2020, graduates earn the highest starting salary compared to previous graduates; despite massive unemployment and slashed earnings among working-class Americans, starting salaries for recent college graduates continue to rise.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the average starting wage for the Class of 2020 was $55,260, 2.5 percent more than the Class of 2019 ($53,889 ) and 8.5 percent higher than the Class of 2018 ($50,944).
According to recent research by public policy nonprofit Third Way of Department of Education statistics on 2.2 million college students who graduated in 2015 and 2016 and their early career earnings, STEM degrees give graduates some of the highest returns on investment.
College Majors With The Highest Starting Salaries 2023
10. Chemical Engineering, $72,713
Chemical engineers research, design, and develop chemical processes and equipment and oversee industrial chemicals’ operation and maintenance. The average starting salary is $72,713.
9. Applied mathematics, $73,558
Mathematicians use logical reasoning to examine the amount, structure, space, pattern, and change. They provide approaches and ideas that may be used in various areas, including physics. The average starting salary is $73,558.
8. Statistics, $75,916
A statistician creates surveys, opinion polls and questionnaires. They then collect and organize the data obtained. The average starting salary is $75,916.
7. Computer and information science, $78,603
Computer and information research scientists generally conduct the following: investigate computer issues and build ideas and models to solve them. The average starting salary is $78,603.
6. Operations research, $80,166
Identifying and solving problems in business, logistics, healthcare, and other industries are everyday tasks for operations research. The average starting salary is $80,166.
5. Electrical, electronics, and joint engineering, $80,819
Electrical and electronics engineers generally investigate the feasibility, design, operation, and performance of power systems, electrical machinery, electronic communications, instrumentation, and control systems, as well as the individual equipment and components that make them up. The average starting salary is $80,819.
4. Computer science, $85,766
Software development companies frequently recruit computer scientists. Their responsibilities include developing new hypotheses on technological advancement. Computer scientists utilize technology to solve issues and plan for the future. They also develop apps by writing and programming software. The average starting salary is $85,766
3. Computer engineering, $85,996
Computer engineers create software and computer hardware technologies to assist businesses in achieving their objectives. They handle everything from conceptualizing a program’s functionality and features to writing code, doing tests and audits, and installing updates and software fixes. The average starting salary is $85,996.
2. Computer programming $86,098
Computer programmers are responsible for developing the code that makes the software work. They are in order of planning a program’s workflow, developing the code, testing the program’s functioning, and providing documentation. The average starting salary is $86,098.
1. Petroleum engineering, $87,989
Petroleum engineering is a branch of engineering that deals with the processes involved in producing hydrocarbons, which can be crude oil or natural gas. Physics, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and mining engineering have traditionally been the disciplines that have been recruited into the business. The average starting salary is $87,989.
According to past research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the life expectancy of two-thirds of Americans without a college diploma is falling, resulting in a widening disparity between those with and without a secondary education.
