According to a report from CBS Money Report, engineering degrees yield the highest financial return for post-graduate degrees, taking the top five spots with specialized fields such as petroleum engineering, aerospace engineering and nuclear engineering. Highly trained professionals with a master's degree can enter the workforce for nearly $60,000 annually. According to Forbes, civil engineering, which comes in at number three on its 2010 Best Master's Degrees for Jobs list, can expect a job growth of 41 percent between 2010 and 2020.
Careers in science for those who hold a master's degrees in applied mathematics can prove to be lucrative. This degree comes in second only to engineering in the best college degrees for post-grads as compiled by Payscale's 2010-2011 College Salary report. Because of the part applied mathematics plays in emerging technology, as well as a six-figure median pay projection, this degree lands near the top of the list of advanced degrees. The concentration of the degree will depend largely on the compensation. Those with MBAs who focus their skill on finance rather than accounting can expect a payoff of $50,000.
Physician's assistant degrees offer an additional benefit for an advanced degree with an estimated 57 percent projected job growth expected to occur between 2010 and 2020. This places these degrees at the top of the Forbes list of best master's degrees to have for jobs. Most physician's assistants earn their undergrad degree in the field of their choice, with only a few science classes to prep for the master's program.
Other burgeoning areas are the various computer sciences, which can expect a 27 percent projected employment increase from 2010 to 2020. Careers such as software architects and engineers, database administrators and IT consultants can expect a median income of over $100,000. As such, it earns the distinction of Forbes and Payscale's second highest advanced degree.