If you’re a science student who’s almost rounding up with secondary school education, you may wonder what science courses offered at tertiary institutions provide prospects of high-paying jobs. Choosing to study a high-paying science course at the university increases your chances of building a successful career after graduation. Keep on reading to find out the ten science courses that offer the most prospects of landing high-paying jobs after graduation.
The 10 highest-paying science courses in Nigeria would be discussed below:
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Medicine and Surgery
Medicine and Surgery is one of the science courses that offer the prospect of landing a high-paying job after graduation. Studying Medicine and Surgery at the university allows you to choose to specialize in neurology, cardiology, pathology, pediatrics, and other areas of specialization after you graduate.
As a medical practitioner, you can land a high-paying job anywhere in the health field including hospitals, laboratories, research institutions, and the government. The average salary for a doctor in Nigeria is around N300,000 per month, with senior doctors earning as much as a million naira a month.
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Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering remains one of the most lucrative science courses you could study at the university. With a degree in mechanical engineering, opportunities abound to land high-paying jobs in various industries including manufacturing, oil and gas, civil, aerospace, and automobile industry, among others.
The remuneration for mechanical engineers in Nigeria varies according to the industry, company, job specification, and some other basic factors. Entry-level mechanical engineers can earn between N250,000 and N500,000, which is much higher than many other professionals’ entry-level salaries.
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Petroleum Engineering
Petroleum engineering is arguably the highest-paying engineering course you could study at the university. The salary of entry-level petroleum engineers in Nigeria varies according to the company. For example, Shell Nigeria will pay between N3.3 million and N8 million per annum for entry-level petroleum engineers. Generally, petroleum engineers in Nigeria earn between N3 million to N10 million per annum. In addition, there are lots of bonuses that petroleum engineers enjoy whilst in addition to their salaries.
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Nursing/Nursing Science
Nursing is another science course that offers prospects of getting a high-paying job after graduation and completion of a one-year internship. With the rigorous and thorough educational and clinical training you’d receive as a nursing student, you can apply the learned skills in clinical practice, education, research, and administration after you graduate.
The career prospects and remuneration for nurses in Nigeria vary between the private and public health sectors, with the latter paying higher. However, what you earn as a nurse is largely dependent on your area of specialty, years of experience, skills and clinical competence, and your level of education in some cases. According to CONHESS (Consolidated Health Salary Structure), entry-level nurses start at CONHESS 07 and are paid N80,000, with more pay as you get more years of experience. Nurses at CONHESS 15 earn N350,000 per month.
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Pharmacy
Pharmacy is one of those courses you study that offers a considerably high tendency to get a high-paying job when you graduate. The salaries pharmacists in Nigeria earn vary according to level, so, an entry-level pharmacist will earn less than a chief pharmacist. And, pharmacists that work in government-run parastatals are paid higher than their counterparts in private institutions.
The monthly salary range for entry-level pharmacists in government-run parastatals is between N165,000 and N200,000, even up to N300,000 in some teaching hospitals in the country, whereas those in private institutions earn between N75,000 and N150,000 per month. Pharmacists with over 6 years of experience can earn between N450,000 and N800,000 in government-run parastatals while their counterparts In the private sector earn between N200,000 and N400,000 every month.
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Civil Engineering
This is another science course worthy to be on this list. Although in recent times there has been the problem of limited opportunities for civil engineers in Nigeria, civil engineering is one of the engineering courses that present prospects of landing high-paying jobs. To boost your chances of finding work after graduation, it’d be best to specialize in a particular area such as material science and engineering, geotechnical engineering, coastal engineering, structural engineering, construction engineering, or environmental engineering.
On average, entry-level civil engineers can earn between N100,000 and N350,000, however, the remuneration for civil engineers in the oil and gas sector is considerably higher than in other sectors.
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Dentistry
Dentistry is another science course that is worthy to be among the ten highest-paid science courses in Nigeria. With the skills and knowledge in helping patients guard, restore and maintain their oral health, dentists in Nigeria are almost certainly guaranteed a place in hospitals and clinics. In addition, dentists also enjoy reasonable pay, however, remuneration varies according to the place of work, years of experience, and sometimes location.
Dentists working with government-run parastatals are paid more than those in private institutions. However, dentists working in federal hospitals are paid more than their counterparts in state hospitals. On average, dentists in Nigeria earn between N140,000 and N280,000.
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Radiography
Although radiography might not be as coveted as other medical courses offered in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, it is another high-paying science course. The skill and knowledge of a radiographer in using imaging equipment such as X-rays, CTs, and MRIs, to get a clear image of a patient’s body parts is highly sought after in hospitals and laboratories.
The remuneration for radiographers in Nigeria ranges from N70,000 to N180,000 depending on several factors such as years of experience, job description, and location of the job, whether it’s a hospital or a laboratory. But radiographers that specialize in a specific field, especially those requiring the use of advanced technologies, attract a somewhat higher salary.
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Computer Engineering
Computer engineering is another top-paying science course in Nigeria, thanks to the constant demand for computer engineers across different industries in the country. With the skills acquired during studying computer engineering, graduates can earn incomes as freelancers, full-time employees, and employers of labour even.