College Graduate Salary For Computer Science Majors??? (rental, credit)

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

Grad degrees are a different story. They expect MBAs to come in with varying experience and backgrounds, so there's room to negotiate. You aren't applying to entry level positions--with an MBA you're stepping into management level roles and higher. On the contrast, they know that no one coming straight from undergrad and applying to entry level positions has any relevant experience, so there's nothing to leverage to negotiate with.

Let me repeat:

I don't keep up with the management consulting industry of late, but quite a few of my university and graduate school chums went into the field (but that was before the days of the Big Three) and all negotiated their first salaries. HOWEVER, all were Ivy League graduates and all but one had master's degrees (usually a combination of engineering bachelor's and MBA or engineering and double Sc.M.-MBA combo).

Meaning, one had just a bachelor's degree.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by IndiaLimaDelta

Let me repeat:
Meaning, one had just a bachelor's degree.

Okay. You're right, your friends' experiences however many years ago in other regions from a different caliber of schools are more correct/relevant than my experiences from 2 years ago and my husbands' experiences from 2 days ago in this region.

Sorry to snark, but I suspect we are just talking about two completely unrelated situations. The companies hiring in this region are not the Banes or the McKinseys that ivy grads tend to chase. (Although I did work with a couple Yale grads who made within $1000 of what I made when we were new hires...)

[iron_guitarist1987]

I'm a Computer Engineering grad from a relatively unknown school. I started out as a graduate co-op for the government (NASA Goddard) at $45k, and worked there for 1.5 years. Then I moved to a small company at 60K, where I got my clearance, and worked there for 9 months. Immediately after I got my clearance, I got a job new at $77.5k. I did have a lot of experience with internships and undergrad research. So 50k - 70k depending on your clearances and skill set.

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

Okay. You're right, your friends' experiences however many years ago in other regions from a different caliber of schools are more correct/relevant than my experiences from 2 years ago and my husbands' experiences from 2 days ago in this region.

Sorry to snark, but I suspect we are just talking about two completely unrelated situations. The companies hiring in this region are not the Banes or the McKinseys that ivy grads tend to chase. (Although I did work with a couple Yale grads who made within $1000 of what I made when we were new hires...)

Completely unnecessary snark as this is not a competition.

It's not that my experience is more or less relevant than yours to the OP's situation (neither appears to be directly related his situation). My point, rather, was to counter the dismissive claim that one should not negotiate one's first salary out of university because one "wouldn't get any."

And congratulations on making "within $1000 of... a couple [of] Yale grads." Seeing as I know Ivy League grads who are still living with their parents and other Ivy Leaguers whose first jobs paid in six figures per annum, it's not clear exactly what "within $1000 of" is or what relevance that has on the present discussion.

[CAVA1990]

Actually I think ILD's position on this could be correct in situations where companies are competing for the best candidates. One strategy would be to tell them you have another company offering you 10% more and ask if they can match it. That may provide the hiring manager a justification for giving you more than the original offer. In my experience with larger companies, hiring managers will give you whatever HR will let them get away with. They're more concerned about getting the best person to do the job, and fast, rather than a few thousand dollar additional hit against their salary budget, which they can usually cover with vacancies. Sad but true, but most managers don't spend money the way they would if they owned the business. You can exploit that, realizing you're there to solve a problem (they got reqs they gotta fill). Hiring managers are also time pressed so don't want to have to deal with a bunch of sequentials offers. For most of them, recruiting and hiring is their least favorite activity.

[IndiaLimaDelta]

In my experience as an employer, I must say that "bargain" employees aren't such bargains.

And, yes, I generally paid top dollars to recruit the best and they have worked out very well for the most part. One of them took over my last day job when I retired from the field.

[tsuric]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Actually I think ILD's position on this could be correct in situations where companies are competing for the best candidates. One strategy would be to tell them you have another company offering you 10% more and ask if they can match it. That may provide the hiring manager a justification for giving you more than the original offer. In my experience with larger companies, hiring managers will give you whatever HR will let them get away with. They're more concerned about getting the best person to do the job, and fast, rather than a few thousand dollar additional hit against their salary budget, which they can usually cover with vacancies. Sad but true, but most managers don't spend money the way they would if they owned the business. You can exploit that, realizing you're there to solve a problem (they got reqs they gotta fill). Hiring managers are also time pressed so don't want to have to deal with a bunch of sequentials offers. For most of them, recruiting and hiring is their least favorite activity.

This is true, I asked for more money for my first job in the DC area (but my second full-time job). The hiring manager fought as hard as she could with HR to meet my request. This helped me get 5% more.

This was for a large company.

[justtitans]

I want to emphasize as another IT person to say that you have a Computer Science degree means nothing because Computer Science is such a broad field. With a degree you can do anything from software development to technical writing. Without knowing one's experience, expertise and whether you are private or government, it's really hard to give anyone an accurate figure. I can only speak generally, if you work in this area, no matter what odds on out, the government will pay less but your job will be more secure. Of course there are exceptions. I have been offered jobs as a software developer as low as $37,500 with no benefits and coming out of undergrad from a Fortune 500 company. The government typically (depends on your grades) will offer you about $41k starting out.

My advice, be mindful of where you work if you decide to buy. Private sector companies, especially the big ones like to move people around and if you decide to buy, you may go from a short commute to a long one and nothing to really change it because you have brought a place. The IT field depending on what you do and where you work can be a field that will require a lot of moving so unless you work for the government or at least a company that doesn't have a ton of offices, I would remain flexible until you work at place or work on a long-term project.

[Cardiff Kook]

no way are people with a bachelors starting out over 60k unless they have some sort of specialized engineering degree or something of the sort. I'm making mid sixties and I've been out of school for 4 years now. Started out at 45k with a bachelors in finance

[kutra11]

My s/w company based in NoVA offers $50-60K for Bachelors degree in CS and $70-80K for Masters degree in CS... ...straight out of school.