Engineering and computer science majors yield highest starting salaries

When college students begin to set their sights on a degree, money and market demand are often their main influences.

Where to work, who is hiring and how much money people are paid for services are questions every student confronts whether they intend to or not.

Majors in industrial and engineering technology and computer science are the highest paying degrees straight out of school, said Director of Career Services Julia Sherlock.

Careers in these field pay between $35,000 to $53,000, Sherlock said.

Being able to find employment after graduation day is a major concern for many students. Sherlock said jobs in IET and CPS, both receive an average of $42,000 for graduating students, but they are careers that are in demand.

Other degrees that are high in market demand are liberal and applied arts, education and human services and business.

Sherlock said last year’s percentage of liberal- and applied-art majors employed out of college, within a three-month period, was 89.4 percent, while business majors were 89 percent and teachers were 96.5 percent.

Many businesses come to campus for recruiting, while more than 70 companies come to CMU’s Career Fair each semester, according to a business-administration pamphlet.

Another key aspect of being in demand is diversification or resale value. In the job market today many graduates will find themselves in many different jobs, working for a number of employers, before they retire.

“The generation itself forced this change,” Sherlock said. “Generation X is saying ‘I’m bored,’” she said.

People majoring in technology or computer fields will have the ability to find new work, as the world becomes more and more high-tech, she said.

Sherlock said education graduates have the abilities, interests and values not only to become teachers, but to work in other careers as well.

For more information about careers, call Career Services at 774-3068.