More advice for Occupy Wallstreeters

Jan. 6, 2012
Our recent editorial about Occupy Wallstreeters got a lot of feedback (http://machinedesign.com/article/advice-for-occupy-wall-streeters-1117). Since it appeared, I came upon another item about an Occupy Wallstreeter that appeared on the Chronicles of ...

Our recent editorial about Occupy Wallstreeters got a lot of feedback (http://machinedesign.com/article/advice-for-occupy-wall-streeters-1117). Since it appeared, I came upon another item about an Occupy Wallstreeter that appeared on the Chronicles of Higher Education Web site. It mentions one poor unemployed kid hanging out with the protestors who had accumulated $90,000 in educational loans pursuing a degree in film.

The situation highlights the importance of getting a marketable degree. If you want to know which degrees are most marketable, check out the study done by the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University. Researchers there parsed through data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to figure out median salaries for various kinds of degree holders. Some highlights from their findings:

Counseling Psychology majors make median earnings of $29,000 per year; the median is $120,000 for Petroleum Engineering majors.

The highest median earnings are found in the Engineering major group ($75,000), while the lowest are the Education and Psychology and Social Work groups ($42,000).

Biology and Life Science majors make $35,000 more at the median with a graduate degree, while the difference in median earnings for people who stopped at a Bachelor's degree versus those who went on for a graduate degree with an undergraduate major in Arts is only $11,000.

You can find a summary of the report here: http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/whatsitworth-select.pdf

The full report is here: http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/whatsitworth-complete.pdf

About the Author

Lee Teschler | Editor

Leland was Editor-in-Chief of Machine Design. He has 34 years of Service and holds a B.S. Engineering from the University of Michigan, a B.S. Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan;, and a MBA from Cleveland State University. Prior to joining Penton, Lee worked as a Communications design engineer for the U.S. Government.

Sponsored Recommendations

March 31, 2025
Unlike passive products - made of simple carbon springs - the bionic prostheses developed by Revival Bionics are propulsive, equipped with a motor and an artificial Achilles tendon...
March 31, 2025
Electric drives are a key technology for the performance of machines, robots, and power tools. Download this guide for an introduction to high-quality mechatronic drive systems...
March 31, 2025
Discover the world of maxon drive technology: motors, gearheads, sensors, controllers, and accessories. Configure your drive system online, including all relevant product and ...
March 31, 2025
Share current page XSun designs and manufactures a drone that is both energy-independent and can make its own decisions, for fully-automated missions. The company needed reliable...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Machine Design, create an account today!