💼 Top 20 Degrees with High Unemployment
(Mid-career = ages 35–45)
- Anthropology
- Unemployment: 9.4% (highest!)
- Mid-career pay: ~$70,000
- Fine Arts
- Unemployment: 7.0%
- Mid-career pay: ~$70,000
- Sociology
- Unemployment: 6.7%
- Mid-career pay: ~$70,000
- Computer Engineering
- Unemployment: 7.5%
- Mid-career pay: ~$122,000
- Physics
- Unemployment: 7.8%
- Mid-career pay: ~$100,000
(Other degrees include political science, international affairs, psychology, and more.)
🔍 Key Surprises
- High pay ≠ job security: Some high-earning fields like computer engineering and physics still struggle with unemployment.
- Liberal arts degrees (e.g., English, history) pay $70K–$77K but face 4.6–5.3% unemployment.
- Communications/Journalism pays ~$85K with 4.4% unemployment.
💡 Why This Matters
A college degree’s value isn’t just about salary. For example:
- Anthropology has the worst job prospects despite average pay.
- Tech fields like computer science pay well ($115K) but still have 6.1% unemployment.
Lesson: Balance earning potential and job demand when picking a major.
📌 Quick Takeaways
- 🚩 Avoid degrees with unemployment over 5% unless you LOVE the field.
- 💰 High-paying degrees (e.g., engineering) aren’t always stable.
- 📉 Liberal arts majors earn less but face slightly lower unemployment.
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, May 2025. Original analysis by Tyler Durden (June 2025).
Bottom Line: Do your research! Pick a major that aligns with your goals and the job market.