15 jobs with the highest starting salaries

Salary potential shouldn't be the sole thing that attracts you to a major in college; things like passion, interest, and aptitude should also be considered. But it's still nice to know which degrees pay off the fastest.

1. Petroleum Engineering
Median starting pay: $102,300
Median mid-career pay: $176,300

2. Chemical Engineering
Median starting pay: $69,600
Median mid-career pay: $116,700

3. Computer Engineering
Median starting pay: $67,300
Median mid-career pay: $108,600

4. Nuclear Engineering
Median starting pay: $67,000
Median mid-career pay: $118,800

5. Computer Science & Engineering
Median starting pay: $66,700
Median mid-career pay: $112,600

6. Electrical & Computer Engineering
Median starting pay: $66,500
Median mid-career pay: $113,000

7. Electrical Engineering
Median starting pay: $65,900
Median mid-career pay: $107,900

8. Aerospace Engineering
Median starting pay: $64,700
Median mid-career pay: $107,900

9. Electronics & Communications Engineering
Median starting pay: $64,100
Median mid-career pay: $113,200

10. Materials Science & Engineering
Median starting pay: $64,000
Median mid-career pay: $105,100

11. Computer Science (CS) & Mathematics
Median starting pay: $63,200
Median mid-career pay: $101,400

12. Mechanical Engineering
Median starting pay: $62,100
Median mid-career pay: $101,600

13. Industrial Engineering
Median starting pay: $61,900
Median mid-career pay: $97,200

14. Software Engineering
Median starting pay: $61,700
Median mid-career pay: $99,800

15. Computer Science
Median starting pay: $61,600
Median mid-career pay: $103,600