University Degrees Vs Celebrity Careers: How Would They Stack Up?

What would happen if celebrities had to rely solely on their university degrees to make a living? A recent study by SEO provider Reboot has shed some light on this question. Using data from Payscale.com, the study estimated the 2023 annual salaries of 27 celebrities based on their university degrees, revealing the mind-blowing number of years they would need to reach their current net worth if they took an alternative job.
The results may surprise you.

How long would it take celebrities to reach their current net worth?

Lead singer of the band Coldplay, Chris Martin would take the longest to reach his current net worth if he had to rely solely on a university degree. Martin, who graduated from University College London with a degree in Ancient World Studies, would likely earn an annual salary of £40,000 as a museum curator. However, this would require him to work an additional 3,293 years to reach his current net worth.

Others like Martin would have a vastly different career path. Prince William, with a current net worth of £83 million, would be earning £33,000 on average as a typical Geography graduate with 17 years of work experience. Had he been born into a different family, he may have become an architectural technologist, and would have taken 2,494 years to achieve his current wealth.

Actress Emma Watson, with a degree in English literature from Brown University, could have become a writer, earning potentially a salary of £31,000 this year. It means it would take her 2,257 years to reach the same net worth she has now if she did not venture into the acting industry.

The study also found that American actor and comedian Ken Jeong, a medical graduate and licensed physician, would earn £157,646 a year if he had pursued his medical career. Meanwhile, American actress Mayim Bialik, with a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from UCLA, would probably earn the most with her university degree (£134,147). Rapper 2 Chainz, with a degree in Psychology, would earn approximately £86,414 as a clinical psychologist in the US.

These findings show the vast differences between celebrity careers and regular jobs but also highlight the importance of pursuing one’s passions and not just relying on university degrees to achieve success and financial stability.

So, the next time you feel discouraged about not finding a job related to your degree, remember that even celebrities face the same struggles.

The full dataset can be found here on Onedrive.