Not only will you make more money with a college education, you will be less likely to be unemployed (BLS.gov). The most important decision is what type of career you are passionate about. The second most important decision is which college degree and college will prepare you for success in your chosen career.
Today, men and women are attending college at the same rates. According to the Census Bureau, 29% of women and 30% of men have at least a bachelor’s degree. The shift in college attendance is also following men and women into the jobs arena.
Popular Career Choices Among Women
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Women accounted for 51 percent of all workers in the high-paying management, professional, and related occupations. Here is just a sample of these occupations where women were the larger percentage of those employed:”
|
|
Occupation Female % of Highest Earning |
|
Registered nurses |
92.0 |
|
Meeting and convention planners |
83.3 |
|
Elementary and middle school teachers |
81.9 |
|
Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents |
73.8 |
|
Medical and health services managers |
69.5 |
|
Social and community service managers |
69.4 |
|
Psychologists |
68.8 |
|
Other business operations specialists |
68.4 |
|
Human resources managers |
66.8 |
|
Financial specialists, all other |
66.6 |
|
Tax preparers |
65.9 |
|
Insurance underwriters |
62.8 |
|
Education administrators |
62.6 |
|
Accountants and auditors |
61.8 |
|
Veterinarians |
61.2 |
|
Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators |
60.6 |
|
Budget analysts |
59.3 |
|
Medical scientists |
56.9 |
|
Advertising and promotions managers |
56.5 |
|
Financial managers |
54.7 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Earnings, 2009 Annual Averages and the Monthly Labor Review, November 2009.
Popular Career Choices Among Men
|
|
Occupation Female % of Total Jobs Overall |
|
Construction and extraction |
97.4 |
|
Installation, maintenance, and repair |
95.8 |
|
Architecture and engineering |
86.2 |
|
Transportation and material moving |
84.7 |
|
Farming, fishing and forestry |
79.5 |
|
Protective services |
77.7 |
|
Computer and mathematical |
75.2 |
|
Production |
71.9 |
|
Management |
62.6 |
|
Building, grounds cleaning and maintenance |
59.6 |
|
Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media |
53.3 |
|
Life, physical and social science |
53.2 |
|
Sales and related |
50.4 |
|
Legal |
50.2 |
|
Food preparation and serving related |
44.3 |
|
Business and financial operations |
43.7 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employed persons by occupation, sex, and age (2009)
What Kind of Career is For You?
So many career opportunities, how can you choose just one? Earnings are important, however because you spend much of your life working, you want to be doing work that satisfies you. Also, selecting a career with a lot of opportunity in the future is also important. Some careers, particularly in health care and engineering, are in high demand. High schools, colleges, independent career counselors, career tools and career books are great resources to learn about careers, and to match careers with your interests and aptitudes.
Here are a couple of tools to explore careers:
Federal Student Aid Career Finder
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook
Research all Online or Campus Based Degrees:
