Highest salaries for master’s degree grads include HR
The careers with the highest starting salaries for graduates with a bachelor’s degree in the United States are software engineering ($71,666) (all numbers US$), industrial engineering ($62,245), chemical engineering ($57,500), electrical/electronic engineering ($57,145), and computer science ($55,664), according to the Employers Resource Association (ERA).
The lowest starting salaries for graduates with bachelor’s degrees are in liberal arts and sciences ($32,186), communications ($34,209) and biological sciences ($34,250), found the survey of ERA’s members, more than 1,300 companies.
The highest salaries for graduates with a master’s degree are nursing ($73,000), human resources ($57,333) and accounting ($57,053).
For graduates with bachelor’s degrees, the top three jobs with the biggest jumps from 2012 are: software engineering (up 42 per cent), public relations (up 35 per cent) and computer science (up 24 per cent). Bachelor of science degrees in nursing experienced the greatest decline, down 12 per cent.
“Since the start of the recession, students have been competing for entry level jobs with older workers who have more experience. Now, college graduates have a better opportunity to obtain a job after graduation because there is an increase in jobs and starting salaries, which is good news for college graduates,” said Douglas Matthews, PHR, survey manager for the Employers Resource Association.
