Jobs which earn the most

Petroleum engineers typically work in an office and travel to drilling sites to design and develop methods for extracting oil and gas from deposits below the Earth's surface. While petroleum engineering is considered the highest-paying college major , a job in this field can be stressful and time-intensive, according to U.

Some airlines hire pilots who hold a bachelor's degree, though a college education isn't always required. Pilots also undergo training to earn a commercial pilot's license and Airline Transport Pilot certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration. Job candidates also generally go through psychological and aptitude tests with airlines to assess critical thinking and decision-making under pressure. Other top-paying jobs that generally require just a four-year degree include roles in engineering, IT, sales and marketing, and business.

See more stories on Insider's business page. Postsecondary law teachers. Public relations and fundraising managers. Compensation and benefits managers. Advertising and promotions managers. Sales managers. Financial managers. Petroleum engineers. Marketing managers. Natural sciences managers. Architectural and engineering managers. Computer and information systems managers. General dentists. General pediatricians. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers. Nurse anesthetists. Software engineer.

Physician assistant. Plant manager. System engineer. Java developer. Financial reporting manager. Aeronautical engineer. Senior scientist. Director of operations. Database administrator. Nuclear engineer. User experience designer. IT manager. Political affairs officer. Environmental health and safety officer. Construction superintendent.

Application developer. Systems administrator. Director of marketing. Mechanical engineer. Information security analyst. Research scientist. Clinical director. Senior MRI technologist. Associate professor. Senior physical therapist. Civil engineer. Loan officer.

Project manager. Senior radiation therapist.