Thinking of studying computer science or going into a technical field in the future– it might pay off according to the National Association for Colleges and Employers (NACE) recently published Class of 2025 Salary Projection report!
While overall starting salary predictions for the Class of 2025 are considered a “mixed bag” in comparison to 2024, Engineering and Computer Science degree holders are expected to be the top paid, seeing a 2.6% and 2% salary increase over last year. Computer science majors also show more stable salary predictions long term. For 2025, the average starting salary is projected to be $76,251 up 2% from $74,778 in 2024. (Please note that many factors contribute to salary and overall compensation package, including location and company size, so individual offers may vary. Utilize tools such as payscale.com and salary.com to research your offers.)
This positive news is refreshing amid a period of instability in the tech industry, where layoffs are common at big tech companies like Meta focusing on the “year of efficiency.” The AI boom has also acted as a disrupter leading employers to practice more conservative or targeted hiring. However, there is still a lot of opportunity in this industry, especially for CS/Engineering degree holders.
If you are a first-year or sophomore interested in the CS/Engineering fields, this seems to be a sign to go for it! Talk to upperclassmen and alumni to help identify courses, skills and summer opportunities to engage your tech career interests. If you are looking to start exploring the tech field this summer through an internship, check out the links below to find current openings:
And if you have an offer and want to learn more about salary negotiation strategies, see the MCS recommended resources below.
