Cinderella's story is depressing but not uncommon. The jobs that help people and make the world a better place don't always seem to come with the heftiest paychecks. Not to pick on athletes, but it would take 35 elementary school teachers one year to earn the salary of a Dallas Cowboy football player*. And even if you aren't gifted with a tight end, there are still high paychecks to be made. A petroleum engineering major can look forward to mid-career earnings of $163,000, typically. So why do people choose majors that pay so little?
Small Paycheck, Big Meaning
In our 2012-2013 College Salary Report, PayScale examined 130 of the most common majors, according to job meaning and salary potential. We'll start by looking at the five majors that pay the least:
As you can see, these majors are unlikely to earn enough to buy that fancy castle in the sky. So what's the appeal? Each major on this list focuses mainly on helping people, advocating for those who cannot stand up for themselves, which can be spiritually, if not monetarily, rewarding. In fact, when asked if their jobs make the world a better place, most people in these majors say yes. Special education majors overwhelmingly believe their jobs change the world for the better, with 83 percent reporting a high level of job meaning. The average for most jobs was 56 percent.
The Rest of Cinderella's Story
Though she never found a fairy godmother to give her glass slippers and the keys to a shiny new pumpkin, Cinderella spent her days helping the people around her. Her education allowed her to start a dialogue with her stepmother about their dysfunctional relationship, which they were able to repair. And even though she still had some soot on her dress, Cinderella would come home feeling satisfied after a home visit to a shoe where she helped a nice old woman find resources to send all of her children to college.