Starting salary for the class of 2018: $50,390

[muwarrior69]

http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/14/pf/college/class-of-2018-starting-salary/index.html

To put this in perspective my staring salary in January 1970 was $9000 with a BS in Chemistry and Biology. My MU education cost 12K (tuition, room & board and books), the cost of a new car was $2500-$3500, median price of a new home was 25K and the cost of regular gas was 28 cent a gallon for regular. That is about 1/10 of what those things cost today making my starting salary around 90K if were graduating in 2018 with just a BS.

[Jockey]

Workers Unite!

[TSmith34, Inc.]

My student loan debt to starting salary ratio was about 60%.  I imagine is notable higher on average for new graduates today.

[tower912]

50 thou a year will buy a lot of beer.
Things are goin great
And they're only getting better.....

[theBabyDavid]

theBabyDavid took home a cool $1,200 a month which went miles in Enid, OK. Life was good.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

50 thou a year will buy a lot of beer.
Things are goin great
And they're only getting better.....

Senior Week theme song, 1987

[jesmu84]

Executive salaries have significantly outpaced "regular" workers for decades. No problem though. I'm sure it'll all be fine when the money collects at the top and never comes back down.

[Jay Bee]

Can we get a breakdown of guys vs. gals, a1na?

[#UnleashSean]

I wonder how much longer this is sustainable

[brewcity77]

I wonder how much longer this is sustainable

At some point, it will end in revolution. The result of trickle down economics, better described as the redistribuing of wealth from the poor to the rich, will be a violent revolution. Not sure if it will be in my lifetime, but I'd be surprised if we got out of the 21st century without severe upheaval.

[real chili 83]

At some point, it will end in revolution. The result of trickle down economics, better described as the redistribuing of wealth from the poor to the rich, will be a violent revolution. Not sure if it will be in my lifetime, but I'd be surprised if we got out of the 21st century without severe upheaval.

Really?  Take another hit off the bong.  Good lord.

[Herman Cain]

At some point, it will end in revolution. The result of trickle down economics, better described as the redistribuing of wealth from the poor to the rich, will be a violent revolution. Not sure if it will be in my lifetime, but I'd be surprised if we got out of the 21st century without severe upheaval.

Thou doth protest too much.

I think if public sector guys like you took into account the total value of your compensation , you would be surprised how wealthy you are relative to the rest of society who has to work to pay your salary, lifetime health and pensions that rise  and are guaranteed regardless of merit.

[brewcity77]

Thou doth protest too much.

I think if public sector guys like you took into account the total value of your compensation , you would be surprised how wealthy you are relative to the rest of society who has to work to pay your salary, lifetime health and pensions that rise  and are guaranteed regardless of merit.

Why do you think I'm talking about me? I'm not talking about me.

[MUBurrow]

Why do you think I'm talking about me? I'm not talking about me.

Because other than resorting to personal attacks and trying to drag the whole conversation through the muck, there is no rational, effective response to this thread that fits his strange, in-character message board personality.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Thou doth protest too much.

I think if public sector guys like you took into account the total value of your compensation , you would be surprised how wealthy you are relative to the rest of society who has to work to pay your salary, lifetime health and pensions that rise  and are guaranteed regardless of merit.

So just like the police, fire, and military then? 

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/14/pf/college/class-of-2018-starting-salary/index.html

To put this in perspective my staring salary in January 1970 was $9000 with a BS in Chemistry and Biology. My MU education cost 12K (tuition, room & board and books), the cost of a new car was $2500-$3500, median price of a new home was 25K and the cost of regular gas was 28 cent a gallon for regular. That is about 1/10 of what those things cost today making my starting salary around 90K if were graduating in 2018 with just a BS.

I don't totally believe that average number either.  These averages are usually based off students hired at large companies and discount a ton of students hired at the greater number of smaller employers.
I remember back in 1991 being asked this question when interviewing for my first job. 
"What salary are you expecting?"
"The average starting salary for engineers is listed as $X."
"Well, we are not offering that." was always the response.
Almost no one I knew seemed to get the average figure either regardless of occupation.

[Coleman]

Brew is right. The longer we bury our heads in the sand, the worse it will be for us in the upper-middle and upper classes.

Severe income inequality is bad for EVERYONE, including the rich. Because the ultimate outcome is not good for us. We are all better long term with less income inequality.

The only people it is good for are rich people over 60. Because they probably won't live to deal with the consequences.

[Herman Cain]

Brew is right. The longer we bury our heads in the sand, the worse it will be for us in the upper-middle and upper classes.

Severe income inequality is bad for EVERYONE, including the rich. Because the ultimate outcome is not good for us. We are all better long term with less income inequality.

The only people it is good for are rich people over 60. Because they probably won't live to deal with the consequences.

There is no such thing as income inequality. People earn at rates commensurate with their value and the ability of others to do their work. Today in New York City there are crane operators that make $500,000.

Again I will point out public sector employees are endowed with great wealth due to the pension and lifetime health benefits they receive. Further they have tenure , civil service etc which make their jobs permanent. I served on several educational and government boards and we calculate the wealth impact of every teacher we granted tenure to at roughly $3,000,000.

The income inequality crowd conveniently forgets to calculate the massive wealth transfer to the public sector that is going on in this country. It is paid for by the private sector who does not have the same benefits and protections.

[Coleman]

There is no such thing as income inequality. People earn at rates commensurate with their value and the ability of others to do their work. Today in New York City there are crane operators that make $500,000.

Again I will point out public sector employees are endowed with great wealth due to the pension and lifetime health benefits they receive. Further they have tenure , civil service etc which make their jobs permanent. I served on several educational and government boards and we calculate the wealth impact of every teacher we granted tenure to at roughly $3,000,000.

The income inequality crowd conveniently forgets to calculate the massive wealth transfer to the public sector that is going on in this country. It is paid for by the private sector who does not have the same benefits and protections.

Haha. I've seen some conservative thinkers (George Will, Ed Conard, etc.) argue that income inequality isn't that bad, or that we shouldn't try to fix it, but I've never heard anyone completely deny its existence before. I think you are quite alone in that belief.

I also think you are dead wrong about public sector workers. Both of my parents are/have been Wisconsin state employees and are middle class, but far from wealthy. My dad has both worked in the private and public sector in equivalent jobs and the private sector has been much more lucrative. Sure, his health insurance is a bit better and he has an okay pension, but his public sector income is like 60% of what it was in the private sector.

My mom also recently switched over to the private sector because it was much, much more lucrative. She hadn't gotten a raise in like 8 years from the state. Her salary was atrocious. She left and got a 30% raise. 

[Pakuni]

There is no such thing as income inequality. People earn at rates commensurate with their value and the ability of others to do their work. Today in New York City there are crane operators that make $500,000.

1. You cannot possibly believe this. Even the National Review is publishing commentary about the existence of income inequality and its negative impacts.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/11/economic-inequality-crony-capitalism-conservatives/

2. How does a crane operator's salary in New York City prove income equality does not exist?

[MomofMUltiples]

This may surprise you, MUFINY, but the public sector also pays taxes.  When I worked for the State of Minnesota, I often joked that a certain amount of my salary just went to pay me.  In addition, public sector employees work hard and are vastly undervalued by people with your attitude, and government professionals are underpaid relative to market by 25-50%.  Most of those are not protected by civil service, but serve at the pleasure of the government's leaders. Also, times are changing rapidly.  In many government jobs, employees no longer receive health benefits in retirement and are being asked to contribute an increasingly higher percentage of their income toward their health care each year.  Finally, many of the defined benefit retirement plans (pensions) are being converted to defined contribution plans (401ks). 

At the same time, folks with your attitude are frequently the first ones to complain loudly when an overworked civil servant in an understaffed environment (see: DMV) fails to jump immediately when demanded.  Greater tolerance and grace would benefit many in our society.

[GB Warrior]

My student loan debt to starting salary ratio was about 60%.  I imagine is notable higher on average for new graduates today.

I graduated in 2012 and mine was about 2:1. Fortunate to be in a speciality field with great raises that allowed me to pay down aggressively - just paid off this year. No better feeling. Just in time to introduce Jr and immediately putting that money into a 529.

Wife and I will be able to save aggressively to pay for him to attend pretty much free. Not sustainable for kids 2 and beyond. Mrs GB will be pursuing her terminal degree with the goal of a Jesuit university job.

I agree with Brew. Either it will only be the elites that can afford college 2 decades from now or it will be free. Because we are a society where 50% of Americans enjoy shooting themselves in the d**k (figuratively and literally at times), I can take pretty good stab at which.

[forgetful]

There is no such thing as income inequality. People earn at rates commensurate with their value and the ability of others to do their work. Today in New York City there are crane operators that make $500,000.

Again I will point out public sector employees are endowed with great wealth due to the pension and lifetime health benefits they receive. Further they have tenure , civil service etc which make their jobs permanent. I served on several educational and government boards and we calculate the wealth impact of every teacher we granted tenure to at roughly $3,000,000.

The income inequality crowd conveniently forgets to calculate the massive wealth transfer to the public sector that is going on in this country. It is paid for by the private sector who does not have the same benefits and protections.

Honestly, this is one of the most ignorant and absurd things I have seen posted on here. 

Although it is true that taxpayer dollars support the salaries of public sector employees, their sacrifices in both time and income, allow you to focus solely on generating as much wealth as personally profitable. 

Without their sacrifices, sometimes their very lives, you wouldn't be able to live any aspect of the life you enjoy.  So before criticizing these individuals and saying they take what they are offered for granted, maybe you should look at what services they provide you, and how much your life benefits from their sacrifices.  Then determine their worth?  Because absurd calculations (like your $3M figure), are not accurate, but are used as an excuse to further take advantage of these people that allow us to live in the way we are accustomed. 

[Jay Bee]

Without their sacrifices, sometimes their very lives, you wouldn't be able to live any aspect of the life you enjoy. eir sacrifices. 

Lol. Yes, without public sector workers, my life would be literally nothing. Get real. Public sector is largely an inefficient, poor performer.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

I graduated in 2012 and mine was about 2:1. Fortunate to be in a speciality field with great raises that allowed me to pay down aggressively - just paid off this year. No better feeling. Just in time to introduce Jr and immediately putting that money into a 529.

Congratulations, that is an awesome milestone and feeling.