Casiex Universitaria

How does a Computer Science degree compare against other degree's in salary and benefits?

In 2011, the University of Washington School of Engineering and Computer Sciences reported that a significant base of its graduating seniors, those with a bachelor's degree in computer science, had been offered starting salaries averaging around $107,000, along with signing bonuses between $25,000 to $30,000. Comparatively, similar entry level salary wages have been reported by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford, Harvard, and the University of Illinois for students graduating with a Computer Science degree.

Compared to other types of degrees an individual can receive from a 4-year college, a Computer Science degree is far outpacing its counterparts in starting salary and signing bonuses. For example, starting salaries of graduates with a Bachelor Degree in Liberal Arts can range in the neighborhood of $28,000 to $32,000. What is driving the large discrepancy in salaries between these two degrees? One factor employers are valuing a great deal is skills in math, science, engineering combined with the knowledge and complexities of programming, systems development, software design and algorithmic programming. A second factor is simply supply and demand. All industries and companies across the globe are seeing the benefits that technology can bring in automation and cost reduction and/or revenue enhancement. Thus, the demand for these skills is far outpacing supply. Add these factors together and its easy to see why Computer Science degrees are far outpacing other types of degrees in pay scale.

Backing up the recent reports from the Universities about their graduates experiences with jobs has been favorable news coming from the US Dept. of Labor. The Labor Bureau of Statistics is forecasting that over the next decade (2008-2018), college graduates with Computer Science degrees and computer engineering degrees will see demand for jobs in their field of around 49%. Specific professions called out in the report include jobs such as computer system design, computer and information systems management, computer scientist, computer technicians, computer engineers, system analysts, database design and administration and network administration.

The third trend that has really put a spotlight on the importance of Computer Science graduates has been the demand coming from some of the top companies in the USA. Companies such as Oracle, Microsoft, IBM and Google are all reporting that they plan to hire these types of positions and keep them in the USA. In the past, these types of jobs were quickly exported to areas such as India, Russia, and China. As more companies recognize the importance of a Computer Science degree, these skills will be value much higher in terms of companies overall strategy and how they develop them in their American offices.

What can a graduate with a Computer Science degree expect to earn when they enter the workforce? It really is going to depend on several factors including how broad their education is and what specific type of job they plan to target. Here are some general guidelines on jobs and salaries: Entry level software developer, $81,010, software engineer, $83,100; software architect, $117,000; database administrator, $85,550; software development manager, $115,100. This is a just small sample as the field and the various positions has expanded significantly over the last 10 years.

The future prospects for a student obtaining a computer science degree are very strong. CS majors that can combine their scholarly learning's in math, science, and engineering and blend that with hands-on computer training stand to make a significant impact in the marketplace with employers. In addition, the employers that are hiring these individuals are some of the fastest growing companies in the whole world.