 5 top paying master’s degrees.
Physician Assistant Studies:
1. Today, with a shortage of doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers in general, a master’s degree in physician assistant studies is not only going to provide an individual with an awesome salary, but also with a surplus of job opportunities in hospitals, clinics, and healthcare offices everywhere. The expected employment growth rate over the next decade for this occupation is predicted to be 39%, with a job growth/replacement needs increase of 57%. The average salary range in this field is $56,000-$115,000. A physician assistant’s salary often depends upon experience level and geographic location. In general, Maine, South Dakota, Alaska, New York, and West Virginia provide the highest average salaries for this occupation.
Civil Engineering
2. A master’s degree in this field allows an individual to pursue a career as a project engineer, a senior civil engineer, or a structural engineer. These occupations are involved in the construction field and entail the planning and development processes for airports, malls, roads, water supply systems, and sewers. Civil engineering has an expected employment increase of 24%, with a job growth/replacement needs increase of 41% over the next decade. The average salary for a civil engineer is around $78,560.
Physics
3. An individual who possesses a master’s degree in physics can work as a science technician, a materials scientist, an engineering technician, or a physicist. The expected employment increase for this field is 16%, with a job growth/replacement needs increase of 44% over the next decade. An individual with a master’s degree in physics can expect to earn an average salary between $55,527 as a science technician and $102,890 as a physicist.
Human Resources Management
4. With a master’s degree in human resources management, an individual will manage employee relations in a workplace. This position is vital to an array of fields, since virtually every workplace requires a team to manage the interviewing, recruiting, hiring, and maintenance of its employees. The expected employment increase for this field is 22% over the next decade, with a 47% job growth/replacement needs increase. On average, an individual who possesses a master’s degree in this field can expect to earn an annual salary between $62,000 and $107,280. This salary range is dependent upon both an individual’s experience level and the industry in which he/she is employed.
Computer Science
5. Individuals who possess a master’s degree in computer science often work in the fields of computer programming and software engineering. The expected employment increase for this field is 27% over the next decade, with a 39% job growth/replacement needs increase. An individual who has obtained his/her master’s degree in this area can expect to earn an average salary between $67,383 as a software engineer and $134,456 as a software engineer Director. Average salaries for other occupations within this field fall somewhere in-between these two salaries.
Earning master’s degrees in certain areas, such as physician assistant studies, civil engineering, physics, human resources management, and computer science provides individuals with multiple opportunities to earn desirable salaries. Not only does advanced education in these career fields provide individuals with top salaries, it also provides them with access to occupations possessing long-term growth potential. Often requiring a maximum of two years to complete, master’s degrees in these high paying fields are destined to ensure an individual’s satisfaction both professionally and financially.
Tim Foster is a human resources manager and guest author at BestDegreePrograms.org, where he contributed to the guide to the highest paying masters degree programs.