What degree will make more money in Houston, Finance or MIS?

I've got a bunch of friends in IT. Starting right out of college with a bachelor's degree is about $45K

I can tell you that the market sucks in Houston for a bachelor's degree in marketing and management. I've got a job right now that is not what I have a degree in.

 

The % of people that work in a field related to their degree is at an all-time low.

 

Electrical engineering.

 

Petroleum Simulation engineering.

 

Sorry, I meant to say $75k right out of school. And in energy, at least, if you're not in trading/marketing or on at least a middle-management track, I don't think you're making that without some kind of technical, engineering or law degree. Unless you're overseas, a roughneck, some kind of product controller or work in power distribution; and those jobs tend to be more experience and connection-based than just from some degree.

 

Not necessarily. I know people who makes more than that right out of school. Granted it doesn't happen too often, but it does happen. I make that much now with only 2 years of experiences.

 

I'll amend my original list of recommended majors and throw in Accounting, so long as you sit for and pass the CPA. "Pure" finance may be more valuable if keep your grades 3.5 or higher, land a good internship summer of Junior year and get accounting hours and Excel-type skills as I said before. Just for the sake of snippiness, I'll also add that no where in my post did I imply a need for an Ivy league degree, although for a non-sales, high-salary Finance position, it wouldn't hurt.

There's a lot of "demographic," social and political bs that goes into deciding which business majors gets whatever $75k a year jobs, promotions or just really large accounts there are in a certain department, organization, industry or even backwoods redneck mid-sized midwestern city. That doesn't mean it's impossible to point of not being worth getting a $25,00 - $50,000 degree that you get 10-15 years to pay off.

 

Just do Petroleum engineering, there isn't a specific program oriented to simulation, depends on the Uni, but you can mold your courses to sell yourself as a petroleum simulation enginner (companies look for experienced engineers so getting a job with this title will take time, no uni program will be able to title you as a Pet Sim Eng). At this point Oil companies struggle with finding experienced Petroleum engineers who can work well with Simulation programs, its quite recent that the curriculum in universities have included courses to cater to this need.

 

One of my TA's in college was offered a similar amount after completing his masters in geophysics.

Of course, I have a buddy whose brother and brother-in-law are banking with their own heat treating company. No college but plenty of years spent off-shore and at chemical plants.

If you want to make money, you have to be business savvy.

 

Degrees don't matter, knowing people does.

 

Plus hard work and being smart.

 

Doesnt hurt. But take it from someone who graduated with a finance degree from a highly ranked school with multiple dean's list awards. I know quite a few people who graduated with degrees like history from crap school who make more than I do, just because their parents knew people. Sucks, but it's the truth. Hard work only gets you so far (at the beginning at least). Work hard every day for years and you'll eventually catch up to the 'lucky' others.

 

Do what you like most.

 

Agreed x1000000. I hate what I'm doing right now, and it makes every day suck. I picked my degree based on money. Wrong choice. Do what you like, even if it doesn't make you alot of money. You may make a fraction of what other friends make, but if you enjoy it, your life will be much more fulfilling.