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The editors at Best Counseling Degrees decided to research the topic of
College Degrees: High Demand versus Low Demand
We all know that a college degree can improve your income greatly, but do you know what degrees are coveted right now? Maybe the degree you're pursuing won't leave employers pursuing you. Or maybe you've chosen a path that has employers chasing you for an interview. Which is it?
DEGREES WITH HIGHEST RATE OF UNEMPLOYMENT
- 1. Clinical psychology 19.5%
- 2. Fine Arts Degrees 16.2%
- 3. United States History 15.1%
- 4. Library Science 15.0%
- 5. Military technologies 10.9%
- 6. Educational psychology 10.9%
- 7. Architecture 10.6%
- 8. Industrial & organizational psychology 10.4%
- 9. Miscellaneous psychology 10.3%
- 10. Linguistics & comparative literature 10.2%
- 11. Visual & performing arts: 9.2%
- 12. Engineering & industrial management 9.2%
WHAT'S DRIVING THE LOW DEMAND?
5 of these unemployment rates pertain to psychology.- Psychology is distinct because the field has little desire for bachelor level graduates. Its applications are also highly specialized. The Architecture employment rate is low because the industry virtually collapsed in the recession. Some non-technical majors are more notorious for unemployment like:
- Social Science
- Liberal Arts
- Humanities
- Law
- Public Policy Patterns suggest that those who have been out of college for some time will not fare as well as recent graduates while the economy recovers. Notable exceptions are:
- Architecture
- International Business
- Theater arts Finding work just to get by increases odds of getting a desirable job significantly.
AN ARGUMENT FOR SKIPPING COLLEGE ALTOGETHER?
Rates of unemployment in 2010 by level of education:- 16% of those with some high school education
- 11% of those graduated from high school
- 9% of those with some college education
- 5% of those with a bachelor's degree or higher At 16% unemployment, high school dropouts have a lower unemployment rate than those with a Bachelors degree in Clinical Psychology, Fine Arts, U.S. History or Library Science. And with an 11% unemployment rate, high school graduates fair better than the top 10 highest unemployment rate bachelor's degrees!
DEGREES WITH LOWEST RATE OF UNEMPLOYMENT
1. Medical Laboratory Technician 1.4%
- Works in med lab setting assisting doctors with technical research.
- Average salary is $59,430
2. Nursing 2.2%
- Assists physicians, administers care, and educates patients.
- Requires an associate's degree and is certified as a registered nurse.
- Average salary is $66,015
3. Treatment therapy professions 2.6%
- Consists of occupational therapists
- Can also get a master's in physical therapy to progress in the field
- Average salary - $74,715
4. Medical assisting services 2.9%
- Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners.
- A degree in healthcare management can be useful.
- Physician's assistant requires a Master's Degree and certification.
- Average salary for entry level med assistant is $28,000
- Physician's assistant $88,000
5. Agriculture production & management 3.0%
- Manage the agricultural production of various types of agrarian operations.
- The median salary for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers is $63,400.
6. Industrial production technologies 3.1%
- Industrial technology is the field concerned with the application of basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of industrial engineers and managers.
- Average salary ranges from $25,000 to $70,000
7. Pharmacy 3.2%
- Compounds and dispenses prescribed drugs in a healthcare facility environment.
- Average salary is $115,181
8. Communications & disorders sciences 3.3%
- Trained as speech-language pathologists and prepared to work with a variety of different speech disorders.
- Typically, requires a Master's degree but not always.
- Typical salary is $66,920
9. Elementary education 3.6%
- Teaches Children in the K-8 range.
- Typical salary is $52,541
10. Special-needs education 3.6%
- Teaches children with a variety of learning, mental, emotional and physical disabilities to ensure a quality education from an understanding individual.
- Typical salary is 53,220
STRATEGIES FOR GETTING A JOB AND STAYING EMPLOYED
Sometimes when unemployment is high the best strategy for future employment is grad school:- Unemployment for those with graduate degrees is 3% Overall, those who graduate from college in almost any degree will have better odds of job market success than those who choose not to. But, clearly, that's not all there is to it. Even greater factors of success are:
- Remaining dedicated to work - don't get stuck in a rut
- Choosing a prospering field of study - stay in the loop
- Choosing grad school instead of settling for an unrelated career
- Technical specialization - but be sure your studies have modern applications
