| One of the highest paid college degrees is in the | | | | unemployment rate! Chemical engineers are |
| field of engineers, Engineers don't get paid more | | | | involved in the current development of |
| because they are needed. They get paid more | | | | nanotechnology, alternatives to fossil fuels and |
| due to supply and demand. Engineering, | | | | refrigerants that don't damage the ozone layer. |
| implementation, and operations are not valued as | | | | Workers with a master's, doctoral, or first-- |
| highly in the United States and are appropriately | | | | professional degree usually earn more than those |
| being shifted overseas. I fear one day we will be | | | | with a bachelor's. This is not surprising because |
| left with a nation of hairdressers and real estate | | | | more-educated workers qualify for several |
| agents. Engineers have a pay ceiling, while business | | | | high-paying occupations that bachelor's degree |
| and finance majors don't. Of course, it is a lot | | | | holders do not. Workers in the computer systems |
| easier to get a job as an engineer, since they are | | | | design and related services industry generally |
| more desirable. | | | | command higher earnings than the national |
| Engineering majors continue to top the list for | | | | average. All production or nonsupervisory workers |
| highest paid starting salaries. According to the | | | | in the industry averaged $1,265 a week in 2006, |
| NACE survey, chemical engineering graduates | | | | significantly higher than the average of $568 for |
| garner the highest average salary among all | | | | all industries. Workers 18 and over sporting |
| graduates at $55,900, up 4.2 percent from last | | | | bachelors degrees earn an average of $51,206 a |
| year, from $53,813. Engineers oversee the | | | | year, while those with a high school diploma earn |
| quality-control portions of product development, | | | | $27,915. |
| such as temperature and liquid levels in processing | | | | Education seems to be one of the best |
| tanks. Process control specialists improve | | | | investments one can make during his/her life. |
| production to a diverse array of industries, ranging | | | | Education is of fundamental importance in |
| from ice cream production to plastics | | | | expanding ones understanding of the world and |
| manufacturing. Engineering is a "trade" field of | | | | ourselves. Unless one is particularly talented and |
| math, so it is not included. | | | | focused in one area that they wish to pursue, and |
| Chemical engineering has been the highest paid | | | | even then, one should consider the merits of |
| college degrees the last few years because of | | | | starting in the working world too early. Education |
| the rise in petroleum fuel prices and our (and | | | | was always important in my household. So if your |
| other country's) increasing demand for the black | | | | thinking about education you may want to find |
| gold. Not only are chemical engineers paid well, | | | | out what are the highest paid college degrees. |
| they're in high demand with a reported 0.2% | | | | |