Median mid-career pay: $94,700
Median starting salary: $47,300
"Economics majors tend to pursue business and finance-related fields," says Brooks. "Banking and finance are in the top of the salary strata."
While econ majors do land lucrative gigs with banks and other financial institutions, the degree is also frequently used to establish careers in law, consulting, education, research, government, nonprofit and public policy work, reports the American Economic Association.
Brooks adds that how much you make corresponds more to your career field than your major. For example, an economics major who goes into nonprofit work may earn less than a liberal arts major who enters the financial sector. When choosing a major, Brooks encourages students to think about their desired career field and how well skills developed in a given major might parlay into different occupations.