What employers are paying new college grads

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New college graduates have been so stressed about finding work that the salaries they receive after snagging a job may seem more like an afterthought.

That's a good thing since starting salaries for new college graduates have been stagnant since 2008, according to a massive employer survey conducted annually by Michigan State University. Twenty percent of employers, however, say that they will be raising salaries for their new college hires.

With some exceptions, the MSU survey shows that the more education a graduate possesses, the greater the starting salary.

The highest average salaries recorded by the MSU survey are being offered to American workers, who have recently earned a PhD in engineering ($74,662) and science ($74,622).

Americans graduating with master's degrees are being offered a wide range of salaries: The typical newly minted MBA, for example, can expect an average salary of $58,251, versus $42,678 for someone with a master's degree in social science.

The survey included salaries for selected bachelor's degrees and the results clearly show that graduates with advanced math skills are at the top of the salary heap.

-- Electrical engineering $55,139
-- Chemical engineering $54,057
-- Computer engineering $53,283
-- Mechanical engineering $53,135
-- Software development $50,171
-- Civil engineering $49,927
-- Programming $48,518
-- Computer information systems $47,161
-- Physics $44,969
-- Math $44,644
-- Supply chain $42,494
-- Nursing $42,473
-- Construction $42,362
-- Finance $42,174
-- Chemistry $41,382

What About the Unemployed Grads?

The graduates who snag jobs in their field are lucky, regardless of their salary, because they are positioned to begin moving up the career ladder. Stability in the early stages of one's career is a plus, but what about grads who are unemployed or working as a retail clerk or a Starbucks barista?

The Michigan State survey asked employers if new grads will encounter long-term career problems if they can't find meaningful work when they graduate. According to the employers surveyed, 42% believed first-time job seekers will be "severely vulnerable" if they don't find employment. Not good news for a lot of new college grads.

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