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Majors in business and engineering may maximize chances of getting a high-paying job
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Most people go to college to get a high-paying job when they graduate. The problems is the jobs that pay a lot aren't always the jobs hiring and the jobs hiring aren't always the jobs that pay a lot. Here is the best of both. - photo by Matthew Jelalian
For many high school and college students, the main reason they prepare for and go to college is to have a stable, high-paying job after graduation. The trick is to find the major that will maximize job opportunities as well as earning power.

But jobs that pay well aren't always plentiful and those that are don't always come with a good salary.

Combining recent findings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics with a report from CNNMoney, it appears degrees in business and engineering are students' best bets for maximizing job-finding potential while at the same time securing a high paying job after graduation.

Vox reported on a recent study published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that ranked annual wages of 22 major occupational groups.

The top 10 are:

1. Management

2. Computer and mathematical

3. Legal

4. Architecture and engineering

5. Business and engineering

6. Health care practitioners and technical

7. Life, physical and social sciences

8. Education, training and library

9. Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media

10. Installation, maintenance and repair

Careers within the highest-paying occupational groups are not necessarily where the job openings are for new college grads.

For example, the BLSs Occupational Outlook Handbook states that graphic designers, who belong in the arts, design, entertainment, sports and media group, is only growing by 7 percent, which is slower than the average occupations job growth.

CNNMoney recently published a piece reporting on the top 10 fastest-growing professions in America. All 10 of these jobs happen to be in the BLS's 10 highest paid occupation groups reported on by Vox.

Below is CNNMoney's list of fastest growing jobs followed by the amount of growth they are predicted to experience in the next 10 years combined with the BLS occupational group (in parentheses) each of these jobs are are part of.

1. Info assurance analyst - 37 percent (computer and mathematical)

2. IT security consultant - 37 percent (computer and mathematical)

3. Hand therapist - 36 percent (health care practitioners and technical)

4. Lead physical therapist - 36 percent (health care practitioners and technical)

5. Product analyst - 32 percent (business and engineering)

6. Product marketing specialist - 32 percent (business and engineering)

7. Research analyst - 32 percent (business and engineering)

8. Marketing consultant - 32 percent (business and engineering)

9. Content strategist - 32 percent (business and engineering)

10. Laboratory supervisor - 30 percent (management)

As shown above, five of the fastest growing occupations are in the business and engineering group.