Whether you’re a recent college grad or high school senior weighing your college options, you’re bound to find these results, from a recent study, both interesting and insightful. The aim of the research was to find out which college towns were best for starting a career based on job availability, pay, social scene, and climate. Here’s a quick look at the studies findings, sorted by industry.
The tech industry is one of the most lucrative and in-demand career fields out there right now. Computer science majors and those holding a degree in IT shouldn’t have too much trouble finding work, but if you’re looking to make top dollar there are few college towns you may want to include in your job search. Currently, the town with the highest average salary in tech is Bedford, MA. Located just 15 miles outside Boston, talented tech workers here earn an average salary of $122,547. And not far behind that is the New York City suburb of Paramus, NJ, where the average salary is $120,278. If you’re partial to the west coast, expect to make around $111,893 if you land a job in San Jose, CA.
Finance is also a great way to earn a solid income. Business and Accounting majors should look to northeast for the highest earning potential. Norwalk, CT, in particular, is number one of the list, with an average salary of around $115k. Other notable cities are Lincroft, NJ and Durham, NH, where finance professionals make over $100,000 on average.
A job in healthcare can be very rewarding in its own right, but unfortunately, passion alone doesn’t pay the bills. To make top dollar healing others, look for open positions in Mequon, WI where healthcare workers bring home $113,329 on average. New Hampshire is another great place to look, especially in Plymouth and Hanover, where you can make over $100,000. It’s also worth noting that five cities across New Jersey made it into the top 20.
It’s common knowledge that teachers across the country are notoriously underpaid despite how hard they work. This isn’t the case for those working in New York, however. Education careers in Stony Brook pay over $80,000 on average and $61,000 for those in Garden City. Juneau, Alaska, and Maryland may also be worth looking into as both states had at least 4 cities make the top 25 for highest paying salaries.