What Salaries Can the Class of 2016 Expect?
In a Hay Group study, researchers analyzed salaries of 145,000 entry-level positions from more than 700 organizations across the United States. Based on this data, the firm issued a sampling of 25 jobs, spanning multiple industries—providing a snapshot of what new college grads can expect as they enter the workforce full time for the first time.
In the sampling, those entering engineering roles will make the most ($62,174)—29% more than the average of $48,270 for all of the 25 positions. That salary skyrockets to $78,988 for engineers in San Francisco, the city with the highest average salaries in the nation. The research also analyzes salaries for the New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago markets.
Customer service representatives can expect to make the least on the list, at $31,958, which is 34% below the average.
Following are the higher paying average salaries for entry-level professional roles that were analyzed:
- Engineer- $62,174;
- Software Developer – $62,093;
- Actuary – $57,600;
- Scientist/researcher – $56,872; and
- Environmental Professional – $56,236.
Here are the lower paying average salaries from the entry-level professional roles that were analyzed:
- Health Education Instructor – $42,994;
- Call Center Specialist – $39,998;
- Claims Examiner – $35,987;
- Category Assistant – $35,782; and
- Customer Service Rep. – $31,958.