BETHLEHEM, PA—The college Class of 2011 outpaced the preceding class in average starting salary, according to a new report published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
Overall, 2011 graduates at the bachelor’s degree level began their first post-graduation job with an average salary of $41,701—up 2.3 percent over the average salary for Class of 2010 graduates, according to NACE’s Winter 2012 Salary Survey report.*
In fact, the report shows that average starting salaries grew across the board, albeit modestly in most cases.
“Graduates in the engineering and computer science disciplines fared best in terms of overall average starting salary, and computer science graduates saw the largest overall increase,” says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director. (See Figure 1.)
As a group, the average starting salary for engineering graduates is $61,872—up 1.5 percent over the 2010 average ($60,971).
For students earning degrees in the computer science majors, the average starting salary now stands at $60,594, a 4.1 percent increase over the $58,229 posted in 2010.
An executive summary of the Winter 2012 report is available at www.naceweb.org/research/Salary_Survey/.
NACE will provide its first look at starting salaries for the Class of 2012 in April.
Figure 1: Average salaries by discipline
Discipline Group
|
2010 Avg Salary
|
2011 Avg Salary
|
Percent Change
|
Business
|
$46,378
|
$48,144
|
3.8%
|
Communications
|
$38,450
|
$39,577
|
2.9%
|
Computer Science
|
$58,229
|
$60,594
|
4.1%
|
Education
|
$37,040
|
$37,830
|
2.1%
|
Engineering
|
$60,971
|
$61,872
|
1.5%
|
Health Sciences
|
$44,451
|
$44,955
|
1.1%
|
Humanities and Social Sciences
|
$34,856
|
$35,503
|
1.9%
|
Math and Sciences
|
$39,749
|
$40,204
|
1.1%
|
Source: Winter 2012 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers. Data are starting salaries for graduates at the bachelor’s degree level.
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About Salary Survey:Salary Survey reports starting salaries for new college graduates in more than 90 disciplines at the bachelor’s degree level. Data contained in the report are reported by employers, represent accepted starting salaries (not salary offers), and are produced through a compilation of data derived from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau, and a master set of data developed by Job Search Intelligence. Data for the Winter 2012 report were retrieved in October 2011. Salary Survey is published in January, April, and September.
* Note: The Winter 2012 Salary Survey report reflects a change in the data collection methodology from previous reports. Consequently, comparisons between data in this report and previous reports are not possible. To provide comparative data, NACE has recalculated historical data; the recalculated data are reflected in this press release.
About NACE: Since 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has been the leading source of information about the employment of college graduates. For more information, visit www.naceweb.org. NACE maintains a virtual press room for the media at www.naceweb.org/pressreleases/.
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