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
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Here are the best cities to get a job in 2015.
10. Minneapolis
Unemployment Rate: 3% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (as of December)
Encompassing 11 counties in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the metro area boasts its Chamber of Commerce boasts its diverse economy, including agriculture, food processing, computing, printing and publishing, large- and small-scale manufacturing, health care, arts and entertainment as well as medical instruments, education and finance.
9. Boulder, Colo.
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 4% (as of December)
Just 40 minutes outside of Denver, Boulder is the state's 11th largest city. As the home to Colorado University at Boulder, the city has long been an affluent, vibrant center of research and education, with multiple national labs and tech concerns helping to contribute an unemployment rate that's 2.5 points lower than the national average.
8. Fort Collins, Colo.
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 4% (as of December)
Roughly one hour north of Denver, Fort Collins is the regional economic center for Northern Colorado. Fort Collins capitalizes on the presence of Colorado State University, which is helping to drive innovation through research and development as well as jobs in the local economy. The town is also the home to the Budweiser touring plant, where the brewer's famous Clydesdales horses reside.
7. Omaha, Neb.
Unemployment Rate: 3% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (as of December)
Warren Buffett may have put Omaha on the map but this town has become the poster child for vibrant Midwest towns, with its low unemployment rate, strong economy, solid population growth, particularly from young professionals, and continued livability to set a gold standard.
6. Provo, Utah
Unemployment Rate: 3% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (as of December)
Provo, Utah is the third largest city in the state and roughly 45 minutes south of Salt Lake City. It's the hometown of collegiate powerhouse Brigham Young University which provides Provo with a highly educated workforce, and has helped attract and retain companies like Google GOOGL Fiber, Novell, Ancestry.com, and Adobe ADBE as employers in the area. - Provo was recently named Outside Magazine's No. 2 Best Town in America, based on its vibrant economy and access to outdoor recreation.
5. Odessa, Texas
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (as of December)
Oil is the lifeblood of Odessa, Texas, which is probably best known to most Americans for its rich high school football tradition. Recently pegged by Forbes as one of the fastest growing small cities in the U.S., this small West Texas city has impressive job creation rate continues to outpace the expansion of its burgeoning population.
4. Sioux Falls, S.D.
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (as of December)
Less than three hours from Omaha, fast-growing Sioux Falls is a regional economic engine which consistently ranks in the top tier of small cities for job growth. Though popular for financial services companies due to its lack of state corporate income tax, the state's largest city has been diversifying beyond that.
3. Rochester, Minn.
Unemployment Rate: 2.6% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (as of December)
Health care dominates Rochester, Minn., the state's third-largest city. Rochester, located less than two hours south of Minneapolis, is home to the world-renowned Mayo Clinic.
2. Fargo, N.D.
Unemployment Rate: 2.2% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (as of December)
Fargo is North Dakota's largest city. The city's job growth and income gains have outpaced the national average. Most impressively, job growth has kept pace with Fargo's double digit population growth over the last decade.
1. Lincoln, Neb.
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (as of December)
Nebraska's second largest city is also its capital. Lincoln is ranked No. 6 on Forbes' list of Best Places for Business and Careers. The city, located approximately one hour from Omaha, has a "killer combination" of low unemployment, strong job growth and low ratio of applicants to open jobs.
Unemployment Rate: 3% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (as of December)
Encompassing 11 counties in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the metro area boasts its Chamber of Commerce boasts its diverse economy, including agriculture, food processing, computing, printing and publishing, large- and small-scale manufacturing, health care, arts and entertainment as well as medical instruments, education and finance.
9. Boulder, Colo.
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 4% (as of December)
Just 40 minutes outside of Denver, Boulder is the state's 11th largest city. As the home to Colorado University at Boulder, the city has long been an affluent, vibrant center of research and education, with multiple national labs and tech concerns helping to contribute an unemployment rate that's 2.5 points lower than the national average.
8. Fort Collins, Colo.
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 4% (as of December)
Roughly one hour north of Denver, Fort Collins is the regional economic center for Northern Colorado. Fort Collins capitalizes on the presence of Colorado State University, which is helping to drive innovation through research and development as well as jobs in the local economy. The town is also the home to the Budweiser touring plant, where the brewer's famous Clydesdales horses reside.
7. Omaha, Neb.
Unemployment Rate: 3% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (as of December)
Warren Buffett may have put Omaha on the map but this town has become the poster child for vibrant Midwest towns, with its low unemployment rate, strong economy, solid population growth, particularly from young professionals, and continued livability to set a gold standard.
6. Provo, Utah
Unemployment Rate: 3% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (as of December)
Provo, Utah is the third largest city in the state and roughly 45 minutes south of Salt Lake City. It's the hometown of collegiate powerhouse Brigham Young University which provides Provo with a highly educated workforce, and has helped attract and retain companies like Google GOOGL Fiber, Novell, Ancestry.com, and Adobe ADBE as employers in the area. - Provo was recently named Outside Magazine's No. 2 Best Town in America, based on its vibrant economy and access to outdoor recreation.
5. Odessa, Texas
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (as of December)
Oil is the lifeblood of Odessa, Texas, which is probably best known to most Americans for its rich high school football tradition. Recently pegged by Forbes as one of the fastest growing small cities in the U.S., this small West Texas city has impressive job creation rate continues to outpace the expansion of its burgeoning population.
4. Sioux Falls, S.D.
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (as of December)
Less than three hours from Omaha, fast-growing Sioux Falls is a regional economic engine which consistently ranks in the top tier of small cities for job growth. Though popular for financial services companies due to its lack of state corporate income tax, the state's largest city has been diversifying beyond that.
3. Rochester, Minn.
Unemployment Rate: 2.6% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (as of December)
Health care dominates Rochester, Minn., the state's third-largest city. Rochester, located less than two hours south of Minneapolis, is home to the world-renowned Mayo Clinic.
2. Fargo, N.D.
Unemployment Rate: 2.2% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (as of December)
Fargo is North Dakota's largest city. The city's job growth and income gains have outpaced the national average. Most impressively, job growth has kept pace with Fargo's double digit population growth over the last decade.
1. Lincoln, Neb.
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (as of November)
State Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (as of December)
Nebraska's second largest city is also its capital. Lincoln is ranked No. 6 on Forbes' list of Best Places for Business and Careers. The city, located approximately one hour from Omaha, has a "killer combination" of low unemployment, strong job growth and low ratio of applicants to open jobs.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
10 surprsing jobs you can do from home
Most people think of telecommuting as something that cubicle dwellers request, but more and more employers are looking for new hires who seldom, if ever, come in to the office in the first place.
One reason is that having employees set up their own home offices can save companies a bundle in real estate, utilities, and other overhead costs. If everyone with a portable job and a desire to work from home (or from the road) did so just half the time, U.S. employers could save more than $700 billion a year, according to a study from research firm Global Workplace Analytics.
A sampling of 10 telecommuting positions, filled through the site last year:
Senior pharmaceutical scientist -- Oversee development and results of clinical drug trials.
Fish biologist -- Monitor tagged salmon and maintain database of statistics. Some travel required. (Upstream, maybe?)
Environmental engineer -- Design equipment and processes to prevent or reduce air pollution.
Director of international sales -- Develop sales strategies and manage customer records.
U.S.-based, travel required.
Senior branding/naming expert -- Evaluate market research and name new products. Seven years' branding experience required, MBA preferred.
Chief public affairs officer -- Manage national public relations and internal communications. Oversee staff of 125.
Chief operating officer -- C-level department head to do strategic planning, business development. Some startup experience required.
Chief executive officer -- Oversee daily operations and long-term strategy for statewide chain of assisted-living senior homes. Regulatory experience preferred. Travel required.
Vice president of sales -- Based in the U.K. Seven to 15 years' experience in financial services account management required.
Considering a career change? How about something like this?
Ohio Valley Beer Ambassador -- Coordinate and attend events in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky to promote beer and spirits. Candidate must be "very outgoing." Translation: Party animal preferred.
One reason is that having employees set up their own home offices can save companies a bundle in real estate, utilities, and other overhead costs. If everyone with a portable job and a desire to work from home (or from the road) did so just half the time, U.S. employers could save more than $700 billion a year, according to a study from research firm Global Workplace Analytics.
A sampling of 10 telecommuting positions, filled through the site last year:
Senior pharmaceutical scientist -- Oversee development and results of clinical drug trials.
Fish biologist -- Monitor tagged salmon and maintain database of statistics. Some travel required. (Upstream, maybe?)
Environmental engineer -- Design equipment and processes to prevent or reduce air pollution.
Director of international sales -- Develop sales strategies and manage customer records.
U.S.-based, travel required.
Senior branding/naming expert -- Evaluate market research and name new products. Seven years' branding experience required, MBA preferred.
Chief public affairs officer -- Manage national public relations and internal communications. Oversee staff of 125.
Chief operating officer -- C-level department head to do strategic planning, business development. Some startup experience required.
Chief executive officer -- Oversee daily operations and long-term strategy for statewide chain of assisted-living senior homes. Regulatory experience preferred. Travel required.
Vice president of sales -- Based in the U.K. Seven to 15 years' experience in financial services account management required.
Considering a career change? How about something like this?
Ohio Valley Beer Ambassador -- Coordinate and attend events in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky to promote beer and spirits. Candidate must be "very outgoing." Translation: Party animal preferred.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
9 things you should think twice about before purchasing
While you don't have to be a billionaire to purchase any of the items on this list, most of them are luxury items that usually only people in the upper tax brackets can afford. All of these expensive items however are things that you can do without regardless of your budget.
What follows, in no particular order, is a list of 10 things that you probably shouldn't buy...
1-Bicycles
This choice definitely deserves a caveat. For regular bikers an expensive bike is a great investment, if you live in the suburb but expensive bike thefts are on the rise in places like New York City.
2-Vacation Homes
The negative cash flow associated with vacation homes despite the potential for positive cash flow through collecting rent is reason enough to think twice about purchasing that exotic getaway.
Maintenance costs like insurance, utilities, marketing and other expenses will be a constant drain on finances if one does decide to purchase their future retirement home.
3-College Textbooks
After paying tens of thousands of dollars in tuition each semester to go to college it would be pretty silly not to do the reading for your courses. However, there are cheap alternatives to buying new books from your campus bookstore. Buying used books, renting them, or checking them out at the library could save a student (the parents) hundreds of dollars a semester.
4-Snowmobiles/ATVs/Jet-Skis
Unless you live somewhere where using a snowmobile on a daily basis is a necessity, then snowmobiles definitely fall into the 'rather rent than own' category.
5-Designer Denim
Designer jeans from brands like True Religion and Balmain can run you thousands of dollars, while denim from Levis that will last you years can cost under $100 and the quality of denim between the brands is pretty much the same.
6-Recreational Vehicles
Recreational Vehicles also fall into the 'better to rent than own' category due to the potential for a minimal lack of return on investment.
7-Extended Warranties
Most items like electronics already come with a manufacturer's warranty that covers most product flaws and malfunctions.
8-Boats
With the maintenance costs and upkeep being so exorbitant the old age saying is that the happiest two days in a boat owners life is the day he purchases the boat and the day he unloads it, is often proven to be true.
9-Time Shares
Besides the fact that it is often more cost effective to rent a time share than buy it, time shares come with a bunch of hidden costs, and owners should expect to lose 50% of their investment upon resale.
What follows, in no particular order, is a list of 10 things that you probably shouldn't buy...
1-Bicycles
This choice definitely deserves a caveat. For regular bikers an expensive bike is a great investment, if you live in the suburb but expensive bike thefts are on the rise in places like New York City.
2-Vacation Homes
The negative cash flow associated with vacation homes despite the potential for positive cash flow through collecting rent is reason enough to think twice about purchasing that exotic getaway.
Maintenance costs like insurance, utilities, marketing and other expenses will be a constant drain on finances if one does decide to purchase their future retirement home.
3-College Textbooks
After paying tens of thousands of dollars in tuition each semester to go to college it would be pretty silly not to do the reading for your courses. However, there are cheap alternatives to buying new books from your campus bookstore. Buying used books, renting them, or checking them out at the library could save a student (the parents) hundreds of dollars a semester.
4-Snowmobiles/ATVs/Jet-Skis
Unless you live somewhere where using a snowmobile on a daily basis is a necessity, then snowmobiles definitely fall into the 'rather rent than own' category.
5-Designer Denim
Designer jeans from brands like True Religion and Balmain can run you thousands of dollars, while denim from Levis that will last you years can cost under $100 and the quality of denim between the brands is pretty much the same.
6-Recreational Vehicles
Recreational Vehicles also fall into the 'better to rent than own' category due to the potential for a minimal lack of return on investment.
7-Extended Warranties
Most items like electronics already come with a manufacturer's warranty that covers most product flaws and malfunctions.
8-Boats
With the maintenance costs and upkeep being so exorbitant the old age saying is that the happiest two days in a boat owners life is the day he purchases the boat and the day he unloads it, is often proven to be true.
9-Time Shares
Besides the fact that it is often more cost effective to rent a time share than buy it, time shares come with a bunch of hidden costs, and owners should expect to lose 50% of their investment upon resale.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Gas prices -vs- driving time
The slide in gasoline prices won’t put more Americans behind the wheel.
It estimates that it now takes a 25% to 50% plunge in gas prices to increase car travel just 1%, compared with a 12% drop in the mid-1990s. (Prices have fallen 28% from the 2014 peak.) And it estimates that gas prices next year will average 23% less than this year’s average, and increased fuel economy will balance out an increase in miles traveled and other factors, leaving consumption in December virtually unchanged from a year earlier.
The reasons for this drop in what economists call price elasticity aren’t particularly new. The EIA lists five possible explanations:
People are driving less, period. This is measured by the vehicle miles traveled per capita. Growth slowed in the late 1990s — and has declined in recent years. Before the peak, hit in 2007, U.S. travel behavior closely tracked economic growth; that is less so now.
More retirees as baby boomers stop working. Retirees tend to drive less than those who work.
The trend toward living in urban areas. Those people tend to drive less than those in the suburbs and rural areas.
Teens aren’t as excited about driving either. They are delaying getting their drivers’ license — or skipping it.
A smaller percentage of the typical household budget is being spent on gas, which could make drivers less sensitive to the ups and downs in price.
It estimates that it now takes a 25% to 50% plunge in gas prices to increase car travel just 1%, compared with a 12% drop in the mid-1990s. (Prices have fallen 28% from the 2014 peak.) And it estimates that gas prices next year will average 23% less than this year’s average, and increased fuel economy will balance out an increase in miles traveled and other factors, leaving consumption in December virtually unchanged from a year earlier.
The reasons for this drop in what economists call price elasticity aren’t particularly new. The EIA lists five possible explanations:
People are driving less, period. This is measured by the vehicle miles traveled per capita. Growth slowed in the late 1990s — and has declined in recent years. Before the peak, hit in 2007, U.S. travel behavior closely tracked economic growth; that is less so now.
More retirees as baby boomers stop working. Retirees tend to drive less than those who work.
The trend toward living in urban areas. Those people tend to drive less than those in the suburbs and rural areas.
Teens aren’t as excited about driving either. They are delaying getting their drivers’ license — or skipping it.
A smaller percentage of the typical household budget is being spent on gas, which could make drivers less sensitive to the ups and downs in price.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Best places to retire over seas
Retirement around the corner? Thinking about that adventure you never had time to take....deciding on the best place to retire abroad is not easy but here are the top 9 places to consider:
*Algarve, Portugal
Estimated expat population: 100,000+
*Cuenca, Ecuador
Estimated expat population: 5,000+
*Ambergris Caye, Belize
Estimated expat population: 2,000+
*Dumaguete, Philippines
Estimated expat population: 5,000+
*Barcelona
Estimated expat population: 35,000+
*George Town, Malaysia
Estimated expat population: 40,000+
*Chiang Mai, Thailand
Estimated expat population: 20,000+
*Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Estimated expat population: 40,000+
*City Beaches, Panama
Estimated expat population: 2,000+
*Algarve, Portugal
Estimated expat population: 100,000+
*Cuenca, Ecuador
Estimated expat population: 5,000+
*Ambergris Caye, Belize
Estimated expat population: 2,000+
*Dumaguete, Philippines
Estimated expat population: 5,000+
*Barcelona
Estimated expat population: 35,000+
*George Town, Malaysia
Estimated expat population: 40,000+
*Chiang Mai, Thailand
Estimated expat population: 20,000+
*Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Estimated expat population: 40,000+
*City Beaches, Panama
Estimated expat population: 2,000+
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
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