OCT 17, 2023 – The U.S. Census Bureau today released a new Earnings by Field of Degree table package providing detailed data on field of bachelor’s degree and median earnings for the U.S. population ages 25 to 64 with a bachelor’s degree or higher. The package, based on the 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates, shows detailed fields of degree such as sociology, nursing and fine arts, rather than examining one large group such as “social sciences” for the first time.  

Highlights:

• The top five most common degree fields in 2022 were business management and administration (3.8 million), psychology (3.1 million), general business (2.8 million), nursing (2.8 million), and accounting (2.3 million). The number of general business and nursing degrees were not statistically different.

• People with degrees in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and economics had median annual earnings of $100,000 or more. Those with education, elementary education, fine arts, family and consumer sciences, and social work degrees had median annual earnings of less than $60,000.

• In all degree fields, the median earnings of women were less than those of men. For example, women and men with computer science degrees earned $91,990 and $115,500, respectively. Among economics degree holders, women earned $84,750 compared to $107,300 for men. Women with general education degrees earned $55,030 compared to $68,420 for men. Among history degree holders, women earned $62,980 and men earned $81,270 in 2022.

• Degree fields varied by sex. For example, at least 80% of people with degrees in social work, nursing, elementary education, and family and consumer sciences were women. In contrast, at least 70% of those with degrees in computer science and engineering (general, mechanical, electrical or civil) were men.

• Median annual earnings varied across race and Hispanic origin groups in the same field of degree. For example, among political science degree holders, those who were White alone non-Hispanic earned $93,760, compared to $63,390 for Black alone non-Hispanic, $85,540 for Asian alone non-Hispanic, $81,140 for other or multiracial non-Hispanic, and $71,990 for Hispanics of any race. The difference between median annual earnings of other or multiracial non-Hispanic and Asian alone non-Hispanic was not statistically significant.

• Median annual earnings in the same field varied across the nation’s largest 30 metropolitan areas. In 2022, general business degree holders living in San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA had median annual earnings of $114,500 compared with $91,320 in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH; $85,890 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI; $64,860 in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL; and $80,120 nationally.

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