Salary, job satisfaction, or both?

Delenie

As the recession continues to push our economy in a challenging direction, students across the nation are holding on tight to their degrees, hoping their education will earn them a salary  that's at least enough to pay off their bills. Given these tough conditions, is it time for students like us to shift our focus and study in a more progressive field?

As President Obama  begins to steer our nation in the "green" direction, the renewable energy industry will be facing tremendous growth in the coming years, with an abundance of opportunities  waiting for college students graduating in 2010-2013. Now might not be such a bad time to start taking a few courses on energy efficiency! Or if you have the skills and interest, you might consider a technical job in engineering , information technology , or construction management. 

Although many students may be inclined to major in energy-related fields because that is where the market is heading, you might not necessarily have to if you work hard. Salary increases come with experience and increase the most in the first ten years. Even if you're not making much with an entry-level position after graduating, you have the potential to catch up to your colleagues. Let's compare an English major with an Economics and Electrical Engineering major: 

• As an English major, entry-level jobs average about $31,976 while an Economics major averages $41,704 and an Electrical Engineering major averages $48,883.
• However, just after 5-9 years of experience, English majors will be earning $51,972 while Economics majors average $68,924 and Electrical Engineering majors average $71,824.
• Even though all salaries have increased, there has been the most growth for English and Economics majors with 62.53% and 65.27%, respectively. Meanwhile, salaries have only increased by 46.93% for Electrical Engineering majors.

I'm an Economics major, so this bodes well for me!

My fellow students, how are you guiding your academic careers? Are you basing them on your interest in the subject or on future salaries, or a combination? And what do you think your prospects are for finding a career in this economy?