Who gets paid more, a Computer Science Major or a Computer Engineering Major?

<p>From what I understand a Computer Engineering Major may start out a little higher (Correct Me If I'm Wrong). However, what can I expect, salary wise, from the two majors after I start gaining work experience and possibly a graduate degree. I'm looking for a career with a salary that will end up in the 100k+ range. Out of the two degrees, which one will allow me to achieve this goal?</p>

<p>There’s a thread on this topic in the engineering majors forum. </p>

<p>Sent from my HTC One X using CC</p>

<p>I have yet to find one thread that thoroughly explains which major has the most oppurtunity for a high paying salary. I understand that Computer Engineering majors get a higher starting salary, but I cannot find a source that shows the mid-career salary or what the top 75% of workers earn. Please provide me with a link or an answer.</p>

<p>The numbers are close enough that it’s really up to you. Figure out which one you enjoy more, and you will almost certainly do better at it. This is hopefully correlated with a higher salary.</p>

<p>Furthermore, CS and CE are pretty much interchangeable for many employers. Amazon (I’m picking a random company here) doesn’t care what your degree is. They care that you know how to code. CE is only relevant when you’re looking at more hardware specific work.</p>

<p>Answer: The major who has expertise and experience in the current hottest technology.</p>

<p>/end thread</p>

<p>First, check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook entries for Computer Engineering and Software Development/Engineering.</p>

<p>After that, some discussion is in order. CmpE jobs are taken mostly by computer engineering majors, with a fair mix of EE and CS majors taking the rest. Most CS majors go into software development jobs, with CmpE and EE majors taking the rest. Most EE majors go into electrical engineering jobs, with CmpE taking most of the rest, and maybe a few CS majors thrown in for good measure.</p>

<p>Likely, CmpE has the highest average starting and median salary of the three professions. EE and Software probably have similarly high, but somewhat lower, starting and median salaries.</p>

<p>Top earners in Software possibly earn more than top earners in CmpE and EE. Bottom earners in Software possibly earn less than bottom earners in CmpE or EE. There are some jobs in software where you will start for > $100,000 (or more; trying to be somewhat conservative with my guesses) with a BS. There are some Software jobs that college graduates take for < $40,000 (or much less; I was tempted to use $25,000 but don’t want to state anything too controversial without figures to back up my guesses). CmpE and EE graduates will generally find it much less difficult to find a job starting at > $50,000 but might have trouble breaking $90,000 without graduate training or special skills.</p>

<p>If you want to get a job writing software, a CS degree will not make you any less attractive than a CmpE degree holder; if anything, it will make you more attractive (although, as others have pointed out, opportunities for top earners look more closely at demonstrated individual ability than credentials; you can have a MS or 10 years of experience, but they are still going to expect you to remember what you learned in school and to have experience writing software). If you want a job working with hardware, CmpE or EE would be better fits. Due to the much greater demand for Software jobs than for CmpE or EE jobs, odds are that you’d be able to compete quite well for good jobs in Software with any technical degree, some extracurricular experience, and a dash of luck or talent.</p>

<p>So, what is the bottom lime?If money is of the upmost importance, which degree will I be better off with? I appreciate your help.</p>

<p>IrishJibber “So, what is the bottom lime?If money is of the upmost importance, which degree will I be better off with? I appreciate your help.”</p>

<p>Real life isn’t so neat as to give you a bottom line either-or answer.</p>

<p>Salary is not the sole determinant of career success. Mrs. Turbo considered a $20k pay cut per year for a job that was immense fun (biostatistics) at a university, low pressure, opportunity to publish, the academic staff life, etc. She said if we did not have to pay college for DD1 she would have done it.</p>

<p>It depends on how good you are. The best people will tend to make a lot more money in software.</p>

<p>How much you make is much more dependent on how good you are then which of the two majors you choose. They are both great majors, and many jobs can take either.</p>

<p>The startin pay for CS is higher with just a BS dat is if u r among d gud. starting pay is better for CE for average students n otherwise, with a BS. With a MS later, the average salary is better for CE than for CS, that is even for mid career.
take CS if u r sure u wont get bored studyin too much of programming only. CE gives u a lot more interesting things to learn, but requires a certain level of aptitude in Physics. So both r to be considered. Another thing is dat u can much easily take up a programmers job even wid a CE degree. But u wont be able to take up hardware intensive jobs with CS degree ie. even if u get d job, u wont be gud at it.
Im in my senior year too and i am too luking at taking CS or CE. I was also concerned about which degree gets u a high pay, but after lukin at d stats and reading through a lot of forums.I now think ill take CE, as i am pretty gud at physics and even though i find programming interesting and am gud at it too, im am also pretty sure that if i take CS im gonna get too bored studying only it for four years.</p>

<p>for stats view [Majors</a> That Pay You Back - 2013-2014 College Salary Report](<a href=“http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report-2014/majors-that-pay-you-back]Majors”>http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report-2014/majors-that-pay-you-back) …however for gud students of top universities CS starting pay is higher than CE unlike the stats the d website gives…other things r same</p>

<p>Dud dis be dat old post, u r not gud by add t it. :P</p>

<p>Refer this too [Computer</a> Engineering Chosen as Highest-Paid Major by CNNMoney » Electrical & Computer Engineering | Blog Archive | Boston University](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/ece/2012/06/27/cnnmoney/]Computer”>http://www.bu.edu/ece/2012/06/27/cnnmoney/) read n ull see dat CE get better paid than CS but all these website r talkin about the average. Ull kno about top students of the top universities by referring to specifically to d university stats. the uiuc which ranks 5th for CS and 4TH for CE in USA clearly shows in its stats that the range is greater for CS ie top is greater and bottom pay is lesser as compared to CE but the average of CE is better.</p>

<p>Nways…other ppl find these discussions helpful too. I would rather read some other persons discussions than write my question n wait for some one to reply.</p>

<p>Etiquette would be to start a new thread, not resurrect an old one (as tempting as it may be to do). Folks don’t always notice the date/time stamps on postings and may think the OP is asking a question.</p>

<p>Otherwise your point about enjoying physics and leaning toward CE is valid. The pay is equivalent, pick the major based on your preferences.</p>

<p>y r we writng like dis it seems rly confusng.</p>