Most and Least Marketable Degrees in 2009
This was given to me, thought you guys might find it interesting too, if not, what the fuck do I care?
The Most Marketable
Nursing
Nursing is one of the best educational investments out there. It requires only an associate degree to break into the field, though a bachelor's is usually preferred.
On top of an impressive average starting salary -- over $52,000, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers -- benefits include company-sponsored health care and matched retirement and sometimes additional perks such as tuition reimbursement and student loan forgiveness.
With the addition of approximately 470,000 jobs between now and 2016, registered nurses will find work in organizations ranging from hospitals and clinics to retirement homes and summer camps. Minimal tuition investment, maximum opportunities.
Computer/information science
While almost everyone else took pay cuts last year, computer science grads saw their average starting salary rise nearly 15 percent between 2007 and 2008.
With starting annual salaries hovering around the $60,000 mark,computer science grads claimed the No. 1 fastest growing occupation in the country -- network systems and data communication analysts -- with the field expected to add over 160,000 jobs between now and 2016.
Engineering
If you design it, they will come -- even in times of economic uncertainty. While the financial and housing sectors crumble, those entering the engineering market are still finding decent jobs and decent pay, especially in the areas of computer and project engineering.
NACE reports that while those majoring in liberal arts fields can expect starting salaries of $30,000 to $35,000 per year, newbie engineers earn an average salary topping $56,000 per year, not including health care, signing bonuses and company-sponsored retirement plans.
Economics
Despite the tanking economy, students who know their way around both bull and bear markets (and have the degree to prove it) have a much better shot of landing a well-paying job than most other grads.
In addition to a nearly $53,000 average starting salary, economics majors can also expect more job options. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, two of the top 20 fastest-growing occupations require economics or business-related degrees to break in.
The BLS estimates that the market for personal financial advisors will grow 40 percent within the next decade while the market for financial analysts should grow over 30 percent.
Education
As the baby boomers exit the teaching market, the field will require new blood to move in. The National Educational Association estimates that in the next decade, more than 2 million new teachers will be needed to replace retirees and tend to increasing student populations.
The field is especially ripe for bilingual, special education, math and science educators. While teachers' starting salaries have traditionally been lower than those in professions that require comparable education, teachers willing to work in critical-needs areas may be eligible for substantial signing bonuses as well as student loan forgiveness programs.
The Least Marketable
Print Journalism
A great job if you don't need a paycheck. With physical newspapers quickly becoming a thing of the past and magazines dropping like flies, even established journalists with impressive credentials are struggling to survive.
Payscale.com reports that the median salary for veteran journalists with 20 or more years of experience hovers at $49,000 -- more than $10,000 less than the salary that the average computer science major starts with.
Experts predict that 2009 will see more print and media closures than did 2008, with rumored layoffs planned by media giants including NBC Universal, Viacom Inc., the Tribune Co., the New York Times Co., and Knight Ridder.
Advertising
As media outlets sink and retail amrkets contract, they're taking advertisers with them. The global communications strategy firm ZenithOptimedia estimates that ad spending in North America will fall 5.7 percent in 2009, meaning more unpaid internships and fewer entry-level positions.
With layoffs expected in three of the largest ad holding companies -- Interpublic, Omnicom and WPP -- 2009 grads will have to fight for their first jobs.
Architecture
No budget for new construction means means no budget for those designing the new buildings. Requiring hefty tuition investment (usually four years of undergrad education plus one to two of grad school) for a starting salary that begins in the upper 30's, architecture was one of the riskier degrees even before the recession.
The recent houing market decline has taken new architect jobs with it. According to the American Institue of Architects, billings for architectural projects nationwide reached an all time low in December 2008 for the second consecutive month, suggesting that industrywide hiring freezes won't let up anytime soon.
Real Estate
With one in seven homeowners losing equity on their homes (per the most recent report from Zillow.com), the 2009 housing market will revolve around trying to hang on to current homes rather than selling new ones. Those graduating with associate degrees in real estate may want to come up with a backup career plan.
Even before the housing collapse, starting salaries for new realtors has always been relatively low ($24,630 per year according to Paysale.com). Since the majority of those int the field have comissioned salaries, new grads may be lucky to scrape by in 2009.
Film studies
Kiss the era of multimillion-dollar blockbusters goodbye, at least for a few years. With consumers cutting back on their enterainment budgets, production studios are scaling back on large-scale projects and many independent firms are cutting projects entirely.
In addition to economic woes, experts predict a second strike by the Screen Actor's Guild, which would shut down projects on both the large and small screen. The LA Times reports that the 2008 screenwriter's strike cost Los Angeles alone at least $380 million and possibly as much as $2.5 billion.
Recent layoffs at Viacom Inc., NBC Unviversal, Sony and Walt Disney spell out a bleak job market for 2009 film grads.
Damn, that took a lot longer than I thought it would to type up, enjoy.
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