careerbuilder: Master's degrees that pay off --- According to the Census Bureau, the number of people who held a master's degree climbed by 5 million, or 43 percent, from 2002 to 2012. --- Yet, there's some debate about whether a master's and other advanced degrees benefit those who attain them. While the major and industry pursued may bear some weight, research shows that gaining an advanced degree does pay off -- at least when it comes to the pocketbook. According to research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the median pay for those with a bachelor's plus a master's, doctorate or professional degree are approximately 30 percent higher than for workers with just a bachelor's. --- Yet certain majors offer a higher payout than others. Below is a list of nine academic majors with starting pay of more than $60,000, along with the change in pay from 2011 to 2012, taken from the National Association of Colleges and Employers' January - MSN