30 Best Paying College Majors: 2016

(Ed note: Check out the 2017 version of 30 Best Paying College Majors)

Jobs in science will take students on the path to success if high pay is what they are seeking, according to the latest rankings of bachelor’s degrees from PayScale.com.

Almost all of the 30 majors with the best starting salaries are in the sciences, with many involving engineering of one type or another. The one outlier on the list is dental hygienist, although earnings growth for that occupation slows a bit by mid-career.

(Related:  20 Best Paying Jobs for College Business Majors: 2017 and 31 Worst Paying College Majors: 2017)

The rankings below are based on data collected by PayScale from 1,063 universities and include graduates with bachelor’s degrees in 319 disciplines. The universities surveyed include 89% of U.S. schools with an enrollment of more than 5,000 and 64% of schools with enrollment over 1,000.

Take a look at the 30 Best Paying College Majors for 2016:

30 Best Paying College Majors: 2016

30. Architectural Engineering

Starting Salary: $54,800

Mid-Career Salary: $88,000 (63^rd)

29. Industrial Distribution

Starting Salary: $58,100

Mid-Career Salary: $106,000 (16^th, tie)

28. Business Information Systems

Starting Salary: $58,600

Mid-Career Salary: $87,400 (65^th)

27. Actuarial Mathematics

Salary: $58,800

Mid-Career Salary: $119,000 (3^rd)

26. Electrical Engineering Technology

Starting Salary: $59,800

Mid-Career Salary: $88,600 (57^th, tie)

(Related: 30 Best Paying College Majors: 2017)

25. Manufacturing Engineering

Starting Salary: $60,400

Mid-Career Salary: $94,000 (39^th)

24. Electronics Engineering

Starting Salary: $60,700

Mid-Career Salary: $96,700 (33^rd)

23. Biomedical Engineering

Starting Salary: $60,900

Mid-Career Salary: $96,400 (34^th, tie)

22. Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering

Starting Salary: $61,100

Mid-Career Salary: $108,000 (12^th, tie)

21. Packaging Science

Starting Salary: $61,500

Mid-Career Salary: $88,100 (62^nd)

19 (tie). Software Engineering

Starting Salary: $62,500

Mid-Career Salary: $96,800 (32^nd)

(Related: 20 Best Paying Jobs for College Business Majors: 2017)

19 (tie). Mechanical Engineering

Starting Salary: $62,500

Mid-Career Salary: $102,000 (20^th, tie)

18. Industrial Engineering

Starting Salary: $62,800

Mid-Career Salary: $99,600  (26^th)

17. Computer Science & Mathematics

Starting Salary: $62,900

Mid-Career Salary: $107,000 (14^th, tie)

15 (tie). Engineering Management