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The Condition of Education 1998, Indicator 33
Starting salaries of college graduates
One of the values that students place on the field of study they choose for
their bachelor? degree is the earning potential associated with occupations in
that field. Starting salaries offered by employers are related not only to the
value of the skills learned by college graduates but also to the supply of
qualified individuals. Thus, differences in starting salaries shed light on the
changing demands of the labor market and the response of students and the
education system to those changes.
 | Between 1977 and 1993, college graduates who majored in computer
sciences and engineering had much higher starting salaries than did
graduates in all other fields of study; while the salary benefit of majoring
in such fields was high, it declined between 1980 and 1993.
|
| Starting salaries among graduates who majored in the humanities or
education have fluctuated over time, but in general, they were considerably
lower than the starting salaries for all graduates.
|
| Among 1993 graduates, females were much more likely than males to
major in education, and males were more likely than females to major in
computer sciences and engineering. The most common field of study for both
males and females was business; the starting salary benefits for those who
majored in this field increased between 1986 and 1993.
|
| Median starting salaries for 1993 male graduates were substantially
higher than those for female graduates, both overall and within certain
fields of study including business, social and behavioral sciences, and
natural sciences. |
Chart 1: Percentage difference between median
starting salaries for college graduates in all fields and college graduates in
major fields of study: Years of graduation 1977-93
Chart 2: Annual median starting salaries (in 1997
constant dollars) of 1993 college graduates with significant starting salary
differences between males and females, by major field of study and sex
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Recent College
Graduate Surveys (1977?0) and 1993 Baccalaureate
and Beyond Longitudinal Study, First Follow-up (B&B:93/94).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, 1993 Baccalaureate
and Beyond Longitudinal Study , First Follow-up (B&B:93/94).
Table 33-1: Median starting salaries (in 1997
constant dollars) of college graduates who worked full time and who were not
enrolled in college 1 year after graduation, by field of study, sex, and
race/ethnicity: Years of graduation 1977?3
Table 33-2: Percentage distribution of college
graduates who were working full time and who were not enrolled in college 1 year
after graduation, by field of study, sex, and race/ethnicity: Years of
graduation 1977?3
Table S33(a): Standard errors for the first text
table in Indicator 33
Table S33(b): Standard errors for the second text
table in Indicator 33
Table S33-1: Standard errors for table 33-1
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Last updated June 1, 1998
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