Postgraduate Degrees That Pay the Highest in Different Parts of the World

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Sometimes, no matter competent you are in your job, your salary just doesn’t suffice for all your needs and dreams. As hard as you chase that promotion, it seems to dodge your grasp whenever you get close. Then you resign and transfer jobs, only to return to that cycle of going after a rogue promotion.

But in fact, the promotion isn’t impossible to accomplish. Rather, chances are you just lack the qualifications to get it.

Certain careers require higher education, such as a master’s or postdoctoral degree. Hence, if you go to graduate school, your promotion goal can finally become attainable. But it’s also worth noting that not all postgraduate degrees result in a surge in salary.

If your job specifies that higher education will increase its pay, then that’s your go signal to enroll in graduate school. On the contrary, if your career values passion and an eagerness to learn more than diplomas and certificates, then reconsider your decision to study again. Employers like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft all stated that learnability is more important than having obtained certain expertise in college.

There’s also the matter of the country you’re working in. If you plan to work abroad, the postgraduate degrees that pay the highest in the U.S. are different from those in the UK, for example.

That said, let’s identify the postgraduate degrees with the highest salaries in the different parts of the world.

United States

According to Indeed.com, the master’s degrees that pay the highest in the U.S. are as follows:

1. Healthcare Administration: $77,528/year
2. Marketing: $79,175/year
3. Applied Mathematics: $79,815/year
4. Industrial Management: $80,200/year
5. Computer Science: $81,680/year
6. Petroleum Engineering: $82,330/year
7. Physics: $91,080/year
8. Chemical Engineering: $93,453/year
9. Economics: $94,319/year
10. Physician Assistant Studies: $103,648/year
11. Statistics: $104,009/year
12. Electrical Engineering: $104,119/year
13. Nursing: $107,076/year
14. Software Engineering: $107,366/year
15. Finance: $108,518/year
16. Business Administration: $114,083/year
17. Information Technology: $121,769/year
18. Nursing Anesthesia: $176,386/year

Note that these are national average salary figures, so you might get paid higher or lower than those. As you saw, there is more than one course in engineering and healthcare on the list. Business courses are promising as well. So if your expertise lies in any of those fields, you have a great career advantage in the U.S. with a postgraduate degree.

Mexico

Mexican-born individuals make up the majority of theimmigrant population in the U.S. If you’re a Mexican without plans to move in America, consider taking these postgraduate courses to increase your income in your home country:

1. Masters in Business Administration: $60,000/year
2. Masters in Finance: $66,000/year
3. Other master’s degrees: $$73,000/year
4. Masters in Management: $90,000/year
5. Executive Masters: $91,000/year
6. Masters in Science: $$110,000/year

Business-savvy professionals thrive in Mexico. Getting a master’s degree in a business course can land you a position in Executive Management and Change, which can pay you an average of $123,000 per year, as per Emolument.com.

China

Next to Mexicans, the Chinese make up a significant portion of U.S. immigrants. But in China, the average salaries are impressive too. According to Emolument.com, these postgraduate degrees have the highest earnings in the country:

1. Masters in Science: $107,000/year
2. Masters in Business Administration: $111,000/year
3. Doctorate degree: $128,000/year
4. Masters in Law: $165,000/year
5. Executive Master’s: $179,000/year
6. Postdoctoral degree: $200,000/year

Doctors of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Research and Development, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech, earn the highest in China, with an average annual salary of $250,000. So if you prefer to work in labs than in patient care facilities, China is your country.

Philippines

Filipinos are widely spread all over the world, especially in the U.S. But the Philippines, being a developing country, is starting to become a more promising place for graduate school alumni as well. With affordable online postgraduate programs available, more professionals are getting eager to pursue higher education, even during the pandemic.

Your postgraduate studies will be the most worth it in the Philippines if you choose any of these courses:

• Masters in Science: $53,000/year
• Masters in Business Administration: $61,000/year
• Postdoctoral degree: $69,000/year
• Masters in Finance: $80,000/year
• Masters in Law: $96,000/year
• Masters in Management: $103,000/year

Things to Consider Before Going to Graduate School

To make your postgraduate degree valuable, you have to enjoy studying it in the first place. It may be easy to decide to go to graduate school because of the prospect of earning higher, but if you’re not passionate about what you’re learning, then your studies might not reflect on your skills.

Your motivation shouldn’t be limited to a higher salary alone. Consider a career change and a pursuit of your passion as well. Remember that higher education also costs money, so you should make that investment return tenfold by advancing in a career you actually love. If you don’t love your job now, you won’t love it either after finishing a postgraduate degree. Hence, determine how much your job means to you now, then consider if getting a postgraduate degree in that field will make your job more meaningful for you. That’s the primary purpose of pursuing higher education.

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