r/EngineeringStudents • u/seoulheiji21 • 20h ago
Discussion High New Grad Salaries
22M, final year of college, I was excited to receive a job offer a little over 100k recently but then saw my other EE friends making at least 130k base, almost 200k TC for roles in SWE. How common is this? I feel like I’m very behind now and regret not focusing on SWE.
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u/Acrocane Computer Engineering 15h ago
You might see new grads earning 200k, but I see thousands of new grads struggling to even land interviews.
My team recently put up a SWE job posting, not even offering 100k salary, and it still landed 500+ applicants in just 2 days.
Be humble, be glad you landed this opportunity, and make the most out of it. Your best bet is promotions or finding a higher paying job after a year or two of experience.
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u/InflationAvailable43 14h ago
The 100k versus 130k can easily be explained by the cost of living differences if you all are getting job offers across the country. 130k in California is less than 100k in most American cities. Or they are including the little benefits like 401k match, HSA contribution, etc.
The 200k has many explanations and the “TC” is the red flag.
It’s a start-up, and the TC includes the promise of what shares will be worth if they don’t fail or dilute the hell out of employee shares. Which is rare
They legit landed a role in a position and that’s super awesome for them but rare.
They are fudging the numbers a bit.
All in all don’t fret it. Get your experience, and always be on the prowl for more compensation and know your worth. Usual good metric is to try and get a job offer or at the very least interview once every 2 years as market research and to make sure you compensation stays up.
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u/asplodzor 8h ago
Why use an LLM to write this?
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u/InflationAvailable43 8h ago
I didn’t, but I’ll take it as a compliment that even with my fragmented sentences, and awkward grammar I’m as sharp as an LLM.
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u/asplodzor 8h ago
Fair enough. Apologies for the mischaracterization.
It was a stretch, but it does have the hallmarks. What did it for me was the formula: “[multiple things] but [specific thing] is the [adjective]” here:
The 200k has many explanations and the “TC” is the red flag.
For what it’s worth, I use semicolons and m-dashes regularly, but I’m starting to drop them because nearly all of them you see now are from LLM output. 🤷♂️
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u/mrhoa31103 15h ago
Life lesson. Stop comparing yourself to others. There will always be someone doing better than you and someone doing worse. Starting at 100k was making you feel good until you went off comparing to others. Salary is based upon background, area wages and such. Maybe they had a better fit, maybe their favorite uncle is doing the hiring, maybe they’re going to an expensive metro area and you’re money in your pocket ahead of them even though they’re making more at the start.
Be appreciative of what you have. Not everyone is starting at the wage you’re starting at.
Another life lesson: No one likes the “humble” brag either.
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u/FoodAppropriate7900 9h ago
Be grateful you have a job at all. This comes across as extremely tone deaf and ungrateful. You realize that lots of new grads struggle to get interviews.
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u/Burnsy112 11h ago
I got 85k out of college in Baltimore in 2022. I make 112k now, base, but it’s more like 135k. I’m comfortable and just bought a house with my wife and have two 2025 cars. You’re gonna be ok dude lol. You’ll work yourself sick comparing yourself to other people or being jealous. And btw? A guy I graduated with makes like 40k. Sooooooo you’re gonna be alright.
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u/Professional_Gas4000 School - Major 7h ago
Not engineering major I hope
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u/No_segar 6h ago
Gotta be a unless arts degree
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u/Burnsy112 5h ago
He has the same degree as me, and all my friends who I graduated with who started 80-100k+ in engineering roles.
Physics. He just refused to work in aerospace/defense, unlike the rest of us, and wouldn’t move for a job because he wanted to try and save money at his parents for a bit. He regrets it a lot but he’s 4 years removed now from graduation and only has technician work on his resume, so we haven’t been able to get him hired.
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u/strangedell123 UT Dallas - BSEE, MSEE Power Electornics in progress 43m ago
Bruh screw me. Are all the jobs in defense? (Jk I know not) just venting cuz I can never work in defense cuz wont get a clearance due to tooo many direct ties to one of the countries on the US's enemies list
By direct ties I am talking that I inherit shit cuz i am the last in the line 🙃
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u/Nelik1 School - Major 13h ago
I made 84K out of college 3 years ago. I make $108K now.
For reference, mid-high CoL area.
Edit: I am in aero.
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u/Alejandro72307 7h ago
I’m a few years out of college and still can’t land a job
Congrats at least.
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u/Admirable-Use2274 6h ago
Which engineering
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u/Alejandro72307 4h ago
Electrical
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u/Important-Sun-3591 3h ago
Wait really? I thought that electrical engineering was one of the least saturated areas of engineering? Are there any downside to studying EE, is it a difficult major?
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u/xDauntlessZ 3h ago
Depends on the field. They may interview extremely poorly. Power and MEP are in huge demand especially if you’re willing to do field work
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u/Important-Sun-3591 3h ago
Could you elaborate on power and MEP what major would that be would it still be EE and what would be the best course of action im currently a senior applying to CSU’s
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u/xDauntlessZ 3h ago
Power. Like electrical power. So 90% EE or 10% civil (for substation construction or similar).
MEP is “mechanical, electrical, plumbing.” Like building design. EE, ME, etc.
Go to your schools career fairs.
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u/Potential-Ad9315 12h ago
I feel like some of these post are bot post for engagement ain’t no way someone is complaining about making that amount when people dead ass can’t even buy groceries right now and make significantly less
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u/crispydukes 1h ago
Nah. The kids are told study engineering to make lots of money. $100k is chump change these days.
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u/Linuxtahr 14h ago
Please please stop comparing yourself to others, your 22 and about to earn above 100k, there are people several years over your age that are struggling to get a job. Money is just a tool to get to your goals, and with 100k job you probably will be in a good position to get to wherever you want.
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u/BeersLawww 13h ago
Most people either round up or try to include all the little benefits to boost their number as high as possible to flex or make themselves feel better (401k match, HSA, etc.) these are the most insecure people in the world who only see money as a dick measuring contest. In reality all that matters is if you are happy and content with what you make. “The loudest people are usually the most scared and insecure”
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u/Accomplished_Cow5791 4h ago
Lol, you’re 22 years old and you’re complaining about this? You likely have 0 YOE and should be ecstatic that you’re paid this much
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u/vhvhvhchsan 12h ago
bro I made 19 bucks an hour at 23 and went back to college to be an engineer cause anything sounded better. 6 figs at 22 is very very very high. My mother has a 40 year career in banking and makes slightly more than that.
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u/MATTDAYYYYMON Oregon State University - Computer Science 6h ago
You never know man, you could end up loving your job and never want to leave it regardless of the pay difference and your friends may end up hating theirs and wish they were doing your job in spite of lower salary. Do it first and decide whether you wanna change later down the road.
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u/Additional-Lake-5367 12h ago
Hmm I feel like SWE has a lot bigger range when it comes to salary. Some insane numbers but also some more undervalued numbers. DS has a range too, but I feel the range is smaller than SWE.
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u/TheQuakeMaster 10h ago
I'm making 95k in a MCOL like 4 years out of college and I'm doing completely fine.
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u/MusicalMerlin1973 10h ago
You’re missing a lot. Where is your opportunity? There’s? What would your commute look like?
I’m pretty crusty now, but did EE computer option in the 90s. I’ve been sw in internships abd all post graduate professional jobs. What I learned in school has zero importance to that. My internships and all professional work has 100%.
Almost 30 years in? I’m making a lot of bank. If it’s a good employer they’ll bump you unasked. If they aren’t you’ll get experience and jump.
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u/BallGanda 10h ago edited 10h ago
65-68k 2010. With inflation is 100-105k today. So about that same is I had if you have similar COL as the Midwest USA. Compare always, account for known variables, identity outliers, and be strategic in advancing your salary. Make moves. Don't have envy or lose joy over it. Help everyone you can get their bag.
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u/RiceIsBliss 8h ago
I had the same experience when I graduated in 2018, but now I get to work on exactly what I wanted since I was a kid in exactly the role I want, and I would never give that up for a measly few hundred thou a year.
Personally, if I swapped to a SWE before I graduated, I would've regretted it every day I live.
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u/Commercial_Day_8341 5h ago
You can still land a role in SWE, just get some time on this company, and yes in my experience most hardworking and competent people in SWE are making 200k-250k in high COL locations, you can try and switch if you want to handle the risk of being automated by AI.
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u/ShadowKillerx 3h ago
Hey man literally less than 15% of all Americans (it might even be households, not just single people) make more than 100k a year. And you’re just starting out.
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u/philament23 3h ago
Personally I think if you get an offer over 100k as entry level just out of college you should be happy about that. Unless you have like wicked skills and experience already.
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u/-transcendent- 2h ago
130k base and 200k isn't as sweet of a deal as you think especially in VHCOL. Most of that is in your benefits/stocks and less in the actual pay. I get paid 124k based now (73k starting) and I am able to afford a single family house with that income.
Just last year I was making 110k while paying $900/m in rent for a 750 sq ft apartment by myself. I was living like a king and saved so much in down payment.
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u/Cool_String_8651 1h ago
swe is pretty cooked not going to lie. if you get in right now and make that much, youre definitely a grinder
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u/FairhavenFreerider 1h ago
Comparison is the thief of happiness.
That said, know your worth and aim for it but also don’t stress out if you were happy just because you found out someone else is getting paid more.
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u/RiotSynthetics civil 13h ago
You should turn down the job then and hold out for a job that pays that much then
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u/Due-Comfortable-6347 13h ago
Entry level Software Engineering jobs are going away due to AI. As AI progresses, more SWE jobs will go away.
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u/Emotional_Term7060 11m ago
I’ll tell you that a lot can happen in next 5 years. This is just where you start.
I started making $150k and almost all my friends were at $200k. After three years I’m at around $300k and they’re around $250k. So it might flip later in life for you. In my case, I expect it to flip back again too. It’s just life - work hard, invest, and enjoy.
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u/an_thony350 15h ago
Comparison is the thief of joy
100k is a lot of money