Comparing STEM and Humanities Majors: Earnings Data and How to Weigh Them
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published May 15, 2024 • US College Admissions
STEM majors earned a median of $98,000 a year compared to $69,000 for arts and humanities majors, but the fields overlap more than headlines suggest. 14 of 19 humanities and arts majors out-earn the bottom quarter of STEM majors, so your specific major matters more than the broad category.
💵 Median annual earnings: STEM $98,000 versus arts and humanities $69,000.
Estimated lifetime earnings: about $4.0 million for STEM versus $2.1 million for liberal arts and humanities.
Within STEM alone, median pay ranges from $64,000 to $146,000 depending on the specific major.
The early-career gap usually runs wider than the mid-career gap, since experience narrows the difference over time.
The headline numbers
STEM graduates earned a median of $98,000 a year compared to $69,000 for arts and humanities graduates, according to Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce Major Payoff report . Over a career, researchers estimate lifetime earnings around $4.0 million for STEM graduates versus $2.1 million for liberal arts and humanities graduates, a gap of roughly $1.9 million.
STEM versus humanities at a glance
| Metric | STEM majors | Arts and humanities majors |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual earnings | $98,000 | $69,000 |
| Estimated lifetime earnings | About $4.0 million | About $2.1 million |
| Spread within category | $64,000 to $146,000 across 65 STEM majors | 14 of 19 majors beat STEM's 25th percentile of $65,000 |
Why the averages mislead
Averages flatten wide variation inside each category. Within the 65 STEM majors Georgetown tracked, median earnings range from $64,000 for a field like miscellaneous agriculture up to $146,000 for petroleum engineering. Fourteen of the 19 humanities and arts majors in the same report post median pay above the 25th percentile of STEM earnings, which sits around $65,000.
The label "STEM" covers computer science and petroleum engineering alongside biology and general agriculture, fields with very different job markets. "Humanities" covers philosophy, history, English, and performing arts, fields that also differ widely from each other in typical pay.
Early career versus mid career
The pay gap between STEM and humanities runs widest right after graduation, when technical STEM majors move directly into engineering, computing, or health roles that pay well from day one. Humanities majors often start in roles unrelated to their major and build toward higher pay through experience, graduate school, or a shift into management, business, or law. Check field-specific numbers on College Scorecard , which reports earnings 1, 5, and 10 years after graduation by major and school.
What drives the gap
Direct-to-job technical skills: STEM majors often graduate with a specific, licensable, or certifiable skill set employers pay for immediately.
Labor market demand: the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects faster than average growth for many computing and healthcare technical occupations.
Graduate school rates: many humanities majors go on to law, business, or other graduate programs that raise their eventual earnings well above bachelor's-only peers.
The major within the major: a biology major heading to medical school and a biology major stopping at the bachelor's degree post very different outcomes under the identical major label.
How to weigh a major decision
Do not pick a major purely by category label. Look up median and 25th-75th percentile earnings for your specific intended major and target schools on College Scorecard, then weigh that against your actual interest and ability in the subject. A major you finish and use well beats a major you start in a supposedly safer field and quit.
If you want humanities training with better early-career pay, pair it with a practical minor, internships, or a technical certificate. If you want STEM-level pay without a STEM major, target growing fields adjacent to your interest, like health administration or data-adjacent business roles, and check their typical requirements in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.