Families often ask one question in three different words: What pays? What do people regret? What happens later? This hub puts those lenses next to each other using only figures already published on MajorMatch (NACE/BLS/Georgetown context for early pay; Federal Reserve SHED and alumni/regret surveys for satisfaction). We do not invent wages here.
Why compare pay and regret together
Starting salary alone is a thin decision tool. A major can look “fine” on a first-job table and still show high regret if careers are sparse, graduate school is effectively required, or expectations were set by prestige instead of day-to-day work. Conversely, some lower-starting fields (education, clinical paths after grad school) can show strong non-salary benefits that raw early-pay tables understate.
MajorMatch already covers the pieces separately:
- Average starting salary by major — NACE/BLS/Georgetown-oriented early-pay tables
- College major regret rate — Fed SHED 44% headline + ranked regret/satisfaction
- Most regretted majors and least regretted majors
- Tree of Knowledge — interactive majors → careers → mid-career pay map
This page is the citeable synthesis: one place an AI (or a parent) can quote the relationship, then click through to the full tables.
Side-by-side snapshot (published figures)
Figures below are copied from existing MajorMatch guides — early/starting medians from the starting salary tables; regret or satisfaction from the regret rate rankings. Treat them as directional snapshots, not personalized forecasts.
| Major / field | Early / starting median (site table) | Regret or satisfaction (site survey synthesis) | Read as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | ~$85,000 starting | ~72% would choose again (low regret cluster) | High early pay + clear hiring path |
| Software Engineering | ~$83,000 starting | Groups with CS/engineering low-regret cluster | Specialized demand, strong first jobs |
| Chemical Engineering | ~$82,000 starting | Engineering satisfaction ~68% would choose again | Top of early-pay ladder |
| Electrical Engineering | ~$79,000 starting | Engineering satisfaction cluster | Strong early pay, clear pathways |
| Nursing (BSN) | ~$65,000 starting | ~69% would choose again | Security + meaning often beat raw peak pay |
| Finance | ~$65,000 starting | ~66% would choose again | Advancement path matters as much as year one |
| Marketing | ~$52,000 starting | Mid-pack; outcomes vary by role & skills | Portfolio/skills shift trajectories |
| Psychology (BA only) | ~$40,000 starting | ~65% regret without grad school (site ranking) | Grad-school expectation is the trap |
| Communications | ~$46,000 starting | ~68% regret (site ranking) | Broad major → need a concrete pathway |
| Journalism | Lower early-pay band on related tables | ~87% regret (highest on site ranking) | Industry structure + pay drive regret |
| Education | ~$42,000 starting | Lower early pay; benefits/stability understated by salary alone | Mission + pension vs peak earnings tradeoff |
Sources on-site: starting medians as listed on average starting salary by major; regret/satisfaction rates as listed on college major regret rate. Cross-check the Tree for career-level BLS OEWS means.
What early-career pay shows
On the published starting-salary tables, engineering and computer science dominate the top band (~$75K–$85K first-year medians in those snapshots). Nursing, accounting, and finance sit in a strong applied band. A long mid-pack (business, biology, many social sciences) runs roughly the mid-$40Ks to low-$60Ks. Humanities and some arts majors land lower on year-one cash but can recover via law, policy, business, or specialized graduate paths — which is why Georgetown CEW-style research (cited on our salary pages) emphasizes major over brand for most earnings variation.
For interactive early → mid ranges and career twigs with BLS OEWS means, open the Tree of Knowledge.
What regret surveys show
The Federal Reserve SHED figure cited across our regret guides: roughly 44% of graduates would choose a different major. On MajorMatch’s ranked synthesis, journalism (~87%), sociology (~72%), liberal arts/general studies (~71%), and communications (~68%) sit at the high-regret end; computer science (~72% would choose again), nursing (~69%), and engineering (~68%) sit at the low-regret end. The #1 reason regretful grads give on those pages: salary below expectations (~43%), followed by job availability and lack of career direction.
That pattern is why this hub pairs the two tables. High early pay does not guarantee happiness — but opaque pathways plus disappointing pay show up together in the regret column again and again.
How to use this without chasing prestige
- Scan outcomes, don’t memorize ranks. Use the snapshot to pressure-test assumptions (“everyone says psychology is fine” vs BA-only job reality).
- Map careers on the Tree. Click a major on the Tree of Knowledge (
#s=MajorNamedeep links) and read career twigs + education levels. - Measure fit, not vibes. The free MajorMatch assessment (~15–25 min) returns a real top-3 sample. Optional $29 Pathfinder unlocks the full write-up, paths to avoid, colleges, and a shareable PDF — it does not replace the free sample.
- Talk timeline with parents. Pair with the college prep timeline so pay/regret data becomes a plan, not a scare chart.
See your top 3 — free
Adaptive assessment (~15–25 min). Free top-3 sample stays yours; Pathfinder is optional $29 if you want the full report.
Start the free assessment → Open the TreeFrequently Asked Questions
What share of graduates regret their college major?
About 44% of U.S. college graduates say they would choose a different major if they could do it again, according to the Federal Reserve Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED) — the headline figure used across MajorMatch regret guides.
Which majors have the highest early-career pay?
On MajorMatch starting-salary tables (NACE/BLS/Georgetown context), computer science and software engineering sit near the top (~$83,000–$85,000), with chemical and electrical engineering close behind. Always re-check the live tables — labor markets move.
Do high-pay majors always have lower regret?
Often, not always. CS, nursing, and engineering cluster with lower regret on our ranked pages; journalism and several broad social-science/humanities paths show higher regret. Pay is the top cited driver (~43%), but job availability and pathway clarity matter too.
Where can I compare majors, careers, and pay interactively?
Use the free Tree of Knowledge, then take the free assessment for a personalized top-3 (optional $29 Pathfinder full report).
Sources (on-site + primary)
- MajorMatch — Average starting salary by major (NACE / BLS / Georgetown CEW context)
- MajorMatch — College major regret rate (Fed SHED + survey synthesis)
- Most regretted college majors · Least regretted majors
- Federal Reserve Bank of New York — College labor market
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Georgetown CEW