Spotlight for Career Services Professionals
Early data for Class of 2017 master’s degree graduates indicate engineering disciplines are earning the highest average starting salaries, according to NACE’s Fall 2017 Salary Survey. However, it’s important to note that the data at this early juncture are preliminary and limited.
Currently, the average starting salary for Class of 2017 engineering technologies majors at the master’s degree level stands at $86,452, followed by engineering majors at $76,808 and computer science majors at $75,760.
At $71,859, the average starting salary for multi/interdisciplinary studies majors also eclipsed $70,000.
Data for the Fall 2017 Salary Survey report were collected from July 12, 2017, through September 15, 2017, and were provided by 81 colleges and universities nationwide that participate in NACE’s national First-Destination Survey. The data are preliminary salaries for Class of 2017 graduates in the date range from July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2017. The final salary numbers for the Class of 2017 will be released in the Spring 2018 Salary Survey report in conjunction with the Class of 2017 First-Destination Surveyresults. The Fall 2017 Salary Survey report is available to members on MyNACE. An executive summary is available at www.naceweb.org/research/reports/.
Figure 1: Top-paid majors for class of 2017 master’s degree graduates
| Broad Category |
Number of 2017 Reported Salaries |
2017 Average Salary |
| Engineering Technologies |
40 |
$86,452 |
| Engineering |
686 |
$76,808 |
| Computer & Information Sciences |
1,484 |
$75,760 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies |
40 |
$71,859 |
| Health Professions & Related Programs |
531 |
$69,501 |
| Business, Management, Marketing & Related Support Services |
1,824 |
$67,164 |
| Mathematics & Statistics |
113 |
$66,713 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities |
31 |
$60,007 |
Source: Fall 2017 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers