Top Paid Grads From Class of 2013 Are Engineering Majors

Marilyn Mackes of NACE

Technical majors head the list of highest-paid majors for the college Class of 2013, according to a new report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

In particular, NACE’s April 2013 Salary Survey—the first look at starting salaries for the Class of 2013—found that seven engineering majors are among the 10 top-paid for the college Class of 2013. (See Figure 1.)

“Engineering majors are consistently among the highest paid because the demand for them is so great,” says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director.

By far, petroleum engineering majors received the top starting salaries with an average of $93,500, nearly $22,000 more than the second highest-paid major, computer engineering at $71,700.

Other engineering majors among the top-paid are chemical engineering ($67,600), aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering ($64,400), mechanical engineering ($64,000), electrical/electronics and communications engineering ($63,400), and engineering technology ($62,200).

The top-paid non-engineering majors are computer science, with an average starting salary of $64,800, followed by management information systems/business ($63,100) and finance ($57,400).

Class of 2013 Top Paying Majors