In 2024, it was projected that people in the United States with a Master’s degree in Computer Science would have the highest average starting salary, at 85,403 U.S. dollars. People who held a Master’s degree in Engineering were projected to have the second-highest starting salary, at 83,628 U.S. dollars. An abundance of Masters As higher education in the United States has become more common, and even expected, the number of Master’s degrees awarded has increased. During the 1949-50 academic year, about 58,180 Master’s degrees were awarded to students, with the vast majority being earned by male students. In the 2018-19 academic year, this figure increased to about 833,710 Master’s degrees awarded, with the majority being earned by female students. The right career While Engineering might have the highest starting pay for Master’s degree holders, those with a Master’s degree as a Physician Assistant had the highest mid-career median pay in 2021. Engineering continues to be one of the most popular fields for those seeking their Master’s degree, and STEM fields continue to dominate the field in number of Master’s degrees awarded.

In 2023 the mean earnings of Bachelor's degree holders in the United States amounted to 86,970 U.S. dollars. People with higher education degrees tended to earn more than those without. For example, high school graduates, including those with a GED, had mean earnings of 46,720 U.S. dollars.

In 2024, Bachelor’s degree graduates in the United States with Computer Science degrees are projected to have an average starting salary of 74,778 U.S. dollars. Bachelor's degree graduates with degrees in Engineering are projected to have a starting salary of 76,736 U.S. dollars.

In 2022, the average annual income of a college graduate with a Bachelor's degree in the United States was ****** U.S. dollars. This is a decrease from the previous year, when the median income for college grads was around ****** U.S. dollars.

Graph and download economic data for Wage and Salary Workers Paid Hourly Rates: 16 Years and Over: College Graduates: Bachelor's Degree and Higher (BDAHC5) from 2002 to 2024 about paid, tertiary schooling, salaries, workers, hours, 16 years +, education, wages, rate, and USA.

Explore the progression of average salaries for graduates in U.S. Equivalent Of A Bachelor Of Science Degree In Information Technology from 2020 to 2023 through this detailed chart. It compares these figures against the national average for all graduates, offering a comprehensive look at the earning potential of U.S. Equivalent Of A Bachelor Of Science Degree In Information Technology relative to other fields. This data is essential for students assessing the return on investment of their education in U.S. Equivalent Of A Bachelor Of Science Degree In Information Technology, providing a clear picture of financial prospects post-graduation.

Graph and download economic data for Employed full time: Median usual weekly nominal earnings (second quartile): Wage and salary workers: High School graduates, no college: 25 years and over: White (LEU0254935500A) from 2000 to 2024 about no college, second quartile, secondary schooling, secondary, full-time, 25 years +, salaries, workers, earnings, white, education, wages, median, employment, and USA.

See notice below about this dataset

This dataset provides the average earnings by student group per district.  Wage records are obtained from the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) using a secure, anonymized matching process with limitations. For details on the process and suppression rules, please visit the Employment and Earnings of High School Graduates dashboard.

This dataset is one of three containing the same data that is also published in the Employment and Earnings of High School Graduates dashboard: Average Earnings by Student Group Average Earnings by Industry College and Career Outcomes

2025 Update on DESE Data on Employment and Earnings 

The data link between high school graduates and future earnings makes it possible to follow students beyond high school and college into the workforce, enabling long-term evaluation of educational programs using workforce outcomes.

While DESE has published these data in the past, as of June 2025 we are temporarily pausing updates due to an issue conducting the link that was brought to our attention in 2023 by a team of researchers. The issue impacts the earnings information for students who never attended a postsecondary institution or who only attended private or out-of-state colleges or universities, beginning with the 2017 high school graduation cohort, with growing impact in each successive high school graduation cohort.

The issue does not impact the earnings information for students who attended a Massachusetts public institution of higher education, and earnings data for those students will continue to be updated.

Once a solution is found, the past cohorts of data with low match rates will be updated. DESE and partner agencies are exploring linking strategies to maximize the utility of the information.

More detailed information can be found in the attached memo provided by the research team from the Annenberg Institute. We thank them for calling this issue to our attention.

U.S. citizens with a professional degree had the highest median household income in 2023, at 172,100 U.S. dollars. In comparison, those with less than a 9th grade education made significantly less money, at 35,690 U.S. dollars. Household income The median household income in the United States has fluctuated since 1990, but rose to around 70,000 U.S. dollars in 2021. Maryland had the highest median household income in the United States in 2021. Maryland’s high levels of wealth is due to several reasons, and includes the state's proximity to the nation's capital. Household income and ethnicity The median income of white non-Hispanic households in the United States had been on the rise since 1990, but declining since 2019. While income has also been on the rise, the median income of Hispanic households was much lower than those of white, non-Hispanic private households. However, the median income of Black households is even lower than Hispanic households. Income inequality is a problem without an easy solution in the United States, especially since ethnicity is a contributing factor. Systemic racism contributes to the non-White population suffering from income inequality, which causes the opportunity for growth to stagnate.

According to a survey conducted in 2023, recent college graduates in the United States expected their average starting salary to be ****** U.S. dollars, a decrease from ****** U.S. dollars expected by recent college students in the previous year.

Explore the progression of average salaries for graduates in Computer Applications (Us Equivalent To Master'S Degree In Computer Information Systems) from 2020 to 2023 through this detailed chart. It compares these figures against the national average for all graduates, offering a comprehensive look at the earning potential of Computer Applications (Us Equivalent To Master'S Degree In Computer Information Systems) relative to other fields. This data is essential for students assessing the return on investment of their education in Computer Applications (Us Equivalent To Master'S Degree In Computer Information Systems), providing a clear picture of financial prospects post-graduation.

As of the 2023/24 academic year, graduates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) had a starting salary of 110,200 U.S. dollars, and a mid-career salary of 196,900 U.S. dollars. Top universities in the United States One of the top universities in the United States, Harvey Mudd College, is located in Claremont, California. Not only do graduates earn a high salaries after graduation, they also pay the most. In the academic year of 2020-2021, Harvey Mudd College was one of the most expensive school by total annual cost. The best university in the United States in 2021 belonged to the University of California, Berkeley. The Ivy League The Ivy League is a group of eight private universities in the Northeastern United States. It is not only a collegiate athletic conference, but also a group of highly respected academic institutions. They are usually regarded as the best eight universities in the United States and the world. They are extremely selective with their admissions process. However, these universities are extremely expensive to attend. Despite the high price tag, students who graduate from Princeton University have the highest early career salary out of all Ivy League attendees in 2021. This is compared to the overall expected starting salaries of recent college graduates across the United States, which was less than 35,000 U.S. dollars.

In 2023, recent male university graduates in the United States expected to have an average salary of ****** U.S. dollars at their first job after graduation while female university graduates expected an average salary of ******. In comparison, the expected average starting salary was ****** U.S. dollars for all recent college graduates in that year.

Explore the progression of average salaries for graduates in Computer Applications,Equiv.To A U.S. Master'S Degree In Computer Science from 2020 to 2023 through this detailed chart. It compares these figures against the national average for all graduates, offering a comprehensive look at the earning potential of Computer Applications,Equiv.To A U.S. Master'S Degree In Computer Science relative to other fields. This data is essential for students assessing the return on investment of their education in Computer Applications,Equiv.To A U.S. Master'S Degree In Computer Science, providing a clear picture of financial prospects post-graduation.

In the United States, women holding a bachelor's degree earned, on average, 1,352 U.S. dollars per week in the second quarter of 2024. This can be compared with male bachelor's degree holders who on average earn 1,757 U.S dollars.

Explore the progression of average salaries for graduates in Computer Science Has 2Nd U.S. Masters Degree In It Management from 2020 to 2023 through this detailed chart. It compares these figures against the national average for all graduates, offering a comprehensive look at the earning potential of Computer Science Has 2Nd U.S. Masters Degree In It Management relative to other fields. This data is essential for students assessing the return on investment of their education in Computer Science Has 2Nd U.S. Masters Degree In It Management, providing a clear picture of financial prospects post-graduation.

Explore the progression of average salaries for graduates in Information Technology Us Equivalency Of Bachelors Degree In Information Technology from 2020 to 2023 through this detailed chart. It compares these figures against the national average for all graduates, offering a comprehensive look at the earning potential of Information Technology Us Equivalency Of Bachelors Degree In Information Technology relative to other fields. This data is essential for students assessing the return on investment of their education in Information Technology Us Equivalency Of Bachelors Degree In Information Technology, providing a clear picture of financial prospects post-graduation.

In 2023, the mean income of Black Bachelor's degree holders was ****** U.S. dollars, compared to ****** U.S. dollars for White Americans with a Bachelor's degree.

Explore the progression of average salaries for graduates in Accounting Equiv. To Us Masters Degree In Accounting from 2020 to 2023 through this detailed chart. It compares these figures against the national average for all graduates, offering a comprehensive look at the earning potential of Accounting Equiv. To Us Masters Degree In Accounting relative to other fields. This data is essential for students assessing the return on investment of their education in Accounting Equiv. To Us Masters Degree In Accounting, providing a clear picture of financial prospects post-graduation.

In 2024, the expected median starting salary for MBA graduates worldwide was ******* U.S. dollars. On the other hand, master's graduates in data analytics, business analytics, finance, and management were expected to have a median salary of ****** U.S. dollars.