Engineering disciplines account for eight of the 10 bachelor's degrees that are the most valuable ones in the job market, according to the NACE's winter 2010 salary survey.
Petroleum engineering graduates offered the highest salary of $86,000 that is one and half times more than the average starting salary of bachelor's degree graduates who normally get $48,351.
Many factors have a role in determining salaries of new techies who get higher offers as they are in short supply. There is tough competition to hook these grads and as such the salaries go up. For instance, less than 1 percent of all bachelor degrees account for those of petroleum engineering. In general, candidates with technical degrees have an advantage in the job market.
The only non-engineering degree in the top-ten slot is that in computer science and information sciences and systems that attract a larger chunk of students. According to a recent US Department of Labor research forecasts that management, technical and scientific consulting services will be the fast growing segment for jobs in the coming decade. The growth rate is 83 percent between 2008 and 2018.
The sociology degree with a salary of $29,031 is the lowest earning bachelor's degree.
Highly-paid top 10 bachelor's degrees
Petroleum Engineering: Average Salary Offer -- $86,220
Chemical Engineering: Average Salary Offer -- $65,142
Mining & Mineral Engineering (Including Geological): Average Salary Offer -- $64,552
Computer Science: Average Salary Offer -- $61,205
Computer Engineering: Average Salary Offer -- $60,879
Electrical/Electronics and Communications Engineering: Average Salary Offer -- $59,074
Mechanical Engineering: Average Salary Offer -- $58,392
Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering: Average Salary Offer -- $57,734
Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering: Average Salary Offer -- $57,231
Information Sciences and Systems: Average Salary Offer --$54,038