Engineering majors are projected to post the highest starting salary, at $64,891, among graduates of the class of 2016, according to salary survey data released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. This is up 3% from the average salary projection of $62,998 for engineering graduates from the class of 2015.
Computer science majors ranked second with a projected starting salary of $61,321.
The average projected salaries by discipline for bachelor’s degrees include:
- Engineering: $64,891
- Computer science: $61,321
- Math and sciences: $55,087
- Business: $52,236
- Agriculture and natural resources: $48,729
- Healthcare: $48,712
- Communications: $47,047
- Social sciences: $46,585
- Humanities: $46,065
- Education: $34,891
Engineering majors are also projected to post the highest starting salary, at $73,871, among master’s degree graduates of the class of 2016, according to NACs. Computer science and business majors followed.
The average projected salaries by discipline for master’s degrees include:
- Engineering: $73,871
- Computer science: $72,080
- Business: $71,663
- Math and sciences: $67,891
- Communications: $55,727
- Social sciences: $52,333
The average projected salaries by discipline for doctoral degrees include:
- Computer science: $101,324
- Math and sciences: $98,693
- Engineering: $95,055
- Business: $74,459
The Winter 2016 Salary Survey included 274 NACE employer members, who reported their projected salaries for their anticipated new hires from the class of 2015. It was conducted from Aug. 5 through Nov. 6, 2015.
