Today, nearly 10% of all jobs in the U.S. are STEM related, requiring skills in math, science, and engineering. What’s more interesting, nearly all of those STEM jobs have annual salaries that double the current U.S. average, according the the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For the most part, engineering and science related fields take the top spots for earning potential and initial salary, with Drilling Engineer coming in 1st and Technology Analyst coming in 4th. Below is the list of the top paying STEM jobs and their median salaries.
No. 1 Drilling Engineer
Median Pay: $113,900
No. 2 Petroleum Engineer
Median Pay: $97,300
No. 3 Mining Engineer
Median Pay: $71,300
No. 4 Technology Analyst
Median Pay: $67,500
No. 5 Welding Engineer
Median Pay: $67,500
No. 6 Chemical Engineer
Median Pay: $65,900
No. 7 Network Security Analyst
Median Pay: $64,000
No. 8 Computer Hardware Engineer
Median Pay: $62,900
No. 9 Manufacturing Engineer
Median Pay: $62,600
No. 10 Electrical Engineer
Median Pay: $61,900
No. 11 Clinical Informatics Specialist
Median Pay: $61,400
No. 12 Software Developer
Median Pay: $61,300
No. 13 Forensic Accountant
Median Pay: $59,300
No. 14 Mechanical Engineer
Median Pay: $59,000
No. 15 Clinical Data Analyst
Median Pay: $58,500
No. 16 Field Engineer, Construction
Median Pay: $57,400
No. 17 Industrial Engineer
Median Pay: $57,300
No. 18 Clinical Research Associate (CRA)
Median Pay: $56,500
No. 19 Biomedical Engineer
Median Pay: $56,200
No. 20 Quantitative Analyst
Median Pay: $56,100
The question remains, why aren’t we telling our kids about these amazing opportunities? Why aren’t more schools infusing their classrooms with technology in order to create well-rounded classes and creators of technology, not just consumers of it?