College Graduate Salaries by Field and Major
Posted on Friday, August 7, 2009
Category: College Rankings, Jobs, Money
New college graduates earn average starting salaries of $49,307, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
The numbers vary widely, however, depending on your occupation and your college major.
Many of the highest starting salaries go to college graduates in engineering and computer science-related fields, the NACE Summer 2009 report states. For example, chemical engineering graduates saw their average salary offer increase to $64,902, and computer science graduates received an average salary offer of $61,407.
Those numbers might be enough to make the English and psychology majors among us weep. The average salaries of liberal arts graduates are thousands of dollars less, at $36,175.
One other interesting note from NACE: Many 2009 college graduates continue to look for jobs, but the starting salaries for those who have been offered one are similar to those from last year. So remain optimistic, recent college graduates! Maybe there really is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Average Starting Salaries for New College Graduates
|
Discipline or Major |
Average Starting Salary |
|
All New College Graduates |
$49,307 |
|
Computer Science Field |
$59,418 |
|
Engineering Fields |
$59,254 |
|
Business Fields |
$47,239 |
|
Liberal Arts Fields |
$36,175 |
|
Chemical Engineering |
$64,902 |
|
Computer Engineering |
$61,738 |
|
Computer Science |
$61,407 |
|
Electrical Engineering |
$60,125 |
|
Information Sciences & Systems |
$52,089 |
|
Civil Engineering |
$52,048 |
|
Finance |
$49,940 |
|
Economics |
$49,829 |
|
Accounting |
$48,993 |
|
Business Administration |
$44,944 |
|
Marketing |
$43,325 |
|
History |
$37,861 |
|
English |
$34,704 |
|
Psychology |
$34,284 |
|
Sociology |
$33,280 |
Obviously, salary alone should never be the sole determining factor on what career you choose or what job you take after graduation. Your happiness matters much more — as anyone who has taken a high-paying-but-unfulfilling job can attest to.
But knowing the average college graduate salaries for entry-level jobs in your field can tell you what to expect during your job hunt– and when to start negotiating with your new employer.
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November 21st, 2009 at 6:31 pm
This is all excellent info. What it fails to mention is the NUMBER of jobs available in each major compared to no. of respective graduates. For example, it is “rare” for Psychology majors to find a job in their field after graduation. Essentially, the market value of a Psychology/Sociology degree is no different than that of a high school graduate. For these majors, the unwritten rule is that one needs (at least0 a master’s degree and often a Ph.D. to actually get a job in their field. I know. I am a Psychology graduate.
January 18th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
[...] College Graduate Salaries by Field and Major: This University Language Services list us based upon the NACE report, but shows average salary for all new college grads as well (almost $50k). [...]