What kitchen remodeling and your executive resume have in common

Remodeling magazine does a feature every year on the cost of various remodeling projects, and how much value those projects add to the value of your home. In 2006, not one project – from kitchens to bathrooms, light to heavy-duty projects – returned more than 87% of the cost investment when it cam time to sell the home.

And this got me thinking about career education. That’s another kind of major investment, right? The payoff would be in the salary bump you get, whether at your current job or a new one you’re seeking out. So have you asked yourself – and tried to quantify – exactly what kind of salary increase would make the additional education cost worth it?

And for that matter, are you in an industry where you’ve got a good chance of making the education pay off?

I popped on to Monster.com and in short order found this article on which majors translate into higher-paying jobs. (It’s geared toward the undergrad, but it gets the point across.)

They looked at it in two ways: Which majors tend to net the highest salaries right out of the gate, and how time affects the salary increases you get, all things being equal.

So if you’re considering adding a Master’s or other degree to your credentials:

1. Do a little Google research in your field.
2. Check in with your trade groups or professional associations.
3. Set up a couple of informational interviews.

Dig up the data on how education affects your executive salary in your field. It’s a big decision to go back for another degree, so if you can get some comfort with the numbers before you make the decision, so much the better.

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