13 Great Careers For College Grads

This week, U.S. News and World Report published their list of the top 50 careers of 2011 -- more than half of which require at least a B.A.

To compile their list, U.S. News looked at jobs that offer employees the most opportunity -- in terms of projected growth as reported by the Labor Department, quality of life and compensation -- in five sectors: business, creative and service, health care, social service and technology.

All of the jobs listed have above-average median annual pay rates, and all are expected to experience above-average growth between 2008 and 2018. Jobs that are expected to have few openings in the coming year were not included.

The report comes as the economy starts to recover, and although some warn that the job market remains fiercely competitive, others believe that this year competition has eased. CEO of the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas John Challenger told U.S. News that "the whole environment has changed ... it feels like springtime compared to last year's winter in the job market."

Whether you're just about to start college or nearing the finish line, check out these 13 great jobs that require at least a four-year degree and their median annual salaries in 2009. And see U.S. News for the full list and for the particulars of each position.

Are you studying to work in any of these fields? Let us know in the comments section.

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Financial Analyst

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Median annual pay: $73,670

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Median annual pay: $73,670

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Comments

[Carlo Maria Ampil]

11:30 PM on 12/23/2010

OK can someone enlighten me as to why the liberal arts, what i consider to be the root of the university and the college experience, coming all the way from the origins of organized higher education, is now THE MOST belittled field, not just job-wise, but also by almost everyone looking for, and to fill a job position?
I am asking this question partly out of desperation.

It's also interesting how many universities are now angling to severely cut the budgets of their liberal arts departments.....

[Arrive2 net]

06:30 PM on 12/20/2010

I think a student might be wise to pick a major that's on the list rather than a similar one that's not on it. Jobs I would not have expected on such a list...are there now...Public and Medical Health Social Worker, Family Therapist, Emergency Management...these are shockers on this list.

Bernard Schuster
Arrive2.net
twitter.com/Arrive2_net

[Said One]

03:17 PM on 12/19/2010

@ corwin

A religious studies major or a philsophy major having a job in the real world.  Yeah right. These people have no skills and serve to only keep old professors in the university sector in a job. Funders who fund for these things also are crazy - since they are setting people up to be unemployable in the real world. If one goes to a university and sees that the majority of their incentives/exchange programs are based on religious studies or philsophy majors local or international - then run like the wind. Or else be prepared for a job at Macys.

[corwin]

07:12 PM on 12/12/2010

Where are the ,ummm. Liberal Arts majors ?

[Said One]

03:13 PM on 12/19/2010

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[Kringle]

01:29 PM on 12/12/2010

These seem hand-picked from the greed and corruption that is destroying the economy.

I wager that economics as we know it is about to drastically evolve. Call it a social backlash, call it renaissance...but honestly, I don't believe students are as ignorant as this article seems to imply.

[funstuff21]

07:54 PM on 12/09/2010

These comments are ridiculous­. You cannot clump all FA's as people who create nothing. Many of the positions within the industry are actually quite vital to the American Dream. Assistance from Financial profession­als can help parents save enough money for their kids to go to college, for them to retire, for them to even give to organizati­ons/founda­tions that are important to them. I do not agree with all aspects of the Financial Industry but we cannot say that it is as a whole a selfish industry that produces nothing.

[exmate]

09:53 PM on 12/08/2010

FINANCIAL ANALYST??? IT WAS THOSE CREEPS PLAYING SHELL GAMES WITH EACH OTHER THAT BROUGHT ABOUT OUR ECONOMICS COLLAPSE.

FINANCE IS THE TAIL THAT WAGS THE DOG IN OUR ECONOMY.

PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES ARE BEING SABOTAGED BY THOSE LEECHES.

[corwin]

07:10 PM on 12/12/2010

Or,maybe is was a gov't mandate to get rid of any reasonable down payment on housing touching off a speculation crisis.Or,maybe,the gov't (hmm.Which party/) making Fannie and Freddie de facto gov't guaranteed lenders Or,maybe some gov'ts (hmm.Which party?) paying more and hiring more public employees sending state budhets crashing .
I'd present more of a case,but you've learned the secret of very smart people is to capitalize letters.Obviously, I'm defeated by that intellect.
By the way, I'm a medical doctor. Don't knock leeches

[exmate]

07:20 PM on 12/13/2010

(I am a doc too.- retired ) Like leeches and maggots , These money people can serve a useful function too when they they function appropriately by allocating capital to worthy business enterprise and projects. Instead finance has become a means for a relatively few individuals can get rich by playing games with money. .

A thyroid gland, when it works cooperatively with other systems, makes the organism function better. when it is hyperactive, it consumes resources and if not treated, it can kill the organism.

morphine when usede to treat pain, CHF or an Mi, good things happen. when it is used to feel good , bad things happen. When money is used to give value to goods and services or facilitate commerse, good things happen . when it is used to feel good, bad thigds happen.

exmate, MD, MBA
The human body had perfected itself by trial and error over millions of years and is pretty good at self regulation but we still need docs. wall street is a couple of hundred years old and even adam smith said government regulation is nercessary.

[exmate]

07:22 PM on 12/13/2010

Corwin do you have relatives on LI?

[Social Shrink]

06:12 PM on 12/08/2010

... because any college graduate can just choose the perfect job for them! Unemployment? Whats that

www.thesocialshrink.blogspot.com

[LivewithFlair]

09:55 AM on 12/08/2010

What about being a teacher or a writer? I love my job and was sad to see it wasn't on the list. http://livewithflair.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-you-have-to-know.html

[Cristancho]

07:40 AM on 12/08/2010

Who knew drawing job names out of a big hat would constitute research for an HP article.

[theiccemann]

07:35 AM on 12/08/2010

What happened to just wanting to be a fireman? ... Oh, the good ol' days.

.. are they shipped overseas also?

[Downix]

06:52 PM on 12/20/2010

No, they're being shut down, you know, as it's a socialist program.

[theiccemann]

07:21 AM on 12/08/2010

Professional bowlers make good money. It's respectable too. You're still pushin' a pin. (if there is any respectability in that...)

I've heard that being a professional lottery ticket purchaser has it's perks.

Do you get the feeling that the person(s) writing this article have no clue? That they are oblivious and probably live or have grown up in Beverly Hills, and that being a "curator," is probably their version of being "down and out?"

Keep your suggestions to yourself. I could rattle off 10 jobs also, and would you pay me for the article?

[Supercruize]

07:30 AM on 12/08/2010

My sentiments precisely. They probably will ask us to read, wish it, want it, have it by brian griffin.

[degenerate1991]

04:26 AM on 12/08/2010

I'm a history/econ double major...I'm afraid that the 4 years of experience I'll have delivering pizza will be of more use.

[corwin]

07:13 PM on 12/12/2010

Maybe you'll be a Shift Captain

[mlkx]

02:29 AM on 12/08/2010

A little funny that the urban planner photo is using an image of a 3D urban map of Shanghai located in the city planning building in downtown Shanghai .

I guess there may be another kind of message in that photo too

[NomadicView]

05:06 AM on 12/08/2010

I can play "Sim City 4." Wonder if this looks good on a CV?

[mlkx]

06:49 AM on 12/08/2010

LOL

[butofcourse]

01:35 AM on 12/08/2010

Wow, so if you're not an engineer, you're screwed? Hardly. We need educated people for all the professions- sciences, social sciences, humanities, and yes, even the arts (especially the arts).

[Senseid]

02:57 AM on 12/08/2010

Where did you get that from? This is simply about the best jobs for college grads based strictly quality of life and compensation. If you want to be a starving artist, go ahead. Just don't bet on anyone telling you to do it because of the money and lifestyle.

[Said One]

07:38 AM on 12/10/2010

Science - as in IT, chemistry, biomedical, medical biochemsitry, etc is still needed. Engineering yes. Religious studies, philosophy Not needed. And this is based on what the economy and the job market wants. I guess your "needs" are based on feelings rather than anything based in reality