US: First paycheck · 5 min read
What's the average starting salary for a college graduate?
What new college graduates earn in the US in 2026: NACE projections by major from about $60,000 to over $80,000, the gap with real first jobs and negotiating.
The short answer
Employers surveyed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers project an average starting salary for Class of 2026 bachelor's graduates of roughly $70,000 across majors, with computer science at $81,535, engineering at $81,198, math and statistics at $74,184 and business at $68,873. Those are offers from large employers that recruit on campus. Across all graduates, including the two in five working in jobs that don't require a degree, typical first-year earnings are closer to $45,000 to $55,000. Your number depends on major, city, industry and whether you had an internship, and the right way to use these figures is as a range to research for your specific role, not a target to quote.
Key takeaways
- NACE 2026 projections: computer science $81,535, engineering $81,198, math and sciences around $74,000, business $68,873, humanities and social sciences lower.
- Projections come from large campus recruiters. Median earnings for all recent graduates are lower, with 42% in jobs that don't require a degree.
- Location moves the number by 20 to 40%: the same role pays far more in San Francisco or New York than in Kansas City, and costs more too.
- Use salary data for the specific title, industry and metro area when you negotiate, not the national average for your major.
On this pageProjected starting salaries by major, Class of 2026
Projected starting salaries by major, Class of 2026
| Major group | Projected average | Change from 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Computer science | $81,535 | +6.9% |
| Engineering | $81,198 | +3.1% |
| Math and statistics | $74,184 | Up |
| Business | $68,873 | +5.5% |
| Social sciences | Roughly $60,000 to $65,000 | Up slightly |
| Humanities | Roughly $55,000 to $62,000 | Up slightly |
| Agriculture and natural resources | Roughly $60,000 | Up slightly |
Why the real number is often lower
The projections come from employers that belong to NACE, mostly large companies that recruit on campuses and hire for roles that require a degree. They describe the top of the market. The New York Fed's data on all graduates aged 22 to 27 show a median annual wage for recent graduates around $50,000 in recent years, with 42% working in jobs that don't typically require a degree and pay accordingly. Both numbers are true. If you're interviewing for a degree-required role at a large employer, the NACE figure for your major is a fair reference. If you're taking a first job at a small company or outside your field, expect less and plan to move up.
What moves your number
- An internship at the company or in the industry, which NACE consistently finds raises both offer rates and starting pay.
- Metro area: coastal tech and finance hubs pay most and cost most; geographic pay tiers are common.
- Industry over major: an English major in software sales can out-earn an engineering major at a nonprofit.
- Company size: large firms pay more at entry; small firms often pay less but promote faster.
- Skills the posting names: SQL, a second language, a license or certification, each worth a few thousand dollars at entry.
Using the data in a negotiation
Don't quote your major's average. Find the salary range for the exact title at that company size in that city: company reviews, the posting's own range (required in a growing number of states), the Bureau of Labor Statistics' occupational wage data by metro area, and alumni two years ahead of you. Arrive with a range, ask where the offer sits within the company's band for the role, and if there's room, ask for a specific number near the top of your research with one sentence of justification. Then stop talking.
Illustrative example: two offers, one answer
A finance graduate holds offers of $78,000 in New York and $64,000 in Charlotte for similar analyst roles. After rent, the Charlotte offer leaves about $9,000 more a year. She asks the Charlotte employer what analysts hired two years ago now earn and hears $80,000 to $85,000. She takes Charlotte, and her classmate in New York, paying $2,600 a month for a shared apartment, wonders how she's saving.
Questions people ask
- Is $60,000 a good starting salary out of college?
- It's around the projected average for business and social science majors at large employers and above what most graduates outside tech and engineering actually earn in their first job. In a high-cost city it's modest; in most of the country it's comfortable for a single person. Judge it against the role's market rate and the cost of living where you'd live, not the national figure.
- Which majors have the highest starting salaries?
- Computer science and engineering lead at over $80,000 in 2026 projections, with petroleum, computer and electrical engineering highest within engineering. Math, statistics, economics, finance and nursing follow. Education, social work, communications and the arts are lowest, typically $40,000 to $55,000, though several have steady demand.
- Do starting salaries vary by city?
- Substantially. The same analyst or engineer role pays 30 to 40% more in San Francisco, New York or Seattle than in a mid-sized Midwestern or Southern city, and rent in those cities takes most of the difference. Many employers now set pay by geographic tier. Compare offers on what's left after housing, not the headline.
- Can I negotiate a starting salary as a new grad?
- Often, modestly. Large structured programs usually have fixed bands with little room; smaller companies have more. Ask once, politely, with a specific number backed by data for that role in that city, or ask for a signing bonus or an earlier review. Never negotiate against an offer you don't have. The guide on negotiating a job offer walks through the script.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- Salaries expected to climb for Class of 2026 grads despite flat hiring · National Association of Colleges and Employers
- The labor market for recent college graduates · Federal Reserve Bank of New York
- Education pays, 2025 · US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Career Outlook
How this page is written
Sources support the factual background, not a guarantee that an exercise predicts career fit. Fictional practice material is labelled. Dates record content updates; no independent expert review is implied. More about OffLadder.