College is often touted as a time for young people to explore their passions and interests. But passion isn’t going to pay the bills. Graduates who majored in education, social work, or the arts end up earning the lowest median income within five years, according to recent data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Foreign language majors earn the lowest salary of all early-career college graduates, with a median annual income of $40,000. General social sciences majors hover close by with a $41,000 median salary. Performing arts majors fare a bit better with a median annual income of $41,1900. Anthropology and early childhood education majors round out the bottom five with a median salary of $42,000.
While foreign language skills are lucrative for many job seekers, they don’t always translate to a higher paying role. Now more than ever, people are able to obtain language proficiency without a formal degree (thanks to apps like Duolingo). Those who major in foreign language usually go into lower-paying fields, such as public service or translation.
Even as these majors elevate to mid-career roles, their paychecks are still paltry in comparison to their tech-minded counterparts. Early childhood education majors earn the lowest salary of mid-career college graduates, with a $49,000 median income. Elementary education hovers slightly above, with a $53,000 median annual salary for mid-career workers.
Students who major in STEM fields, such as engineering and computer science, end up earning more due to a greater need for these specialized skills in higher paying industries, including finance and technology.
To summarize, the worst paying degrees for early-career earnings are:
- Foreign language ($40,000)
- General social sciences ($41,000)
- Performing arts ($41,900)
- Anthropology ($42,000)
- Early childhood education ($42,000)
- Family and consumer sciences ($42,000)
- General education ($42,000)
- Miscellaneous biological science ($42,000)
- Social services ($42,000)
- Theology and religion ($42,000)
The least lucrative degrees for mid-career earnings are:
- Early childhood education ($49,000)
- Elementary education ($53,000)
- Social services ($54,000)
- General education ($55,000)
- Special education ($55,000)
- Secondary education (58,000)
- Theology and religion ($60,000)
- Miscellaneous education ($60,000)
- Family and consumer sciences ($62,000)
- Health services ($65,000)