Top College Majors Paying Off for Mid-Career Millennials

Engineering degrees lead the way in high mid-career wages, according to New York Fed analysis.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York examined 73 college major groups using Census Bureau data from 2024 and found that 21 majors had six-figure median wages at the mid-career stage, defined as 35- to 45-year-olds. Many of the top 10 highest-paying majors were in engineering fields, with chemical, computer, and aerospace studies having the highest median wages. The analysis showed engineering majors also ranked highly for early-career wages, with computer engineering having the highest early-career median wage at $90,000, followed by computer science at $87,000.

Why it matters

The findings highlight the continued value and demand for technical skills, especially in the engineering field, even as the job market faces some uncertainty. While new graduates in computer science and engineering may be having a tougher time landing jobs due to sluggish hiring in the tech sector, the long-term earning potential of these degrees remains strong.

The details

The New York Fed's analysis showed that many of the top-paying majors for mid-career millennials were in engineering fields. Chemical, computer, and aerospace engineering had the highest median wages, all above $120,000. Even the engineering field with the lowest mid-career median wage, industrial engineering, was still in the six-figure range at $100,000. The data suggests that the rigorous coursework and scarcity of qualified engineers make these roles highly valuable to employers.

  • The New York Fed analysis used Census Bureau data from 2024.
  • The data reflects the job market for 35- to 45-year-old professionals, capturing a large share of the millennial generation.

The players

Daniel Zhao

The chief economist at Glassdoor, who provided analysis on the value of engineering degrees and the current job market conditions.

Andrew Chen

A recent computer science graduate from the University of California San Diego who struggled to find a job initially but ultimately landed a six-figure software engineering role at Amazon.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Engineering jobs often require rigorous coursework if not a higher degree, and the scarcity of qualified engineers means employers are willing to pay high wages.”

— Daniel Zhao, Chief Economist, Glassdoor

“This was the first big company that had given me a chance in a while, so I really wanted to get this one.”

— Andrew Chen

What’s next

The job market for new engineering and computer science graduates may remain challenging in the near term due to the current economic slowdown, but the long-term demand for these skills is expected to remain strong.

The takeaway

While the job market faces some uncertainty, the data shows that technical degrees, especially in engineering, continue to provide strong earning potential for mid-career professionals. This underscores the enduring value of rigorous STEM education, even as economic conditions fluctuate.