The highest salaries and best job opportunities are available to those who earn the highest possible level of education: a doctorate degree, also known as a PhD. Online doctorate degrees typically require several years of study and research beyond a bachelor’s and master’s degree program.

Only about 2% of Americans have reached this level of education. If you are determined, driven, and dedicated, you can join this prestigious group by earning a doctorate degree online or on a traditional campus.

Benefits of Doctorate Degrees

Earning a doctorate degree is no simple feat, but, if you have the desire to put four to eight years toward high-level classes, in-depth research, and a dissertation or doctoral project, you can earn one of the most prestigious degrees available.

Earning a doctorate degree proves your work ethic, dedication, and expertise in your field €”and employers are willing to reward you well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people with doctoral degrees earned about $1,743 per week in 2017, making them among the highest earners in the country. Doctorate-degree holders also enjoy the lowest unemployment rates in the United States. In 2017, the rate was 1.5%, compared to a national average of 3.6%.

Types of Doctorate Degrees

You can earn an online doctorate degree in virtually any field of study. Doctorates, like master’s degrees, are highly specialized. Usually, as you complete your doctorate degree, you will focus on a specialized area of research within your chosen field.

Fields with positions that typically require a doctorate degree include biology, psychology, social sciences, education, and engineering. For example, to become a psychologist or biology professor, you typically will need a PhD. People who earn doctorate degrees tend to work in positions that require research and/or teaching.

Earning a Doctorate

Doctorate degrees typically take between four and eight years to complete. Most programs will require you to complete a research dissertation or project in addition to rigorous coursework. Before you can earn a doctorate degree, you need to have a bachelor’s and a master’€™s degree. It helps to have your undergraduate and graduate degrees in the same field as your doctoral program, but this isn’t always necessary. Some programs will allow you to complete a master’s degree and PhD simultaneously.

Doctorate degrees are available online through accredited universities. These programs give you the flexibility in earning your doctorate while working and to take as much time as needed to complete the degree.

Popular Online Doctorate Degree Programs

A number of PhD degrees can be earned online. Some of the most common online doctorate degrees include:

Education: A PhD in education can be a great asset to school administrators at every level. People interested in becoming college professors who train education students and conduct research are required to have a PhD. Doctorate students in this field can focus on special education, primary education, secondary education, or on education in a number of specific fields, such as biology or art.

Business Administration: A Doctor of Business Administration has a hefty advantage in the business world. High-level business executives, in particular, can benefit greatly from this prestigious degree.

Computer Science/Information Technology: Earning a doctorate in computer science or information technology can help open up a number of advanced career opportunities, particularly in cutting-edge research fields.

Healthcare Administration: The shortcomings of our healthcare system call for bright minds to discover solutions. As a Doctor of Health Administration, you can help manage and improve every aspect of a healthcare facility or program including finance, business, patient care, and facility maintenance.

Public Safety/Criminal Justice: People who earn their PhD in criminal justice or public safety can pursue high-level jobs in public policy, community development, research, education, law enforcement, and consulting.

High-Paying Online Doctorate Degrees

Several doctorate degrees can lead to a lucrative career. With the following doctorate degrees, you can look forward to wages of ups to $100,000 or more each year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each of these fields has a number of specialities and career paths available to doctorate students.

• • Physics

• • Computer Science

• • Economics

• • Engineering

• Business