It's no secret that college can be expensive. to pay for school and their debt totals $1.4 trillion.
The for 20-year-olds is a staggering $22,135. For 30-year-olds, it's even larger: $34,033. So, according to a report from financial-advice website Moneyish, paying yet more to get an advanced degree can be a real risk.
"The average debt of a person with a Master of Arts degree hit an inflation-adjusted $59,000," it says, "up from just $38,000 in 2004."
If you're planning to get your master's, you can play it safer by focusing on certain fields where students tend to earn more money after graduating, though, according to data compiled by Moneyish and compensation-data site PayScale.
Here are their top five best master's degree majors to choose if you want a high-paying job:
Nurse Anesthesia
Early-career median pay: $143,000
Mid-career median pay: $165,000
Telecommunications Engineering
Early-career median pay: $76,200
Mid-career median pay: $141,000
Finance and Economics
Early-career median pay: $68,000
Mid-career median pay: $134,000
Electrical Engineering
Early-career median pay: $80,600
Mid-career median pay: $130,000
Computer Engineering
Early-career median pay: $86,400
Mid-career median pay: $129,000
And here are their top five worst master's degree majors to choose if you want a high-paying job:
Human Services
Early-career median pay: $39,500
Mid-career median pay: $46,600
Early Childhood Education
Early-career median pay: $40,600
Mid-career median pay: $49,200
Professional Counseling
Early-career median pay: $40,400
Mid-career median pay: $51,200
Community Counseling
Early-career median pay: $40,900
Mid-career median pay: $51,700
Museum Studies
Early-career median pay: $41,000
Mid-career median pay: $52,700
Of course, these numbers don't mean you shouldn't pursue your dream major or dream job. But it helps to do so with your eyes open.
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