Starting Salaries

[Kitty]

I saw this by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Starting Salaries are:

Chemical engineering: $51,853
Electrical engineering: $49,946
Computer science: $47,419
Accounting: $40,546
Information sciences: $39,718
Marketing: $34,628
History: $32,108
English: $30,157
Psychology: $27,454

Do these seem reasonable?

[Skyblade]

I think it depends. I know for marketing it seems a little high, especially nowadays.

[Skyblade]

But it could also be the area your in. I know that if I lived back home and did the same job I was doing here in SB I would be making a lot more.

[Tbone]

Kitty you also have to take into account that they take an "average" meaning entry level salaries to the top execs to come up with those figures.

[Kitty]

Yeah, but I figure it is a ballpark. Then you have to take into account your location, etc.

[lynseymay]

Those don't seem accurate at all. I was a Computer science grad and make less than my roommate who's an administrative assistant. I think it's the market. I think people across the board are being underpaid because they can employers can ship their job overseas for cheaper, sad but true.

[tartytwenty]

Seems high for Information Systems. You'll need a few years exp. to get to that 40K mark, depending on what you do.

[Kristyn]

Seems terribly high for English, but I guess it really depends what field you get into. Publishing career starters are $25,000-$28,000.

[AxSweetxRevenge]

that does seem high for Marketing. Especially just out of college. I think average (at least back in 2000 was around $23,500 - $27,000 or something like that). I got lucky and landed with an .dom company that started me out at $33,000/year for doing PR!

I think I'm in the high-end now of my salary range... almost 5 years out of college, 3 different marketing positions, and I make in the mid-$40's.

[gluegun]

Those figures are inflated. I saw similar stats in college and bought it. Instead my first job out of college was as a stockbroker for Charles Schwab. It was a GOOD job, coveted by all the graduates in my department. My starting salary was $28,000.

[megrocks]

I've seen this thing on MSN a few times now, and I always wonder, what jobs are those History people working at? Everyone I knew who graduated with a history degree, including myself, starting working in law offices. The starting pay for those jobs is between $25-27k.

I bet a lot of the English people are teachers and starting salaries for teachers are in the low 30's.

[Sesamebabe]

I think those figures are too high for the current job market - i live in Boston and the average marketing salary for grads is closer to the 27,000 mark - it is because marketing majors up here are a dome a dozen. In a tough market it is an employers world - PhD's are getting offers of under 30 grand because they are desperate for jobs - that leaves no room for us graduates :(

[wordsmith]

The English listing is seriously inflated. I don't know what English-related job that pertains to, but it's sure as hell not publishing or journalism. And beginning teaching salaries where I am aren't that high, either.

[gluegun]

I'm so glad that I'm not the only person who thinks those numbers are BS. I don't know about you guys, but when I graduated from college I felt like a failure for earning less than 30k. Everbody around me kept telling me that I should plan on earning 40-50k with a Finance degree. Yeah, right.

[wordsmith]

I never even knew what "normal" salaries were when I finished college, myself. No concept. Probably why it didn't bother me to live off $80 a month plus room and board as a volunteer. The 21K job I got following that made me feel like I'd found the money tree.

It doesn't surprise me that my particular volunteer program is composed mainly of those just out of college, who aren't gonna be quite as fazed by not earning a normal wage. What amazes me is that they have a branch for older volunteers, as well...I'd think that going from typical earnings to a volunteer's stipend would be quite the adjustment.

[winneythepooh7]

It totally depends on your area I think. I make $40K a year now (well before taxes LOL). And that's considered high or average for MSW's in NYC. (Hospitals usually start in the mid-40's). In more rural areas, like where I lived upstate, SW's with a MSW only make like $30,000 AND that is as a SUPERVISOR! I think the "average" salary for most 20-somethings with a regular-type job like most of us on here, is mid-twenties-mid-forties. Once again, the stereotype comes into place that we are going to be starting higher than that but I just don't think it's so. Someone told me once that your salary should equal what you spend for you education. Sadly mine is not even CLOSE to that. I think there are Social Workers that make a lot more, but that is a rarity. It's hard to get those positions, and usually it takes years in the field. I know some in private practice make good money but then again, it's usually a whole other "clientele" you are dealing with as compared to non-profit work, and then it is hard trying to find people that are able to afford to pay steep fees for the sessions. If you can get into SW Administration (which I hope to be in one day) you can make a decent living. By that time, I will be well out of my 20's though, which just goes back to proving that you don't start that high in your 20's. I also will probably have more bills then like kids and a house so it all averages out.

[guava]

I think that list is not a good gauge because it's way too general. Three years ago with a bs in computer science I started at $55k but I think that was a little high because I'm in a specialized field. Hubby is a mechanical and started too low for his field about $48k, but it's more manufacturing than mechanical design which I think should be more around $55k - $65k. I think the marketing folks in my company make way more than this list too, about the same as us engineers; $45k - 60k. Again, location is a huge factor along with experience. We both had internships which I think helped a lot. However, nowadays, it seems you need your master's to be competitive.

[dc_burbs]

wow, guava... like to know where you work! Those are really high from what I've seen, especially in the midwest?!

I agree w/ Kristyn about English, though I would start publishing salaries as low as $24k, because that's what I started at back in '01.

[tiredofphilly11]

These are definitly inflated...probably by a few token very high starting salaries.(ie. grampa owns the company and i'm making 55K)

I have an Economics & Accounting degree and I started at 34K. What REALLY pisses me off is they first asked me how much i wanted to make so i said 35K+. They then offer me a potential 6% increase after my 3 month probation is over. um yeah that DIDN'T happen. my fuckin boss said i should be "ABOVE" target on all evaluation points before getting the 6% increase. hopefully i'm leaving this job SOOOON so my boss can kiss my ass.

[littledancerus]

Well, I'm a college grad, but all the jobs I'm applying for (and not getting) are low to mid twenties. If I'm not getting these, I see no way that I'd be getting higher paying ones...

[chrisp]

I have seen those figures before just not in the real world. I think those figures are after a few years experience.

[winneythepooh7]

Originally posted by littledancerus
Well, I'm a college grad, but all the jobs I'm applying for (and not getting) are low to mid twenties. If I'm not getting these, I see no way that I'd be getting higher paying ones...


Ah, reality. I love it. ;)