Engineering starting salaries rank high in new national survey
July 28, 2009
Engineering college graduates achieve the best starting salaries, even in today's unstable economy, according to a new report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). NACE's Summer 2009 Salary Survey report shows that engineering disciplines account for four of the five disciplines getting the highest starting salary offers. Additional results of the survey show that 8 of the top 15 lucrative jobs for college graduates are offered through academic programs in LSU's College of Engineering.
Discipline -- Average Starting Salary Offer
Petroleum engineering $83,121
Chemical engineering $64,902
Mining engineering $64,404
Computer engineering $61,738
Computer science $61,407
Electrical engineering $60,125
Mechanical engineering $58,766
Industrial engineering $58,358
Systems engineering $57,438
Engineering technology $56,447
Actuarial science $56,320
Aeronautical engineering $56,311
Agricultural engineering $54,352
Biomedical engineering $54,158
Construction management $53,199
According to LSU Career Services, more than 90 percent of May 2008 LSU College of Engineering graduates had definitive post-graduation plans by mid-May. Of the 331 Engineering graduates who participated in the Spring 2008 LSU Graduating Student Survey, 77 percent were employed; 1.8 percent were in the process of evaluating employment offers; and 11.8 percent had chosen graduate or professional school as a next step.
Contributing to the post-graduate success of LSU students in the college is that Engineering students consistently are among the most proactive in seeking work experience through internships, cooperative education (i.e., alternating semesters of school and work), volunteerism and part-time jobs. Such experiences teach real-life skills that help students develop a healthy balance of academic and professional expertise.
Source: Summer 2009 Salary Survey, NACE. Data are for bachelor's degree level candidates and are reported for disciplines in which 30 or more offers have been received.
About Salary Survey: Salary Survey is a quarterly report of starting salary offers to new college graduates in 70 disciplines at the bachelor's degree level. The survey compiles data from college and university career services offices nationwide. Salary Survey is issued in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, with the Fall issue serving as the year-end report. (Salaries reported in this press release reflect offers to bachelor's degree candidates.)
About NACE: Since 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has been the leading source of information about the college job market.
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