A crucial question for engineers who are applying to an American university is: “What should I major in?” “Which stream is better, Computer Science, or Electrical?” This seemingly basic and straightforward question however, has no straightforward answer: there are a number of factors that you have to consider when choosing a major.

How to choose your Major?

1. Identify your CORE strength – it should be something that you have both an aptitude and a passion for.
2. Some careers have a higher entry-level qualification, such as a PhD, which is at least a four-year program. Find out if you want to study that long. If not consider what your other options are if you just have a Master’s degree.
3. Where do you see yourself in five years, in ten, in fifteen? Do you have a long-term vision and do you feel that your current decisions will lead you to it.
4. What are your fall-back options with this major? For example, a Computer Science major can usually switch from a role in System Development to Testing.
5. Finally, what kind of life do you want for yourself? Is a high paying job the only thing you are interested in, or are there other things in life that you are interested in as well?

How to find the best paying option?

As we have seen, you need to choose a stream that you have an aptitude for, and which has good long-term prospects that help you achieve what you want in life. A degree from a reputed college is an important step in this process. (Click here to find out how Dilip Oak’s Academy can help you with this).But, in most cases achieving one’s goals in life means figuring out which are the highest paid jobs and then getting one.

Here are some of the top paying Engineering jobs in the market today.

Engineering Field	Work Involved	Annual Salary *
Petroleum	Design and development for oil and gas extraction processes, locating new sources and connecting these	Highest pay range $115,000-$150,000+
Nuclear	Researching and creating processes, instrumentation, equipment and systems for industrial and medicinal use	$99,000-$1,40,000
Aerospace	Designing, developing, testing aircraft, spacecraft, missiles and other products for military, industrial or commercial use	$97,000-$1,40,000
Software	Designing, developing, testing and maintaining software and computer systems	$85,000-$95,000
Electrical	Devising and developing new electronics applications, components and equipment	$84,000-$126,000
Biomedical	Developing, designing, processing, and testing materials in order to create new materials and products	$83,000-$126,000
Environmental	Applying and developing solutions for environmental issues and problems by using the principles of engineering, biology, chemistry, and soil science	$78,000-$119,000

* Compiled sources, approximated 2012 figures

Please note that these are average salaries, and factors such as level of education, level of experience, job performance, geographical location and even the employer can make a big difference .

In conclusion, remember this, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a single day.”

For further help on choosing a specialization contact us here.