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Choosing a college major is a big decision. You want to find a career that you’ll love, but you also want to earn a decent living. Well, you’re in luck! Several fields are in high-demand.

Currently, the highest paying jobs are in STEM disciplines. Moreover, there’s a lack of skilled workers in many STEM-oriented fields, and employers are paying a hefty fee for the best and brightest talent.

Engineering jobs, for example, start at $60,000 in annual salary, with veteran employees earning well over $100,000 per year. In fact, 18 out of 20 of the highest paying bachelor’s degree level jobs are in the engineering field.

Graduation time is chaotic for many students who are trying to make a firm decision about what to do with their future. Choosing a career path is important. Your decision can affect the quality of your entire life. The college or university learning path that you choose will directly affect how much you earn. While pay shouldn’t be your only consideration when choosing a career path, it’s pretty important.

The following paragraphs highlight a few of the best college degree programs to consider for the future.

Protect Important Information With a Degree in Cybersecurity

Nearly every business is affected by cybersecurity. In fact, hiring managers can’t find enough information technology (IT) specialists to fill roles in this field. Furthermore, analysts forecast that demand for cybersecurity specialists will increase for the foreseeable future.

Cybersecurity specialists work on the front line of network defense. They learn essential and in-demand skills that protect the world’s invaluable data from ever-evolving threats.

Learn to Care for Others With a Degree in Nursing

The baby boomer generation is reaching retirement age. Along with this privilege, time takes its toll. Accordingly, this population has rapidly increasing healthcare needs. As part of the solution, healthcare advocates propose that advanced practice nurses can fill the talent void left by the nation’s shortage of physicians. With the anticipated rapidly rising healthcare needs of the baby boomer generation coming soon, there’ll be increasingly high demand in this field for the foreseeable future.

Create the Future With an Engineering Degree

A growing number of career hopefuls are pursuing engineering learning paths. For many, it’s about more than climbing the corporate ladder. It’s about creating infrastructure the benefits society.

Engineers work in a variety of fields. According to engineering experts, in fact, there’s so much more opportunity and career diversity in engineering compared to just a decade ago.

Often, engineers move up the ranks and take on leadership roles. As society grows more complex, the professional roles of engineers evolve as they take on more responsibility.

Learn to Lead in Commerce With a Business Degree

Business makes the world go ‘round. As technology takes over more menial jobs, executives will increasingly need skilled leaders with training in business.

An advanced degree in business could prepare you to one day take the helm of some the nation’s most influential corporations, and increasingly, technical acumen is becoming an important part of business leadership. Today, the business environment is powered by information. Business leaders now use powerful analytical programs to solve business problems and guide organizations.

Using data analysis systems, they find internal and external opportunities for improvement. More importantly, business graduates know how to turn the insights generated by big data analysis into real-world positive outcomes.

Build the Foundation of the Future With a Degree in Computer Science

Technology is present in nearly every industry and field. Agencies, organizations and enterprises need skilled specialists who are capable of creating, maintaining and working with computer technology and programs.

In comparison to other professions, computer scientists have unparalleled job security. In fact, there’s been a data scientist shortage for the last two decades, and experts predict that this will not change in the foreseeable future.

Furthermore, companies everywhere need talented data scientists. With a degree in this high-demand field, you can work virtually anywhere.

It’s a fact. College degrees equal more satisfying careers and higher pay. For example, a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers revealed that 99-percent of employers plan to hire job candidates who’ve earned a bachelor’s degree. This rings true, as traditionally 80-percent of new hires are fresh out of college with a bachelor’s degree.

As job competition grows increasingly fierce, more career hopefuls are pursuing doctoral degrees. Despite the competition, students who choose learning paths that lead to high-demand careers will more than likely enjoy a long and prosperous career.

By Ryan Ayers

About the author

Ryan Ayers has consulted a number of companies within multiple industries including information technology and big data. After earning his MBA in 2010, Ayers also began working with start-up companies and aspiring entrepreneurs, with a keen focus on data collection and analysis.

Featured image via Unsplash.