The top-paying jobs for graduates

High-schoolers: if you want money, engineering may be the route to take in college.

Nurses on average, make the most out of people pursuing master's degrees.

And pharmacy is by far the most lucrative for those earning professional degrees.

The Missouri Department of Higher Education, in collaboration with the University of Missouri, released data about the top-paying degrees, based on graduates of two and four year public institutions in Missouri.

What surprised me was the earning power for people with associate's degrees. Six to 12 months after graduation, the median earnings for someone in "dental support services" is $44,855, a much higher average than some jobs that require a bachelor's degree.

Another surprise was that out of 10 top-paying bachelor's degrees, six are related to engineering.

Researchers hope the report will encourage people to continue education or go back to school.

You can see the full report here.

A list of "hot" jobs for the future, including the number of openings expected in 10 years and related annual wages, is available here.