Majoring in minerals mining pays off

Two mining majors – metallurgical and mining & mineral engineering – both ranked in the top 10 college majors with the highest earnings, according to a new study by Anthony Carnevale, an economist at Georgetown University.The study found that a student’s choice in major, more than choice in school, significantly affects their future earning potential – and engineering appears to be a safe bet.

The graph below ranks the top 10 majors, along with the average salaries for each:

^{Source: Matt Stiles/NPR}

Two mining schools are proving to fit the bill. The Colorado School of Mines has been found to be a good return on investment with highly employable graduates. And, in 2011, the South Dakota School of Mines graduates reportedly earned more than Harvard graduates.

As NPR notes in its coverage of the Georgetown study, some of this is due to supply and demand, and with a looming worker shortage, there is likely to be significant demand for educated and qualified minerals mining professionals for years to come.