Top 10 Best Master's Degrees for getting a job might be considered by individuals who may have worked for several years already but are considering a jump to the next level of their career. Forbes recounted the top ten best master's degree for this year and Physicians Assistant Studies nailed it to the top with a $97,500 mid-career median salary and whopping 38% projected job growth over the next ten years.
Forbes consulted with compensation data site Payscale.com to determine the best master's degrees for jobs in 2014. They provided mid-career data for 45 popular master's degrees. The mid-career median salary of those holding each degree was then averaged with the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) projected employment growth of jobs associated with each degree.
Below is the top ten best master's degree for jobs 2014:
1. Physicians Assistant Studies
Mid-career median pay: $97,500
Projected employment increase for jobs associated with this degree: 20%
2. Physical Therapy
Mid-career median pay: $81,200
Projected employment increase for jobs associated with this degree: 36%
3. Mathematics
Mid-career median pay: $97,000
Projected employment increase for jobs associated with this degree: 26%
4. Occupational Therapy
Mid-career median pay: $81,600
Projected employment growth for jobs associated with this degree: 29%
5. International Relations
Mid-career median pay: $97,500
Projected employment increase for jobs associated with this degree: 21%
6. Civil Engineering
Mid-career median pay: $102,000
Projected employment growth for jobs associated with this degree: 20%
7. Health Care Administration
Mid-career median pay: $86,300
Projected employment growth for jobs associated with this degree: 59%
8. Political Science
Mid-career median salary: $93,800
Projected employment growth for jobs associated with this degree: 21%
9. Computer Science
Mid-career median pay: $117,000
Projected employment growth for jobs associated with this degree: 15%
10. Nursing
Mid-career median pay: $85,800
Projected employment growth for jobs associated with this degree: 19%
"While finances and employment prospects should always be decision-making factors where graduate school is concerned, seeking an enriching and challenging career that fulfills personal goals must be considered as well. The modest projected employment growth rates of jobs associated with degrees in music or library and information sciences are an unlikely deterrent to those envisioning a rewarding future for themselves in those fields," Kathryn Dill of Forbes said.
