Average monthly salary of graduates, 1983

Parents Forum
1

<p>Found an old college catalog that referenced a 1983 nationwide survey of college graduates (not specific to the school whose catalog it is).</p>

<p>Here are the listed results for bachelor’s degree graduates in different areas, followed by yearly pay levels (multiplied by 12), then adjusted by [CPI</a> inflation from 1983 to 2011<a href=“multiplied%20by%202.27”>/url</a>:</p>

<p>Accounting, $1551, $18612, $42249
Business administration (general), $1478, $17736, $40261
Biological sciences, $1449, $17388, $39471
Computer science, $1909, $22908, $52001
Engineering, $2123, $25476, $57831
Humanities, $1214, $14568, $33069
Physical and earth sciences, $1563, $18756, $42576
Economics, $1348, $16176, $36719
Other social sciences, $1198, $14376, $32634</p>

<p>For comparison to what graduates are finding today:</p>

<p>The [url=<a href=“NACE - Page not found”>NACE - Page not found]NACE</a> survey](<a href=“http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=1.00&year1=1983&year2=2011]CPI”>http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=1.00&year1=1983&year2=2011) is behind a pay wall.</p>

<p>A few schools have detailed career survey information for their graduates:
[Post-Graduation</a> Survey and Report | Career Services | Virginia Tech](<a href=“http://www.career.vt.edu/PostGraduationSurveyReport/PostGrad.html]Post-Graduation”>http://www.career.vt.edu/PostGraduationSurveyReport/PostGrad.html)
[Graduate</a> Status Report - Career Services - Cal Poly](<a href=“http://www.careerservices.calpoly.edu/content/student/gsr_report]Graduate”>http://www.careerservices.calpoly.edu/content/student/gsr_report)
<a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm[/url]”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/internships-careers-employment/1121619-university-graduate-career-surveys.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/internships-careers-employment/1121619-university-graduate-career-surveys.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

2

<p>The Ivy League humanities majors are the exception that proves the rule. English majors from there can find a lot of opportunities in consulting. But if you’re an English major from your average state universities, then you’re probably going to see your salary a lot closer to what is listed here.</p>

3

<p>

For students who go to vocational jobs in higher percentages, such as Engg or Comp Sci, it’s a reasonable yardstick, at least in their initial jobs.</p>

4

<p>Some observations:</p>

<p>With the exception of engineering and computer science, the difference in pay levels of new graduates did not vary that much (about 30% from highest to lowest, excluding engineering and computer science) between major groups in 1983.</p>

<p>It appears that business, economics, other social sciences, and computer science majors are doing better now than in 1983, while biology majors are worse off now than in 1983.</p>

<p>Median household income in 1983 was about the same as now, after adjusting for CPI inflation.</p>

<p>However, cost of attending a four year university has doubled or more since 1983, after adjusting for CPI inflation.</p>