Engineering, Computer Science Graduates See Salary Increase - report by the Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Black Issues in Higher Education, July 19, 2001

WASHINGTON

Despite talk of an economic slowdown, 2000-2001 bachelor's graduates in engineering, computer science and many other fields continue to receive higher starting salary offers compared to last year's graduates, according to a recent report by the Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology.

Computer engineering graduates took top dollar, but petroleum engineering graduates were right behind. Computer science graduates continued to do well despite the demise of a number of Internet companies.

The report, Salaries of Scientists, Engineers and Technicians, also found that for experienced workers, most scientists and engineers received salary increases that allowed them to keep up with inflation.

Other highlights of the commission's summary report:

Generally, doctoral scientists and engineers working in private for-profit organizations reported the highest median salary, while those working in state and local governments reported the lowest. However, self-employed individuals in the earth sciences, physics and astronomy, and political science were the highest-paid doctorates in their field.

Overall, women doctorates in science and engineering earned 24 percent less than men did. However, some of the disparity can be accounted for by the fact that women doctorates tend to be in lower-paying fields and in lower-paying work activities (such as teaching), and have less experience overall.

The median salary for all chemists increased 2.9 percent to $70,000 in 2000, closely in line with inflation, and ended a decade during which chemists salary gains enjoyed a small edge over inflation.

The median salary for full-time employed doctoral physicists was $78,000, with master's degrees at $63,800 and bachelor's degrees at $60,000 in 2000.

Salaries of experienced engineers also have been rising due to a healthy job market. The median salary for all engineers working in industry was $79,713, up 5.5 percent from 1998.

For the seventh time in the past eight years, the increase in faculty salaries outpaced the rate of inflation for academic year 2000-2001. Engineering faculty continue to report the highest salaries $79,805.

For information on how to obtain the report, visit <www.cpst.org>.