What can I do with a computer science degree besides become a programmer?

Law. As in Intellectual Property Law or, formerly, Patent Law. Lucrative field.

I felt somewhat similarly after a rigorous CS undergrad at Carnegie Mellon, but I've found a computer science background to be quite useful for working on interaction design. Debating optimal algorithms or solving programming puzzles were never quite hobbies that I developed. That stuff interests me to some degree, but just not enough that I could stomach a traditional software engineering job. That said, coding does still get me excited, but the excitement lies in less in intellectual complexity and more in the ability to create things. Code is such an powerful tool for creation. I actually spend more time programming for side projects than most career programmers I know, but it only turns out that way because I have a specific creative pursuit in mind. Programming ability is similarly useful in interaction design work for prototyping, visualizing, and communicating ideas. Of course, one can hardly reduce four years of pulling all-nighters to solve discrete math problem sets to the ability to sling around some JavaScript to make some UI elements move, but it's the clearest advantage. The subtler but probably more valuable benefit, I believe, is that CS school trains a particular approach of analytical thinking (modularizing, seeking out edge cases, etc.) that can offer a fresh perspective in design teams. The good news is that the tech industry is also increasingly appreciating technical skill in designers. It's a fun intersection to be at.

You can do a lot of anything. As a new graduate, you would be a candidate for any sort of "generally technical" position. Some wild ideas: 1. Finance. Analytical, lots of rules. Some rules totally arbitrary, some rules have a guiding theme. 2. Military. My last CO in the Marines had his degree in Operations Research. Another good officer had his in Physics. Or pick up the latest Economist and look for the job ad for the CIA. They always advertise there. 3. Product management. Joel Spolsky was a product manager at Microsoft, which is not a coding job. You'd be the person who talks to the engineers and then talks to the non-engineers. You know, the middleman. 4. Law. The law is also a complicated system with both arbitrary and rational rules. With a CS background, you would do well on the LSAT. 5. Medicine. If you don't like coding, maybe you like debugging?

I'll try to answer this question assuming you are a CS undergrad who doesn't have a burning passion for something else.  In that case you should probably investigate all 5 areas that Kevin Peterson mentioned - and sooner rather than later.  All professions have aspects you might not like.  E.g., my father was a very good salesman but I just don't have the personality to make cold calls. So, try to find someone in each area you can talk to.  What's the work activity on an average day?  What are the customers like?  What are the co-workers like? And try to decide before graduating, so you can get some specific courses in the area where you want to be.  The news is full of stories about graduates with big debts and no jobs.  Your chances will be better if you don't assume a technical degree from a good school is all you need, e.g., to get hired by a Wall Street hedge fund. Good luck!

What can you do with a CS degree? Could it be you're still trying to code your life? Maybe if CS then X is not the right approach. How about If CS != passion then exit? Someone asked me once what my major was and I said computer science. He said, "me too, but I quit. I absolutely hated coding. It made me miserable." Now he was a kindergarten teacher and he absolutely loved it. Don't start where you left off if you were on the wrong path to begin with. The past is a grain of salt. Go with what you love. You can become anything. A top CS degree just goes to show you are a highly capable person.

Build something. A writer doesn't study writing because they're that crazy about words - they want to tell stories. A designer doesn't go into design because they love Photoshop - they want to make beautiful things. You have a skill that allows you build things that work and that can give people joy or make their lives easier. Use it to make something that means something to you, or helps someone you know, or solves a small problem that's always frustrated you. It could turn into a successful product and then you could get other people to do the coding :D

With a Computer Science degree you can: Write code for a living (but you don't want to do that). Become a systems analyst.  This is kin to writing code, but done at a higher level and without predefined rules.  It is the process of figuring out what the customer wants and/or needs and translating this into the language programmers can understand.  It pays very well and includes lots of free lunches. Become a sales person.  This is the best paying job in any industry except for management.  When you get high enough in management it becomes a sales job anyway.  You can't be CEO of a corporation without being a sales person.  Why not start out in the right direction for real financial success? Maybe you can become a Systems Engineer.  This is a sales support job that includes all the technical challenge you can handle without the need to close sales.  It is great experience if you can stomach hanging around with sales people.  (I tried this once and found I valued truth too much to hang around with sales people.  They are almost as bad as politicians.) You could become a politician.  Anybody smart enough to program computers is way overqualified to be a politician. If you learned any business skills  like accounting or customer service you could become a business person.  Start up a little company and turn it into the next Microsoft.  (Of course if you want to mimic Microsoft you need to learn how to steal the ideas of others and make them profitable.) You could get married and become a housewife and child rearing person if you are a woman.  If you are a man you could get married and become a house husband and child rearing person.  This is a great solution for someone who likes cooking, cleaning and children more than work, stress, and heart attacks. You could go back to school and learn business skills.  Then you could become a manager for some company that needs more managers.  That allows you to become a middle manager (the most hated job in America - after Lawyers and politicians).  If you go all the way to getting an MBA then you could become a business consultant (also well hated) or investment analyst. Isn't it a shame you went to all the trouble to learn how to be a programmer and learned you don't like being a programmer.  Perhaps another degree is in order?

I have majored in both Biology and I.T., and I have been told repeatedly that there are 4 areas that we need more people: Patents/Intellectual Property - We need more people that understand science/technology reviewing patent applications.  This does require a law degree. Politics - We need more politicians that understand science/technology and can make informed decisions/legislation based on that knowledge. Bioinformatics - I was introduced to this field while I was majoring in Biology, but almost all of my classes were dominated by CS students who had little or no biology knowledge.  You will use databases, algorithms, statistical analysis, and theory to solve problems around managing and analyzing biological data. Computational Biology - This is an area where you will hear the term "Big Data," where companies are having trouble combing through the amount of data they are generating.  Statistical computer languages like R, SAS, and MATLAB are beneficial.  Some examples of areas you might work in include analyzing DNA sequences or computer modeling of biological systems. Technical Writing - A fifth area that I have noticed since working in industry is Technical Writing.  Although there are a lot of English majors in this area, it is not a requirement to have an English degree.  In fact, having a good understanding of Microsoft Word and Excel far beyond the basic user is very important.  The job description may seem very basic (e.g. Reviewing/Editing technical documents that an engineer/scientist has authored.)  However, I have seen people take this job as far as they want to.  I have seen someone set up an interactive website for users to easily access hundreds/thousands of archived PDFs, become the database administrator for our chromatography software, develop Excel macros using VBA, develop indices of laboratory equipment/reagents, etc etc.  While you seem like you are in a simple "support" role, you may actually be designing the systems/processes that a whole department of people use on a daily basis.

There are various things you can do like; Software Application Developer Computer system analyst Computer Programmer Network System Administrator Database Administrator Computer System Engineer Software Quality Assurance Engineer Web Developer Computer User Support Specialist Information security Analyst For more : http://www.spidertechs.net/2015/06/computer-science-salary-what-can-you-do-with-a-computer-science-salary.html