Masters Degree Jobs and Salaries
This topic can be subject to debate based on geographical location and industry needs. What we have done is break out the opportunities for Masters Degree jobs in several industries. We have also provided brief descriptions and links to further information.
The field of engineering has held several of the good pay positions for Bachelors Degrees over the past ten years, and the same applies to Masters Degree programs. Today the engineering field often combines technology professions and so does our discussion of Masters Degree jobs in technology and engineering.
Information Technology Manager- $108,200
Chemical Engineer- $94,200
Mechanical Engineering Manager- $105,700
Application Systems Analyst- $94,600
Electronics Engineer- $87,800
Aerospace Engineer- $101,200
Software Engineering Manager- $115,300
Civil Engineer- $110,200
Many people enter these fields and move on to specialized training as their careers develop. There are a number of professional societies that offer continuing education in specialized fields. The Institute for Electronics and Electrical Engineers is an excellent source for online continuing education in many technical fields, as well as material on the value of graduate education. The U.S. Department of Energy has its Office of Science Graduate Fellowship Program that provides support for a few luck applicants. However the website provides a wealth of information on graduate opportunities in the traditional and technology sciences.
In health care, many of the options short of MD fall into the nursing field. There are three categories of nurse specialist which are Masters Degree jobs with specialized training. The salary figures are based on median figures provided by Salary.com.
Nurse Anesthetist- $155,300
Nurse Midwife- $82,600
Clinical Nurse Specialist - $77,500
Nurse Practitioner- $87,600
Physician Assistant- $86,400
Physical Therapist- $77,300
Occupational Therapist- $74,800
Most advanced practice nurses transition into the Masters Degree jobs from RN positions. There are a tremendous number of specializations within both the Clinical Nurse Specialist field and in the Nurse Practitioner specialty. The University of California School of Nursing has one of the most comprehensive programs in the country for Masters Degree in Nursing specialties, with a searchable database on its website. Physical therapy is projected to be one of the fastest growing Masters Degree jobs in medicine over the next fifteen years. The American Physical Therapy Association has information on educational opportunities, specialties within the field and accredited programs.
The most popular Masters Degree option for graduate students is the MBA, and it also leads to the most Masters Degree jobs because of the range of specialties that are available in MBA programs today. Business Week has a listing of MBA starting salaries by business school for the 45 schools in the country, fifteen of which are ranked as "second tier." A more informative picture might be the average salaries for MBA graduates who focused on particular areas of concentration. A better read on MBA options might be the Michigan State University College of Business site, which discusses areas of concentration, average time of payback with an MBA job, and the full time and part time options for business school.
Sales and Marketing Director - $124,800
Financial Systems Manager- $98.500
Human Resources Director- $140,200
Risk Management Director- $121,400
