PayScale and Fortune magazine have crunched the numbers to identify the graduate degrees that lead to the most lucrative careers, and law school is sixth on the list.
The ranking looked at three factors — long-term outlook for job growth, median salaries at mid-career, and job satisfactions scores.
Law school graduates placed second in the study for median salary at $138,200. It was based on salaries at mid-career or 10 years in.
The only graduates that earn more are Ph.D. students in Computer Science.
PayScale’s analysis finds the best graduate degrees are in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Statistics tops the list, followed by Computer Science, Human Computer Interaction and Physics. The J.D. degree is the only non-STEM degree in the top 10.
The study used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine job growth. Law is projected at 20.1 percent growth, higher than all degrees except for a Master’s and Ph.D. in statistics.
The study showed that 71 percent of J.D. graduates are highly satisfied, bases on a PayScale survey.
On the downside, only 34 percent of J.D. graduates reported low stress, lowest among the top 20 degrees.
1. Ph. D., Statistics
2. Master’s, Biostatistics
3. Ph. D., Computer Science
4. Master’s, Human Computer Interaction
5. Ph. D., Physics
6. J.D.
7. Master’s, Telecom Engineering
8. Master’s, Applied Math
9. Master’s, Statistics
10. Master’s, Engineering
