How much do your just-graduated-from-college children make (esp in HCOL)?

[YaelAldrich]

I have a bonus son who just graduated from a liberal arts school (not very selective) with a BA in Psychology.  He had very good grades and made Dean's list most semesters and was a TA for his senior year. He's worked most of college in food service, retail, and Jewish education.

He is looking for a job now and is looking at a variety of postions. He is complaining that nothing he is applying for is paying more than $23 an hour (in Boston).  My DH and I thought that was a pretty good wage for someone with limited work experience.  I realize Boston is a very expensive location to live, but in my youth (in a significantly lower cost of living area as well as Boston) we lived poorly.  Small, cheap apartment which took up over 50% of our income, cheap food, one car (needed for school), no vacations, etc.  He seems to want a more lavish lifestyle right out of the gate.  What say y'all?  Am I being a cranky old lady?

[Kassia]

My kids were all STEM kids and made a lot coming out of college.  But a BA in psychology is totally different and I think it would be much more difficult to find a good paying job.  Ds1's gf graduated with a degree in psychology and I don't think she could even get a job until she went back to school and got her masters in human resources and now she makes a lot.  

[Katy]

Yes, factories in the midwest are paying that for no degree or skills.

OTOH, he chose to major in psychology.  It's completely useless without a graduate degree.  He needs to go on and finish a graduate degree in counseling, therapy, or as a social worker.  Or get a PhD and do diagnostics.

[teachermom2834]

My oldest made about $40/hr right out of the gates with great benefits in 2021. My youngest is a rising junior in college and making over $30/hr at an internship. 
Those two are not engineers or anything super highly paid but they have a skill set and will be more employable.

My other kid has a softer degree (and not to be blunt but I would consider psychology a softer degree without a direct career path) and he made about $18/hr to start in a lower COL area than Boston. It’s not enough and he is working on getting something better but we didn’t necessarily think he would walk into anything better. He’ll be working his way up. 

So, it’s obviously not alot of money in Boston and disappointing to the new grad. But it doesn’t sound crazy that is what he is coming up with either. 😕

[Kassia]

Just now, Katy said:

 

OTOH, he chose to major in psychology.  It's completely useless without a graduate degree.  He needs to go on and finish a graduate degree in counseling, therapy, or as a social worker.  Or get a PhD and do diagnostics.

I don't think it's completely useless but it is much harder to find something with a BA in psychology than with other majors.  

[Melissa Louise]

Grads make more when they go into a job that is salaried. 

Do you have graduate programs over there?

Dd2 went into a specific graduate program after her honours year and had a decent salary that first year, and has now had two promotions and pay rises in the second year (government department/policy work).

What sort of work is he looking at? 

[gardenmom5]

degree/subject matters.  Psych doesn't do much unless you have a PhD, or pair it with something else.  (1ds' friend did that, and he went off and got computer training because he couldn't find a decent job ever.)

1ds graduated last year, and he has a MS in engineering.  He's close to six figures to start in a HCOL area.  (if he'd gone to texas - he would have been over six figures, with a lower COL.)

[Melissa Louise]

Agreeing about the uselessness of an undergrad psych degree.

Ask me how I know!

[saraha]

Oldest ds has an AA and lives in a small town outside Cincinnati. Makes $16 an hour at a library with full state benefits and rents a really nice 1 bedroom apartment within walking distance of his job for $750 utilities included. That was his plan all along though and why he got the AA. He wanted to work in a library and to do that he had to have an AA. It cost us absolutely nothing for that degree except gas money thanks to pell grant. He is my aspie that doesn’t drive so he has a great set up and plans to stay where he is til he dies 😆. As long as his rent doesn’t put pace his yearly raises he should be set for a long time.

Edited June 26, 2023 by saraha

[TexasProud]

Just now, gardenmom5 said:

degree/subject matters.  Psych doesn't do much unless you have a PhD, or pair it with something else.  (1ds' friend did that, and he went off and got computer training because he couldn't find a decent job ever.)

1ds graduated last year, and he has a MS in engineering.  He's close to six figures to start in a HCOL area.  (if he'd gone to texas - he would have been over six figures, with a lower COL.)

Yes, my son graduated with a computer programming degree 5 years ago and got several job offers and the one he took was in the upper 85,000 or so.  He has gotten raises pretty much every 6 months.  They also see what the norm is for the industry and raise them to match it. Excellent health benefits, stock options, etc.  I don't know what he is making now, but I am guessing 6 figures. 

My son who majored in history and got a seminary degree is working in a coffee shop warehouse.  He is making about 2400 a month or so maybe, which would be almost 30,000.  He is always broke. 

Degree subject matters. 

[gardenmom5]

Just now, TexasProud said:

Yes, my son graduated with a computer programming degree 5 years ago and got several job offers and the one he took was in the upper 85,000 or so.  He has gotten raises pretty much every 6 months.  They also see what the norm is for the industry and raise them to match it. Excellent health benefits, stock options, etc.  I don't know what he is making now, but I am guessing 6 figures. 

My son who majored in history and got a seminary degree is working in a coffee shop warehouse.  He is making about 2400 a month or so maybe, which would be almost 30,000.  He is always broke. 

Degree subject matters. 

This.  so this.

I used to ask 1dd what she was going to do with a classics degree. . . . makes a good undergrad.  . . . she ended up in a male dominated area of computers. owns her own home in our HCOL area.

dh has two nephews (mother is the same 'artsy' sil).  One is a high school drop-out, the other has three music degrees.  Guess who has more employment stability?

the high school drop out who went into computers.     

and while money isn't everything - as I tried to get through to ds's "friend" - you need money to live.  To provide shelter, buy food, clothing, etc. 

[Hilltopmom]

Well, Target and fast food are paying 15 an hour here in a LCOL area so his offer isn’t much money for a HCOL area. And yeah… he needs a graduate degree.

Ds, 23 is in a LCOL area but a software engineer and he makes way over what I make as a teacher with years of experience.

 

[Faith-manor]

15 minutes ago, YaelAldrich said:

I have a bonus son who just graduated from a liberal arts school (not very selective) with a BA in Psychology.  He had very good grades and made Dean's list most semesters and was a TA for his senior year. He's worked most of college in food service, retail, and Jewish education.

He is looking for a job now and is looking at a variety of postions. He is complaining that nothing he is applying for is paying more than $23 an hour (in Boston).  My DH and I thought that was a pretty good wage for someone with limited work experience.  I realize Boston is a very expensive location to live, but in my youth (in a significantly lower cost of living area as well as Boston) we lived poorly.  Small, cheap apartment which took up over 50% of our income, cheap food, one car (needed for school), no vacations, etc.  He seems to want a more lavish lifestyle right out of the gate.  What say y'all?  Am I being a cranky old lady?

Boston? Small apartments aren't cheap. Small with 2 roommates could easily cost each of them $1200 a month not including utilities. When my niece graduated college and got her first job in NYC 20 years ago, she shared a very small, no frills apartment with two other girls, and they each paid $1000 a month. Take home will be roughly without $38,000 without health insurance. Assuming a $800 a month insurance which is pretty typical even if the employer makes a contribution, that leaves $16,400 for transportation, renter's insurance, a small 401K contribution, co-pays and deductibles on health insurance, personal care, clothing, food, and utilities or just over $1300 a month for ALL of that in a HCOL area. That is actually pretty tight, and no frills. And he has to find the roommates. Boston average one bedroom rent when I googled it was $2500 for not so great neighborhood. Food, as a percentage of income is much higher than when you and I were young adults and health insurance is out of sight. One big savings for him would be if he is young enough to remain on your insurance AND you are willing to pay that portion of the premium. This only works though if your insurance will cover him in Boston. If it is out of network, that is going to be very expensive.

Two of our sons are employed in the same small city. Our electrical engineer got his first job three months after graduation, $65,000 a year, and will have decent raises. The COL in his city is WAY lower than Boston, by a huge amount. Our middle boy, BA in archaeology and anthropology, minor in history, and expert in several languages, is a museum archivist/historian/something or other...not sure exactly what all it entails. He only makes about $45,000, but he loves the work, and sharing expenses with his brother, they live very comfortably and save money. Both have emergency savings as well as 401K's while paying off their student loans. They only have the federal loans at low interest rates so that helps. Their rent on a 3 bedroom, 2 bath apartment in a decent neighborhood, walkable community, is $1350 a month. They are both still on our insurance and will stay that way until they turn 26, and then they will go on employer provided insurance so that will eat into their play money a bit. More so for the anthropologist. Engineering son will get enough pay raises by then that it will cover his insurance premium and then some. He won't feel it the same as his brother.

I think your son is wise to be concerned about that wage in that city and how it plays out especially once he is no longer eligible for your insurance.

Unfortunately for your son, if he doesn't get his master's degree and become a licensed psychologist, it is going to be tough for him to live in such an expensive area, and his job options even if lower COL will not be great. That isn't one of those super, marketable degrees.

[Tap]

Ds makes 25 to 30 with an accounting degree while he studies for his CPA. He could make more, but loves the company he works for and he has a ton of freedom so it is perfect for this stage of life. 

[Wheres Toto]

When I last worked, I was an executive assistant making around $28/hour with a degree and tons of experience.

My oldest has an undergrad degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Forensic Psych.   She's currently working a retail management job making $60,000 (she's worked for the company for a few years).  She may be going back for a PhD or JD.   She does live by herself in a one bedroom apartment that costs about $1200 a month, utilities included.   We are in what is generally considered a very HCOL area.    

There are some jobs that require a degree, but what the degree is in doesn't matter.    But to work in Psychology does require advanced degrees.  

[catz]

My new college grad is in the final rounds of interviews/technical testing for a STEM related job that will start at 110K (MCOL+).  He graduated from a public flaghip U.  That is absolutely nuts to me, but go him.  Of course a technical STEM degree is very different from a BA in psych.

That said, $23 an hour in Boston doesn't go very far.  Like someone mentioned they are getting a 1 bedroom for $750.  That would probably be about $1200 (or more for luxury) in my area.  I'm sure MORE again for Boston.  I saw there is a push for getting minimum wage to $20 an hour in Boston.  Given high school drops outs are probably not making much less, I can see why that is disappointing.  Hope he can find something that earns him a living wage where he wants to be.  I also hope he doesn't have student loans in the balance.

Edited June 27, 2023 by catz

[KSera]

14 minutes ago, saraha said:

Oldest ds has an AA and lives in a small town outside Cincinnati. Makes $16 an hour at a library with full state benefits and rents a really nice 1 bedroom apartment within walking distance of his job for $750 utilities included. That was his plan all along though and why he got the AA. He wanted to work in a library and to do that he had to have an AA. It cost us absolutely nothing for that degree except gas money thanks to pell grant. He is my aspie that doesn’t drive so he has a great set up and plans to stay where he is til he dies 😆. As long as his rent doesn’t put pace his yearly raises he should be set for a long time.

That's a great setup for a kid on the spectrum that doesn't drive! I have one that would be thrilled to find the same!

[Indigo Blue]

Electrical engineer son is close to 90,000 from college.  Chemical engineer older son has been out of college for awhile. He started from college a bit higher than 90,000 in TX, but chemical engineering pays a bit more than electrical, in general. 

[saraha]

5 minutes ago, KSera said:

That's a great setup for a kid on the spectrum that doesn't drive! I have one that would be thrilled to find the same!

Yeah, the Lord absolutely cleared the path for him. We weren’t entirely sure he would ever be completely independent, yet here we are! What helped him is that he volunteered at our little town library for three years, then got on there part time for 3 years while doing college, so had the degree, 6 years experience in another system and great recommendations.

[Kassia]

Just now, saraha said:

Yeah, the Lord absolutely cleared the path for him. We weren’t entirely sure he would ever be completely independent, yet here we are! What helped him is that he volunteered at our little town library for three years, then got on there part time for 3 years while doing college, so had the degree, 6 years experience in another system and great recommendations.

that's so wonderful for all of you!  🙂

[lmrich]

Atlanta - dd graduated with advertising degree in 2022 and is making over 60K with great benefits. She only goes in the office once a week so can afford more in housing. 

 

my husband has offered 130K to engineering/computer software grads from GA tech and has hard time getting anyone to take that 'low' of a salary.... (with benefits and 4 weeks of vacation) 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

Honestly, it seems the only decent paying jobs are in STEM.  This is frustrating to me as there was no way I was cut out for a STEM degree, I struggled with everything past algebra 1 and didn’t have a good science education—I was homeschooled and back then there were no co-ops or labs.  Even if I had, I don’t think I would have been good enough to major in anything science related.

I have two children who are definitely far more liberal arts oriented than STEM.  I honestly don’t even know how to advise them for the future.

[historically accurate]

Mine has an AS and is on the way to a BS in computer science. She makes 20 an hour, fully remote, doing computer upgrades and is starting on the help desk. I can't imagine living on that in Boston honestly.

[TexasProud]

4 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

Honestly, it seems the only decent paying jobs are in STEM.  This is frustrating to me as there was no way I was cut out for a STEM degree, I struggled with everything past algebra 1 and didn’t have a good science education—I was homeschooled and back then there were no co-ops or labs.  Even if I had, I don’t think I would have been good enough to major in anything science related.

I have two children who are definitely far more liberal arts oriented than STEM.  I honestly don’t even know how to advise them for the future.

Yes, I know.  Because my younger two children would have flunked with STEM degrees.  Middle is a fantastic writer and SO well read.  He reads constantly.  Daughter is musically gifted.  Math...now way.  But those skills are just not valuable. 

[TexasProud]

For our children, oldest will also probably never have a family and only has one friend at the present time. Their plan is for rich uncle ....  to pay for their children to go to college ( Though honestly, we will probably start and fund 529 plans for everyone's kids whenever they have them...if they have them)  Oldest is so sweet and so generous.  He would make someone a great husband but is terrified of women. 

[Arcadia]

My friend’s daughter just graduated with a cognitive science major and could not land a job. So she is currently tutoring online charging $35/hr. She is mainly tutoring in AP Biology. Her parents are helping with rent for the time being. My friend’s family friend just graduated with a data science major and she is also having difficulty landing a job. 

[livetoread]

Mine is earning 65k base plus possible 25k commission first job out of college. He graduated with a marketing degree major and sales minor and is working for a large corporation doing wholesale sales. He has a big territory and travels a lot but really likes that. He gets a company car so no car expenses and has a per diem for food plus all hotels etc. covered, so his expenses are low. Great for a kid who didn't want to be stuck in an office all day. Marketing is another major where entry level jobs can be pretty low paying so he decided sales was the way to go.

[Melissa Louise]

5 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

Honestly, it seems the only decent paying jobs are in STEM.  This is frustrating to me as there was no way I was cut out for a STEM degree, I struggled with everything past algebra 1 and didn’t have a good science education—I was homeschooled and back then there were no co-ops or labs.  Even if I had, I don’t think I would have been good enough to major in anything science related.

I have two children who are definitely far more liberal arts oriented than STEM.  I honestly don’t even know how to advise them for the future.

Dd2 was liberal arts oriented. She got offered scholarships in communication degrees etc.

She went into health policy and promotion instead, and succeeded despite her dyscalculia. She works in the federal dep of health, and works in diversity and equity aged care policy areas. It's a great fit for her communication skills, her leanings towards social justice etc and it pays! And there is potential to go up and up, as far as she wants to go, really. She also worked as a health promotion officer while she studied and that was much more person centred, and she loved it. 

Idk what it's like there, but here, health promotion and policy here is a growth area.

So that's the way my non-math, non-science kid succeeded; sharing in the spirit of, I think there are options, but you've gotta be smart, and she was. People were agog she didn't take the higher cultural status scholarship at sandstone university, but she was thinking ahead. 

[Bambam]

I agree that the degree is of little financial value for just a bachelors unless he can pair it with something that is more valuable.  And in a HCOL area? He might want to consider searching for a job in a lower cost of living area. Before I went back for more advanced degrees in that major, I'd want to be sure there is a job market (as much as you can) and that I would enjoy those jobs/be good at that/be willing to live with the time/energy (mental)/etc that it would take to do a good job. Several friends of one dd graduated with that degree. One got a job working at a commercial truck rental place making little money doing a job that IMHO anyone who could read/write could do. Another got a job just sending out survey monkey type links for an institution (again ability to read/write/basic communication seemed the only job qualifications to me) - again not much money. Certainly neither could afford a place without roommates. 

I really think it behooves us to encourage our kids to figure out what they can do with a degree before they get it. Will it pay a living wage? Will there be plenty of jobs available? etc. 

Some business degrees are valuable in terms of job market/salary. 

[Kassia]

17 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

My friend’s daughter just graduated with a cognitive science major and could not land a job. 

Dd was planning on majoring in cognitive science until she discovered how difficult it could be to get internships and then a job without going to grad school.  She went with computer science instead.  DH and I thought it was a mistake for her to switch because cognitive science seemed like a better fit but she has no regrets and graduated with good job offers.  

[Arcadia]

13 minutes ago, Kassia said:

Dd was planning on majoring in cognitive science until she discovered how difficult it could be to get internships and then a job without going to grad school. 

She intends to apply to dental school but is hoping to work a few years before going to dental school 

[Serenade]

My son graduated in December with a biology major/chem minor and is working for a major lab testing company.  While his yearly take will probably be around $50,000 t0 $55,000, depending on overtime, he has fantastic benefits including 401K matching at 5%.  We are in a middle cost of living area, and he could afford to get an apartment on his own and live comfortably but not extravagantly at that rate, but for now he is living at home and building up a nest egg.  He knows he is paying his dues right now.  His job is a "dirty" job that requires a college degree in the sciences, but in many ways it is also like a factory job.  Most people work at this place for a year or two, get their laboratory experience, and then move on to greener pastures in research labs.  Frankly, we were all quite pleased that he got this job.  We knew from before he chose his degree that biology was one of the lower paying science jobs, and I had concerns about that, and I very much encouraged him to get that chem minor because I figured it would improve his employability.  He probably would have preferred a job as a field biologist, but he was smart enough to choose the job that would allow him to pay off his college debt and make a reasonable living, even if he never gets rich.  

[Matryoshka]

2 hours ago, TexasProud said:

Yes, my son graduated with a computer programming degree 5 years ago and got several job offers and the one he took was in the upper 85,000 or so.  He has gotten raises pretty much every 6 months.  They also see what the norm is for the industry and raise them to match it. Excellent health benefits, stock options, etc.  I don't know what he is making now, but I am guessing 6 figures. 

My son who majored in history and got a seminary degree is working in a coffee shop warehouse.  He is making about 2400 a month or so maybe, which would be almost 30,000.  He is always broke. 

Degree subject matters. 

This. It's honestly disturbing.   I live in the Boston area and have three YAs so am quite familiar with the situation here.

My dd who majored in CompSci (and did coops during college) had a job offer offered upon graduation that was near 6-figures and now makes over that a couple of years later.  She can afford to live in Boston. My youngest has an Accounting degree and makes about half what her sister does; she can afford to live in a smaller city with a roommate. 

My third kid majored in humanities (anthropolgy/linguistics/philosophy).  Had wanted to go to grad school, but couldn't get anything funded in those fields, and was realistic that a grad degree in a related field would never make enough to pay back any loans.  Redirected and spent a couple of years getting pre-reqs for PT school, has now decided to pivot yet again and is thinking of becoming a Nurse Practitioner (the pre-reqs at least mostly line up).  In the meantime has been working at CVS; has worked up to Lead Pharmacy Tech and is now making a whopping $21 an hour (was making $18 as regular Pharm Tech and I think less when they were working front store).  We'd been subsidizing them, now they've moved home.  They could only afford an apartment with a bunch of roomies, even here in the 'burbs.  We'd rather they save their money for later.  If they get into school for NP, they will take out loans but hopefully with that career they'll be able to pay them back.

My nephew lives in the area and didn't even finish his degree.  He's doing some kind of job where he's installing or somehow involved in WiFi or something?  I have no idea what he earns.  He married a woman whose family owns an apartment they're living in, paying rent but not at market rate.  So, marry rich?  (don't quote that, lol)

[TechWife]

2 hours ago, Katy said:

Yes, factories in the midwest are paying that for no degree or skills.

OTOH, he chose to major in psychology.  It's completely useless without a graduate degree.  He needs to go on and finish a graduate degree in counseling, therapy, or as a social worker.  Or get a PhD and do diagnostics.

It’s a good major for law enforcement and Human Resources. Neither would require additional degrees. Law enforcement would require an academy and HR could be done with on the job training, certifications and continuing education. Law enforcement is really broad. It can be everything from local policing to secret service to the FBI. 

[Matryoshka]

8 minutes ago, Serenade said:

My son graduated in December with a biology major/chem minor and is working for a major lab testing company.  While his yearly take will probably be around $50,000 t0 $55,000, depending on overtime, he has fantastic benefits including 401K matching at 5%.  We are in a middle cost of living area, and he could afford to get an apartment on his own and live comfortably but not extravagantly at that rate, but for now he is living at home and building up a nest egg.  He knows he is paying his dues right now.  His job is a "dirty" job that requires a college degree in the sciences, but in many ways it is also like a factory job.  Most people work at this place for a year or two, get their laboratory experience, and then move on to greener pastures in research labs.  Frankly, we were all quite pleased that he got this job.  We knew from before he chose his degree that biology was one of the lower paying science jobs, and I had concerns about that, and I very much encouraged him to get that chem minor because I figured it would improve his employability.  He probably would have preferred a job as a field biologist, but he was smart enough to choose the job that would allow him to pay off his college debt and make a reasonable living, even if he never gets rich.  

Yeah, that salary would not enable you to live in an apartment on your own here, no less allow anyone to save up.  Rents are NUTS.

Another idea is to get a job that just needs 'a degree'.  One of my kids' friends has a Spanish degree but is working doing some kind of editing job online, which apparently pays well (she lives in NJ/NY area, so enough to manage there).

[Shelydon]

One of mine is majoring in a high demand field and will likely make $80K upon graduation. She specifically picked the major in order to be able to live and work remotely. The other is planning on a Ph.D in a science field. Although both like some degrees it would be in the humanities fields, they chose to major in things that would provide them instant jobs. When you choose a major like psychology, history, English, art -- you have to do things during college that make you employable

[sgo95]

My oldest is a computer science major currently interning at an investment bank as a software engineer at a rate around $80k/year. If they offer her a job for after graduation, it will be well over 100k in not a HCOL area.

My second is an entering sophomore in college but is in a field that will require a master's degree. After her master's, she could earn 80k+ in not a HCOL area.

[Faith-manor]

I forgot to also say that our eldest son got a job out of college, BA English and Writing with minors in history and philosophy, as an editor. He works remote and lives in a low COL. Editing isn't a high paying job. He gets $55,000 a year and benefits but the health insurance is kind of expensive in my opinion for how high the deductible and out of pocket is. The only reason he got the job was that he was the editor of more than one journal for his college which netted amazing references plus a lot of experience, and by the time he graduated, had 14 academic papers published in peer reviewed journals that weren't his college's publications, and had just accepted a contract on a book he finished his senior year. It was enough to get him in the door. He has a lot of classmates who are really struggling to get work in the publishing industry. His partner works as a tech writer. She would like to eventually get some of her works published and give up the tech writing which she finds boring. But it pays well. Much better than ds. They live comfortably because it is work remote so they can remain low COL, and they are dual income no kids. They would eventually like to have one child. I think that is quite a while away. Her job is contracts no benefits. His insurance does allow for domestic partners, but it is such a high deductible and out of pocket, that they need to save all of that plus salary since her time would be off without pay. I think they would prefer to put off thinking about the possibility of a child until she is secure in a position she likes better. Unless one of them writes some crazy popular, fantasy novel and makes a boatload of money, I think they will always need to live low COL and be dual income because English and Writing majors just do not make much money, at least not in the first half of their careers.

[Starr]

You have to get started somewhere. DD’s first job didn’t  pay as well but it led to her second and third. 

[Serenade]

3 minutes ago, Starr said:

You have to get started somewhere. DD’s first job didn’t  pay as well but it led to her second and third. 

Yes to all this.   I think it's better to get a job and start earning, than to delay employment trying to find the perfect job.

[Serenade]

21 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Yeah, that salary would not enable you to live in an apartment on your own here, no less allow anyone to save up.  Rents are NUTS.

I believe it!  My son interviewed for a pharmaceutical position in the Boston area, and it would have paid nearly double what he is making at his current job.  However, it would have required a major move, and so he was not really interested in it. 

[KungFuPanda]

Dd taught high school English for a few years with a secondary education degree. She moved to a tech company and makes considerably more, got paid maternity leave, and works from home. Her husband who has no degrees works for the same company and makes less than her. They’re in a very HCOL area in a tiny apartment but they love the area. 

[EKS]

2 hours ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

Honestly, it seems the only decent paying jobs are in STEM.

This is because the humanities and some of the social sciences have totally devalued themselves.  You can't make a major all about activism and expect students to have the skills necessary to excel in a real job.

Edited June 27, 2023 by EKS

[Momto6inIN]

Oldest DS got 6 figures for his programming job in Chicago, which I consider to be HCOL but maybe some of you coastal folks don't. He graduated with an MS in CS. He made almost as much in his first job out of college as my DH makes now after 26 years as an engineer! 😜

2nd DS is a senior in college and is working for $25/hr this summer in a relatively LCOL but it is an upper management job. His degree will be in business communications (which is definitely soft and in the school of LA) but he's got lots of business and entrepreneurial  experience already so that skews it a bit.

I do think lots of young adults want/expect a lavish lifestyle in their 20s that DH and I didn't expect/get until our 40s.

[ScoutTN]

2 hours ago, TexasProud said:

Yes, I know.  Because my younger two children would have flunked with STEM degrees.  Middle is a fantastic writer and SO well read.  He reads constantly.  Daughter is musically gifted.  Math...now way.  But those skills are just not valuable. 

Sad commentary on our society that musicians, artists, writers, theologians etc. are not considered valuable enough to pay decently. 

[Grace Hopper]

(Haven’t read the other replies yet.)

 

I understand feeling a little crankyish because my young adults enjoy a higher-frills (ie lots of coffees and out-to-eats) style of life than I did as a young adult. But the times are different. 
 

My sci/tech kids are doing well, one really well right out of the gate and the others had pretty escalating salaries within a few 2-3 years in their jobs. My humanities kids will probably never be able to live solo, the cost of housing is just too high to not have roommates. They don’t make as much but do manage to find ways to do the things they really want to do (travel, tickets to shows and concerts). 
 

I am very grateful they’ve been successful with a combination of good jobs and good work ethics. But for humanities kids, it doesn’t seem fair that their salary range will never quite catch up despite equal educational years (and debt!) and on the job effort. 
 

(sorry for my vagueness about job titles)

Edited June 27, 2023 by Grace Hopper

[KungFuPanda]

I don’t know any young adults who expect a lavish lifestyle out of college. They all seemed resigned to not being able to purchase a home in the near future because it’s way too expensive. 

[Grace Hopper]

3 hours ago, Kassia said:

My kids were all STEM kids and made a lot coming out of college.  But a BA in psychology is totally different and I think it would be much more difficult to find a good paying job.  Ds1's gf graduated with a degree in psychology and I don't think she could even get a job until she went back to school and got her masters in human resources and now she makes a lot.  

 

3 hours ago, Katy said:

Yes, factories in the midwest are paying that for no degree or skills.

OTOH, he chose to major in psychology.  It's completely useless without a graduate degree.  He needs to go on and finish a graduate degree in counseling, therapy, or as a social worker.  Or get a PhD and do diagnostics.

Youngest has several friends currently majoring in psychology; every one of them has a plan to go directly to grad school.

3 hours ago, saraha said:

Oldest ds has an AA and lives in a small town outside Cincinnati. Makes $16 an hour at a library with full state benefits and rents a really nice 1 bedroom apartment within walking distance of his job for $750 utilities included. That was his plan all along though and why he got the AA. He wanted to work in a library and to do that he had to have an AA. It cost us absolutely nothing for that degree except gas money thanks to pell grant. He is my aspie that doesn’t drive so he has a great set up and plans to stay where he is til he dies 😆. As long as his rent doesn’t put pace his yearly raises he should be set for a long time.

You must be so proud of him and pleased at his situation! Well done, saraha-son!

@YaelAldrich sorry I can’t remember what city you’re in so I'm not sure what your son grew up with, but Boston is a really hcol city. Would he consider relocating?

[Ausmumof3]

Having kind of related convos with a younger person. She’s going back to work after having her first baby and parents don’t approve. They think it’s because of the “frills” - coffee and new clothes. The trouble is the couple can’t make mortgage repayments on one income anyway, so they figure if they both have to work full time they may as well enjoy some luxuries which makes perfect sense to me.  I never planned to be a part time working mum but ended up in the same situation, even with no luxuries ever we couldn’t cover the bills, so may as well work. Working very part time to keep homeschooling but if costs Lee going up I will need to put kids into school and go full time.

But basically I think when you know that doing without the luxuries won’t get you over the line it’s harder to have resolution around that when you know that doing without them will.

[2squared]

I’m hiring 4 year accounting majors (so can’t sit for the CPA without their masters) in a LCOL area at $60k this summer. 

My rising college senior is hoping for an HR offer at the bank she’s interning for. I think having strong summer work experiences helps land a full-time job after graduation. Food service, retail, and Jewish education, while solid jobs, wouldn’t cause me to prioritize a candidate over someone with internships in their career areas.  Those jobs are definitely better than no college jobs! I’m not sure I would look at a candidate without a job unless they had really strong college extracurriculars….extracurriculars that would replace a job (which definitely includes college sports).