The average starting salary for class of 2022 bachelor’s degree recipients was $60,028, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Summer 2023 Salary Survey report. That’s up 7.4% compared to the previous year and a big lift from the 1.2% experienced by the class of 2021.
Shawn VanDerziel, NACE president and CEO, said in a press release that the increase can be attributed to a large increase in hiring of and competition for new college graduates. “Our Job Outlook 2022 Spring Update survey provided evidence of this surge as participating employers planned a robust hiring increase of 31.6% for the Class of 2022,” he said.
The five highest-paid categories of majors remained the same as they were for the class of 2021:
- Computer and information sciences: $86,964
- Engineering: $76,249
- Mathematics and statistics: $76,186
- Business: $61,970
- Health professions and related programs: $58,849
Class of 2022 master’s degree recipients also saw a salary increase. Their overall average starting salary was $105,894, up 3% compared to last year.
