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Engineering technologies graduates were the top earners among Class of 2016 master’s degree graduates, while, at the doctoral level, graduates earning degrees in business, management, marketing, and related support services earned the highest average starting salary, according to results of NACE's Spring 2017 Salary Survey, the final report for the class.
At the master’s degree level, engineering technologies graduates earned an average starting salary of $83,230, followed closely by multi/interdisciplinary studies majors at $82,110, computer and information sciences and support services at $81,619, and legal studies majors at $81,273.
Computer and information sciences and support services majors also earned a high average starting salary of $115,925 at the doctoral level. However, they were second on the list of top average salaries to business, management, marketing, and related support services graduates, whose salaries averaged $116,798. Also among the top earners were transportation and materials moving majors ($95,693) and public administration and social service professions majors ($91,035).
Data contained in NACE's Spring 2017 Salary Survey report were reported to NACE through its national Class of 2016 First-Destination Survey by 358 colleges and universities nationwide, and represent data for more than 400,000 graduates across all degree levels. Most of the analysis provided here, however, focuses on the data provided for the more than 72,900 bachelor’s degree graduates. NACE's Spring 2017 Salary Survey report provides actual starting salaries (not projections) for the college Class of 2016, and serves as the final salary report for the Class of 2016. It is available to members in MyNACE. An executive summary report is available at www.naceweb.org/research/reports/.
Figure 1: Average Salaries by Discipline for Class of 2016 Master’s Degree Graduates
| Discipline |
Average Salary |
| Engineering technologies |
$83,230 |
| Multi/interdisciplinary studies |
$82,110 |
| Computer and information sciences and support services |
$81,619 |
| Legal studies |
$81,273 |
| Engineering |
$78,866 |
| Transportation and materials moving |
$77,036 |
| Business, management, marketing, and related support services |
$74,551 |
| Liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities |
$72,271 |
| Health professions and related programs |
$70,775 |
| Foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics |
$69,609 |
Source: Spring 2017 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers
Figure 2: Average Salaries by Discipline for Class of 2016 Doctoral Degree Graduates
| Discipline |
Average Salary |
| Business, management, marketing, and related support services |
$116,798 |
| Computer and information sciences and support services |
$115,925 |
| Transportation and materials moving |
$95,693 |
| Public administration and social service professions |
$91,035 |
| Engineering |
$87,286 |
| Multi/interdisciplinary studies |
$79,493 |
| Health professions and related programs |
$79,224 |
| Education |
$78,912 |
| Mathematics and statistics |
$76,582 |
| Social sciences |
$74,456 |
Source: Spring 2017 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers