Study: pay scale raising for technical fields

The National Association of Colleges and Employers recently released some promising statistics about the immediate future of graduating college seniors.

NACE employment information manager Camille Luckenbaugh said the results of the survey of more than "350 college and university career services offices nationwide" were an "excellent indication of a vigorous job market."

The statistics show the big winners of the marketplace are graduates with degrees in economics or finance, information sciences or management information systems and engineering. These graduates are finding salary increases of at least 4.5 percent since last September.

Of those students graduating with a degree in engineering, the chemical engineering graduates "have seen their salary offers climb 5.8 percent since September, with offers averaging $47,705," according to the report. Computer engineers and electrical engineers doggedly pursue the chemical engineers with average salaries of $46,190 and $44,803 respectively. Civil engineers pull up the rear at $36,030, "a minimal 2 percent increase since September," the report states.

Economics Prof. Robert Barsky said "skill bias technical change" could be a reason why graduates in technical fields can expect relatively high salaries. He said that with technology advancing as it is, with brains being consistently favored over brawn, the college premium - the idea that college graduates are likely to earn more money than high school graduates - will increase only in the technical fields.

The 1997 edition of "The Statistical Abstract of the United States" supports the claim that technical careers have experienced an increasing demand. Between 1994 to 2005, the occupations of systems analyst and computer engineer are projected to grow at a rate of 92 percent and 91 percent, respectively, the report states.

Art and Design senior Leane Edwards said she has had some rueful experiences with computers in her academic career.

Edwards said the school has not been particularly helpful in her search for a job, adding that the "art school is evolving" so its "computer facilities are not up to standards.

"Valuable experience" that she could have gained through an internship was simply not provided by the school, Edwards said.

But she said she does feel confident about her prospects and that depending on where a person works, a graphic design graduate can make $20,000 or more per year.

Seniors from various fields expressed confidence about their future careers. Nursing senior Sarah Kyle said "nursing is on a high" right now after a point of massive layoffs four years ago.

Karen Eisenhauer, a Business senior who has happily secured a job, said the School of Business Administration made the search "really easy" by providing job fairs with heavy recruiting.

Dentistry senior Julie Sarya, a future dental hygienist, said "dental hygiene's the best job - you want a job, that's what you do" because the field abounds with opportunities.

Jamie Weitzel, an education senior, said "If I wanted to teach in the inner cities, I could probably have a job in a heartbeat."

04-15-99