In addition to all the other faults cited above, any salary data from any source, not taking into account the cost of living and taxation doesn’t tell the full story. In addition to quality of life, income AFTER EXPENSES matters.
Why are so many working citizens migrating from high pay big cities to lower pay medium sized and small cities for the past decade and increasing the one-way out moving truck business every year? It isn’t just horrific traffic, regulations and stepping into excrement on the sidewalk, although they are push factors too.
One of several studies: https://www.kron4.com/news/california/more-than-half-of-californians-want-to-move-out-survey/
If any college in Manhattan or the Bay Area doesn’t have higher paid grads than colleges predominantly placing kids in the midwest, south, etc… then it is in really bad shape.
Who cares if a kid makes $20,000 more in giant metropolis USA where the glitz of big city life wears off, than grads in other cities and towns where the cost of living and lower taxation equates to the equivalent of $30,000 more and the quality of life is so much better? So many young adults we know who ended up in 3 big cities and live in overcrowded conditions in hovels in rough neighborhoods. They are getting a good dose of how little higher pay means when you don’t take into account all the other factors.
Then, there is the factor of majors with high starting pay, but the maximum pay differential 10 years in the future isn’t that much better (low glass ceiling) vs lower starting pay endeavors with high pay potential for people that excel.