Top 8 Careers for Recent College Grads

• Tweet

• Tweet

Recent economic times have not been very good. Last year, many people were dealt the recessionary blow and lost their jobs. However things are starting to look better for the graduating class of 2012 and the general consensus points towards an improved employment outlook in 2012.

In fact, certain fields may be more than promising for college grads this year. Here’s our roundup of the best careers for college grads this year. Most of these careers are in the healthcare industry, education, management, mathematics, engineering and business and finance fields. Many of these degrees can also be pursued through the online route, which means you can have a career with online degree if you choose not to take the traditional route to college. Not only is the job growth rate positive, but these are also well-paying jobs! All of these jobs have median pays above the 2011 annual mean wage (which was $45,230 for all occupations computed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics), and there were over 200,000 jobs in all these careers in 2010.

So what’s the good news for recent college grads? The minimum educational requirements for all of these careers is a Bachelor’s degree. These have been ranked in order of the average annual pay.

1. Computer and Information Systems Managers

2010 Median Pay: approx. $115,780 per year
Number of Jobs 2010: 307,900
Job Outlook 2010-20: 18% (About as fast as average)
Employment Change 2010-20: 55,800

2. Advertising and Marketing Managers

2010 Median Pay: on average $108,260 per year
Number of Jobs 2010: 216,800
Outlook 2010-20: 14% (About as fast as average)
loyment Change 2010-20: 29,400

3. Management Analyst

2010 Median Pay: around $78,160 per year
Number of Jobs 2010: 718,800
Job Outlook 2010-20: 22% (Faster than average)
Employment Change: 157,200

4. Financial Analyst

2010 Median Pay: around $74,350 per year
Number of Jobs 2010: 236,000
Job Outlook 2010-20: 23% (Faster than average)
Employment Change: 54,200

5. Registered Nurses

2010 Median Pay: up to $64,690 per year
Number of Jobs 2010: 2,737,400
Job Outlook 2010-20: 26% (Faster than average)
Employment Change: 711,900

6. Human Resources Specialists

2010 Median Pay: almost $52,690 per year
Number of Jobs 2010: 442,200
Job Outlook 2010-20: 21% (Faster than average)
Employment Change: 90,700

7. Accountants and auditors

2010 Median Pay: about $61,690 per year
Number of Jobs 2010: 1,216,900
Job Outlook 2010-20: 16% (About as fast as average)
Employment Change: 190,700

8. Elementary School Teachers

2010 Median Pay: approx. $51,380 per year
Number of Jobs 2010: 1,655,800
Job Outlook 2010-20: 17% (About as fast as average)
Employment Change: 281,500

So which of these fields would you like to explore as a career option?