There are any number of others. I found an article from career builder that listed a bunch of others, as well, but they had salaries listed that were dubious, to me, as truly first-year-out-of-college salaries.
I can personally vouch for the numbers for EE/ME/Software, and I've seen much *higher* numbers for mining. For new recruits, not in Silicon Valley (where the salaries are much higher yet).
When I say "productive field", I mean (and without intending to demean the value of humanities: the careerbuilder site had a number of managerial and social careers that they *said* start at $100k+) a field where they produce a specific family of products and where the significant collection of knowledge you bring out of university is directly related to that specific family of products.
A software engineer with 5 years experience, and working in San Francisco is making $130k a year. Every year that you delay graduation is a year of salary that you don't get, and those years are *expensive*.
"A BS in a productive field ought to be worth $60-70k a year,"
The most I ever made in my career was about $35k/year. I would have had to become a sociopath to make more than that.
I don't know too many B.S. who make $60k. I do however, know lots of PhDs who are baristas and janitors.
The market doesn't support what the Unis are churning out. It's a mill.
So you are talking about University RIGHT NOW? Not in an era of the past?
From Payscale:
Electrical Engineering: $70k
Chemical Engineering: $70k
Software Engineering: $80k
Mining Engineer: $65k
Organic Chemist: $60k
Physicist: $70k
Mechanical Engineer: $65k
RN: $60k
https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Electrical_Engineer/Salary/6fd28da9/Entry-Level
https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Software_Engineer/Salary/4fd947de/Entry-Level
https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Chemical_Engineer/Salary/41d70ecb/Entry-Level
https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Chemical_Engineer/Salary/41d70ecb/Entry-Level
https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Organic_Chemist/Salary/c9a46a0e/Entry-Level
https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Physicist/Salary/c3f2077f/Entry-Level
https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Mechanical_Engineer/Salary/5b1f9aef/Entry-Level
https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Registered_Nurse_(RN)/Hourly_Rate/b6142914/Entry-Level
There are any number of others. I found an article from career builder that listed a bunch of others, as well, but they had salaries listed that were dubious, to me, as truly first-year-out-of-college salaries.
I can personally vouch for the numbers for EE/ME/Software, and I've seen much *higher* numbers for mining. For new recruits, not in Silicon Valley (where the salaries are much higher yet).
When I say "productive field", I mean (and without intending to demean the value of humanities: the careerbuilder site had a number of managerial and social careers that they *said* start at $100k+) a field where they produce a specific family of products and where the significant collection of knowledge you bring out of university is directly related to that specific family of products.
A software engineer with 5 years experience, and working in San Francisco is making $130k a year. Every year that you delay graduation is a year of salary that you don't get, and those years are *expensive*.
https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Software_Engineer/Salary/a5e48575/San-Francisco-CA
And you pay more for that engineering degree (as evidenced by the STEM fees I found at my alma mater)!!!!!
Too many B.S. are worth far less. Schoolteacher (in my former home state) averages about $28,800.