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Across regions, computer science and engineering are consistently projected to be the highest paid majors, according to results of NACE’s Winter 2017 Salary Survey.
For the most part, starting salaries are projected to be fairly uniform by broad category across the regions. (See Figure 1.) The most notable outliers are computer science and math and sciences majors in the West, who are expected to earn $75,624 and $73,083, respectively.
In the case of computer science, this is more than $10,000 more than the projected second highest salary of $65,227, which is expected to come from employers in the Southeast. Meanwhile, the average starting salary for math and sciences is more than $13,000 higher than their counterparts will receive from employers in the Northeast.
Data contained in NACE’s Winter 2017 Salary Survey report are annual salary projections for Class of 2017 college graduates and were obtained by surveying NACE employer members from August 5, 2016, through November 30, 2016. The figures reported are for base salaries only and do not include bonuses, commissions, fringe benefits, or overtime rates. Final starting salary data for the Class of 2016 will be available in the Spring 2017 Salary Survey. The Winter 2017 Salary Survey is available to members in MyNACE. An executive summary of the Winter 2017 Salary Survey report is also available.
Figure 1: Average Salaries by Broad Category/Regions
| Broad Category |
2017 Average Salary |
| Northeast |
Southeast |
Midwest |
West |
| Business |
$54,782 |
$55,601 |
$53,735 |
$56,659 |
| Communications |
$53,499 |
$49,500 |
$50,432 |
$52,410 |
| Computer Science |
$62,928 |
$65,227 |
$61,648 |
$75,624 |
| Engineering |
$65,385 |
$66,036 |
$65,177 |
$68,571 |
| Humanities |
$51,259 |
NA |
$47,167 |
NA |
| Social Sciences |
$54,966 |
$59,000 |
NA |
$55,250 |
| Math & Sciences |
$59,286 |
$57,090 |
$53,955 |
$73,083 |
Source: Winter 2017 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers