Top 14 Degrees for Making the World a Better Place

Lots of people want their jobs to make a difference in the world, but it can be hard to figure out how. Here are 14 degrees that you can put to very, very good use.

Rank	Degree	Avg. Salary	Description
1	Teaching/Education	$43,580	You can choose from many different specialties, from special education to curriculum design. Remember, most teaching positions require bachelor's degrees and state licensure.
2	Nonprofit Management	$85,230	Nonprofit organizations are always in need of talented managers, especially those trained for this unique sector. In addition to the eye-catching income, nonprofit executives have the satisfaction of giving back to their communities.
3	MBA	$63,000 to $80,000	All organizations need bright, hard-working businesspeople. After earning their Master of Business Administration (MBA), many businesspeople pursue rewarding careers in the public interest sector.
4	Human Services	$37,480	Mental health aides, career counselors, and case managers all qualify as human service workers. While some human service workers find jobs without earning college degrees, employers typically favor social workers with bachelor's or master's degrees.
5	Public Health	$41,330	Are you passionate about health? Channel your energy into a public-health career, where you can actively promote nutrition, exercise, and disease prevention.
6	Public Administration/Political Science	$92,799 (city managers)	Get involved with your community by landing a government job. Popular public administration careers include marketing, human resources, and public relations.
7	Finance	$72,790	Nonprofits need money management expertise too! The BLS reports that financial managers should have a 37 percent job growth rate through 2016.
8	Marketing and Communications	$47,340	This is often referred to as "outreach" in nonprofit organizations. They need someone to put the word out about their mission and help bring in donations.
9	Accounting/Bookkeeping	$55,660	Want to put your accounting degree to good use? Seek bookkeeping employment with a nonprofit organization, a publishing group, or a government agency.
10	Law	$43,580	Many innovative law programs exist for socially conscious individuals, including environmental law and public interest law.
11	Criminal Justice	$47,465 (police officers)	Criminal justice experts help ensure that criminals do not return to committing crimes. To prepare for their jobs, most criminal justice workers earn bachelor's or master's degrees in criminal justice, social work, or related fields.
12	Administrative Assisting	$23,712	In 2006, secretaries and administrative assistants held an astounding 4.2 million jobs. Employment should be especially strong in healthcare and social assistance industries.
13	Writing	$47,340	From grant writing for nonprofits to penning articles for social advocacy journals, writers have thousands of gratifying job possibilities.
14	Language	$47,465	If you are a native English speaker, you already have a valuable skill: mastery of a globally popular language. Put your English skills to work by teaching overseas or tutoring underserved groups in the U.S.

Sources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Occupational Outlook Handbook" "Six Nation Survey Finds Satisfaction with Current Job," Harris Interactive

About the Author
Joe Aguilar is a freelance writer in Boulder, Colorado. He has an MFA in creative writing from Oregon State University.

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"The one real object of education is to leave a man in the condition of continually asking questions."
-- Bishop Creighton