18 Careers to Pursue With a Bachelor of Arts and Science Degree

There is a recent trend in college admissions when young people question more and more whether getting in arts and science is worth it. However, they should know that most people do not work in a major they specialized in college.

Capability of analyzing and interpreting technical content and communicating it well to a variety of audiences — this is how most BAS degree holders are best described.

It isn’t surprising since a Bachelor of Arts and Science program involves students building a strong foundation in the liberal arts and humanities and establishing a solid knowledge base in the STEM fields.

So, what one can do with a Bachelor of Arts and Science Degree?

Individuals with a BAS degree may either earn graduate or professional degrees or become a part of the workforce upon graduation. Career-wise, they can choose different pathways that can lead to their being software engineers, operations managers, financial controllers, research scientists and others.

Below is a list of 18 high-paying careers that make attending a college worth the money.

Information Technology Manager

• Mean annual salary: $161,730
• Mean hourly salary: $77.76
• Annual salary range: $90,430 to $191,470
• Hourly salary range: $43.48 to $92.05
• Estimated employment: 457,290

Just about any computer-related activity of an organization is supervised by information technology managers. They plan, direct and coordinate tasks in fields including electronic data processing, systems analysis, information systems and computer programming. Information technology managers, if necessary, also implement new technology.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed IT managers include:

• Computer systems design and related services
• Management of companies and enterprises
• Management, scientific and technical consulting services
• Software publishers
• Insurance carriers

Marketing Director

• Mean annual salary: $154,470
• Mean hourly salary: $74.27
• Annual salary range: $74,620 to $191,760
• Hourly salary range: $35.88 to $92.19
• Estimated employment: 270,200

Marketing directors have a lot on their plate. They are tasked with planning, directing and coordinating various marketing policies and programs in order to promote a business, product or even a service.

Part of their responsibilities is to make sure that the companies they are working for are not only attracting new customers but also retaining existing ones.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed marketing directors include:

• Management of companies and enterprises
• Computer systems design and related services 
• Management, scientific and technical consulting services
• Advertising, public relations and related services
• Credit intermediation and related activities

Sales Manager

• Mean annual salary: $147,580
• Mean hourly salary: $70.95
• Annual salary range: $63,170 to $208,000
• Hourly salary range: $30.37 to $100 
• Estimated employment: 390,170

One of the primary roles of sales managers is to direct the sales team in order to maintain and improve the movement of products or services to the customers, which is vital for meeting goals they themselves set. Besides overseeing current members of the sales staff, sales managers are also responsible for recruiting, hiring and training new team members.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed sales managers include:

• Management of companies and enterprises
• Computer systems design and related services
• Automobile dealers
• Durable goods merchant wholesalers
• Non-durable goods merchant wholesalers

Advertising and Promotions Manager

• Mean annual salary: $147,560
• Mean hourly salary: $70.94
• Annual salary range: $68,940 to $208,000
• Hourly salary range: $33.14 to $100
• Estimated employment: 22,490

Making the product or service more interesting and reliable — this is basically what advertising and promotions managers do. In order to accomplish it, they plan promotional campaigns such as giveaways and contests. Advertising and promotions managers also work with employers in order to determine budgets, marketing plans and advertising media.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed advertising and promotions managers include:

• Advertising, public relations and related services
• Management of companies and enterprises
• Newspaper, periodical, book and directory publishers
• Radio and television broadcasting
• Management, scientific and technical consulting services

Public Relations Manager

• Mean annual salary: $135,580
• Mean hourly salary: $65.18
• Annual salary range: $66,740 to $165,340      
• Hourly salary range: $32.09 to $79.49
• Estimated employment: 81,110

As the job title suggests, public relations managers are tasked with not only developing but also implementing a company’s PR and media strategy.

It is their role to build the reputation of the company in order to boost trustworthiness and dependability. Public relations managers also help ensure effective media coverage for goal-attainment purposes.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed public relations managers include:

• Colleges, universities and professional schools
• Management of companies and enterprises     
• Advertising, public relations and related services
• Business, professional, labor, political and similar organizations
• Grantmaking and giving services

Human Resource Manager

• Mean annual salary: $134,580
• Mean hourly salary: $64.70
• Annual salary range: $71,180 to $162,720
• Hourly salary range: $34.22 to $100.00
• Estimated employment: 156,600

Refrain from assuming that human resource managers are only responsible for recruiting, screening, interviewing and hiring new staff members.

They also consult with top executives on planning, coordinating and directing the administrative functions of the organization. Human resource managers also serve as a link between the employees and bosses.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed HR managers include:

• Management of companies and enterprises
• Local government
• Computer systems design and related services
• Employment services
• Management, scientific and technical consulting services

Purchasing Manager

• Mean annual salary: $132,660
• Mean hourly salary: $63.78
• Annual salary range: $74,570 to $197,630
• Hourly salary range: $35.85 to $95.01
• Estimated employment: 70,960

Also sometimes referred to as supply managers or purchasing directors, purchase managers are the ones who partake in procuring materials, products and even services for company use or as offerings to the customers. They are also responsible for finding and evaluating suppliers as well as assessing product quality and negotiating contracts.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed purchasing managers include:

• Management of companies and enterprises
• Federal executive branch
• Aerospace product and parts manufacturing
• Durable and non-durable goods merchant wholesalers
• Local government

Computer and Information Research Scientist

• Mean annual salary: $130,890
• Mean hourly salary: $62.93
• Annual salary range: $72,210 to $194,430
• Hourly salary range: $34.72 to $93.48
• Estimated employment: 30,220

The primary tasks of computer and information research scientists include studying complex problems encountered in the use of software and hardware in business, science, medicine and other fields and finding solutions for them.

Also a part of their job is planning and designing innovations using currently existing and upcoming or newly introduced technologies.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed computer and information research scientists include:

• Federal executive branch
• Scientific research and development services
• Computer systems design and related services
• Software publishers
• Colleges, universities and professional schools

Training and Development Manager

• Mean annual salary: $125,920
• Mean hourly salary: $60.54
• Annual salary range: $66,270 to $200,210
• Hourly salary range: $31.86 to $96.25
• Estimated employment: 38,710

It’s quite obvious what training and development managers do: they are responsible for planning, designing, coordinating and administering various training activities for the staff members of an organization. It’s also a vital part of the job of training and development managers to oversee budgets and programs directly associated with staff training.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed training and development managers include:

• Management of companies and enterprises
• Management, scientific and technical consulting services
• Computer systems design and related services
• General medical and surgical hospitals
• Colleges, universities and professional schools

Operations Manager

• Mean annual salary: $125,740
• Mean hourly salary: $60.45
• Annual salary range: $22.04 to $77.49
• Hourly salary range: $45,850 to $161,190
• Estimated employment: 2,347,420

In a nutshell, operations managers are responsible for increasing and maintaining the efficiency of an organization, agency or business. And in order for them to be able to carry out their duties and responsibilities, they have to get themselves involved in various activities such as managing quality assurance programs, hiring and training employees, etc.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed operations managers include:

• Management of companies and enterprises
• Management, scientific and technical consulting services
• Restaurants and other eating places
• Computer systems design and related services
• Merchant wholesalers

Art Director

• Mean annual salary: $114,490
• Mean hourly salary: $55.04
• Annual salary range: $54,530 to $199,250
• Hourly salary range: $26.22 to $95.79
• Estimated employment: 40,950

Simply put, art directors are tasked with coming up with design concepts and presentation methods for various media such as print, digital, broadcasting, TV and film. In the process, they determine which design elements to use, such as photographs, videos, music, etc. Art directors supervise staff members responsible for developing artworks and layouts.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed art directors include:

• Advertising, public relations and related services
• Motion picture and video industries
• Newspaper, periodical, book and directory publishers
• Specialized design services
• Management, scientific and technical consulting services

Actuary

• Mean annual salary: $123,180
• Mean hourly salary: $59.22
• Annual salary range: $66,030 to $196,010
• Hourly salary range: $31.74 to $94.24
• Estimated employment: 22,480

Actuaries have to be very good with numbers. That’s because they turn to the utilization and application of mathematics, statistics, finance and economic analysis in order to evaluate both risks and opportunities. It’s exactly because of this why a large majority of actuaries end up in the insurance industry where statistical data analysis is critical.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed actuaries include:

• Insurance carriers
• Agencies, brokerages and other insurance-related activities
• Management, scientific and technical consulting services
• Management of companies and enterprises
• Securities, commodity contracts and other financial investments and related activities

Computer Network Architect

• Mean annual salary: $119,230
• Mean hourly salary: $57.32
• Annual salary range: $67,190 to $175,570
• Hourly salary range: $32.31 to $84.41
• Estimated employment: 159,350

Computer network architects plan and design data communication networks, ranging from small intranets to extensive cloud infrastructures. But it’s not just computer networks that they should have a deep understanding of — computer network architects also have to have a solid knowledge of the plans and objectives of the companies they work for.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed computer network architects include:

• Computer systems design and related services
• Telecommunications
• Management of companies and enterprises
• Employment services
• Management, scientific and technical consulting services

Software Developer

• Mean annual salary: $114,270
• Mean hourly salary: $54.94
• Annual salary range: $65,210 to $170,100
• Hourly salary range: $31.35 to $81.78
• Estimated employment: 1,476,800

The role of software developers is to conceptualize, design and build computer programs. Some of them are involved with coming up with programs for desktop use, while others specialize more in mobile applications. Also a part of the role of software developers is testing out new software prior to implementation or improving currently used software.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed software developers include:

• Computer systems design and related services
• Software publishers
• Management of companies and enterprises
• Data processing, hosting and related services
• Management, scientific and technical consulting services

Information Security Analyst

• Mean annual salary: $107,580
• Mean hourly salary: $51.72
• Annual salary range: $60,060 to $163,300
• Hourly salary range: $28.88 to $78.51
• Estimated employment: 138,000

The job title alone makes it obvious what their responsibility is: information security analysts protect the computer networks and systems of a business or organization. They do so by planning and implementing security measures.

It’s also a part of the job of information security analysts to monitor and, if necessary, upgrade or replace currently used approaches.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed information security analysts include:

• Computer systems design and related services
• Management of companies and enterprises
• Credit intermediation and related activities
• Management, scientific and technical consulting services
• Insurance carriers

Transportation, Storage and Distribution Manager

• Mean annual salary: $105,100
• Mean hourly salary: $50.53
• Annual salary range: $56,970 to $164,140
• Hourly salary range: $27.39 to $78.91
• Estimated employment: 132,210

What transportation, storage and distribution managers do is oversee staff members who are responsible for various logistical activities such as transportation, storage and distribution in order to make sure that everything is carried out in accordance with organizational rules and policies as well as applicable government laws or regulations.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed transportation, storage and distribution managers include:

• Warehousing and storage
• Truck transportation
• Management of companies and enterprises
• Federal executive branch
• Local government

Database Administrator

• Mean annual salary: $101,090
• Mean hourly salary: $48.60
• Annual salary range: $54,070 to $155,660
• Hourly salary range: $25.99 to $74.84
• Estimated employment: 133,630

Database administrators have to perform one very critical task, which is none other than making sure that databases run without any trouble. And in order for that to happen, they have to design, create and organize systems that can store information as well as make them secure and accessible to individuals authorized to use and manipulate them.

Some of the industries with the highest levels of employed database administrators include:

• Computer systems design and related services
• Management of companies and enterprises
• Management, scientific and technical consulting services
• Data processing, hosting and related services
• Colleges, universities and professional schools

Graduate or Professional School After a BAS Degree

While you may apply for a job in various fields and industries right after getting your hands on a BAS degree, you may also consider pursuing a graduate or professional degree in order to obtain more specialized knowledge and have access to more advanced jobs, which usually translate to upper-level and higher-paying posts.

Below are just some examples of job titles or positions BAS graduates may have by going to graduate or professional schools and studying anywhere from one to five years:

• Broadcast Coordinator
• Chartered Financial Analyst
• Chiropractor
• Communications and Public Relations Coordinator
• Environmental Technician
• Forest Ecologist
• Genetic Counselor
• Landscape Architect
• Lawyer
• Medical Anthropologist
• Medical Doctor
• Museologist
• Naturopathic Doctor
• Occupational Therapist
• Energy Conservation Program Manager
• Pharmacologist
• Rural Planner
• Sexual Health Educator
• Speech Pathologist
• Teacher
• Toxicologist
• Veterinarian

Related Article: 20 Most Employable Degrees (Some of Them Very Hard)

Just Before You Apply to a Bachelor of Arts and Science Degree Program

Some people go to college in order to earn a BA degree, while others attend college in order to get their hands on a BS degree.

But then there are also those that spend the next three to four years of their lives on a campus just to be able to arm themselves with both degrees — a BAS degree.

Refrain from assuming that a Bachelor of Arts and Science program is for people who can’t make up their minds.

If truth be told, a BAS degree is for undergraduate students who are 100% sure they want to focus on two specializations and, upon graduation, enjoy the kind of flexibility that will let them pursue a diverse range of graduate or professional degrees or take on jobs in an impressive assortment of fields and industries.

Above, we talked about some of the most high-paying jobs that you can apply for with a BAS degree on your resume. With the right choice, you can enjoy complete satisfaction in terms of career and yearly salary.

Related Article: Are American Degrees Valid in Other Countries?