Is it just me....I feel left behind?

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That statement is not quite correct. There are certain college degrees that can pay off (examples: nuclear engineering, math), but most students do not want to major in them for various reasons. Too many students do not think about this until they have graduated and are stuck with their degree. To be able to land a better paying job if you do not have the “right” degree, one must have something special to bring to the business. You need to find skills that you can hone in on that can make you needed in the job market.

I have a good friend who dropped out of college a decade ago with two courses to finish to graduate with his Bachelors degree in robotics. His family was very angry with him, assuming that he would work for minimum wage the rest of his life. However he has exceptional skills in building both lasers (3-D printing) and robots that he honed over years of training. His first job outside of college was as a minimum-wage custodian. Working up the ladder, he learned more needed skills as he did his job. He eventually landed a career at a different company building very specialized equipment that pays him quite well. One cannot expect the job market to bend in your direction, it must want your skills for it to pay off in your direction. You have to be adaptable to find the “niche” job in a competitive market. That part will become a job in itself to get the right job.

I should have said I wish any degree worked because my parents and my therapist told me my sociology degree would get me a good job but they were so wrong.I know some degrees like the STEM degrees paid off but like I said earlier those were not a option for me because I never had the math skills required to get a petroleum engineering degree.Back in the old days every degree was basically a meal ticket to the American Dream but those days are gone for good.I will never get a good job most likely.

With a sociology degree you could get a job in Human Resources. You might want to look into schools (colleges and high schools) in you area, as they often need H.R. people. Since it is part of administration, it can pay well depending on the school. I wanted to put that out there as a possible option for you to consider.