If you have a bachelor's degree or higher, you're in more demand these days... Most lucrative college degrees Nine out of 10 employers see higher competition for qualified graduates, according to a new survey. Why it pays to be a nerd. By Rob Kelley, CNNMoney.com staff writer July 12 2007: 6:37 PM EDT http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/11/pf/college/starting_salaries/index.htm?section=money_pf NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The salaries of new college graduates jumped across the board this year as demand increased, according to a new survey. Nearly nine out of 10 employers reported that they're seeing more competition for new college graduates than in past years, according to a study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). "This continues the positive trend reported in the Winter and Spring issues of Salary Survey," Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director, said in a statement, referring to the association's quarterly report. The results suggest that the increased hiring is translating directly into higher average starting salary offers. The students who made out the best were chemical engineering majors. They earned an average 5.4 percent more than last year, bringing their average to $59,361, according to the survey. Computer engineering majors were offered $56,201, up 4.8 percent. Mechanical engineering grads offers' rose 4.6 percent to $54,128. Electrical engineering grads' offers increased by 3.2 percent to $55,292. Civil engineers earned $48,509, up 5.4 percent. Computer science majors saw salaries rise 4.1 percent to $53,396, while information sciences grads received a 4.6 percent increase to $50,852. (Most expensive colleges.) The average offer for economics graduates (business/managerial) was $48,483, while finance grads received a mean of $47,239. There is no prior data for these majors because they were grouped together in earlier studies. Management of information systems majors posted a 4.2 percent increase to $47,648. Marketing graduates averaged $40,161, up 6.1 percent. Accounting grads' average rose 2.3 percent to $46,718, while business administration and management graduates saw their average rise 3.9 percent to $43,701. Good news for liberal arts Liberal arts graduates also saw broad increases. Political science majors' offers averaged 5.9 percent more at $34,590. English majors' averages rose 5.3 percent to $32,553. Psychology majors averaged $31,631, up 4.7 percent, while sociology majors earned 3.5 percent more at $32,033. History majors were offered an average of $33,768, up 3.3 percent. What does your major pay? Summer 2007 Survey Major Offer Change Chemical Engineering $59,361 +5.4% Computer Engineering $56,201 +4.8% Electrical Engineering $55,292 +3.2% Mechanical Engineering $54,128 +4.6% Computer Science $53,396 +4.1% Civil Engineering $48,509 +5.4% Economics $48,483 n/a Management of Information Systems $47,648 +4.2% Finance $47,239 n/a Accounting $46,718 +2.3% Business Admin/Mgmt $43,701 +3.9% Marketing $40,161 +6.1% Political Science/Government $34,590 +5.9% History $33,768 +3.3% English $32,553 +5.3% Sociology $32,033 +3.5% Psychology $31,631 +4.7% Source:National Association of Colleges and Employers
Any degrees that deal with IT are hot right now. When the tech market crashed in 2000, all the college students bailed on the degree...now there is hot demand and a shortage of qualified candidates. So much for outsourcing I guess.
It's not just outsourcing and shortage of qualified candidates. Many IT positions are getting low-balled in comparison to what they were making during the tech boom. The salaries are a lot lower and there are still goofballs out there expecting to get pre-crash salaries. The days of making $40-$60/hr for any bum walking in off the street ain't there anymore... well, ok, with some exceptions...
Corporate, temp job I think it has something to do with my 2.5 GPA, so I'll have to work a few years with ****ty wages as penance, I guess
exactly, it's not taking account for the 100k bonus for a first year investment banking analyst at a bulge bracket firm.
wet blanket here its approximately a 10 year cycle. Engineers become scarce, wages sky rocket, tech/oil companies bust, engineers get fired ...repeat..... Last one was about late 2000/2001. I'd graduate asap if i were an engineer still in school.