Spotlight for Career Services Professionals
Spotlight for Recruiting Professionals
Data from NACE’s Winter 2021 Salary Survey show the value of computer sciences majors in the current job market. This could be due to the greater need for technology in the new “virtual world” we live and work in as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The average salary projection for computer sciences graduates jumped 7.1% to $72,173, the highest projected starting salary for this class. (See Figure 1.)
This projected salary increase is not isolated to one individual major. In fact, all three of the individual reported computer sciences majors—computer science (7.1%), information sciences and systems (7.1%), and software applications (6.8%)—reflect similar increases.
In addition, nearly half of the employers responding to the survey—48.9%—plan to hire Class of 2021 computer science graduates. (See Figure 2.)
All of these results underscore the demand for computer sciences graduates in this job market.
The Winter 2021 Salary Survey report features annual salary projections for Class of 2021 college graduates. The figures reported are for base salaries only and do not include bonuses, commissions, fringe benefits, or overtime rates. The report provides the detailed salary projections by academic major and degree level, along with breakouts by both industry and geographic region. Data contained in the Winter 2021 Salary Survey report were obtained by surveying NACE employer members from September 14, 2020, through November 30, 2020. A total of 139 surveys were returned—a 14.9 percent response rate. The Winter 2021 Salary Survey report is available to members in MyNACE. An executive summary report is available at www.naceweb.org/store/subscription/salary-survey/.
Figure 1: Top average salaries by discipline, bachelor’s degrees
| Broad Category |
2021 Salary Projection |
2020 Salary Projection |
% Change |
| Computer sciences |
$72,173 |
$67,411 |
7.1% |
| Engineering |
$71,088 |
$69,961 |
1.6% |
| Math and sciences |
$63,316 |
$62,488 |
1.3% |
| Business |
$58,869 |
$57,939 |
1.6% |
Source: Winter 2021 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers
Figure 2: Top degrees in demand, bachelor’s degrees
| Major |
# of Respondents
That Will Hire
| % of Respondents
That Will Hire |
| Accounting |
75 |
54.0% |
| Finance |
73 |
52.5% |
| Business administration/management |
68 |
48.9% |
| Computer science |
68 |
48.9% |
| Mechanical engineering |
62 |
44.6% |
Source: Winter 2021 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers