Special Report

College Majors With the Lowest Unemployment

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10. Mathematics and computer science
> Unemployment rate: 1.1%
> Avg. salary: $91,843
> Undergrad degree holders with a master’s or professional degree or higher: 39.1%
> Undergrad degree holders in labor force: 18,275

Mathematics and computer science is an interdisciplinary major that combines the two fields, drawing concepts and tools from each. Those who choose this major have not only some of the most stable career prospects with an unemployment rate of just 1.1%, but also one of the most potentially high-paying careers. The average salary among those who studied math and computer science as undergraduates is $91,843.

Popular occupations for those who study mathematics and computer science include actuarial analysts, software engineer, and computer technician.

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9. Mathematics teacher education
> Unemployment rate: 1.1%
> Avg. salary: $37,110
> Undergrad degree holders with a master’s or professional degree or higher: 57.1%
> Undergrad degree holders in labor force: 102,114

Mathematics teacher education majors are studying to prepare for a career as math instructors. Teachers, particularly those in mathematics and other STEM fields, are in demand to prepare students for jobs in an increasingly competitive and complex global economy.

The major is one of several on this list in education. Just 1.1% of the more than 100,000 math teacher education majors in the labor force are unemployed.

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8. Construction services
> Unemployment rate: 1.0%
> Avg. salary: $88,872
> Undergrad degree holders with a master’s or professional degree or higher: 11.5%
> Undergrad degree holders in labor force: 127,576

A degree in construction services can lead to a broad range of career opportunities that are among the most secure and well paying in the United States. These occupations include construction managers, civil engineers, and drafters and designers. Of the 127,576 labor force participants who studied construction services, the unemployment rate ist just 1.0%, and the average annual salary is nearly $89,000 — one of the highest on the list.

Demand for construction workers in general is projected to grow faster than average over the decade ending in 2029 as new home construction and infrastructure repair in the coming years will require more workers, including those with an academic background in construction services.

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7. Court reporting
> Unemployment rate: 1.0%
> Avg. salary: $45,223
> Undergrad degree holders with a master’s or professional degree or higher: 31.4%
> Undergrad degree holders in labor force: 7,705

Court reporting majors learn the legal language used in courtrooms and how to use specific programs and machines to quickly and accurately transcribe what is said in the course of a court proceeding. While most court reporters work in courtrooms and alongside legislatures, others work remotely, typing closed captioning transcripts for broadcast stations to use.

Over the decade between 2019 and 2029, the BLS projects that demand for court reporters will climb by 9% — much faster than the projected employment growth across all occupations. Currently, just 1.0% of the more than 7,700 Americans in the labor force who majored in court reporting are unemployed.

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6. Secondary teacher education
> Unemployment rate: 1.0%
> Avg. salary: $30,589
> Undergrad degree holders with a master’s or professional degree or higher: 53.1%
> Undergrad degree holders in labor force: 209,455

Secondary teacher education majors are generally preparing for careers as educators in high schools — both private and public. Partially because education is a universal need across the United States, those who study to become secondary teachers are among the least likely members of the labor force to be unemployed. The jobless rate among secondary teacher education workers is just 1.0%

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