What are the average salaries for four-year college graduates?
In 2024, full‑time workers with bachelor’s degrees earned about $105K a year or $1,543 weekly—more than those without post‑secondary education.
According to Census Bureau estimates, prime‑working‑age adults (25 to 64) with full‑time jobs and a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $105,381 in 2024.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also collects wage data, publishing weekly medians instead of annual averages. According to BLS data, people working full-time whose highest level of education was a bachelor’s degree made a median of $1,543 per week in 2024. Both datasets show a similar pattern: people in the prime working age group with bachelor’s degrees earn more on average than people without any post-secondary education, at least when they’re working full-time.
Earnings are 66% higher with a bachelor's degree vs. a high school diploma,
Median usual weekly earnings by educational level, 2024
Which are the highest-earning majors among bachelor’s degree holders?
People with bachelor’s degrees in metallurgical engineering had the highest average annual earnings among four-year college grads in 2024, earning an average of $165,110. A collection of science, engineering and finance-related degrees round out the top 10 highest-paid majors, each with an average above $142,000.
Five of the top ten highest-earning degrees are in engineering.
Average annual earnings, by field of bachelor's degree, 2024
Which are the lowest-earning majors?
In 2024, full-time prime working age people who majored in library science earned the least, averaging $56,192 in 2024. Other lower-earning fields included early childhood education ($60,004), educational psychology ($60,209), counseling psychology ($60,996), and elementary education ($62,156).
In 2024, metallurgical engineering majors earned the most, while library science majors earned the least.
Which bachelor’s degree occupations are projected to grow the most?
The five occupations that usually require bachelor’s degrees for entry-level positions projected to add the most jobs in the next decade all have above-average salaries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that data science will add the most jobs (33.5% employment growth) from 2024 to 2034.
The top five occupations expected to grow the most by 2034 require a STEM degree.
Projected employment growth and current wages for top five bachelor's degree occupations
What are the highest-paying occupations for people with bachelor’s degrees?
In 2024, airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers had the highest annual median wages for occupations that typically require a bachelor’s degree. While there are aviation-related bachelor’s degrees, this occupation typically requires a bachelor’s degree of any kind along with additional training from Federal Aviation Administration certified training and experience as a commercial or military pilot.
Many of the highest-paying occupations require five or more years of experience in addition to the degree.
Managers and engineers had some of the highest wages among degree earners.
Median annual wages for occupations that typically require a bachelor’s degree at entry level, 2024
Where do the highest-paying jobs pay the highest wages?
In May 2024, airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Kentucky made the highest average wages, at $413,070 per year. Chief executives had the highest — $465,040 — in New Jersey.
Computer and information systems managers made the most in California, at $232,710, while architectural and engineering managers in New Mexico topped their fields with $209,730. And financial managers brought home the most in New York, $244,250.
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