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Technology

What Can You Do With a Computer Science Degree?

Study how software and computing systems are designed, built, and made efficient. Graduates earn a median $87,000 early in their careers and $120,000 by mid-career. We track 20 careers that a Computer Science degree commonly leads to, with median pay from $61,860 to $166,790 depending on the role and how far you take it.

How these numbers work: A major does not have its own salary. Early and mid-career pay is what people who hold this degree earn at the start of their careers and midway through them. Career pay comes from the 20 careers a Computer Science degree commonly leads to, and counts everyone in those jobs, including people who have been doing them for thirty years. The two answer different questions, which is why they do not match.

Careers this major leads to

Product Manager$166,790 median · Much faster than averageComputer Hardware Engineer$161,740 median · Much faster than averageComputer and Information Research Scientist$140,300 median · Much faster than averageDatabase Architect$139,500 median · Much faster than averageDevOps Engineer$135,980 median · Much faster than averageSoftware Developer$135,980 median · Much faster than averageComputer Network Architect$134,050 median · Much faster than averageCybersecurity Analyst$129,180 median · Much faster than averageData Scientist$120,230 median · Much faster than averageIT Project Manager$116,580 median · Much faster than averageSite Reliability Engineer$116,580 median · Much faster than averageComputer Systems Analyst$105,850 median · Much faster than averageDatabase Administrator$104,620 median · DecliningVideo Game Designer$104,000 median · Much faster than averageComputer Programmer$100,390 median · DecliningNetwork Administrator$99,130 median · DecliningWeb Developer$92,650 median · Much faster than averageTechnical Writer$90,390 median · Slower than averageNetwork Support Specialist$76,220 median · Slower than averageIT Support Specialist$61,860 median · Declining

Related majors

Software EngineeringInformation TechnologyComputer EngineeringCybersecurityData ScienceManagement Information Systems

Frequently asked questions

What can you do with a Computer Science degree?

A Computer Science degree commonly leads to 20 careers we track, including Product Manager, Computer Hardware Engineer, and Computer and Information Research Scientist. Graduates earn a median $87,000 early in their careers.

How much do Computer Science majors make?

Graduates with a Computer Science degree earn a median of $87,000 a year early in their careers, and $120,000 by mid-career (Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 2024 data).

What jobs can a Computer Science major get?

Common roles include Product Manager, Computer Hardware Engineer, Computer and Information Research Scientist, and Database Architect. Product Manager is among the higher-paying, at $166,790 median.

Set on Computer Science?

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Is Computer Science right for you?

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Where these pay figures come from

Early and mid-career pay is the median annual wage of full-time workers who hold a bachelor's degree in that major, ages 22 to 27 and ages 35 to 45, from 2024 data. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (IPUMS). Published as Outcomes by Major by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).

All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.

Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).