Computer and information science majors were among the Class of 2017’s top-paid majors at the advanced degree levels, according to results of NACE’s Summer 2018 Salary Survey.
At the master’s degree levels, computer and information science majors earned an average starting salary of $93,415, outpacing that of engineering ($84,052) and mathematics and statistics ($79,985) majors. (See Figure 1.)
Although Class of 2017 computer and information sciences majors graduating with doctoral degrees earned an average starting salary of $112,772, business, management, and marketing majors surpassed them by earning starting salaries that averaged $138,468. (See Figure 2.)
The Summer 2018 Salary Survey report provides actual starting salaries (not projections) for the college Class of 2017, and serves as the final salary report for the Class of 2017. Data were gathered from Class of 2017 graduates through December 31, 2017, and reported to NACE through May 25, 2018. The salary data were reported to NACE through its national Class of 2017 First-Destination Survey by approximately 366 colleges and universities nationwide, and represent data for slightly more than 695,000 graduates at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree levels. The Summer 2018 Salary Survey report is available to members in MyNACE. An executive summary of the report is available on NACEWeb.
Figure 1: Top Average Starting Salaries for Class of 2017 Master’s Degree Graduates
|
Major |
Average Salary |
| Computer and information sciences |
$93,415 |
| Engineering |
$84,052 |
| Mathematics and statistics |
$79,985 |
| Engineering technologies |
$78,235 |
| Health professions |
$74,384 |
Source: Summer 2018 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers
Figure 2: Top Average Starting Salaries for Class of 2017 Doctoral Graduates
|
Major |
Average Salary |
| Business, management, and marketing |
$138,468 |
| Computer and information sciences |
$112,772 |
| Engineering |
$95,048 |
| Public administration and social service |
$86,891 |
| Social sciences |
$84,889 |
Source: Summer 2018 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers