Top Masters Programs

 The other day I saw this article (below) that really made me feel like knowingly going into debt to get my masters is worth the investment and stress. The program that I am getting is ranked 3rd on the list of top paying jobs with this masters degree. I was finally able to start relaxing about going back across the country for school.
Reading this article has helped me put that extra drive and determination to be the best and to succeed. Here are questions I have asked myself when a change is happens...
 
Where do I want to be? 
Am I pushing myself to reach my potential and goals? 
Am I ready to be inconvenienced on this journey?
  
Ask yourself these questions and see if you have accomplished all of them with your current job/school or new job/school.
For me I have taken the first steps to have a few years of inconvenience and stress for decades of enjoying the spoils and peace of mind from the hard work and sacrifices I will make.

Best-Paying and Worst-Paying Master’s Degrees

By Charyn Pfeuffer, PayScale.com

If you’re looking for the most bang for your postgraduate educational buck, some master’s degrees yield bigger financial returns than others.  

Katie Bardaro, lead analyst at online salary database PayScale.com, says that many of the top-paying master’s degrees are in technical fields such as engineering and computer science. “These are areas where it pays to get additional training and build upon the knowledge acquired in an undergraduate program,” Bardaro says.

Although Bardaro says any degree that allows you to increase your technical know-how is valuable when it comes to salary, she cautions that more education does not always result in higher income, especially when you factor in the cost of obtaining the degree. “Education is like any other investment, in that one needs to do some cost-benefit analysis before taking the plunge,” she says.

Below, we’ve ranked the 10 best-paying and five worst-paying master’s degrees and listed three top-paying, typical jobs for graduates and median, mid-career salary information. The master’s of business administration (MBA) is not included in this list.

To put the salaries in perspective, the median pay per master’s-degree category is:

• Engineering and technology degrees: $110,000
• Arts and sciences degrees: $83,300
• Pre-professional degrees: $84,100

10 Best-Paying Master’s Degrees
1. Master’s in Electrical Engineering

• Median Pay: $121,000
• Possible Jobs: Senior systems engineer ($124,000), software developer ($112,000), senior electrical engineer ($108,000)

2. Master’s in Finance

• Median Pay: $120,000
• Possible Jobs: Vice president of finance ($170,000), finance director ($154,000), senior financial analyst ($83,500)

3. Master’s in Chemical Engineering

• Median Pay: $117,000
• Possible Jobs: Process engineering manager ($148,000), senior chemical engineer ($124,000), chemical process engineer  ($102,000)

4. Master’s in Economics

• Median Pay: $114,000
• Possible Jobs: Marketing director ($150,000), economist ($107,000), senior financial analyst ($104,000)

5. Master’s in Physics 

• Median Pay: $113,000
• Possible Jobs: Senior software engineer ($112,000), physicist ($93,400), secondary school teacher ($70,000)

6. Master’s in Computer Science

• Median Pay: $109,000
• Possible Jobs: Software architect ($124,000), IT project manager ($109,000), software developer ($96,100)

7. Master’s in Mechanical Engineering

• Median Pay: $105,000
• Possible Jobs: Senior mechanical engineer ($100,000), project engineer ($88,300), mechanical engineer ($86,800)

8. Master’s in Civil Engineering

• Median Pay: $97,100
• Possible Jobs: Construction project manager ($97,100), structural engineer ($86,600), civil engineer ($84,800)

9. Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies

• Median Pay: $96,200
• Possible Jobs: Physician assistant ($96,500)

10. Master’s in Management Information Systems 

• Median Pay: $95,000
• Possible Jobs: Senior software engineer ($105,000), IT manager ($92,600), systems analyst ($82,400)

Five Worst-Paying Master’s Degrees

1. Master’s in Counseling

• Median Pay: $52,300
• Possible Jobs: Guidance counselor ($59,000), mental health counselor ($48,800), social worker ($47,300)

2. Master’s in Social Work

• Median Pay: $56,900
• Possible Jobs: Clinical services director ($64,700), social worker ($54,200), clinical therapist ($50,900)

3. Master’s in Music

• Median Pay: $56,900
• Possible Jobs: Secondary school teacher ($55,300), elementary school teacher ($44,700), music director ($43,000)

4. Master’s in Library and Information Science

• Median Pay: $57,100
• Possible Jobs: Elementary school principal ($74,300), secondary school teacher ($54,700), elementary school teacher ($53,800)

5. Master’s in Education

• Median Pay: $60,000
• Possible Jobs: Elementary school principal ($74,300), secondary school teacher ($54,700), elementary school teacher ($53,800)

Source: All salary data provided by online salary database PayScale.com. Salaries are based on mid-career median pay. Median pay is based on annual salary plus any bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions and other forms of cash earnings. It does not include equity compensation, cash value of retirement benefits or the value of other noncash benefits (e.g., health insurance). A mid-career worker is one with at least 10 years of experience. For workers in this data set, the typical mid-career employee is 43 years old and has about 15 years of experience."