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Graduates earning a degree in transportation and materials moving were the highest paid in the Class of 2018 at the associate degree level, according to results of NACE’s Summer 2019 Salary Survey report.
The report provides actual starting salaries (not projections) for the college Class of 2018, and serves as the final salary report for this class. It found that salaries for Class of 2018 transportation and materials moving majors at the associate degree level averaged $65,449. (See Figure 1.)
Mechanic and repair technologies majors ($53,824) topped the $50,000 mark, while grads earning degrees in computer and information sciences ($44,755) and liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities ($43,193) followed.
Data were gathered from Class of 2018 graduates through December 31, 2018, and reported to NACE through May 31, 2019. The salary data were reported to NACE through its national Class of 2018 First-Destination Survey by approximately 350 colleges and universities nationwide, and represent data for almost 693,500 graduates at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree levels. The analysis provided here focuses on the data provided for more than 82,850 bachelor’s degree graduates. The Summer 2019 Salary Survey report is available to members in MyNACE. An executive summary report is available at http://www.naceweb.org/research/reports/.
Figure 1: Starting Salaries by Discipline for Class of 2018 Associate Degree Graduates
| Broad Category |
Average Salary |
| Transportation and materials moving |
$65,449 |
| Mechanic and repair technologies |
$53,824 |
| Computer and information sciences and support services |
$44,755 |
| Liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities |
$43,193 |
| Homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting, and related protective services |
$41,933 |
| Engineering technologies |
$41,192 |
Source: Summer 2019 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers. Note: Only disciplines with 20 or more salaries reported are included.